My latest
journey is finally complete: an inner journey spent at cafes and
staying awake at night tapping away in front of the PC. Or leaning head in hand
dreaming of other worlds.
This journey
is the completion of my novel Space Juice, finally published on Amazon!
I won’t reveal
how long it took to write. This extends down the years, perhaps into
another decade. Over these years I’ve learnt much about the art of fiction
writing. My craft has changed, definitely for the better. Early on I was
verbose, my style flowery – as of a newly graduated English literature student
keen to show his wares. With more experience and wider reading through all
genres I’ve tamed my style.
I’ve learnt
the art of description, how to write action scenes, narrative development, what
to imply and how to edit. Oh how to edit! How to kiss goodbye those sentences
that don’t quite fit. How to cull an entire paragraph, nay, entire chapters
that stray from the story.
I like to
think Space Juice contains incisive satire and social commentary, but these are
not included for the mere sake of it. The real world teems with absurdity,
beauty, corruption, avarice, desire and the quest for survival. The politics in
science fiction and fantasy mirror past, present and future scenarios, and
Space Juice draws on all three. It is set in the far-flung future, although the
reader may find echoes of historical and contemporary events that I have
referenced, intentionally or otherwise. These elements, as well as reflecting reality, make for a good story when properly treated.
But already
this post becomes too serious. Space Juice: A Sci-Fi (Mis)Adventure is
lighthearted, silly and fun. Straddling the boundaries of comedy and science
fiction, my first novel falls into a subgenre that I feel has been all too underexploited.
Many thanks to my editor, Chris Parrott, and to James at GoOnWrite.com for the cover design:
