Interview with Emmanuel M. Arriaga, Author of First Elite (Foundra Book 3)

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write First Elite (Foundra Book 3)?

I’ve been working up to First Elite, not just as another book in the Foundra series but as one that tackles some difficult topics. I haven’t shied away from difficult topics in the past, but I feel that First Elite tackles one of the biggest questions we have in existence. Why do bad things happen to good people? It also explores how our choices dictate who we become and how we can allow other people’s actions to poison our minds and ruin our lives if we let them. These are really heavy themes, but it was important for me to tackle them not just as a writer but as someone who has experienced a lot of trauma in my own life growing up and now as a parent to a child who had a serious health condition when he was born. I have struggled with these questions and concepts and was able to come to a place and make peace with them. I felt it was important to share what I learned through the narrative of this story. I also think we’re at a pivotal moment in human history with the advancements in Artificial Intelligence, and I wanted to paint a different narrative for the future. It touches on the duality of AI. The very real dangers that exist with an unrestricted AI but also the power and benefit that come when Superintelligence is fully realized. The vast majority of people fundamentally misunderstand what will be possible. I’m optimistic about the future and wanted to show what Superintelligence would be capable of in a world that seeks to be like us and improve humanity. I also wanted to touch on the fear of facing something we created that challenges our concept of life.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of First Elite (Foundra Book 3), what would they be?

For Neven Kenk, his theme song would be “My Demons” by Starset. I think it encapsulates his journey through loss, vengeance, and the weight of responsibility, fully touching on the evolution he goes through from the first book, Foundra, to First Elite, where the idealistic view of the world is pulled back to reveal one filled with pain and loss that fuels his growth into someone stronger than he was before.

For Tashanira, it would be “Power” by Little Mix. It perfectly encapsulates her evolution as she steps into her power as a woman no longer bound by fear and who embraces her heritage and cultural identity.

For Ellipse, this one was tough, but I think “Control” by Halsey does a good job of capturing her journey from Pride of Ashna when she was “just” an Artificial Intelligence in Neven’s head to a fully sentient being in First Elite where she comes into her own identity and the power that she has as a newly formed superintelligence.

Lanrete is the Leader of the Founder’s Elites and one of the Founders of the Huzien Empire. He’s immortal, and I think the song that encapsulates the history retold throughout First Elite of Lanrete and his protege Uriel Kervid is “Destiny” by Neffex. Lanrete is not a leader of the Huzien Empire by accident; he is one of the founders by will and action, which comes out through the narrative of First Elite.

In stark contrast to Lanrete, we have Entradis, the main villain in the story. The song that encapsulates him in the purest form is “No Church in the Wild” by Jay-Z & Kanye West. The lyrics touch on Entradis’s mental state and how he views the world, specifically the Founders of the Huzien Empire. He wants to hurt them and topple all they have built, which is a defining force that motivates his every action. He doesn’t view them as gods, like many in the Huzien Empire do, or as just rulers. He wants to expose them for what he believes they are and end what he views as their tyranny.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I’m a huge science fiction and fantasy fan. My bookshelf is a mix of sci-fi space operas and epic fantasy novels. I love to write in sci-fi and dip into fantasy every now and then. But blending the two genres is what I enjoy the most. This mixing of genres comes out in the Foundra series. At its core, First Elite operates within a meticulously crafted sci-fi universe featuring cutting-edge spacefaring civilizations, advanced AI, nanotechnology, and power armor that follows logical scientific principles. The Huzien Empire and the technological advancements feel grounded in real-world physics and engineering, making them a hallmark of hard science fiction. However, the universe is also shaped by Enesmic weaving, Cihphists, and ancient cosmic forces, which transcend traditional scientific theory, bringing in elements of epic fantasy. These abilities function not as magic in the conventional sense but as a fundamental force of reality, akin to how gravity or electromagnetism shapes the physical world. This fusion of science and the mystical allows First Elite to bridge the divide between sci-fi and fantasy.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I’ve recently gotten pretty hardcore into the Warhammer 40k universe. I’d enjoyed it from afar, not reading any of the novels, but had watched lore videos and played the games. But recently, I went all in and bought the Horus Heresy series. I will begin the long trek of going through this epic list of novels, starting with Horus Rising. I think Warhammer 40k does a great job of blending sci-fi space opera with fantasy, similar to what I do with Foundra. Incredibly, I didn’t know too much about Warhammer 40k when I first envisioned Foundra, and now, going through the content, I see some similarities in how I’ve built the Foundra Universe with touching on other planes of existence, magic, etc., in a sci-fi space opera setting.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

It’s a tie; two scenes were my favorite to write, but for very different reasons. The first is early in the novel when I introduce Uriel Kervid, the First Elite. The narrative jumps back almost twenty-three thousand years before the Founder’s Elites were formed, before the Huzien Alliance, to the Huzen Empire in its rapid expansion and colonization period. Uriel is a powerful Combat Cihphist, or battlemage, a living weapon honed by the Huzien Empire for one purpose: destructive capability. It was fun to write because it’s just this scene of Uriel as this force of nature in all his glory who is able to take down starships by himself and turn the tides of battle in the upper atmosphere of a planet under siege. It has this epic feel, bordering on the impossible of what you’d think a single person would be capable of on their own. The second scene is the final battle between Neven and Entradis. It’s this scene that puts a human without any Cihphistic ability against a powerful godlike Cihphist. It’s a stark contrast to the book’s opening scene, with Neven fighting a futile battle against Entradis, who easily defeats all forms of technology that Neven throws at him. In that final battle, it’s super advanced technology against cihphism, or magic, a battle that shows how evenly matched the two forces can truly be when masters of their crafts are at work. It’s emblematic of the whole “Batman can defeat anyone with prep time” mindset. Neven is a genius engineer reminiscent of Tony Stark from Marvel Comics. He has had much time to prepare for this battle and can match Entradis in a way no one would have thought possible.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I have set up a specific environment and process to allow me to quickly drop into my flow state. It involves doing the right amount of prep before my actual writing sessions. This involves having the writing prompt for my next chapter lined up in advance. Then, I read through the previous chapter while listening to my special “Inspire” Pandora station. I will also have character art for the characters in the chapter on my screens. It also needs to be early in the morning or late at night, a time without any interruptions or distractions. All of these things come together to put me into that perfect writing flow state that allows me to do my best work.

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

Everything will be okay in the end; if it’s not okay, then it’s not the end.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Trauma affects everyone differently, but it’s possible to heal from trauma if we surround ourselves with the right people. Stay grounded in your community, to people who love you. If you don’t have that, find it. Love people and be kind. Emulate what you want to see in the world, and it will come back to you. Forgiveness is part of love, and it’s not something for the other person; it’s for you.

Emmanuel M Arriaga is the author of the new book First Elite (Foundra Book 3)

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