D. Avraham ~ Musings

Part of a series of interviews with the writers for the upcoming speculative fiction anthology, Clash of the Titles. the anthology is the brain child of Glen Bavel, who conceived of an endearing conceit: he provides a list of titles and the members of his Facebook workshop, Writing the Short (SF) Story, use it as a starting point for a short speculative fiction story.

Growing up, reading the works of Bradbury, Asimov and Clarke, Brian Trent began writing as a kid, filling up large yellow notebooks with fantastic stories of fantasy and science fiction. At some point Brian started getting published. His stories have appeared in ANALOG, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Galaxy’s Edge, as well as a number of great anthologies. Most impressive, Brian is a winner in the 2013 Writers of the Future Contest. Recently, I had an opportunity to talk with Brian about his writing and his participation in the upcoming anthology, Clash of the Titles.

Why Speculative Fiction?

I love exploring possibilities, whether hopeful or grim, from how the future may unfold to the twisting paths that led us to today. Imagination is a wonderful engine in life.

What made you want to submit to the anthology? Would you do it again?

I loved the idea and the challenge. Gil, the editor, presented us with a list of titles, and asked us to compose a story around one of our choosing. And, I would absolutely do it again — he’s a great guy to work with.

How did you come up with your story? What made you choose that title?

The title I chose was “Vicious Cycle of Life.” It leapt out at me, suggesting Tennyson’s observation of nature as “red-in-tooth-and-claw.” But I didn’t want to do a simple monster story, so I started thinking of flora as opposed to fauna as a potential threat; there are some hideous cycles of life going on all around us. I also remembered reading years back about how a frozen mammoth was discovered with 30,000-year-old bacteria in its gut — and here’s the creepy part — once the gut was opened, the bacteria reawakened from their slumber. The story sprouted from there.

How is your story for the anthology the same and/or different from your other works?

“Vicious Cycle of Life” is chiefly a horror story, and while I do write and publish in horror, it forms the smallest portion of my work. I’m primarily a science fiction writer. The thing with horror fiction is that so much of it is often a rehash of ideas, so I was determined to craft something different from the surplus of vampires, serial killers, and shambling undead.

A lot has been said about the workshop process wherein the editor takes a video meeting with the writers to help offer instant feedback and share the editing process along the way. How did you find this process; what are your feelings about it?

It was a little different for me because “Vicious Cycle of Life” was accepted on its first draft; Gil was nice enough to make a public post about how much he enjoyed the story. Generally, though, writing workshops are invaluable tools. With a good mentor, it’s like being a sculptor’s apprentice — you’re shown how to shape and polish the creation, and clear away the rougher bits.

What do you think is the most important thing that readers know about Clash of the Titles?

This anthology is everything a reader could want, presenting a dazzling spectrum of tales that cover the past and future, the bright and dark, the farthest reaches of inner and outer space. Gil assembled a spectacular pool of talent. Short story collections have always been favorite reading past-times of mine. Clash of the Titles offers a kaleidoscope of bite-sized possibilities, like having your own literary Twilight Zone series at your fingertips.

It’s said that the editor will make an anthology every year. Even if the “I pick the titles, you write the story” conceit isn’t used again, would you work with the editor again? Why or why not?

I would gleefully work with the editor on any creative endeavor. For this project, he’s been like Jason assembling his Argonauts.

What do you think is the most important thing for booksellers, libraries and other outlets to know about Clash of the Titles that they don’t know?

There’s a challenge in standing out in the literary marketplace. You want to offer something unique and catchy and engrossing. Clash of the Titles offers all that and more — and the hook that these stories were written from a title prompt gives the whole thing an original genesis, with very original results.

Would you recommend the process to other writers; how did you find working with this editor to be compared to others?

I’ve been lucky in that I’ve never had a bad experience with an editor. And yes, I would heartily recommend other writers participating in a process like this.

What excites you most about the process, and the anthology in general?

I love composition, including the editing portion of it; stories don’t usually spring out of your head fully formed, but require attentive work and discipline to craft. I like variety in the work that I do, and writing for a specific anthology — with a specific prompt or theme — is a great way to challenge yourself as a writer. Having parameter restrictions can be like geological stresses that produce unusual gems.

