The first SPSFC has come to a close and out of 300 entrants, we have finally crowned a winner!
Iron Truth by S.A. Tholin is described as “Fresh and surprising on every level, IRON TRUTH is an epic science fiction adventure with a twist of cosmic horror, bursting with staggering world-building, unremitting action and memorable characters.”
We had the pleasure of asking author S. A. Tholin a few questions about her book/series, the competition, and the state of scifi
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Tell us a little bit about your discovery of science fiction (books, shows, movies) and why did it stick with you?
When I was ten or eleven, I read The Journeys of McGill Feighan by Kevin O’Donnell Jr., a real planet-hopping adventure that introduced me to the fun possibilities of a writer using an entire universe as their playground. I next fell in love with Meredith Ann Pierce’s Darkangel Trilogy – it reads like fantasy but is science fiction, a story with depth and layers and things that aren’t what they seem, that really appealed to me.
What are some authors or books you think influenced the creation of the Primaterre series?
No specific books inspired the Primaterre series, but there are authors whose work influence my writing style and the concepts I want to explore. I’m a big fan of how Stephen King fleshes out even minor characters and how locations like Derry or Salem’s Lot have deep histories. I also love how he writes little connections between books – something that I admire about Michael Moorcock’s work, too.
What are some recurring themes or ideas you like to explore in your writing?
It might sound weird, as Iron Truth is set on a desert planet, but water! The ocean scares and fascinates me. Hidden depths, lost treasures, giant monsters – the sea always finds a way to seep into my work.
What (or who) pushed you to become a writer?
I think we’re all born storytellers. When children play, they make up their own stories, creating characters and narratives. Before I even learned to write, I’d spend hours ‘writing’ down my stories in notebooks my mother gave me, page after page filled with squiggles that looked like words to me. (Those stories were mostly about horses, though, usually with diamond hooves and silver manes.) I guess I just never stopped scribbling!
Iron Truth is the first installment of the Primaterre series. It’s a sprawling and epic science fiction tale for a debut. What would be your pitch for those on the fence about reading it?
I’d say get off that fence before I send Scathach Banneret Company to blow it up!
Seriously, though, Iron Truth is a mystery featuring a small cast of characters searching for a colony ship lost among the ruins of a previous civilisation. It’s a dangerous and exciting adventure that ultimately descends into horror.
Iron Truth was self published in 2018. How long did it take to write?
12-14 months for the first draft. Editing took another few months, a little longer than with my later books as I didn’t have a process in place. My speed writing record is held by Metal Ghost (a short Cassimer novel, currently available free on my Patreon), which took me seven weeks to write, but in general each of my books represent about a year of work.
Did you anticipate from the beginning that Iron Truth would become the start to a 4 book series, Or had the later books originate during the process?
I had just finished writing my first novel, a 200k nautical fantasy, and decided to put it aside for a few weeks before starting on the second draft. In the meantime, I figured I’d write this quick, fun science fiction novella I’d had an idea for… and then that ‘novella’ took over my life for the next few years. I hope to one day return to that poor fantasy novel, still languishing in a drawer, but for the time being I’m enjoying writing more books in the Primaterre universe!
Most of the books you’ve written break the 500 and 600 page mark. Have you always been attracted to the more ‘hefty’ books in your own reading?
Generally, yeah. I prefer long works of fiction, whether it’s books, TV shows or games. I like to stay in the world and follow the characters for a long time, really getting to know them.
What was your path or decision to self-publish? Had you shopped for publishers or knew you wanted to?
I sent out a few query letters, but while waiting to hear back I finished Lonely Castles, the sequel to Iron Truth, and I thought, you know what, I’ve got these two books and self-publishing looks like a lot of fun. Let’s try it!
What does winning the first ever Self Published Science Fiction Competition mean to you?
It’s really huge for me. Getting out of the first round was a big deal – actually, just being accepted was massive, I was so nervous when I applied! Becoming a finalist was amazing, seeing Iron Truth up there with all the other great books. I’m not sure I can answer how winning feels – it hasn’t quite sunk in yet!
What are some lessons or messages you hope people gain from reading your work?
The characters in Iron Truth all have their own opinions on what is right and wrong. If there’s any message, I suppose it is to consider different perspectives and to keep an open mind.
And be like Commander Cassimer: if you encounter weird stuff on an alien planet, keep your helmet on.
March of 2022 you published ‘Queen of the Corpsepickers’ (awesome title) a new series of standalone novels set in the Primaterre universe. Tell us a little about that.
Thanks! Queen of the Corpsepickers was a lot of fun to write. The main character, Mist Northrup, is a minor villain in my main Primaterre series. An angry, vicious space pirate whose beliefs about everything are entirely incorrect, she’s not the type of character you might expect to star in her own epic.
How do you feel about the current state of published scifi (self or traditional)?
It’s an exciting space right now, I love seeing authors writing more nuanced and diverse characters.
What is the Science Fiction landscape like in Sweden (or your region)?
There’s the incredible Simon Stålenhag, whose work I love! We get the occasional entertaining tv-show, too, like Äkta Människor. There’s a healthy fandom in Sweden, and great cons. I live in a small village in the woods, though, where the biggest attraction is a loom museum – so there’s not much of a local sci-fi scene.
If the Primaterre series had a soundtrack, what music would we hear?
Oh, that’s easy – it’s Father Gascoigne’s theme from the Bloodborne OST!
What was the last ‘great’ book you read? (SF or otherwise)
I just finished Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, which I’ve read so many times that by now it’s really more like an old friend. Chilling horror, thought-provoking perspectives on death and grief, and a sense that the horror we see is just a small sliver of something so great and awful it’s beyond human comprehension – what’s not to love?
Who are some other self published authors we should be on the look out for?
My fellow SPSFC contestants, of course! Something like three hundred books entered the SPSFC. For anyone interested in self-published science fiction that’s an excellent list to start with. I’m currently reading Roko’s Catalyst by Michael Blackbourn, Duckett & Dyer: Dicks For Hire by G.M. Nair is next on my TBR, and I’m looking forward to checking out Andrew Hindle’s books (not an SPSFC contestant, but one of the judges!). Outside of science fiction, I really enjoyed Jan Hurst-Nicholson’s comedy But Can You Drink The Water? and, as I’m a sucker for zombie stories, Michael John Grist’s The Last was a great read, too.
Thanks so much for your time, Sophie!
Be sure to check out IRON TRUTH on your favorite book retailer and follow the author here:
https://twitter.com/tholin
https://www.amazon.com/S-A-Tholin/e/B07BJND6S1/
https://www.patreon.com/tholin