The Destroyer

Bad guys in fiction are always pretty fun. Writing them especially so. Unlike Arendi, the Ouryan agent came to me almost naturally. I've encountered so many great mischievous characters across sci-fi and fantasy that trying to envision one wasn't hard.

When I was coming up with the Destroyer, I naturally thought of the Klingons from Star Trek, and their love for war. This Klingon in particular was fun to watch.

Gowron, former leader of the Klingon Empire. He has a very devilish smile, and eyes that so easily light up in fury. Like any good Klingon, Gowron loves to battle. Maybe too much, even if it's not always the prudent move. Dare I say, he's a little bit crazy, but in a good way. His first appearance in Star Trek was classic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwRXPSJL7E4

"You will die, slowly, Durrraaaasss..." 

Another character I thought of was the Operative from the film Serenity. He's a "believer" who isn't afraid to get his hands dirty, even if it means killing the innocent. However, he's not just a thug, but an intelligent man, who believes the ends justify the means. He's also fairly arrogant, and quick to assume he's bested his opponent.

"I'm a monster. What I do is evil. I have no illusions about it, but it must be done."

I don't know why I picked the Destroyer's human form to be that of a blonde-haired man. Maybe I was thinking of Roy Batty from Blade Runner. His character held this repressed rage and frustration, only it's often masked by a smirk. He's an artificial man that is desperately seeking answers, and is willing to use terror to get them. 

"Quite an experience to live in fear, isn't it? That's what it is to be a slave." 

What's interesting about all these characters are that none of them are truly villains. In some cases they're heroes, or they have some redeeming quality. I think for true villainy I thought about stories written by Neil Gaiman. From what I remember, he expertly crafted characters that were essentially murderers and happy to kill. Below is the Corinthian, a dream turned nightmare that's featured in Gaiman's Sandman comic book.  

I was probably thinking of all these characters when I came up with the Ouryan Agent. But I suppose you could view it from another angle. In a way, the Ouryan Agent is an almost extreme version of Julian. Here is a man who's become solely devoted to war, and enjoys nothing else, even at the cost of his own humanity. It's psychotic and even sad, but was certainly fun to write. 

Arendi

I think of all characters in my book, Arendi Soldanas was the hardest one to define. For a long time, I frankly had no idea who she was, or what made her tick.

It's funny that originally I had planned on making Arendi a male character. This was 7 years ago, when I only had a kernel of an idea for my novel. I thought it would be cool if a human android had managed to escape the enemy shield. I think naturally I thought of Data from Star Trek as the template for this new character.

I quickly brought this idea to my dad, who is also a huge sci-fi fan. He thought it was interesting, but wondered if perhaps the android should be female.

"Then she and the main character can fall in love," he pointed out.

That seemed like a rather brilliant idea to me. However, after that, I didn't really know what to do with it.

How human is she?  What is her personality? Has she talked to humans before? Who is her creator? What is her purpose? 

This was a really tough dilemma. To iron out all these details, and somehow, have it all make sense. But then to make a romance out of it? Daunting.

Thankfully, it came together over time. And for fun, I took inspiration from an unlikely movie.

I saw the film Roman Holiday as a kid, and I remember the ending, being surprised by it. I don't want to spoil the story, but for those who know the movie's conclusion, I suppose it unsettled me a bit. (Although it is realistic.)

It wasn't ever intentional. But later on after my book was done, I did think, Arendi's journey with Julian is somewhat loosely reminiscent of this film.

The female heroine is trapped in a life she doesn't want. She ends up escaping. A man finds her sleeping. Initially, there is distrust, but they end up going on an adventure together.

Maybe, subconsciously, I wanted to continue that film's story, somehow. I guess it's inevitable to think about what could be, just as the characters in this film do in the end.

So to remember it, my novel does offer a futuristic take on a scene in that movie. I think it fit well with what I was thematically trying to do with Arendi's character.

As for Roman Holiday, the film still holds up quite well, and it's worth checking out. Another classic.

Armor

I work as a journalist, so I'm writing all the time. But hammering out fiction is a tough task.

I know with my novel, it wasn't easy to write, especially at first. The early drafts were unfocused, with the language and style all over the place, not to mention the lack of fleshed out characters, and world.

This was quite frustrating, and at times very discouraging. But one thing that helped me work through it was this book, John Steakley's Armor.

This book is often considered a military sci-fi classic. It's similar to Heinlein's Starship Troopers in premise, although its more of an anti-war tale. Mankind is fighting an ant-like race of beings, and our protagonist is sent to join this grim conflict, donning his power armor.

He was alone.
No ants here at all. He was in what looked like a dry river bottom and he was alone. He blinked, straightened up from his crouch, took an instinctive step back toward the way he had come.
And the ants appeared.
First one, then three, then nine, a dozen, all clambering over the dune toward him. 
He blazed them all, severing limbs, melting giant skulls.

The prose can be visceral, jumpy and eccentric, but I think I found something I liked in it. That cold, distant, and sometimes matter of fact feel to his writing.