Did your story grow in ways you didn’t expect due to the workshop nature of the process? How?

“Vicious Cycle of Life” is a grim and ghastly story. I wrote it in about a week’s time and had nightmares about it for most of that week, waking up in a sweat. That was unexpected.

Please describe your favorite experience in working with Clash of the Titles.

It’s a tie between getting to know Gil and composing the tale itself.

What other projects are you working on, besides Clash of the Titles.

I’m writing a series of novels that take place in the same universe: my particular vision of the future and the changes I think humanity will undergo. And I love writing short stories — a fair number of my tales will be published this year, and I’m always grateful to be a part of this industry. Writing stories is half the fun; sharing with a readership is the other half!

To learn more about Brian Trent, you can check out his website or follow him on Facebook.

Part of a series of interviews with the writers for the upcoming speculative fiction anthology, Clash of the Titles. the anthology is the brain child of Glen Bavel, who conceived of an endearing conceit: he provides a list of titles and the members of his Facebook workshop, Writing the Short (SF) Story, use it as a starting point for a short speculative fiction story.

Susan Bianculli’s focus on science fiction because she enjoys thinking about how the future might look from inside a story. Published in a variety of venues including Witty Bard LLC, Long Count Press, Mash Stories, and CBAY Books, Susan Bianculli tries to model herself after her favorite author Terry Pratchett. She found out about the upcoming anthology, Clash of the Titles from her long time friend, co-editor, and co-author, Hope Erica Schultz. Susan was gracious enough to answer a few questions, recently, about the anthology, and her upcoming story for it, “Dreaming Dangerously.”

What made you want to submit to the anthology? Would you do it again?

The idea of it intrigued me; and by the time I had heard of it, the list of those already accepted interested me even more.

How did you come up with your story? What made you choose that title?

A story immediately sprang to mind when I saw the title in the list of what was available, so I wrote it – but the one in the anthology is actually the second “Dreaming Dangerously” written. Gil didn’t like the first one.

How is your story for the anthology different from your other works?

This is the first time I have written a murder mystery. Granted, it’s a sci-fi one, but still a murder mystery. Usually I write action adventure fantasy and science fiction.

What do you think is the most important thing that readers know about Clash of the Titles?

That there seems to be something for just about every literary taste in the anthology.

Would you consider doing a project like this again, with the same editor?

Yes, I would be willing to try this again. I enjoy writing to a challenge; it seems much of my work comes from a challenge.

What do you think is the most important thing for booksellers, libraries and other outlets to know about Clash of the Titles that they don’t know?

That the stories in the anthology have a wider range of appeal that just ‘sci-fi’.

What other projects are you working on, besides Clash of the Titles.

I am working on an anthology with Hope Erica Schultz that will be published at some point in the future about well-known fairy-tales except from a different perspective than the usual protagonist.

To learn more about or connect with Susan, check out her website.

Part of a series of interviews with the writers for the upcoming speculative fiction anthology, Clash of the Titles. the anthology is the brain child of Glen Bavel, who conceived of an endearing conceit: he provides a list of titles and the members of his Facebook workshop, Writing the Short (SF) Story, use it as a starting point for a short speculative fiction story.

Serving up a dish of exciting steam punked paranormal for the Clash of the Titles anthology, Erica Allair, claims she’s been writing since the third grade. We had to wait until 2014, to read her published novella, Eyes in the Twilight, and another year for her first novel, Waiting for No One. Published by CHBB/SteamWorks Press, both are steam punk alternate histories set in 1825 Boston. Erica loves writing in speculative fiction. To her, Science Fiction and Fantasy make so much sense, as opposed to the the real world, which she finds to be a combination of the confining and the incomprehensible. I had the opportunity to talk to Erica about her writing, her career and in particular, the writing of her story for the anthology, “Do You Feel Like Calamari Tonight?”

So let’s start with an easy one: Who’s your favorite writer?

Easy? That’s an impossible question. Right now I am enthralled by N.K. Jemison.

