What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
I love the gritty, hard, yet believable future world of The Expanse. I think our initial colonization would follow a similar path, and I imagined the solar system in the early stages of colonization. In that setting, I conceived a first contact encounter that would feel similar to other stories, grounding sci-fi readers, yet present a unique scenario and compelling enigma. And I believe personal stakes and deep character arcs make a story thrilling, impactful, and a page-turner, so that's what I wrote.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
Too bad it’s already taken, but I think the opening theme from the Battlestar Galactica reboot would fit the mood of my story perfectly. Of course, since Harbinger feels a little like some of the cast of Firefly slammed into the world of The Expanse, perhaps a mashup of those two themes?
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Sci-fi is absolutely my favorite genre to read and to write. From space opera to more esoteric stories, I love it. I started with Star Trek: The Original Series (on rerun; I’m not that old), and other than a comic or two, the first thing I ever wrote was a movie treatment for the original crew.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Dune Messiah, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Machine Learning, and Book Three of my Outlier series—I can’t wait until it is finished, edited, and ready to go.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Beyond any action scenes, I really enjoyed writing the reunion of Arenna and Ed. Arenna and Laigin's meeting packs all the tension I hoped for, and poor Ed is stuck in the middle and a little oblivious. (I can relate to the oblivious part. Facing world-ending stakes, their focus shifts to their relationship.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Not really. Unless you count waking in the middle of the night, opening my phone, and banging out a scene I thought of and couldn’t risk forgetting.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Wow, just one... “Don't try to be a great man. Just be a man, and let history make its own judgments.”
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Get book 2! — No, jk. I’d love for them to take away that we, as humans, can accomplish so much, overcoming insurmountable odds, if we learn to work together.
N. Joseph Glass is the author of the new book Harbinger of Darkness (The Outlier Book 1)
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