Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a professional astrophysicist that dabbles with all sorts of things in my spare time. Everything from free jazz to various writing projects. I basically stagger through life – from one obsession to another… A couple of years ago I started making up bedtime stories for my (then 7-year old) daughter. The main character was a mildly confused inventor, Professor Kompressor, who drew on actual science for his ideas. He is excellent at inventing, but the main theme of the stories is that the inventions are not always excellent. These bedtime stories led to the first book, and then… another three (so far). Writing these books has been immensely enjoyable, especially since I can take liberties with ideas I actually worry about at work. The great thing about fiction is that it is ok to get things a bit wrong – to stretch reality whichever way you like. For some reason, this is generally frowned upon in the science world.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called “Professor Kompressor out of this world”. It is basically a space adventure that takes the Professor and his companions on a journey through the universe. The main part of the book is set in the hostile environment of outer space. The stakes are higher and the inventions bolder. Lives are at risk in encounters with exploding stars, black holes and, just possibly, alien civilisations. I first had the idea when I was writing the third book in the series, themed around the undercover world of spies and dodgy dealings. It started with the title. Then I started building a collection of “inventions” that would serve as frame for the stories. This part was fun, but surprisingly tricky and I had to do quite a bit of research before I figured out the fine line between “too far” and “not too far enough”. I am really quite happy with the result.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not really, but… this last book was mainly written with a couple of fingers typing on a tablet while I was sitting waiting for the youngest daughter to fall asleep. Maybe not the best setting for concentration, but it was “spare time” and I think I used it well 😉
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Ouch, this would be a long list. I would have to start with Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker’s guide. A whole lot of books of a similar vein; Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt… When I started writing about the Professor, I went back to revisit the Professor Branestawm series. Hilarious fun. I recently discovered the, now out of print, series about Danny Dunn, boy inventor. This is excellent as well. In terms of science inspired stories, I guess Russell Stannard’s Uncle Albert books and maybe Lucy Hawking’s space adventures. I like reading stories for younger readers because the focus is on the story telling. Less analyzing of the human condition, more fun and games. I enjoy that!
What are you working on now?
Ah… I thought that was supposed to be a secret. Actually, I am toying around with something a little bit different. I have tried writing a science-themed ABC, with rhymes and everything. A first version of the text is there and I think it works quite well. Not sure what I’m going to do with it though. It will need illustrations of some sort. We’ll see what happens.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Undoubtedly word of mouth works best, but a number of websites have been useful. The most effective for me have been features on Ereader News Today, Awesome Gang and Freebooksy.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Don’t let anyone put you off. If there is a story to tell, write it. Sure, you will have to spend time on it. Editing, polishing, reworking… It will be hard work, and can be really frustrating, but it is also extremely rewarding.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what you want. Don’t try to write a particular story just because you think it would “sell”. You need to tell your story your own way.
What are you reading now?
I just finished Jasper Fforde’s Song of the quarkbeast, a magical story for younger readers. Now I am reading Christopher Priest’s Adjacent. So far it is an excellent SciFi story from one of the grandmasters of the genre. I am enjoying it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Tricky question. I probably ought to try to market my books a little bit better. I am a bit busy with my daytime job at the moment so for a while I will probably tinker with smaller things. There may eventually be a fifth Professor Kompressor book, but I am not sure. I will need to find an entertaining theme for it and at the moment I’m not sure what it would be.
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?
Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy, for sure, because you can read it many many times and it is still funny. Probably something by Jonathan Raban because I just love the way he uses the language. If I were to pick a third one right now it would be Damon Runyon’s More than somewhat, because it is a really crazy set of prohibition era short stories. Worth it’s weight in potatoes (if you’ve read it you know what I mean!).
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