Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a human man. I started out writing short science fiction, mainly in Interzone magazine in the UK, and received a Hugo nomination for my short story The Clockwork Atom Bomb in 2006. Since then I’ve been writing ebooks – eleven of them in the Ant and Cleo science fiction series for children and young adults, two in the Elder Shepherd series of thrillers, two in the Smallworld adult SF series, and Warlords of Llantatis, which is SF Fantasy. I’ve also written fantasy (Tirnahiolaire), urban fantasy (Phil and the Death Machine), SF horror (Abaddon), and mainstream fiction (Cowboys and Dinosaurs). There are other books I will not admit to the existence of.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Twinkle, Twinkle, Collapsar is essentially a Star Trek novel for people who shout at the television when Star Trek comes on. I wanted a space opera story that enshrined the idea of a civilized interstellar society we see in a lot of idealistic SF, but I didn’t want that society to be saccharine-perfect. Instead, I’ve presented two neighbouring societies who have flaws that complement one another, and neither of whom are necessarily good or evil. Good space opera has to have good guys and bad guys, but I want the reader to have to be on his or her toes and require to guess which is which in some cases. I also wanted a minimum of pseudo-scientific gobbledigook. It’s amazing how many people are prepared to loudly proclaim that STAR TREK IS SCIENCE FICTION BUT STAR WARS IS FANTASY ACTUALLY whilst being simultaneously willing to lap up Trek characters holding forth on remodulating the transwarp conduit deflector plasma phase array variance. They usually follow this with ‘It’s risky, but it could work’. Then another character grabs that character firmly by the shoulders, gazes into her eyes, and says: ‘It has to, Ensign. It has to’.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write underwater on special waterproof paper, whilst being serenaded by my pet dolphin.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The two greatest SF authors who have ever lived were H G Wells and Isaac Asimov, but there are so many others it’s hard to choose between them. Neal Stephenson. Frank Herbert. Jack Vance. Philip K Dick. Roger Zelazny. Larry Niven. J R R Tolkien. Douglas Adams. Terry Pratchett. This list sounds a little chauvinist, but I’m certain that, had women been given the same opportunities as men for the greater part of the twentieth century, there would have been female Wellses and Asimovs. One of the greatest female writers (Ursula le Guin) died relatively recently.
What are you working on now?
Book 12 of Ant and Cleo, which is at 300 pages and seems may never have an end; a third book in the Elder Shepherd series; book 2 in the ‘Phil and the’ series; a fantasy novel set in pseudo-renaissance Europe.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am the world’s worst marketer and not by any means someone anyone should be getting advice from on the subject.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Go into used car sales, you’ll make more money.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You’re a grown man, Dominic. You can’t go out in public naked any more.
What are you reading now?
Weirdly, I’m reading C S Forrester’s Hornblower series and Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books, in parallel.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Half an hour of World of Warcraft and then bed.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
How To Survive On A Desert Island (Waterproof Version)
The Edible Richardson’s Clarissa (Chicken Korma Edition)
How To Signal Low Flying Aircraft By Burning Extremely Large Books
The Super Jumbo Pop Up Mein Kampf (Folio Edition in 200 Volumes, Signalling Low Flying Aircraft Edition – Now Comes With Free Bucket of Petrol)
Author Websites and Profiles
Dominic Green Amazon Profile
Dominic Green Author Profile on Smashwords
Dominic Green’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile