Could you tell us a bit about Arctic Rising?
Anika Duncan is an airship pilot for the United Nations Polar Guard, tasked with keeping the now ice-free Arctic Ocean safe. But she uncovers a multinational plot to roll back the effects of global warming in the north while hunting a nuclear device, one that might have tremendous side effects.
What is happening with global warming in your story?
I was reading some declassified stuff from the US Navy (the US military are always interested in green technology and global warming, hippies that they are) while writing some short fiction about the idea of an ice-free north pole. And in the couple of years I was doing this research, the estimates kept getting more and more dramatic from the normally cautious military side. When I saw ice-free summers beginning to be considered a very real future they were tackling with, I thought it was worth using a novel to explore the conflicts that might engender. We’re already seeing some of those as oil and gas companies rush to get early rights to islands currently under ice up there, and as shipping companies talk to nations about shipping rights, lanes, etc. There are also plans now for some northern deep water harbors.
I read that you had to do some major rewrites to change the point of view to one character. How was that process? How long did it take to rewrite?
I spent half a year or more going down that path, and ripped it all up to restart anew after showing it to some writers I trusted. It’s hard to quantify how long the rewrite was, I was recovering from a heart defect at the time, so I wrote this book over a two and a half year time span. It’s a bit long for me, but I was dealing with a number of other things all at the same time.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your experience in writing.
I grew up in the Caribbean on a boat. I’ve been writing since I was fifteen, and have a number of novels out, a short story collection, and roughly 50 short stories have been printed in various anthologies and magazines.
What’s next for you? What other stories are on the horizon?
I’m working on a handful of YA science fiction adventure novels. A sequel to my 2008 novel Sly Mongoose. And always new short stories. There’s lots of info up on my blog at www.TobiasBuckell.com about current projects and what all I’ve published.
What inspires you?
So much. That’s why I’m a writer. I could never pick and choose just one thing. So I get to engage with lots of different things. I read about and follow closely private space initiatives, alternative technology, travel blogs, futurism, and anything else that catches my eye and is shiny.
Who are some of your favorite authors? What books do you love?
Vernor Vinge, William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Alastair Reynolds, Ian M. Banks tend to be automatic buys. Arthur C. Clarke had the biggest impact on me as a kid and sort of got me hooked on science fiction and this whole journey into becoming a writer.
What do you do when you’re not writing? In your spare time?
I play videogames, hang out with my twin daughters, annoy the dog. A hobby sounds great in theory, but it would eat up writing time right now.
Courtesy of Tor Books, I have a copy of Arctic Rising by Tobias Buckell for one (1) lucky winner!
Contest is open to US only. Please no PO Boxes. To enter, just fill out the form below. Contest ends March 9. I’ll draw a name on March 10, and notify winner via email.
Good luck!
