Interview with Daniel Gibbs, author of Fight the Good Fight

What can you tell us about your new release, Fight the Good Fight?

Fight The Good Fight is a military science fiction novel… with a twist. The primary protagonist is an Orthodox Jew. That’s not something I’ve seen a lot of in military, or military science fiction novels, period. I wanted to explore not only how faith can help a person go further than they think possible, but also a future in which our various religions get along with each other. In the Echoes of the Past universe, we begin several hundred years after a large group of people left Earth and struck out into the stars. They’ve lived, mostly in peace, until the forces of Earth show up to bring them back into the fold. In most science fiction novels, Earth is the “good guys”. In EOTP, they’re the opposite. I think it’s a fun read, with some interesting ideas and concepts and I hope others enjoy it!

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I’ve wanted to write a novel set in this universe I create since I was sixteen. Its taken nearly twenty years, but I finally put something to paper that I’m comfortable with letting others read. I hope its inspiring, entertaining, and something that those who read it enjoy!

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

In no particular order; Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, Into the Storm by Taylor Anderson, the Bible, The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy and the Safehold Series by David Webber

Who are your literary heroes working today? Why do you admire them?

David Webber and Taylor Anderson. I absolutely love David’s books; one of the first science fiction novels I read was Mutineers Moon. The whole thing about our moon being a giant spaceship, was weirdly plausible. The way he creates a universe and simply sucks you into it is something I hope to be able to, in some small way emulate. The genre bending world of Safehold is also high on my list. Amazing story telling. Taylor Anderson and his Destroyermen series is near and dear for another reason. I mean, you put in alternate reality, intelligent dinosaurs, and a beat up WWI vintage US Navy Destroyer, mix it together and out comes an incredible series of novels that also paint a picture. When my mother had a stroke when I was 16, my dad and I spent countless hours in the hospital waiting for her to wake up. My dad told me dozens, even hundreds of stories about his thirty years in the Navy. Since my father joined the Navy in 1945, his Navy and Taylor’s are very similar.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

When I was a child, my father used to tell me that you could go anywhere in a book. That’s always stuck with me. I read voraciously. My idea of a great vacation is going somewhere with no cell service, twenty-five books, and a week of time. I’ll read every last one of those books before the week is done, and likely end up trying to find more to read. Being able to now be the one that creates the place that another can go through my book… that is my favorite thing about writing.

 If you could invent anything, what would it be?

That’s an easy one – a Star Trek ™ style replicator. It would overnight create a post scarcity economy.

What scene in Fight the Good Fight was your favorite to write?

There’s a scene towards the end of the novel with many of the characters in a bar together, raising a glass to the fallen. Having been to gatherings like this myself, it was one of the easiest, and most emotional scenes to write in the novel. It ended up being my absolute favorite at least for this novel.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill

 “And in whatsoever you do, do it with all your heart, as to the Lord, and not unto men.” – Colossians 3:23

I would say those two quotes are how I try to live every day of my life. Falling short many times, but they are my goals.

Daniel Gibbs is the author of the new book Fight the Good Fight. 

Connect with Daniel:
Author Website
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