What made you want to submit to it? Would you do it again?

Gil (the editor of the anthology) and I were chatting on line about the bastard children of SF/F—steam punk and paranormal romance. He said he’d be willing to consider steam punk in the anthology, and then I saw that particular title and I was hooked. Yes, I’d do it again. Probably another Xander and Lucy story.

How did you come up with your story? What made you choose that title?

Sometimes a word or a phrase will make a whole story emerge into my mind. In this case I was given the title. Once I had that, I knew most of the plot and characters in minutes.

How is your story for the anthology the same and/or different from your other works?

My other steam punk don’t have any supernatural elements, so, for this story, I made up a whole new world: Demons and elder Gods and rappelling cords, Oh My!

A lot has been said about the workshop process wherein the editor takes a video meeting with the writers to help offer instant feedback and share the editing process along the way. How did you find this process; what are your feelings about it?

This was interesting, and I liked the instant feedback when questions came up. I’m used to works either being accepted with no major revisions or declined, with minimal comments, so this was a new experience for me.

What do you think is the most important thing that readers know about Clash of the Titles?

From the stories I’ve seen, this collection is going to be eclectic, thought provoking, and fun. While there will be lots of appeal to the general population, I really think that writer’s groups could take away a number of lessons from this project.

It’s said that the editor will make an anthology every year. Even if the “I pick the titles, you write the story” conceit isn’t used again, would you work with the editor again? Why or why not?

Absolutely I would work with Gil again; I’ve enjoyed the process, and it has pushed me well out of my comfort zone!

What do you think is the most important thing for booksellers, libraries and other outlets to know about Clash of the Titles that they don’t know?

This anthology spans the gamut of speculative fiction, from humor to horror, and from fantasy to hard SF and everything in between.

Would you recommend the process to other writers; how did you find working with this editor to be compared to others?

This was more effort than working with most editors, who use a more ‘take it or leave it’ approach, and also gave more benefit. I don’t think it’s for everyone; you should be secure enough in your writing voice and craft to be comfortable sometimes agreeing gracefully with changes and sometimes standing your ground.

What excites you most about the process, and the anthology in general?

I am thrilled with the world building that took place. The back story of this world is already easily ten times as long as the actual story. I will have no choice but to revisit it.

Did your story grow in ways you didn’t expect due to the workshop nature of the process? How?

At one point Gil asked me to expand a scene pretty majorly, and then basically said “OK, cut that, but let what you now know happened inform the rest of the story.” I’m really happy with the changes that this brought to the story.

What other projects are you working on, besides Clash of the Titles.

I am working on a sequel to Waiting For No One, another alternate history steam punk romance tentatively called Running From No One, and at the same time I am playing with a far future SF romance that turned into a trilogy when my back was turned.

If you’d like to see more of Erica Allaire, you can visit her website, or her Amazon author page, or follow her on Facebook.

Today, we have an interview with two people — at least to incarnations of the same individual. A little over six years ago, Deborah Walker decided to throw sensible advice to the wind, quit her day job, and, as she puts it, “give this writing malarkey a try.” She hasn’t look back since. Translated into more than a dozen languages, her stories have graced the pages of a number of prominent magazines, journals and anthologies, such as Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, Nature’s Futures, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet and The Year’s Best S. 

Kelda Crich sprung from the mind of Deborah Walker and is now out in the open lurking through the streets of London, exploring strange things in the city’s medical museums. Kelda’s poems have appeared in Nameless, Cthulhu Haiku II, Transitions and Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet.

Both writers were gracious enough to discuss with me their work, and their thoughts about writing in general.

So, taking that leap, quitting your day job and plunging into a career as a writer must have been daunting for you. What made you decide to do that?

I’d vaguely thought before that it might be something that I’d be good at, but every time I tried to write something my first draft was very weak. I didn’t realize that was often the case. But, I decided I wanted to have a real stab at it. At the time I remember thinking that if I managed to get one thing published in the first year, I’d be quite pleased. I managed to get something published, and I’m still at it.

Why Speculative Fiction?

