And now for an interview with
Steve Rzasa, author of
The Word Reclaimed and
The Word Unleashed.
Brandon: What is it that draws you the specific sci-fi sub-category of space opera?
Steve: My parents like to tell me about the time they took me to see Star Wars at the drive-in theater -- when I was about 1. So I figure that youthful overexposure to space opera has permanently etched the subgenre onto my DNA.
Seriously, though, I’ve long been drawn both to Star Wars, Star Trek and pretty much anything involving space exploration. I think it’s because space really is such a deep, mysterious, foreboding place, the depths of which no one has truly searched. It is the last frontier -- often portrayed as wide open and lawless. It’s the perfect place to have an adventure and, as a writer, make up the “rules of the game,” so to speak.
Plus, I really like cool spaceships. Did I mention that?
Brandon: What is "The Face of the Deep" world like?
Steve: The Face of the Deep series (two books, and two short stories that are available at my website, www.steverzasa.com) takes place in a galaxy ruled by the Realm of Five. It is a political alliance of five major worlds (Earth being foremost) with their own cultures, languages and governments. All of the Five answer to the King of the Realm and his Congress of Worlds. The royal secret police keep order in the galaxy, but their obsession is the eradication of any religion that claims itself to be the true path. There is also a group of people -- the Expatriates -- who do not have the social and political might of the Realm worlds, but do have a corner on interstellar shipping. They move the goods. The Martians -- people who once lived on Mars and are now adapted to life on low-gravity worlds -- provide a constant source of raids and terrorism.
Brandon: You have two books in this world, will it end with a third, or will there be more?
Steve: I have finished a third novel that takes place a couple of years after The Word Unleashed (Book 2) and shows how the Realm has changed following events in the first two books. It is tentatively slated for publication by Marcher Lord Press in October 2011. I always hope there will be more -- but that’s up to my publisher to decide!
Brandon: For future projects, do you plan on writing more space opera?
Steve: I do plan on writing more space opera, but there are also some odd ideas rolling around inside my head. I may try a different genre.
Brandon: I'm curious about your writing schedule . . . how often do you write? And for how many hours?
Steve: I write whenever I can find time. Usually that means in the evening after the kids have gone to bed, or at work on my lunch break. Wednesday late mornings are also a good time, because of my schedule. I’d say I’m lucky if I get in a hour of writing a day; some days (on the weekend) I can squeeze in more.
Brandon: What is the most challenging aspect of novel writing for you?
Steve: Coming up with realistic characters and keeping their behavior consistent is by far my greatest challenge. That, and trying to keep the sheer number of characters down! I tend to put in lots.
Brandon: What are your favorite novels?
Steve: Well, definitely works by my fellow Marcher Lord Press authors -- especially Eternity Falls and The Tenth Crusader, both by Kirk Outerbridge. I also enjoy (in no particular order): On Basilisk Station by David Weber; Lt. Leary, Commanding, by David Drake; Dune by Frank Herbert; Merchanter’s Luck by C.J. Cherryh; The Lamb Among the Stars series by Chris Walley; and the Firebird Trilogy by Kathy Tyers.
