Questions and Answers What are you currently working on? My newest novel was just released this month. It's called WARNING, published by Ebooksonthe.net a commercial on-line publishing house. The story's basically about a powerful organization that involves Earth in covert interstellar war. The heads of state of several countries are privy to this organization and its activities, but find they no longer can control it. WARNING is my second published novel. My first, NOVA CHASERS also published by Ebooksonthe.net was released in January. I'm working on three other book-length manuscripts right now, a trilogy of Sci-Fi/Romance novellas, a novel about the end of the low intensity conflicts of the near future (we're getting our first taste of these conflicts now with our War on Terror), and a historic novel about Egypt's 25th Dynasty. Who (Fact or Fiction) would you most like to meet, and what would you ask them? Hadn't really thought of that. I was once a journalist and have already met many prominent people. Is there a book or story you wish you had written? The TIME MACHINE by H. G. Wells. It was the first Sci-fi novel I ever read. It's still in my library and every now and then I still read it. Wells' writing style rivets my eyes to page. His words were never made up of letters, but of subtle shapes, colors, and delight. That book opened the universe for me. I wonder how many others were affected the same way by that book? Is writing your full time occupation, if not what is? It's becoming that way, though promotional activities are taking more of my time lately. What was your first professional sale? How did it feel when you received the acceptance? A short story called THE DESCENT OF FLIGHT 713. I didn't feel much of anything. I was too busy working on WARNING and NOVA CHASERS. Besides, the magazine was published by a friend who was a part of my writers group. Who is you favourite author? You mean other than Wells? How about John Steinbeck overall. In Sci-fi, A. C. Clarke and Octavia Butler. If you could give one piece of advice to a would-be author, what would it be? Keep writing!! Don't let rejection stop you. It's rare to publish your very first story. But when you first break happens, think of the body of work you can fall back on when a publisher asks you, "what else do you have." When did you first decide that you wanted to be an author? I still haven't decided that. I want to be a movie director and make millions and millions!! When did you first feel that you were an author? When WARNING was accepted last month. I already had a book on the market, but that could have been a fluke. A second acceptance means the publisher respects your promising skills from the first book, and sees some of that promise being realized in the second. Are you for or against e-books? For-For-For!!! The bulk of new writing talent has been coming through e-books over the past four or five years. The big traditional publishing houses won't take the risk to develop new talent. But independent e-publishers will. By the way, watch out for e-records and e-movies too. There's a rising e-underground that could one day topple tradition. Are you a music fan? If so, what? Yes. All kinds of music. I'm particularly drawn to this new young lady Alicia Keyes. Don't know her? You better ask somebody. SF, Skiffy or Sci-Fi? What is the correct shortening of Science Fiction and does it matter? Call it "bananas" if you like. It's still my literary home. Do you have a favourite place to write? An upstairs loft where I have just enough isolation without losing touch with the rest of my house. I can't have complete silence. Do you enjoy book signings/conventions? Being new to this, I haven't had much of a chance to do these things. I'll find out soon enough though. I'm a guest author at a huge Sci-Fi convention in Tampa October 26 through 28 where I'll be hosting four panels. Why do you like SF/F/H? Escape. I'm never entertained by real world stories. Why pay money to read fiction about people who have problems just like everyone else? What book are you reading at the moment? DAWN by Octavia Butler. Is there anything else that can be done with Alien Invasion, Time Travel or Robots? Always, except for maybe robots. We were suppose to have robots by now. Instead, all we have are these little boxes on our desks which are connected to millions of other little boxes around the world. Robots, for now, are little more than computer controlled wrenches. Do you prefer writing about the near future or the far distant future? Both. WARNING's near future. NOVA CHASERS is far future. As a reader do you prefer Science Fiction, Fantasy or Horror? Science Fiction. Short Story, Single Novel or Novel Series - which do you think is the best medium for Science Fiction? Novel Series. The writer works hard in building that little universe. The reader immerses himself deeply in it. If this connection between the writer and reader works, then it would be a shame to toss away such a connection on just one book. Do you have a scientific background? I studied Geology at Cleveland State University. Do you get inspiration from recent scientific discoveries and theories? Absolutely!!! My favorite new discovery is the possibility for faster than light travel. I won't get into details because I don't understand it, but at Princeton and MIT they managed to speed photons up to 40 times light speed! They also managed to slow them down to as low as 45 kilometers per hour! What are your thoughts on writing for shared world series such as Dragonlance and Star Trek? I wouldn't mind it. But I understand the worlds and characters that come out of my mind best. Do you enjoy collaborating? Never did it. Do You Always know a Story's Ending When You Begin Writing? Not really. When I'm locked in on a story, the characters gain souls and begin driving my writing in different directions. At first, I would resist. Then I would surrender to their wills and discover plot twists and sub-plots that I had never considered. Why do you think SF gets a bad press? It's not so much bad press (when there's any press at all), it's a lack of respect. There are some who think writing must enlighten us to the world's ills, that it must be a force of social change, bring hope to those who need it the most. These are the things that make writing respected and worthy of serious consideration. It's funny, but Sci-Fi does all that and more. It entertains too. Media's lack of respect for Sci-Fi, if that's what it is, comes from a lack of understanding about it. What's the most memorable thing said in a review of your work? That friend who published my short story also read selected chapters of WARNING and in a critique called my writing "Strong and unaffected." When I asked him the meaning of the "unaffected" part, his words filled me with pride. He said, "many writers borrow the styles great writers, but your style is strong and unique. It's not something that's borrowed but something that could one day be borrowed by others." Have you won any awards for your writing? Not yet. That Nobel thing sounds good. Heard there's some money involved with it. Is there something you are particular proud of? Everything. Plug away - what do you have coming out? WARNING -- $6.50 Sci-Fi from Ebooksonthe.net NOVA CHASERS -- $5.00 Sci-Fi from Ebooksonthe.net (Ebooksonthe.net) Many Thanks, Bill! Relevant Links Bill Liggins Main Bibliography Bill Liggins's Web Site