A New Space Opera is Born

Well, it’s a book! And not just any book but a novelette. Novelettes run in length between short stories and novellas, in other words, perfect bite-sized reading stories. They were a big hit back in the mid-twentieth century in the magazines.

Anyway, it’s a book! And not just any book but an illustrated, pulp-style, space opera novelette.

Now, I know what you’re thinking…PULP? Are you mad?!! Well then, let’s just call it modern pulp-style that takes the best of the old-school adventure stories and updates them with post-modern tech.

It takes on current themes (ironically-timed as BIG, blow-up style war is back on the table suddenly…)

It’s speculative fiction with human-scale heroes. Not everyone can be a super-spy or superhero, but human beings are heroes and that’s the corner stone of the best pulp stories. And that’s why I chose this sub-genre of science fiction.

Sure it’s kitschy, and that’s the fun part. But it’s also thematically electrifying, if done well. Mankind is amazing and astounding and thrilling! That’s why the old magazines where named those things, don’t you know? It wasn’t for the rocket ships, although I’d take a ride on a tri-fin rocket any day of the week. No! It was for the people. And that’s why I’m following this model in my stories.

As a writer/illustrator this is a big jump for me. Oh, sure, I’ve illustrated magazine articles and books. I’ve done any number of freelance projects (both as a writer and as an illustrator.) I know the odds of book success and here I’ll quote Han Solo from The Empire Strikes Back, “never tell me the odds!” (By the way, that particular space adventure scene is a good example of space opera, they used the “run into the asteroid field to escape” trick all the time!)

Anyway, Han did alright for himself and so will I.

Of course that’s really up to you, the readers.

And so, time will tell.

My book will be out in regular format for Kindle and print-on-demand. I’m also selling a special edition set up like an old-school pulp magazine story. There may even be two covers, one for the pulp release and one for the general release. Those details are still under consideration.

I’m selling prints of the artwork which, I must say, look splendid.

The release date is planned for the next few months.

More details to follow.

Watch for them!