Armor is a fairly dark tale, and you get to see the battles from the perspective of Felix, a hardened, and yet emotionally-wounded soldier, who also happens to be unkillable.

The writing, especially in the first chapters, can convey that emptiness the character feels. There's also a sense of adrenaline, pain and tragedy that lingers throughout passages dealing with our protagonist and his inner struggles.

Why am I still alive? 
He had time to wonder before the shadow loomed over him and there was no time for anything but the struggle and maybe no time even for that, for all was cloudy and indistinct, the ant hazy before him, but moving so quickly, hammering at him, smashing at his chest and faceplate but he couldn't seem to move so quickly as should, as if he were in a thick mist that held him but freed the ant to rake and pummel him from side to side. My God! My God!

Not the easiest sentence to get through, but I liked the unique approach. Ultimately, Armor helped me think more about tone, and what atmosphere my book should give. If it's the end of the world, then my words would need to reflect that.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/102327.Armor

Sentinels of the Galaxy

Back in the day, I used to be a big watcher of anime. It's funny that maybe the first anime I ever saw is one that some sci-fi fans despise.

Lensman was of course based off the old school sci-fi series by the same name.  Originally written back in late 1940s and 50s, the books are known for defining the whole space opera genre. They revolve around so-called "Lensmen", who are sort of like prototype Jedi that possess special mental/telepathic abilities, They fight in a conflict that has lasted for eons, and even shaped the early history of man.

The books were actually out of print for some time, until a re-issue in the late 90s, from what I believe.  But I came across the series as a young boy, when I watched the anime version at a local indie theater with my dad.

Fans of the Lensman books generally seem to hate this animated movie adaption. This is mainly because it's only loosely based on the novels. Rather, the anime is basically a knock-off of Star Wars. You have your Darth Vader wannabes, a young boy growing up on a farm, and your Han Solo-ish, Princess Leia-like characters.

That said, this anime blew me away. Mind you, I was about 5 or 6 when I first saw this. So really, anything with spaceships, big battles, and aliens would impress me.

However, one thing that was more original about this anime was its style. The adaption came out in 1984, and in it, are several scenes that use computer-generated images. This seemed to be quite ahead for its time.

The adaption also came during a golden age for anime industry. So the drawings are high quality, and the action kinetic. My favorite part was the character, Worsel, or the "Dragon Lensman" who speaks to our main character telepathically.

Although its fun to reminisce, it's hard to still enjoy this anime now. This movie is really more for kids, than for adult sci-fi fans, and the Star Wars similarities can be distracting at times.

Later on, I did read some of the actual Lensman books in high school. The experience was quite jarring, simply because the stories are so different from than the anime in style and scope. The Lensman books actually bears more similarity with the Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon; although the plots are grand with action and adventure, the stories are also fairly dated.

From what I remember, in the Lensman universe, there is actually only one galaxy, which came about when two of them collided with each other. The main characters are all generally flawless as people, and the stories contain little moral ambiguity. I don't think there are even traditional computers in this world, and you see the term "atomic" appear every now and then.

There's also some maybe unintentional funny names in these book. For instance, there's a weapon called the "nutcracker" which involves crushing a target planet, by using two other planets to smash it together.

That said, it is mind blowing to realize that these books are crammed with giant ideas, during such an early age of sci-fi. As others have said, the Lensman books were really the Star Wars of their time. They even supposedly influenced George Lucas in his making of the first Star Wars film.

Those interested in watching the anime adaption can actually find it on YouTube. Given what I've said, I can't really recommend it, but I'll always have fond memories of watching it for the first time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g5xFo8YowQ 

Hyperion

"You are reading this for the wrong reason."

That's one of my favorite opening lines in sci-fi. It's from Endymion, which is the third book in the Hyperion Cantos series.

The series itself is very well known among sci-fi circles, and I remember trying to read it in high school. I think the first book, Hyperion, was initially tough to get through, given that I was young and probably didn't fully understand the literary story the author, Dan Simmons, had crafted.

But as I read along, I of course became hooked and finished the entire series right as I was about to enter college.

The series is so rich and dense, it's hard for me to recall all the details of its plot. It's a space opera with a little bit of everything. And I mean everything, including time travel, religion, the fall of civilization, a mysterious creature called the Shrike, and a clone of John Keats of all things.

For me, what I remember most is feeling quite moved by it at the end. The plot eventually evolves into a love story that later results in sacrifice.

It was sad to see the series end, but I'm glad the author gave it a hopeful conclusion. I highly recommend this series.  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77566.Hyperion

Another thanks

Jim C. at Sci-Fi Book Reviews was gracious enough to read my book, and write up a review for which I'm quite thankful for. He is quite the reader of sci-fi, especially the military kind, and his website is a great resource to learn about new books in the genre. Check it out if you are hunting for stories to read.

The shield

My novel owes a great debt to previous sci-fi works. Some readers may notice the small homages. For example, Alysdeon's son is called Kinnison, which is also the name to the hero of the Lensman series. 

It can be surprising where ideas come from. I remember 7 years ago, when I was playing around with storylines for this novel. One day, I woke up in the middle of the night, with the basis for it. I thought to myself: what if the enemy consumed planets with a giant shield? 

