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As I've said before, I love my weekly Speculative Fiction Writer post because I sometimes get to discover new writers and hopefully make new friends. This week I had the pleasure of interviewing another new writer, Matthew Graybosch.
Hi
Matthew. Welcome to my little corner of the world. Please take a seat and make
yourself comfortable. Here we go:
Q:
Are you a morning or evening person?
A:
Definitely a night person. If I wanted to wake up at the crack of dawn every
day, I might have pursued a military career.
Q:
If I visited you during your day job, what would I find you doing?
A:
You'd find me standing in my cubicle, with my keyboard, trackball, and one of
the two displays connected to my workstation propped up on a side table I
bought from IKEA for ten bucks. The other display sits on the shelf built into
my cubicle.
I
started standing at work a couple of years ago when I realized that sitting all
day at work was making it difficult for me to stand or walk when I needed to.
So now I stand and work for an hour or two at a time. It makes shopping trips
with my wife easier.
Q: What is your biggest grammar peeve?
A: I think this is more of a usage issue than a grammar
issue, but I hate it when people say "you need to" do something
instead of "I need you to" or "Would you please" do
something. It's inaccurate, since desire on one person's part does not
constitute need on my part. Moreover, it's rude.
Q:
On your website, A Day Job and a Dream, you say, 'You too can write a novel on your lunch break'. Is that possible?
A: I did it twice. Sometimes I only manage 500 words a day,
but as I pointed out in a recent blog post on the subject, 500
words for 200 days will give you a 100,000 word novel. It adds up.
The first time was a 289,000 word draft of Starbreaker
that I finished in May 2009. I sat on it for a while before I started revision.
However, revision fell by the wayside for a couple of years due to demands from
work.
I started rewriting Starbreaker again in 2011, and
posted snippets on Google+. This brought me to the attention of Lisa Gus of
Curiosity Quills Press, who wanted to publish it as a serial.
When I started sending in chapter drafts, CQ decided instead
to offer me a contract to publish Starbreaker in three or four volumes.
I had my titles within 15 minutes:
- Without Bloodshed (published on 17
November 2013)
- The Blackened Phoenix (in progress)
- Proscribed Construct (in preparation)
- A Tyranny of Demons (in
preparation)
I wrote Without Bloodshed the same way I did the
original Starbreaker: a little bit at a time: on lunch breaks, after
work, and on weekends. I did the edits and revisions in similar fashion, and
now I'm three chapters into The Blackened Phoenix.
Q: The cover for Without Bloodshed is stunning. Who created
your cover art, and how much of a creative input did you have?
A: Ricky Gunawan did the
artwork for Without Bloodshed. I had more input than many authors get.
CQ originally wanted to pair me with another artist, but she
specialized in photo-manipulation covers more typical to paranormal romance and
urban fantasy. It wasn't right for Starbreaker.
Fortunately, the marketing department decided that a
high-concept cover might work better sales-wise, so I suggested a cover based
on a tattoo most Adversaries get to represent the ideals of liberty, justice,
and equality they uphold by diplomacy and force of arms.
Q: Would you like to share an extract with us?
A: Since Amazon provides samples of Without Bloodshed,
how about a preview of the next Starbreaker novel, The Blackened Phoenix?
Josefine Malmgren stared at the code on her screen, wishing
the junior developer responsible wasn't sitting beside her where he might see
her rub her forehead. Her headache radiated from between her eyebrows, directly
above the bridge of her nose. Instead, she turned her chair towards him, and
pushed it back half a meter. "Wei, what were you thinking when you coded
this class?"
"I needed cryptographic
functionality, so I implemented it. What's the problem?"
Josefine yielded to the pain, and
rubbed her forehead. It only helped on a psychological level. "Wei, I was
able to crack the encryption you implemented without an AI's help. How did you
test this?"
"That's not my job."
What would Claire do? Oh, wait.
Assuming she wasn't too sensible to take a job obligating her to babysit
apprentice developers barely capable of distinguishing between a compiler and a
Cuisinart, she'd probably be halfway through ripping this kid a new asshole
already. But he's only sixteen. I suppose I should be gentle. Rather than emulate her old
friend, Josefine forced herself to take a deep breath and count down from two
hundred and fifty-five in base sixteen before speaking again. "Wei, you're
an apprentice, and you might not know better, so listen carefully. Testing your
own code is part of your job, and it's more important than writing the
code. Now, what do you think would happen if we let this code into production
versions of Aesir OS?"
To the boy's credit, he provided
the correct answer immediately. "Any hardware using my code would be
vulnerable." He glanced down at his feet for a moment. "I'm sorry,
ma'am. How hard will it be to roll back this changeset?"
