Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a physicist and computer engineer (among other things) by training. After thirty years in industry, working at every level from individual technical contributor to senior vice president, I was ready for a change. I now write full-time, and my latest book, just out, is my twenty-second.
Mostly I write science fiction and techno-thrillers, from time to time throwing in some popular science. Along the way, I’ve flown (mainly crashed) the space-shuttle training simulator, toured the space-station training simulator, gone behind the scenes at a satellite factory and a radio-astronomy observatory, and seen a space-shuttle launch from up close.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
That’d be Déjà Doomed, published on May 25th. It’s a near-future adventure set mostly on the Moon. Our intrepid explorers find artifacts left behind by ancient alien visitors — and you just know nothing good can come of their poking around. Even if the title didn’t mention doom.
What inspired the book? Well, First Contact is not only among the most popular SF themes, but it’s also among my favorites. I wanted to do something new with it. Most First Contact stories involve either face-to-whatever encounters or some type of signal detection — and I’d already done such novels myself. An archeological discovery of alien visitors would be different — but by itself not (ahem) as novel as I’d like. So, rather than hide the traces of long-ago visitors on Earth, I chose the Moon. Setting my book on the Moon allowed the alien relics to be far older, and far better preserved, than if they’d been left on Earth. Which then led to other wrinkles that are best left for readers to discover.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Drawing a blank here. I doubtless have my quirks, they just seem normal to me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many writers are friends to wish to single out living favorites. And yet, I *will* name the SF of Larry Niven. His SF, especially his “Known Space” future history, appealed to me enough that I approached him about collaborating — and, in the end, we did the five-book Fleet of Worlds series together. That makes Larry both a favorite author and a significant influence on my writing career.
Among the sadly departed, I’m a big fan of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 and pretty much anything by Kurt Vonnegut.
What are you working on now?
A story arc about aliens on an interstellar cruise ship who get stranded on the fringes of our solar system. (Have I mentioned an interest in First Contact?)
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Some combination of a personal website, blog, and Facebook.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Rejection is inevitable on the road to being published. PERSONAL rejection (as opposed to form letters and emails) is actually good news: editors are too busy to spend time on authors whose submissions haven’t already shown promise.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Editorial comments are SUGGESTIONS. Don’t take suggestions with which you disagree. This, by the way, was advice from an editor.
What are you reading now?
I *just* finished Andy Weir’s latest novel, Project Hail Mary — it’s the kind of tech-centric SF I write. From which I dove into two books at once. The first is 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, by Charles C. Mann. The second is Pity the Reader: On Writing with Style, by Kurt Vonnegut and Suzanne McConnell. (Have I mentioned an appreciation for Vonnegut?)
What’s next for you as a writer?
As my last few novels have mainly been set on the Moon and asteroids, it’s time for me to do something set on Mars.
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?
Well, they’d have to be long. Am I allowed omnibus editions? Oh, and a download of Wikipedia?
Author Websites and Profiles
Edward M. Lerner Website
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