I've wondered where that idea exactly came from. And I can point to two things. 

- Star Control 2

This is another old school computer game, released in 1992, and it's a classic. 

The story: mankind and its allies have been defeated after a great interstellar war with the mighty Ur-Quan empire. Your goal as a human commander is to forge new alliances, and lead a fighting force that can defeat the enemy for good. To do this, you pilot an ancient, but powerful starship. 

Even as this game was released in 1992, it's surprising how much depth it has. There are over a dozen different alien races in it, and plenty of adventures you can go on. It truly is a space opera, but in game form, with great music, witty dialogues, and that epic feel. 

I think what influenced me the most was a story element in this game. From what I remember, following humanity's defeat, the Ur-Quan masters gave mankind a choice: either join them, or become "enslaved." 

Humanity picked the latter. As a result, the Ur-Quan decided to place an impenetrable "slave shield" around Earth. Essentially, mankind is allowed to live, but never again will it venture out in the stars. 

The "slave shield" was only a minor story point in the game, but it obviously impacted me. I highly recommend this game for those interested. http://sc2.sourceforge.net/ 

- Spin

This is a Hugo award winning sci-fi novel, and it's also quite good. One day, Earth is surrounded by a giant alien barrier that causes widespread panic. 

Although this barrier isn't an impenetrable shield, it does have a strange effect. For some reason, it is interfering with the time flow across the planet. 

This novel obviously isn't a space opera, but I enjoyed how it crafted a story about real people dealing with a world-changing event. It's definitely worth a read. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/910863.Spin 

The enemy

I'm a huge Star Trek fan. Been watching since I was a kid. Perhaps my favorite episode is the two-parter Best of Both Worlds.

I was only 5 when the first part aired. This episode basically turned me into a Star Trek fan for life, and I've seen Best of Both Worlds many times since. 

It also made me a huge fan of the Borg. Not that I was rooting for them. But it was so refreshing to see our heroes face off against an enemy that they couldn't really defeat. Not at first, anyways. 

One Borg cube could take down an entire fleet of Federation ships. It was so powerful that this single Borg vessel could potentially assimilate the entire quadrant. 

Thankfully, the Enterprise manages to save the day. But as a kid, I always relished the idea of what would happen if the Borg came back? 

Star Trek eventually revisited the Borg menace, but I suppose I was never quite satisfied with those portrayals. My main question: If the Borg are so powerful, why can't they just take over the whole galaxy?

There's an actual thread on reddit that discusses this. http://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/1az987/is_there_a_reason_why_the_borg_never_sent_more/

Whatever the reasoning, at least for me, the earlier version of the Borg were the best. An enemy that is so powerful and vast that perhaps nothing can stop it. 

That notion went into my thinking for the invaders in my book. I wanted to try and replicate that feel. 

"This is...just another page in history, isn't it? Will this be the end of our civilization? Turn the page." --- Captain Picard. 

Character designs

It was fun trying to visualize a few of the characters in the book. I took some inspiration from old school video games I enjoyed as a kid. One of them was called Phantasy Star, a role-playing series developed for the Sega Genesis back in the 80s/90s.

I fondly remember my dad buying me a computer gaming magazine that previewed Phantasy Star 3, which was released in 1990/1991. I was about 6 at the time and in the magazine, was some wonderful character artwork including this robot soldier named Wren (pictured second below).

Phantasy Star 3 isn't considered great game, but the follow up, Phantasy Star 4 is one of my favorites. It also features another android also called Wren (pictured top).

I won't spoil the story, but it's an epic tale with our heroes trying to defeat a great and ancient evil. What I loved about this world was that it's mix of both fantasy and sci-fi, with characters using both swords, magic, along with spaceships and energy blasters.  

You can probably tell that Wren influenced the character design to Arendi in my novel. (This is the original sketch I used with a mechanical pencil and paper. I wanted to honor the game.)

In Phantasy Star 4, there's also a character named Alys Brangwin, a hunter who uses a boomerang type weapon. I think I based a little bit of Specialist Alysdeon on her. 

I named Specialist Alysdeon after both Alys and the legendary sword used in the game, which is called Elsydeon. It's probably a bit silly, but Phantasy Star 4, along with many other sci-fi works, got me thinking about writing in the genre when I was young kid. I remember being about 10 years-old and scribbling down some fan fiction related to these games. 

Unfortunately, Phantasy Star 4 never received the proper sequel it deserved, although I don't think it really needed one. (The Phantasy Star series has also continued in the form of other games). Still, I suppose I wanted to rekindle those experiences. 

That said, my illustrations are just my own personal interpretations of the characters. Readers should imagine them however they wish. 

A big thanks!

My novel sold over 1,000 copies today since it was first launched. Thanks to all the readers who were willing to take a chance and buy it. Much appreciated and hope you enjoyed the book.

Colored version

An attempt to add some color using the Procreate app on my iPad. This app is great, and I used it on the character images for my novel. I still have much to learn though in terms of coloring.