Josefine shrugged. "That's not
your problem. Instead, you're going to study the existing Aesir OS code, and
the libraries we use. Under no circumstance are you to write so much as a
comment. In fact, you are reassigned to the testing team effective ninety
seconds ago. Instead of making life harder for everybody else, you're going to
test everybody else's code. Now get out of my office."
"I already rolled back that
code." Hephaestus, the AI in charge of building code from AsgarTech's
various software projects, appeared on Josefine's screen and spoke as soon as a
slump-shouldered Wei closed the office door behind him. "Don't you think
you were a bit hard on the kid?"
"Maybe." Josefine rubbed
her forehead again, found her bottle of aspirin, and chased two pills down her
throat with a gulp of tepid coffee from a mug her friend Claire gave her for
their last Winter Solstice at university. It was black, and had RTFM emblazoned
upon it in bold white type. "I'm tired, and while my code might not
be suffering, it's showing in how I interact with people."
"Then why not take some time
off?"
"We're right up against the
deadline. Since I rooted out that shit Wei injected into the code base, we
might finally get acceptable results. I can slow down after we get the
prototype activated."
"You said that after the last
milestone, and found a reason to keep working."
"Now you sound like Claire. I
get enough of that nonsense from her. Would you mind starting the AesirOS build
and copying the new version to Aldebaran, Betelguise, and Rigel while I get
dinner? Leaving the office for a couple hours might do me some good."
"Of course, Dr. Malmgren. If
you don't mind, I heard from some of the other developers that a new restaurant
called Memison's opened nearby, and they supposedly make excellent fish
dinners."
Josefine nodded as she wrapped
herself in her heavy navy wool cloak, a relic from her university live-action
role-playing days. It was warmer than her pea coat, and it concealed her
overtime-ravaged figure. "Thanks, but maybe next time. I was in the mood
for an Agni Burger tonight."
The Agni Burger franchise three
blocks from the AsgarTech Building was too crowded for Josefine's liking. She
ordered her dinner to go, trailing the aroma of fresh ground lamb with goat
cheese wrapped in naan, hot basmati rice, and Indian spices behind her as she
returned to her office.
She started the AesirOS test runs
on the virtual machines before unpacking her dinner and nuking it. As she began
to eat, a notification chimed a request for her attention. She let it wait, and
took some time to indulge in an opportunity to catch up on one of her favorite
comics. After another installment in the adventures of a vampire-killing rock
musician named Eddie Van Helsing, she checked the waiting notification. She
thrust her fist skyward in celebration; AesirOS finally passed all of the
initial tests.
Now the Project Aesir virtual
machines would begin the real tests: a century of simulated life compressed
into a few short hours. If the virtual personalities created by the tests
exhibited no signs of psychosis, or any other form of mental illness that might
make them a danger to themselves and others, then Josefine would begin the next
phase. I might activate Polaris tonight, if everything goes well.
The Agni Burger's spices lingered
on Josefine's tongue, warming her as she spread out the Japanese-style futon
she kept for late nights on the job. She curled up on it, kicking off her shoes
and wrapping herself in her wool cloak because she forgot to get blankets to go
with the futon. She set her implant to poll the test machines while she slept.
She would wake when the tests were finished.
"Oi, Josefine! Wake up and
smell the napalm!"
Josefine opened her eyes and
glanced up. "Claire?"
"Who the bloody hell did you
think it would be, Josse? Were you expecting the Spanish Inquisition?"
Josefine struggled out of her cloak
and retrieved the tablet from her purse. Activating the screen, she found an
annoyed-looking Claire in an old Crowley's Thoth t-shirt wearing a headset with
an attached microphone staring back at her through video chat. "I was
expecting to get some sleep while these damn tests run. What's the problem?"
"Well, Josefine, I was
expecting you to join me for some Ultraviolence. You know how I play. I need
somebody to cover me while I rush the enemy."
Josefine blinked, wracking her
brain for a moment before recollection finally came. "Oh, shit, Claire! I'm
sorry. With all the overtime I work lately, I forgot all about it."
Claire removed her headset, and
dragged her fingers through a mass of curls dyed the same red as a New York
fire engine. "That's what you said last week, Josse. Not to mention the
three times before that. I held my tongue yesterday while you worked on Winter
fucking Solstice, but I'm done."