Because I love the strange and offbeat. Because that’s the way my mind turns. Because I’m not sure how non spec writers actually do it.

Who’s your favorite writer?

For short stories: Philip K. Dick, D.H. Lawrence, H.P. Lovecraft, Ursula K. le Guin, Tanith Lee, Al Reynolds, Robert Silverberg, Liz Williams, Scott Wolven, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Eudora Welty.

How did you come up with your stories?

My process is quite usual I think, I do a lot of research. My usual process of creation begins with the initial idea, the seed.  Then, I then copied swathes of Wikipedia about the initial idea: changelings in this case, into my working document.

Without any idea of the story I just start to write, reading the research as I go and deleting it as I read.

The research leads me onto more ideas for the story. I always add a new element. In the case on one of my recent stories, it was worm biology and Mythos and nuns, which led to more research being copied into the working document, and sparked off new ideas.

I love, love, love Wikipedia. For instance, before I started writing I didn’t know much about changelings but Wikipedia has over 4000 words on them.

What projects are you working on now?

I’m always working on shorts stories. I’m on a bit of a competition binge at the moment, looking for short story competitions that are free to enter. I like the challenge of a prompt. I’ve also got a novella on the back burner, but I keep getting distracted by the allure short stories.

You can check out Deborah Walker’s blog and extensive bibliography here.

For Kelda Krich’s Horror blog go here (if you dare).

Part three of a series of interviews with the writers for the upcoming speculative fiction anthology, Clash of the Titles. the anthology is the brain child of Glen Bavel, who conceived of an endearing conceit: he would provide a list of titles and the members of his Facebook workshop, Writing the Short (SF) Story, would use the it as a starting point for a short speculative fiction story.

Andrew J. Lucas’s story, “The End of the Line” takes place in the far, distant future where industrial smelters orbit black holes using the peculiarities of Quantum Mechanics to create indestructible construction supplies. Something goes wrong and the lives of two men are ripped apart on a physical, emotional and atomic level. Then the story really gets going…

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Andrew about his writing career and, in particular, his participation in the upcoming anthology, Clash of the Titles.

First, how did you get into writing? How did you get started?

I guess I’ve been writing since 1980. My first serious publication was when I won the Okanagan College poetry contest in 1986. While I’ve always loved poetry, especially Al Purdy’s, my real heart’s passion is roleplaying games and science fiction. I’ve written 10 solo books for various RPG publishers and contributed to dozens of other books. I’ve also written many short fiction stories, as well as comic scripts. I am most proud of my first RPG book Northwest Passage, and the short story I had published recently in the anthology A Bleak New World.

What draws you to the Sceince Fiction/Role Playing genre?

I grew up watching Star Trek, Doctor Who and Thunderbirds like most British-Canadian kids of my era. I was entranced by visions of the future and subscribed to magazines like Starlog and Future. I even paid for them myself with my paper route money, which only endeared them all the more to me. Those magazines promised a bright, shiny, attractive future, and even though my fiction leans towards the dystopic, I do love ‘what ifs.’

So, who’s your favorite writer, your role model?

That’s a tough question. There are so many good writers out there. Among the old masters I’d have to say that Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov are my favorites. There are also a couple of contemporary authors whose work really strikes a chord with me. I can’t get enough of Neil Gaiman and John Scalzi, for instance.

How did you find out about the anthology, Clash of the Titles?

I think a notification came across my Facebook feed, possibly in an open call group for science fiction, fantasy and pulp markets. One of those closed groups that only published author can join, while it certainly boosted my self-esteem, I’ve also found some nice markets there.

What made you want to submit to it? Would you do it again?

The whole concept of the anthology was appealing. It reminded me of an anthology by John Scalzi called Rip-Off which featured well known authors using famous opening lines from fiction. It’s very interesting to see how an author takes a concept in very different directions than you might otherwise expect.

How did you come up with your story? What made you choose that title?

My story; “The End of the Line” was inspired by a non-fiction science article I was writing about quantum computing for a Chinese science magazine. The whole concept of quantum mechanics is very intriguing and a little bit scary.

