First Saturday Sci-Fi - March 2018

Tegon Maus
Mar 4, 2018
5 min read

Wow March already! The time changes on the 11th... hardly wait for that! This month we're talking to Nathan M Hurst who grew up in Ringwood, on the orders of the New Forest in the UK, but after extensive adventuring he settled near Epping Forest on the outskirts of London with his wife and young son. He has worked as a software developer and technical manager for many years whilst maintaining an avid enthusiasm for aviation and astronautics. Consuming science-fiction and adventure stories of all varieties from an early age his love for books turned into a passion for writing... as it should be!! Make sure you follow his Twitter page... the best Sci-Fi pics available bar none!

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

You always have a soft spot for your first book, and in that way Tusk probably takes the prize. Writing this book was great fun, as it is pacey and full of tension. It is set in the claustrophobic confines of a fleet of colony ships as problems pile up around the crews. Thinking about how they might solve those problems, for me, is the thrill of being a thriller writer.

In Tusk there were various themes I wanted to explore, one of which was how we might travel to a distant planet without the commonly used sci-fi ‘hyperspace’ plot device and how that might affect decisions when the destination wasn’t as hospitable as first thought.

I find writing on issues of exploration and future tech intriguing and exciting. Sharing those ideas via stories is exciting work.

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

Engaging characters and scenarios that make you think about our own futures by putting a skew on current politics and tech, and add a ‘what if’? There are many examples of great sci-fi, and you could spend pages listing all those great authors, but to reduce it to a few I find particularly creative and compelling, I would name William Gibson, Neal Asher, Peter F Hamilton, Richard Morgan, Gary Gibson, Andy Weir, Philip K Dick, Chris Wooding… I think I should stop there. Oddly, I feel, some of the best science fiction sits in a world where the tech is so intuitive and accepted by the reader through the story, that it becomes almost invisible. For me, immersive sci-fi, is good sci-fi.

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

Dig around for some older sci-fi from the last couple of decades and see how the ideas compare to the modern world. There are far more misses than hits. Every now and then someone will invent the next personal communicator, or wetware interface. In the feedback loop of science fact and science fiction, if you pack enough creative good ideas into your stories, there is always the possibility that a scientist, engineer or entrepreneur somewhere in time may pick up your work as inspiration, maybe someone will pick up my work and pull some of my ideas into the real world. Wouldn’t that be something? I’ll let you know in another 50 years.

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

Scenes ‘inspired by’ true events, possibly. I think it’s almost impossible not to. There is always something of you and your life in the characters and worlds you create. I would be surprised if it’s not the same for every writer. Part of the fun for the reader might be to work out what those true events are.

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

I prefer to make my characters up. There may be

recognizable traits or characteristics in each before I tweak with finer detail, but I have not yet modeled any character purely on any person I know. I always think life can get a little tricky if you do, especially if the character traits are obvious, and the character is not the most pleasant. Best avoided. My wife has noticed the odd phrase though!

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

Foremost, my stories are sci-fi thrillers, so hopefully an enjoyable roller coaster ride. I have a real fascination for the scenarios which we find ourselves heading towards in terms of space travel and pioneering, and write books to explore how we might solve these issues, while mixing in a slice or two of escapism too.

The universe in which Tusk is set is a little bleak and unforgiving, I hope that’s not what people take away from it though. Ultimately, my book is about hope and man’s ability to adapt and overcome. Perseverance and endeavor.

7. What is your favorite review?

Reception of my debut novel has been wonderful, and I’ve had many kind comments. Picking a single review is hard, but I do like the ones which say my Sol Protocol books read like a movie, as that style and pace was my intention. There is some pretty visual stuff in there, not least the aliens themselves, so it’s great to hear from readers who have found those ideas exciting.

The greatest compliment in a review, for me, is the review itself. Especially from those I don’t know. If a complete stranger is moved to constructively comment on my work, I find it real encouragement.

What comes next?

I have various projects, but next is the release of Clarion, the second book in the Sol Protocol series which I’m really excited about – I’m just working on final edits and I’m enjoying reading it back. Larsen and Rivers find themselves hunted after crash landing on the Xannix home world, while the fleet becomes embroiled in a lengthy orbital engagement. As first encounters go, it gets off to a bad start, but things are about to change.

I’m also writing a set of short stories which may morph into a graphic novel. The Anomaly series is the original concept of Amir Zand – we got in contact after I tweeted some of his artwork, which is some really great stuff, and we’re enjoying working together on the project. It’s a different subject matter for me, but still very much sci-fi – I hope people enjoy it.

And, of course, there’s the next Sol Protocol novel.