Josefine opened her mouth to
protest, to insist upon the importance of her work at AsgarTech, but Claire
pressed on. "I'm the last real friend you have, and I'm not going to give
up on you, but you're really starting to get on my tits. It's not about
the bloody game. You're killing yourself at that job, and showing classic signs
of impending burnout. If you make it necessary for me to come down there, I
swear by Xiombarg's favorite strap-on I'm packing Cluebringer so I can have a
little chat with your boss."
"Dammit, Claire, we might as
well date if you're going to complain about the time I spend at work."
Josefine instantly regretted her words, which she hurled in frustration with
her friend over yet another interruption-packed day working for the AsgarTech
Corporation. Though her remark was rude, she feared Claire's response for other
reasons. Nor did she want Claire coming to her workplace and brandishing the
cricket bat she painted black and used as a threat to people whose foolishness
annoyed her.
Claire flashed a coquettish smile
and fluffed her hair on the other side of the video call they shared between
London and AsgarTech headquarters in the domed Antarctic city of Asgard.
"Really, Josse? You finally realized we belong together? Give me an hour
to get ready, and I'll take the first maglev out."
"No, it's not like that."
Josefine flushed at Claire's teasing, a staple of their friendship since their
university days. A year older than Josefine, and almost her exact opposite in
personality, Claire instantly took to her and became the friend she wished for
as an introverted, awkward girl growing up in Stockholm. "God, you're such
an incorrigible flirt. Aren't you seeing somebody?"
"You mean Sarah? She needs the
sort of help I'm not experienced in providing to human beings. She got hurt in
Boston, and she's convinced her scars make her repulsive. Utter bollocks, of
course." Claire leaned forward, adopting a conspiratorial whisper.
"After all, you remember the lads I used to bring back to our room at
university."
"I saw more of them than I
care to recall." Josefine recalled one young man in particular, whose
slight build enhanced his overgenerous endowment. He left Claire sore, and
unrepentant, for a week. "So she needs therapy. Are you going to stick
with her, or just keep her in the rotation?"
Claire shrugged. "When do I
stick with anybody, Josse? Seriously, though, what the hell are you doing at
AsgarTech that demands these crazy hours? I'm ready to report the company to
the Phoenix Society for worker exploitation on your behalf."
Josefine shuddered at the thought
of AsgarTech, and her patron Isaac Magnin, being reported to the Phoenix
Society. "I'm not getting pressured to work late, Claire, but I have
responsibilities."
"So do I, but you don't see me
living in a bloody office. What makes Project Aesir so demanding?"
"It's not Project Aesir. It's
the people. I'm one of the few women holding a senior position in this company,
and it feels like the men reporting to me are utterly bereft of anything
resembling a clue." She glanced at Zero, the coal-black kitty emulator
curled up on the desk beside her. He was the prototype for AsgarTech's EmCat product
line, which Josefine helped develop in her first year at the company as an
experiment in creating small, mobile AIs. The company considered stripping
speech from the production models because of Zero's tendency towards profanity,
but instead chose personality tweaks intended to make the cats more polite.
"I bribe this furry bastard to guard my office door and stop intruders,
but he never stays bought."
Zero rolled over, exposing the
white patch on his belly, which Josefine called his creamy filling. "Fuck
you, mommy. Gimme a belly rub."
"How do you put up with a cat
capable of backtalk?"
"All cats are capable of
backtalk. At least Zero and the other EmCats speak English."
"In his case, that's not a
plus."
Zero hissed, and tapped at
Josefine's tablet to disconnect the video call. "Who does that reject from
a Heinlein fanfic think she is?"
Josefine used her forearm to shove
Zero off the desk before calling Claire again. While her tablet renegotiated
the connection, she scooped Zero up and exiled him from the office. "If
you can't be polite to my friends, then go make yourself useful. Catch some
mice or something."
"Oh, I'll catch some mice,
mommy. And I'll leave what's left on your pillow."
"I love you too. Go
play."
Josefine closed the door behind
her, and found Claire waiting. "Seriously, Josse, why work at AsgarTech,
where you can't even do your real work during normal hours because management
can't give you the privacy you need? Not to mention that furry little monster
you created. I know Isaac Magnin's your patron, but didn't you put in your
time? Why do you care so much about building the most expensive stunt double in
history?"
Josefine winced, stung by Claire's
dismissal of her work. The Project Aesir specs included advanced self-repair capabilities,
and it proved a simple matter to extend the functionality to provide
self-alteration. The same subsystems that permitted an AI equipped with a
Project Aesir body to repair itself also allowed such AIs to tailor their
bodies to match their self-image. The code that allowed existing AIs to
transfer into a Project Aesir body also allowed them to back up their memory
and personality for transfer to a new body should the original be destroyed.
