Gareth L Powell – Author Interview

Gareth L Powell joins SciFiChick.com today to talk about his latest release Light of Impossible Stars which releases today!

1. Tell us a bit about Light of Impossible Stars.

Light starts with the sentient warship Trouble Dog low on fuel and hunted by the Fleet of Knives. But with human civilisation crumbling, what difference can one battered old ship make?

2. This is the conclusion to your trilogy. Did it end the way you thought it would when you first began?

Broadly, yes. Some things changed; some characters went in different directions than I had anticipated. But the essential bones of the story remain as I envisioned them.

3. Do you have a favorite character? Are they someone to whom you relate?

Sal and the Trouble Dog are both very dear to me, but my favourite is probably Nod, the stoic alien engineer. He was a lot of fun to write.

4. What is your writing process? Did it change after first getting published?

I’m not sure I really have a process. I write a 4- or 5-page outline of what I think is going to happen in the book, and then I start writing. And I keep writing until it’s finished.

5. What’s next for you? What are you working on?

I’m currently working on two new standalone novels for Titan, both space operas.

6. What are some of your favorite science fiction novels?

Too many to list! Samuel Delany’s Nova has been a big influence on me, as have the Culture novels of Iain M Banks. More recently, I’ve loved books by Alliette de Bodard, Ann Leckie, Emma Newman, Nnedi Okarafor, Martha Wells, Adrian Tchaikovsky…

7. Do you prefer physical books, ebooks, or audio? Why?

I generally prefer physical books, but I do own and use a Kindle.

8. What is something your readers don’t know about you?

I am an extremely good shot. Last time I fired an air rifle, I got all five shots through the bullseye.

About the Book:
Low on fuel and hunted by the Fleet of Knives, the sentient warship Trouble Dog heads to the Intrusion—an area of space where reality itself becomes unstable. But with human civilisation crumbling, what difference can one battered old ship make against an invincible armada?

Meanwhile, Cordelia Pa and her step-brother Michael eke out their existence salvaging artefacts from an alien city. But when Cordelia is snatched from her home, she begins a journey that will help her understand the strange songs she hears in her head and the strange things that happen around her. What extraordinary affinity does she have for this abandoned alien technology, and how can it possibly help the Trouble Dog?