MEET THE SPSFC FINALIST!
A Special interview with N. C. Scrimgeour!
Name and where are you from? (specific location is optional)
N.C. Scrimgeour, Scotland
How many other books have you self-published?
I’ve self-published four books so far: The Waystations Trilogy (which begins with this year’s SPSFC2 entry, Those Left Behind) and a standalone prequel called The Exodus Betrayal, which is the origin story of one of the main characters from the Waystations Trilogy.
Tell us a little bit about your discovery of science fiction (books, shows, movies) and why did it stick with you?
Star Wars is what made me fall in love with sci-fi—specifically the setting. I always loved the thought of all these different worlds and environments and alien species out there, and how epic in scale the galaxy was. Even more so than the films, it was the Knights of the Old Republic games that got me hooked in the wider Star Wars world. I really enjoy all the details and lore, and I found the games such a rich medium to be able to dive into that.
Unsurprisingly, those games then led me on to Mass Effect. Again, it’s got such a great setting with amazing worlds and characters to explore, and is one of my favourite sci-fi stories.
More recently, I’ve really enjoyed The Expanse—both the books and the TV series. The characters are so compelling (Avasarala might be one of my favourite characters in literature!) and it’s a huge, epic journey with them across nine fantastic books. It was definitely a bittersweet feeling when it came to the end.
What/who made you want to become an author?
I can’t remember any one moment in particular—I always enjoyed writing and creating stories as a child, and I’ve been doing it as long as I can remember. I remember entering creative writing competitions in school and always enjoying the chance to make up an imaginary world, and that’s something that has carried through my whole life!
What elements do you feel makes your book unique?
This is a tricky one, as I have to admit my book isn’t all that unique—but that’s by design! It’s no secret that Those Left Behind is pretty much a love letter to all my favourite sci-fi, and I think it wears its influences on its sleeve. But that was what I wanted to do—spill my love and enjoyment for these things into a version for myself, with all my favourite kinds of sci-fi tropes and trappings. I didn’t set out to redefine the genre or break new ground—I just wanted to have fun. Hopefully that’s what comes through on the page and resonates with people. There’s something in there for everyone!
What are some themes or ideas you like to explore in your writing? What may have inspired these?
I’ve noticed that the theme of belonging and looking for a place to fit in or call home comes through in my writing quite a lot. The premise of Those Left Behind is about characters trying to find a new planet to call home, but the individual characters themselves also have a lot of personal identity and belonging issues to navigate as well.
What are some of your favorite tropes and how do you explore these in your writing?
One of the standard sci-fi tropes that has always fascinated me is the ‘precursor race’ trope where an ancient civilisation has left behind remnants of their technology—and may or may not still be out there! Things like the Rakatan Empire from KOTOR, the Reapers from Mass Effect, the ring builders/protomolocule engineers from the Expanse, the Inhibitors from Revelation Space. Those Left Behind definitely leans into similar ideas around the mystery of who else is out there and why did they leave.
What’s something about your book we might not get from the blurb?
Most of the blurb revolves around Alvera Renata, the captain in charge of the mission central to the story, but there are actually five different POV characters, including two aliens!
What was your path or decision to self-publish? Had you queried for publishers or planned self-publish?
I started down the trad pub route at first and spend around six months querying before signing with an agent in 2017. During the next few years, I wrote several books—both fantasy and sci-fi—and went on submission multiple times. Unfortunately, none of them resulted in a publishing deal, and in 2021 I decided that I wanted to try to make things happen for myself and starting preparing to self-publish instead. My first book came out later that year, and I haven’t looked back since!
What’s something you’ve learned about the self-publishing process?
It’s hard work! There is a lot to understand—it’s not just as easy as sticking a book up and crossing your fingers. I had to learn a lot of different things, including commissioning a book cover designer, writing a blurb, marketing, building a newsletter and website, finding reviewers…it’s a lot. It’s a full-time job on top of already having a full-time job, and it doesn’t leave me much free time for anything else!
What is one thing that you love about the current state of Science Fiction and what is one thing that you wish you saw more of?
There are just so many great books out there telling a whole spectrum of stories—there really is something for everyone and I love to find books that surprise and challenge me. Two of my favourite reads last year were the Binti novella trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor and The First Sister trilogy by Linden A. Lewis. I went in to both series not knowing what to expect and was blown away by the stories in completely different ways!
I generally tend to enjoy so-called ‘softer’, more character-driven science fiction rather than hard sci-fi, so I’m always looking for more books like that. I particularly enjoyed Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series and the Teixcalaan series by Arkady Martine.
What’s up next for you as a writer?
I’m making the switch from sci-fi to fantasy this year. My next project is a Scottish-inspired dark fantasy trilogy centred around the selkie myth. The first book, Sea of Souls, is due for release at the beginning of August, and I’m really looking forward to this exciting new direction of my writing journey.
Website – https://ncscrimgeour.com/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/scrimscribes