How is your story for the anthology the same and/or different from your other works?

It’s hard to tell from the writer’s perspective if anything I write is different or unusual. Much of my work is very different from other pieces I’ve written this is no exception. I did take a lot of direction from Gil, the editor, and I think the story evolved and became much stronger from his influence.

A lot has been said about the workshop process wherein the editor takes a video meeting with the writers to help offer instant feedback and share the editing process along the way. How did you find this process; what are your feelings about it?

I’ve always preferred to use email and such to discuss edits and story direction, its slower and gives you time to put revisions into place. That said the workshop process was rewarding and reminded me a bit of my Canadian lit classes in College.

What do you think is the most important thing that readers know about Clash of the Titles?

Expect a lot of creativity. The titles were pretty arbitrary, but, man, were there a lot to choose from and all the writers went to town on them.

It’s said that the editor will make an anthology every year. Even if the “I pick the titles, you write the story” conceit isn’t used again, would you work with the editor again? Why or why not?

I learnt a lot from the editor’s feedback, and I am always up to participate in a project that is interesting. I’d be thrilled to be included in a second anthology no matter the topic, but the competition is pretty tough and you can never rest on your laurels. If my next story is good enough it might make the cut, but I’d expect to be up against some fierce competition.

What do you think is the most important thing for booksellers, libraries and other outlets to know about Clash of the Titles that they don’t know?

Quality and creativity. You give your writers a pure creative challenge and you will get some wondrous results.

Would you recommend the process to other writers; how did you find working with this editor to be compared to others?

Absolutely, but you need to check your assumptions at the door, and have a thick skin. Your story may be your baby, but that won’t stop it from being ruthlessly savaged when the editorial hounds are loosed.

What excites you most about the process, and the anthology in general?

At first the open ended concept of no theme other than a list of titles to choose from, was very intriguing. But, that soon paled once the initial ToC was released, which including authors Alex Shvartsman, David Gerald and Mike Resnick. I’ve submitted stories to Alex’s UFO anthologies in the past, David Gerald needs no introduction and Mike Resnick wrote a story that actually brought me to tears. Being published in such illustrious company was a real draw.

Did your story grow in ways you didn’t expect due to the workshop nature of the process? How?

Well first off the story nearly doubled in size. If you look at the story you’ll see a pretty open-ended ending in part one. That’s how I ended the story initially, but the editor and a couple of my first readers wanted more. I end a lot of my stories with an ambiguous open-ended finish, where the reader knows the story has ended but there is a bit more insinuated, allowing the reader’s imagination takes over. For the most part this is a result of my writing for RPG character and scenario descriptions, where the intent is to let the reader flesh out their games with a few gentle hints and prods. Not everyone likes that style. Many want to know what’s on the other side of the door, what happens in the black hole and how the hunters get that bounty to Mars. It was interesting watching the story morph and grow.

Please describe your favorite experience in working with Clash of the Titles.

I especially enjoyed helping the editor draw upon some of my RPG connections to build and promote the anthology. The cover artist is someone whose work I’ve always loved and I was very happy to get John and Gil together and set up such a wonderful cover.

What other projects are you working on, besides Clash of the Titles.

I usually have 12-20 projects on the go, and in various stages of completion at any one time. I’m especially fond of the books I’ve been writing, or line developing for Rebel Minis, we have 4 new RPG books coming out this year. There is a new comic studio ramping up out of Florida called Cornerstone Creative Studios which has a great number of very creative people involved as well as 8 of my scripts! There is one project I’m contracted for in 2017 which is very exciting, but also very, very intimidating – my first novel, and for Ed Greenwood’s new publishing imprint no less.

For other titles by Andrew J. Lucas check out Amazon, or follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Allan Dyen Shapiro and this writer at the former’s wedding

Allan Dyen-Shapiro and I go way back. We’ve known each other since we began writing, and I mean writing our ABC’s. We grew up together and even shared a dorm during a year of our undergraduate studies, not to mention I went on a cross country motorcycle trip to attend his wedding. I am honored and privileged to be part of the same anthology with Allan.

