First Saturday Sci-Fi - May

Today we have the honor of talking to A. L. Gengler who

creates poetry and writes short stories under the byline Mark Brandon Allen. He began writing Science Fiction and Fantasy purely for the amusement of his friends, children and grandchildren. His extended family includes eight children,

eleven grandchildren, two great grandchildren and one vicious three pound Yorkshire terrier who holds both he and his wife hostage in Valparaiso Indiana.

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

Perhaps “Fifth World Temporal” fits into this personal favorite category. This Sci-Fi story was written in verse based upon a poem “Depletion” that I jotted down in a notebook awhile attending Aurora College back in 1951.

Luminescent Nova,

Anamorphosis anomaly

In ethereal skies

With different cosmological constants

Grows in mass and distension

Moving through a rift in time

Stretching

Chromospheres source depleting

Collapse into final configuration

A fatal turbulent

Event horizon

Black hole,

Dies.

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

The epic poem “Fifth World Temporal” has all of the time honored features of a true space opera as described by Brian W. Aldiss. (1) Style and Mood staunchly traditional (2) Hitherto unknown places to explore (3) Continuity between Past and Future (4) Tremendous sphere of space/time (5) A pinch of reality inflated with melodrama (6) A seasoning of screwy ideas (7) Heady escapist stuff (8) Charging on with little regard for logic or literacy (9) Often throwing off great images, excitements, aspirations (10) The Earth should be in peril (11) There must be a quest (12) There must be a man to match the mighty hour (13) That man must confront aliens and exotic creatures (14) Space must flow past the ports like wine from a pitcher (15) Blood must run down the palace steps (16) Ships must launch out into the louring dark (17) There must be a woman fairer than the skies (18) There must be a villain darker than a Black Hole (19) All must come right in the end (20) The future in space, seen mistily through the eyes of yesterday

And to quote Sci-Fi editor Nathan E Lilly, “I've been hoping that someone would write a Sci-Fi epic poem. This fits the bill.”

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

Sci-Fi stories can only ask “what if”. When the reader answers that question the shape of their future is changed.

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

Jokes: Yes. True events: Yes.

5. Which do you prefer… model your characters after people you know or just make them up?

This depends upon the story line. Usually the characters are made-up. But I have used a dear friend as a model for a protagonist in several stories.

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

“Fifth World Temporal” is what it is, a space opera. The message might be that time as we know it doesn't end; there a millions of worlds in our expanding universe.

7. What is your favorite review?

This one from “Word Play” editor, Michael Barton about a short story, “Loose Bond”. “Serious issues treated with sobriety and humor. Terrific.”

What comes next?

A leap from short stories, poems and novelettes to a complete novel. Two are percolating now, tentatively titled: “On The River Dark” and “There’s a Cat Neda.”

Where can we learn more?

Story excerpts, short stories,poems and a bit of blogging can be found at http://markbrandonallen.com/category/blog/