SPSFC Author Interview - Maximilian Lopez
What inspired the world, characters, or core concepts of your story? Was it a particular event, piece of media, or a speculative scientific idea?
Since I was a teenager I would occasionally have dreams where I'm at a different period of my life with different friends or relationships. Nothing crazy but life was slightly "off". E.g. living in an apartment with roommates that I never met or going out with people from school aged up and not part of my normal friend group. A question entered my head: What if I wasn't dreaming but glimpsing into a timeline from another "me"? A life that changed slightly due to different choices. This thought has been there even before the multiverse theory became more mainstream. Back in the 90's it was called M-Theory and String theory. As I grew smarter and learned the craft of storytelling, I was finally able to bring this concept to life. Now to create some characters to deliver this narrative in an engaging manner…
How did you approach the creation of your main characters? Were they modeled after real-life figures, or did they evolve organically as you explored the world of your story?
For the first book in the series, I developed four main characters, but three main POVs and juggling those were hard enough. They were crafted by different perspectives that I had in my life. That was the origin but of course they grew into their own voice once I established the type of person they'd be with goals, faults, and traits.
Science fiction often delves into questions of ethics, technology, and humanity. What central theme or moral question does your story grapple with, and why did you feel it was essential to explore?
My central question is with our existence in the universe. If dreams are windows into an alternate reality where an alternate "you" lives, then what does that mean? Is your existence more or less important with that knowledge? What would humanity do with that "god-like" level of knowledge? I think we all struggle with finding our place in this world and this may give that thought more weight or less weight, depending how you read into it.
How did you approach the integration of futuristic technology or scientific concepts in your story? Did you base them on existing theories or let your imagination run wild?
As scary as it sounds, my initial theory wasn't far off to where many scientists wrote thesis after thesis on the subject. People like Nikola Tesla thought of the universe in terms of frequency and energy vs matter and material. Time has made his theories gain traction. I have a background in radio frequencies (RF) used in military applications like Radars so I was apt to research how our earth's resting frequency and our REM sleep delta brainwaves could interact. Interesting and scary in my opinion, haha.
The sci-fi genre provides a canvas to depict diverse cultures, species, and worlds. How have you incorporated representation and diversity in your work, and why do you think it's vital for the future of science fiction?
Good question, the glaring fact is that the more you know the more you know you don't know. Different perspectives bring more information to the forefront that you could never gather on your own within your lifetime. If you're a person of science then you're a person who has an insatiable thirst for knowledge. It's important for humanity to realize this as a whole and if we can incorporate this theme and concept within the text then we can hopefully influence future generations to accept this subconsciously. I think the generation before me got the ball rolling so it gives me hope that I can do the same.
Every author has a unique writing process. Can you share a bit about yours? How do you manage world-building, plot progression, and character dynamics in such a complex genre?
I'm still learning, as most of us are. My current method is to begin with the three pillars of good storytelling. An internal stake, external stakes, and a philosophical dilemma. Then make arguments on either side. (Not specific to one answer or the other, because (IMO) the most interesting questions are the ones without answers yet. These types of questions lend themselves to be enhanced by the sci-fi genre in general. I like to be presented with all the information to a complex/scientific debate and apply my own perspective for a final answer.) Then, I'll create characters to best reflect each argument. Then I'll create the backdrop to enhance the external stakes. Then I can outline in big chunks down to smaller scenes. Then, for my first draft, I like to let the characters lead me from plot point A to plot point B (from a plotter to pantser).
What's next for you after SPSFC? Are there any upcoming projects you can share with us?
I submitted the first entry into my series for the SPSFC3. My second novel The Demons That Save Us was recently published (July 2023) and I am currently outlining book three as we speak. I have some wild stuff in-store for the future which will include a dive into Sci-fi Romance, Sci-fi Horror, and Sci-fi Noir… of that's a thing :)
