SPSFC Author Interview - Stephen Landry

What inspired the world, characters, or core concepts of your story? Was it a particular event, piece of media, or a speculative scientific idea?

 I’ve always been a huge fan of sci-fi, ever since I was little I’ve had my eyes aimed at the stars. When I started working on Pop Smoke it was originally a inkfort derby project. They assigned me a secret pen name and a book title and I took it from there. I had only 2 months to write a full novel and I poured my heart into it. I wanted to create a story about two brothers, loosely based on my own relationship with my brother and my families ties to the air force. But the big difference is I wanted to pay homage to the many sci-fi pulp classics and combine them with the newer ideas presented in LitRPG / cultivation novels…. What ended up was a story about two brothers on opposite sides of a secret war, weird aliens, space fights, exploration, and unique slang based off of the actual air force slang.

How did you approach the creation of your main characters? Were they modelled after real-life figures, or did they evolve organically as you explored the world of your story?

 Eli and Aeton were loosely based on my brother and me. A big exception though is I very much still get along with my brother and hes a good twelve years older than me. He’s been my hero and lead me through many tough times in my life and I honestly wouldn’t be here without him. A few other characters are loosely based on friends but you’d have to get to know me a little bit better before I spill the beans. Gotta keep them guessing. I choose space pilots in honour of my grandfather and great-uncle. Both served heroically in the air force during World War 2, unfortunately my great uncle didn’t make it back. I was blessed to have heard many of my grandfather’s stories first hand, despite not being old enough to really understand the weight of them until I was older. Now, as an author, that kind of weight it something I strive to bring to the characters and worlds I create.

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?

In the world of Pop Smoke humanity is being suppressed. They are being ruled by an alien system known as the Aggregate who come across as false idols, false saviours. Nearly all of humanities advances are a hybrid of our current modern tech with alien engineering… ex. An F-16 modified to fly and battle in space. There are many concerns over this kind of indentured servitude as humans are given their own colonies BUT must serve as soldiers for the Aggregate. This kind of ethical dilemma come to a boil throughout the story… are we really a part of something greater or are we just slaves being used to enslave others.

Smoke, Fire, and Go Juice are also three items in the story that are little more than drugs. Each represents a unique addition with one nearly guaranteed to kill you. Every time a soldier or character in Pop Smoke uses one or the other it is a decision that is not made lightly. Throughout Pop Smoke there are chapters that touch on human trafficking, child soldiers, and animal cruelty as well as more positive things such as having a found family and genuinely being a good and kind person in a world that is always on the brink of collapse.

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?

 I based as much as I could on current theories, mostly around EmDrives and theories on FTL travel. I also did research into modern day aircraft (I live in an area where I get to see the Blue Angels quite often), ammunitions, and weapons. I changed it all, skewing it into sci-fi fantasy so that it fit the world better. Most of humanities weapons in Pop Smoke are a hybirdization of modern and alien tech, one major difference however is that weapons, like the characters themselves, are capable of levelling up. Ships can actually grow in sentience as they become more attached to their pilots, same with weapons and AI. The progression elements are one of my favourite aspects of LitRPG and were at the forefront of creating the technology and worlds. The actual worlds themselves are loosely based on places I’ve visited, hiked, or kayaked. E-308 for example is actually based off a lagoon I frequently kayak and fish. And of course I learned to fish because of my brother. For the skydiving bit at the beginning for example I also consulted a skydiving instructor, I myself have only been parasailing at this time. For the weapons I consulted a friend in the Marines, and for the air force elements I consulted another military friend of the family who now works on plane engines for a living. Despite the fact that the fiction diverges from fact, I still wanted a strong foundation based in reality.

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?

In the future I imagine and hope that humanity will be even more diverse than we are now. I think its vital that we all see each other as human and treat one another with the same respect no matter race, sex, religion, or what earth they are from. All of the ship crews and planets in Pop Smoke are filled with characters from every background, think Star Trek. One of the best aspects of writing sci-fi and LitRPG are IMO, that both communities are very open and inclusive to authors from all over the world, any gender, any skin color and that will continue being a natural thing. When writing I did the best with what I know and when I needed help I reached out. I’m blessed to have an amazing array of friends from all backgrounds, religions, and genders.

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 draft everything out in a spiral notebook then throw that to the wind because despite knowing how I want to get from point A to point B there is a whole lot of pantsing going on in-between. I write because its something I love to do. I knew I wanted chapters to flash forward and backward, and when I was writing I let the process take over and played it like a movie onto paper. There are a few jolts here and there but that’s meant to keep the reader alert. I kept track of character progression through excel however I do regret not utilizing the LitRPG aspects more in the story. There is still levelling and progression, but Pop Smoke focuses more on the character’s journey than tables and graphs. The relationships between characters themselves come from real life experiences and writing what you know.

What's next for you after SPSFC? Are there any upcoming projects you can share with us?

I’m working on a new Post-Apocalyptic Cultivation Novel with elements of LitRPG and Scifi called Dungeon Valkyrie that will premier on Royal Road next year. Its about a young woman who survives the end of the world, becomes a salvager for the last city, and stumbles upon a ruin dungeon and a wolf  in a wasteland overrun with mutant monsters. I’m really excited for it and several short stories set in the same world are already available on my Patreon. I also have a new scifi / litrpg series out that I co-authored with the amazing Jeffrey ‘Falcon’ Logue called Station Company Core: Detain AND Extract. Freelancers, the second book in our Corpo Monster Hunters Universe will be released soon followed by the third book next year. The audiobook is produced by Podium and narrated by Jessica Threet who also did the first book titled INTERNS. She does amazing work and I’m lucky to be able to work with her.  I’m also working on remastering and rebooting my Star Divers books with some better editing and new audiobooks in the works starting with CONTINGENCY. Speaking of audio, this competition has me motivated and I am working on getting audio done for Pop Smoke! I have some great ideas how I would continue this world too that I’d like to explore in the future.

Besides that I’m always writing something, doing typography, or graphic design for other authors including a few other SPSFC3 contenders, or I’m reading/listening to audiobooks.

Thanks for having me, and thank you reader for reading!