First Saturday Sci-Fi - April

Happy April !! Today we get to talk with Sci-Fi writer Tony Bertauski.

Tony's grandfather never graduated high school. He retired from a steel mill in the mid-70s. He was uneducated, but a voracious reader. As a kid, Tony would go through his bookshelves of musty paperback novels, pulling Piers Anthony and Isaac Asimov off the shelf and promising to bring them back. Tony was fascinated by robots that could think and act like people. What happened when they died? Writing for Tony is sort of a thought experiment to explore human nature and the possibilities. What makes us human? What is true nature?

You'll have to go to Tony's web site... http://bertauski.com/ and get 4 free books to find out !!

1. Tell us about your favorite work… what makes it special ?

The Socket Greeny Saga is my favorite work. I didn’t plan on getting into fiction. I started out as a technical writer and stumbled onto this character that wouldn’t leave me alone. A few years later, a trilogy was finished. Written in first person probably makes it more personal. It was emotional in places. It was even tough to read at times when I recorded the audiobook.

2. What do you think makes for good Sci-Fi ?

My personal favorite is sci-fi that keeps me guessing, that surprises me. Futuristic technology is always intriguing, but I like to see how it affects us as humans. Does it evolve the human species? Does it clarify the nature of consciousness?

3. Do you think your books can help shape the future and if so how?

Not necessarily shape the future, but it does challenge the role of technology in our growth as humans. We should be wise before we develop the ability to get anything we want.

4. Do you have inside jokes or true events hidden in your writing?

Not especially, but I will cross reference my series in other series as a way to bridge them. I do, however, use secret meaning of names to shape a character in almost everything I write. This might be a name with Greek roots that refers to death.

5. Do you model your characters solely after people you know or do you just make them up?

Mostly make them up. Occasionally, I’ll think of how a celebrity would play a character and sometimes that fleshes it out nicely. But rarely do I think of someone I know or even use a name, especially if it’s a nasty antagonist.

6. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to take away?

There is something deeper than a thrilling story in my work. I want readers to approach it like a thought experiment, one that questions the nature of consciousness, the nature of humanity, our role and purpose in the universe. What’s this all about? What does it mean to be human?

7. What is your favorite review?

I stopped reading reviews a few years ago. It’s too easy to get attached to good ones and stung by the bad ones. However, there was an email that came from a person who expressed gratitude for my stories. Her life was dark and difficult for reasons she didn’t explain, but it was clear that she’d gotten some insight into her life. That I cherished.

What comes next?

I’m starting a new series call the Maze. It’s how alternate reality technology has turned into a black market video game. The first book is due out in August as part of a huge boxed set with other authors. You can learn more at http://bertauski.com/greygrimm.

Where can we learn more?

Find everything at http://bertauski.com. You can sign up for my newsletter and get four novellas for free. This will give you a taste of my writing style in four different series.