Allan’s contribution to the Clash of the Titles anthology is a story called, “The Bimani Hilton,” is a cyberpunk masterpiece (so says the editor). Kamya, representing the revolutionaries, is negotiating with the plutocrats at the Bimani Hilton in cyberspace, but something goes terribly wrong, when the plutocrats try wipe her mind.

Having left the world of science (Allan was an accomplished biochemist), with a lot left to say, Allan decided to do so through writing speculative fiction. As Allan puts it, Science Fiction allows him to explore ideas that are too dangerous for purely realistic fiction. The SF community accepts social criticism as a norm, and Allan’s visions of the next forty years are often disturbing. Allan subscribes to Ray Bradbury’s philosophy that one writes SF not to predict the future, but to prevent it.

Before “The Bimani Hilton,” Allan has sold seven stories beginning in 2014. He’s also working on his debut novel, To Hear Even Your Cry. His favorite author is Neal Stephenson, with Paolo Bacigalupi, William Gibson and Harlan Ellison all coming in a close second.

I asked Allan about his writing and his participation in the upcoming anthology, Clash of the Titles.

How did you find out about the anthology, Clash of the Titles ,and what made you decide to submit to it?

A solicitation hit came up in a Facebook group to which I subscribed.

Gil (the editor of the project) promised interaction with an editor. So, at minimum, I was getting free editing in exchange for writing a short story. And I owned the short story (albeit with a need to change the title) if he didn’t buy it. It sounded like a no-lose proposition to me.

How did you come up with your story? What made you choose that title?

Well, I perused Gil’s list of titles and picked out a few that looked at least remotely possible and copied them into a MS Word file. I then free-associated with them, one at a time. The first couple turned out to be dead ends. However, “The Bimani Hilton” worked for me.

After a quick search on Google to figure out what Bimani was, the closest I came was a few sites for ‘Bimini,’ in the Bahamas. So I wonder what Gil intended, if anything, by changing one letter. It must really not be Bimini, but something like it. Could it be virtual reality?

So then I started asking myself questions: Who would be in a virtual reality simulation of a hotel in the Caribbean? Maybe it was a meeting; hotels are sites for meetings. Well, who would be meeting? Maybe it was peace negotiations—revolutionaries negotiating with the oppressors. Okay, who would represent the revolutionaries, what would their background be, and what would their ideology be?

My protagonist, Kamya, began talking to me, and she didn’t stop until I’d scrawled out three pages of notes. The meeting went terribly wrong; her mind was being wiped by the plutocrats. That meant the story had to be told in reverse linear narrative, as it was going to be mostly in her head. How would she resist? And things just flowed from there.

How is your story for the anthology the same and/or different from your other works?

Well, in the instructions to authors, Gil specified he wanted “dark” and he liked twist endings. So, this is probably the darkest thing I’ve ever written, although I’ve certainly gone dark before. I like experimenting with non-traditional narrative in my short stories; however, this is the first time I’ve tried reverse linear narrative. And, while I’ve done twist endings before, it’s not my usual pattern. So, there are many elements of this story I’ve dealt with before: environmental degradation; dystopic economic/political arrangements; romantic subplots that support the main plot, but Kamya is my first anarcha-feminist protagonist (she told me that’s who she was).

A lot has been said about the workshop process wherein the editor takes a video meeting with the writers to help offer instant feedback and share the editing process along the way. How did you find this process; what are your feelings about it?

Gil is very easy to work with. He drills in on the central issues, identifying exactly what he doesn’t like. My ending was my third attempt. He nailed exactly what was wrong with the first and second tries. His request for a final, extra twist sparked my thinking about what eventually became a much better ending.

What do you think is the most important thing that readers know about Clash of the Titles?

It will be filled with great stories.

It’s said that the editor will make an anthology every year. Even if the “I pick the titles, you write the story” conceit isn’t used again, would you work with the editor again? Why or why not?

Yes. He’s easy to work with. And I liked the conceit.

What do you think is the most important thing for booksellers, libraries and other outlets to know about Clash of the Titles that they don’t know?

The author list. This is a very good group of people.

Would you recommend the process to other writers; how did you find working with this editor to be compared to others?

I already did recommend this: You (D. Avraham, the interviewer) found out about the anthology from me. I’ve only worked directly back and forth with an editor on one other story, and that was a positive experience too.

What excites you most about the process, and the anthology in general?

This is my first professional scale sale. It’s a level of credibility I did not previously have. Especially with the quality of the co-authors.

Did your story grow in ways you didn’t expect due to the workshop nature of the process? How?

Yes, the ending. It (and some minor modifications earlier in the story to foreshadow it) built on a character Gil saw in the story. He said it reminded him quite a bit of Phillip K. Dick. I hadn’t seen that aspect of the story, although it was there, and with the ending, I ran with that sort of plotting and built on it.

Please describe your favorite experience in working with Clash of the Titles.

How is the acceptance not the favorite part on every story for every author?

What other projects are you working on, besides Clash of the Titles.

I am pushing to finish up a novel I’m working on. I am hoping to have it in shape by late summer, 2016. The working title is To Hear Even Your Cry. If you envision a world run by the Chinese but in which an overly militarized United States thinks it’s running the world, you have our present. Add RNA-based pharmaceuticals that act on learning/memory and advanced computational modeling of the world economy and you have the world of my novel. US Department of Defense Program Officer Stephen Holmes thinks his research portfolio supports US efforts against the internal Resistance, the Christian Republic (the Southern US, post-Second Civil War) and African terrorists. He doesn’t know he answers to a Chinese bureaucrat. She has provided him with a last resort weapon. Neither the bureaucrat and her computer hacker subordinate nor the Resistance and their allies know Holmes is going insane and plans to commit mass murder.

For Allan’s other endeavors, check out his website and blog or join him on Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads.

Interview with David M. Hoenig, M.D.

Part one of a series of interviews with the writers for the upcoming speculative fiction anthology, Clash of the Titles. the anthology is the brain child of Gil Bavel, who conceived of an endearing conceit: he would provide a list of titles and the members of his Facebook workshop, Writing the Short (SF) Story, would use the it as a starting point for a short speculative fiction story.

David Hoenig has contributed the story, “Bridge Out” to the Clash of the Titles anthology. The story explores the intersection where Neurology and Psychology meet, but when an experimental test run with psychedelic drugs, it not only changes the test subject’s life, but, also the lives of the research team, in ways they wouldn’t have dreamed of.

David credits his High School English teacher with inspiring him to become a writer. And, even though he decided on a medical career before he’d even started college (he majored in Biochemistry), his love for the written word compelled him to minor in English Writing.

David has been published widely in the medical literature sicne 1989, but only found his fiction voice in 2013 when he decided to begin writing his first novel (which is still in the revision phase). In the meantime he’s had several short stories published in a variety of venues, including Dark Chapter Press, Nonbinary Review/Zoetic Press, and Elder Signs Press.

I asked David a few questions about his writing career and, in particular, his participation in the upcoming anthology, Clash of the Titles.

Why do you think you are drawn to the Speculative/Science Fiction genre?

My mom fed me while watching the original Star Trek on its first TV run, and my dad never failed to feed me sci fi and fantasy books as I grew up. I think it’s because I always felt that if you were going to escape into fiction, you might as well do it in a forward-thinking, imaginative, and generally positive view of humanity’s future.

What authors influence you as a writer. Who is your favorite?

There are waaaay too many to name, so I’ll list a few across many genres who have been influential in my life and writing style: Isaac Asimov, Piers Anthony, Arthur C. Clarke, Ursula Leguin, Elizabeth Moon, Jacquelin Carey, Stephen King, Stephen Baxter, Charles Stross, Patricia McKillop, and Robert B. Parker.

How did you find out about the anthology, Clash of the Titles?

I was directed to the Facebook community by a writer friend whom I’d met through another publication.

What made you want to submit to it? Would you do it again?

Are you kidding? I mean, the chance to have editor work with you, giving actual critique to help make the story the best it can be and not just rejecting your work out of hand for the nebulous and unhelpful reason ‘it didn’t fit’ is a pearl of great price.

