First Saturday Sci-Fi - Dec 2018

Tegon Maus
Dec 3, 2018
5 min read

Well here we are... December at last! Got your list ready?

We're lucky enough to have another real Scientist who writes Science Fiction !!

A native of Potter County, PA, Daniel de Lill grew up under the darkest skies on the eastern seaboard. This inspired countless nights of dreaming of new worlds and a desire to understand the nature of our universe. After obtaining degrees in French and Chemistry from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, he went on to earn a master's degree and doctorate in Inorganic Chemistry from The George Washington University in DC. Following an NSF-funded postdoctoral stint at the University of Nevada, Reno, he became a professor at Florida Atlantic University. After seven years of teaching and research, Daniel left the world of academia to pursue dreams of writing and publishing his science fiction and cooking lots of amazing vegan food in his home laboratory, the kitchen. He is the author of nearly 30 scientific publications, scores of presentations, and two laboratory manuals. His first fiction novel, Lunar One was published in 2018. Daniel is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and a lifetime member of the Florida Writer's Association.

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

I’ve written several short stories, mostly unpublished, but it’s my novel Lunar One that I would label as my favorite work. I spent years developing the story, nurturing and molding it to maturity. For me, it not only tells a fascinating adventure of a young women’s quest to uncover the ghastly secrets behind life on her lunar home, but it also explores political, social, and philosophical issues through exposition of colony life and pagoda societies. It’s fun, but it also makes you think.

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

This very question has been keeping me up at night lately. I read what’s being published in the magazines today and, while fine stories, little of it really grabs me. It’s the natural evolution of the genre, I suppose. I guess I like more of what would be considered “classic” Sci-Fi, so I don’t know what exactly makes good Sci-Fi today. But, from what I can gather, good Sci-Fi for the modern reader are the kinds of stories that explore the human condition and its relationship to the technology it has created. How does technology influence humanity’s social evolution, the very nature of what it is to be human? What philosophical issues arise as technology becomes more integrated into our daily lives?

I like these stories to some extent, but I don’t usually write these kinds of stories. For me personally, good Sci-Fi is the kind that takes me on an adventure to a far-away place with neat gizmos and/or unique aliens. For the past several years, I’ve had a particular interest in dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels, likely the reflection of my own pessimistic view of the near future as we continue to fight among ourselves and abuse our home.

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

I believe that every book can shape the future, some more than others. I’d like to think that my stories would get people to think and change the way they interact with the world in a positive way. Science fiction in particular has the unique ability to shape the future in a very tangible sense. In my opinion, much of our modern technology was first born within the pages of the science fiction genre. Children absorb these ideas, which often inspire them to become the scientists and engineers who make these stories come alive in everyday life. I got my PhD in chemistry because of my fascination with science fiction growing up, because I wanted to help create the futures I was reading about.

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

True events, I don’t think so, but I definitely made more inside jokes than I had intended. I should note, I originally intended to have zero inside jokes, but then I thought I’d have some fun with my novel. Why not? I’m a huge Star Trek fan and there are references throughout. I don’t know how many exactly, but I’d guess maybe half a dozen. In the first chapter alone, I give homage to one of my favorite authors (Asimov) and where I’m from (Potter County). My novel is littered with similar “eggs” ranging from Sci-Fi references to references from my personal life.

Character names, however, are just names, with two exceptions. “Ven” is Norwegian for “friend”. Until I named him, he was referenced as “friend 1” while I was developing the plot. But, the main character, Amia, has quite a different story. I could not come up with a name for Amia that I liked. Her name must have changed half a dozen times. One night I’m prancing around my living room singing “Mamma Mia” with Meryl Streep when I realized I was singing Amia’s name! Her name is right there in the song’s title.

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

I usually just make up my characters. They each develop their own distinct personality as a story idea stews in my mind. Once in a blue moon I’ll snag a personality trait or two from someone I met once or twice before, but I don’t think I’ve ever created a character based on anyone I actually “know”.

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

There’s no difference between Lunar One and Earth - both are fragile ecosystems that run on a complex and delicately-balanced equilibrium. As we destroy our home, the only place we have to live, we are chipping away at our very humanity as well. We need to rise above corrupt governments and institutions that live lavishly off the misery of everyone else, compromising our health and our planet in the process. We need to open our eyes and see exactly what we are doing to our planet and our societies, to be conscientious of the impact our every action makes.

7. What is your favorite review?

A reviewer once compared my story-telling to that of Orson Scott Card. I was humbled, but also smiled with a hint of pride. I honestly have no idea if my writing is any good or not, so I can’t comment on the veracity of the comparison. But, I will say that sometimes I’ll be reading something I wrote and can’t believe that I actually wrote something so well. Other times I can’t believe I wrote something straight out of second grade.

What comes next?

I have a couple of short stories I’m trying to get published, and I’ve been working on the sequel to Lunar One, creatively called Lunar Two. I’m hoping to have it published by next summer. I’m also working on a vegan cookbook, and I’m trying to break into Instagram and YouTube.

Where can we learn more?

My website at http://www.danieldelill.com and you can buy Lunar One directly from Amazon at

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D6CYD42