Interview With Author Ed Robins
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing since the age of eleven. My father was an avid consumer of speculative fiction and raised me on a steady diet of television shows, books and movies to feed my imagination.
If there’s anything I like more than science fiction, it’s old things, especially books. It inspired me to create “The 10 Cent Universe” by mashing together the styles of dime store pulps with modern science fiction.
I currently reside in Wichita, KS with my wife and two children, and tell too many “dad jokes”.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent release is “The Education of Young Dalton Reid”. It’s a science fiction western set on the planet Gaea following the crash landing of the generation ship Australis. The population has only just begun to recover and spread across the planet. Dalton Reid heads to the frontier to seek his fortune and finds only trouble.
I was inspired to write this book because of my father. If there’s anything he loved more than science fiction, it was a good western! While there’s a lot of western-inspired science fiction, such as The Mandalorian or Firefly, I wanted to create a truly western-forward story.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stylistically, my biggest influence is Elmore Leonard. I’ve long admired his concision, and have sought to emulate it. My hardboiled science fiction detective series is based upon Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer series. On the western front, I’ve read various authors, especially Louis L’Amour, but my greatest influence has been from movies like Young Guns, 3:10 to Yuma and Tombstone.
What are you working on now?
I’m at the end of revisions on the fourth book in my “Murder on the Starship Australis” series. This book continues the story of Tom Devoe, a disgraced former detective, as he battles addiction and seeks to overcome his tormented past.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
While I’m still building my backlist, I primarily use social media to promote my books.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules for Good Writing are fantastic, even if I break a few. In particular, I avoid too much detail in describing places and people. Personally, when I read, I prefer a few unique details to ground a character or setting, then let my imagination fill in the rest.
What are you reading now?
I’m at the end of “Chasm City” by Alastair Reynolds. Honestly, while the writing is good, the story wasn’t quite for me. And that’s okay! My stories aren’t for everyone either.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan to keep expanding my “10 Cent Universe”. My intention is to create a macrocosm of series each during a different point in time for humanity and each utilizing a different pulp genre. The “Murder on the Starship Australis” hardboiled detective series will soon have four books, and I’ve written the first western set on a new planet. I also plan to write a spy series and a horror series, as well as possibly dipping my toes into romance and war.
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?
I’d start with some John Steinbeck, probably “The Grapes of Wrath”. For some fun sci-fi, I’d take “The Expanse” by James S.A. Corey, if it can be considered as one, or sub in “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir if not. Lastly, I’d bring along “Les Misérables” by Victor Hugo. Not only is he one of my favorite writers, but, weighing in at nearly 1,500 pages, it would give me ample reading material.
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