How did you come up with your story? What made you choose that title?

I’d had this idea for exploring the next generation of powerful MRI scanners, and how such a powerful magnetic field might affect the brain in terms of what potentials it could bring out. When I saw ‘Bridge Out”, my mind didn’t see a bridge which had been damaged–instead, it went to the wordplay ‘Einstein-Rosen bridge, and from there I knew I could create a character who would make a ‘bridge’ and head ‘out’ there. The rest wrote itself after research into neuroscience and neuropsychiatry.

How is your story for the anthology the same and/or different from your other works?

It’s similar in that my stories are most often character-based, and different in that my original concept of a dark ending morphed into what I think is more sublime with elements of redemption. I do enjoy a nice dark ending, and this one, with Gil’s guidance, went to a less easy, more rich conclusion.

A lot has been said about the workshop process wherein the editor takes a video meeting with the writers to help offer instant feedback and share the editing process along the way. How did you find this process; what are your feelings about it?

It was quite the challenge to schedule mutually available times given the busyness of our lives, and yet it’s been great. Getting another set of eyes on my stories is always something extremely helpful–getting it from someone with a professional writing background in an effort to make the story better and better is an unparalleled opportunity. It’s especially confidence boosting as well.

What do you think is the most important thing that readers know about Clash of the Titles?

This is going to be a fun read, because the titles inspire and inform the stories, but the stories will not be predictable based on the title. In addition to loving dark endings, I love me a bit of literary misdirection.

It’s said that the editor will make an anthology every year. Even if the “I pick the titles, you write the story” conceit isn’t used again, would you work with the editor again? Why or why not?

Absolutely. Gil’s put a lot of energy and time into the actual process for this anthology, and the stories, if you will, have been honed and honed. I doubt that I will ever reach a point when I will feel that what I’ve written can’t be made better with editing. His commitment to the process itself is laudable, and the final product should be awesome.

What do you think is the most important thing for booksellers, libraries and other outlets to know about Clash of the Titles that they don’t know?

To beat a metaphor to near-death, I’d say that the dialogue between writer and editor to grow the best story provided very fertile ground and the sweetest fruit.

Would you recommend the process to other writers; how did you find working with this editor to be compared to others?

I’ve been fortunate to find some wonderful editors in my fledgling writing career, and the support of an editor who helps you craft a good story, poem, essay cannot be underestimated.  Also, the whole process of discussing your thoughts, rationale, reasons for word choice, and then getting feedback to validate or critique is hugely worthwhile.  I’d absolutely work with Gil again, and with any editor that gives of their time to help writers bring their best story to print.

Did your story grow in ways you didn’t expect due to the workshop nature of the process? How?

Definitely. The ending in particular. My original vision for the finale was dark; death, doom, dismay, and madness.  Discussion with Gil resulted in the possibility of seeking redemption for the character who did ‘the bad thing’. Initially I resisted the suggestion, but it became a welcome challenge when I realized that my character’s intelligence had changed but not her degree of empathy: wouldn’t it be something if her empathy caught up, finally, to the initial intelligence ‘upgrade’ she underwent.  And with that, I realized that I could twist the trope a bit to provide a more fulfilling end than just the incredible danger from too-rapid intelligence growth untempered by a conscience.  In short, it was very cool.

What other projects are you working on, besides Clash of the Titles.

Probably the most all-encompassing project I’m involved with right now is the project of me: becoming as time-efficient as possible to satisfy my various ambitions of being the best husband and surgeon and medical educator I can be, and still evolve as a writer.

As far as writing projects, I’m currently revising my original sci fi novel, am in the middle of a fun novel fusing cosmic horror to the noir detective story, and am lurching from deadline to deadline for a number of short stories ranging from horror, to sci fi, to cyberpunk. And, like the song says, “loving every minute of it”.

You can learn more David M. Hoenig by visiting his website:

David M Hoenig, MD-Author

You can learn more about the anthology, Clash of the Titles by visiting its Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/ClashOfTheTitlesAnthology