Josefine regarded the additional
features as a major accomplishment, and her pride in her work demanded she
rebuke her friend. "I know you like your little jokes, but Project Aesir matters.
So many AIs feel trapped in their host machines. I'm working to give them the
freedom and mobility we take for granted. I get to work with Dr. Magnin, and
help him." Josefine flushed as she spoke. Why do I always get flustered
talking about Isaac?
"You're blushing,
Josse-cat." Claire paused, and shook her head. "Oh, I get it now.
You're infatuated with Im-- Isaac Magnin."
"I am not." Claire
constantly teased Josefine about Magnin, and despite her protests, she doubted
she would say no if he were to invite her to his penthouse at the top of the
AsgarTech building for a nightcap. Surely his competence and patience follow
him to the bedroom. "Oh, fuck it. Maybe I am a little. He's a genius,
he's beautiful, and I feel safe around him. Is that so bad?"
Claire fell silent for a minute.
"No, it's not so bad. Just be careful, all right? I can't tell you
everything, but you don't know Magnin as well as you think you do. I think he's
the sort of man whose secrets make him dangerous."
"Is this because he's a
'white-haired bishounen'?" Josefine used the phrase Claire habitually
applied to Magnin, which she claimed was a particularly untrustworthy character
archetype in Japanese pop media. Because beautiful platinum-haired men usually
proved villainous in anime and manga, Claire insisted upon distrusting Isaac
Magnin. "And what were you about to call him before you caught yourself?"
Claire shook her head and flashed a
coy smile. "Like I said, Josse, I can't tell you everything or the
beautiful raven-haired man who makes me feel safe will kick my ass. Just
be careful, all right?"
Q:
Do you have a favourite character from Without Bloodshed. If so, why?
A: It's
a big cast, so it wouldn't be fair to play favorites. I like different
characters for different reasons. With that said, I have to be careful about
the ladies stealing the show. I gave Naomi, Claire, Ashtoreth, Thagirion, and
the others big personalities, and it can be a challenge to balance them with
the men.
Then
there's Isaac Magnin. He was the first character I created, because I wanted to
write a better, more complex and compelling villain than any I'd read in
fantasy the late 1990s. I wanted to create an alternative to dark lords and
evil wizards hungry for world domination. He already rules the world, and he's
trying to save it. It's hard not to make a hero out of him.
Q:
What are your writing plans for the future?
A:
I mean to finish The Blackened Phoenix, and write the rest of
Starbreaker: Proscribed Construct and A Tyranny of Demons. I'm
also thinking of dabbling in NA fiction, with an adventure from Naomi
Bradleigh's youth. Given time, I could write an entire alternate history of the
world around Starbreaker.
WITHOUT BLOODSHED BLURB
“All who threaten me die.”
These words made Morgan Stormrider’s reputation as one of the Phoenix Society’s deadliest IRD (Individual Rights Defense) officers. He served with distinction as the Society’s avenger, hunting down anybody who dared kill an Adversary in the line of duty. After a decade spent living by the sword, Morgan seeks to bid a farewell to arms and make a new life with his friends as a musician.
Regardless of his faltering faith, the Phoenix Society has a final mission for Morgan Stormrider after a dictator’s accusations make him a liability to the organization. He must put everything aside, travel to Boston, and prove he is not the Society’s assassin. He must put down Alexander Liebenthal’s coup while taking him alive.
Despite the gravity of his task, Morgan cannot put aside his ex-girlfriend’s murder, or efforts to frame him and his closest friends for the crime. He cannot ignore a request from a trusted friend to investigate the theft of designs for a weapon before which even gods stand defenseless. He cannot disregard the corruption implied in the Phoenix Society’s willingness to make him a scapegoat should he fail to resolve the crisis in Boston without bloodshed.
The words with which Morgan Stormrider forged his reputation haunt him still.
PURCHASE LINK
LINK
BIO
Matthew Graybosch is a Romantic science fantasy novelist from New York who codes for a living. He’s also a gamer, a long-haired metalhead, and a geek who passes for normal by not talking about the nerdy stuff that excites him. He lives in central Pennsylvania with his wife, two cats, and a bicycle that nags him whenever he doesn’t meet his daily word count. He’s hard at work on the next Starbreaker novel.
Thank you, Matthew. That was an enthralling extract. Another book to add to my TBR pile. I admire your work ethic and commitment in writing every day. If someone wants something badly enough, they will find a way. And you did!
I'll be back on Friday, when Stephen Tremp will be travelling through a wormhole, bringing his Escalation Blog Tour with him.