Hey Everyone!
I am honoured to be hosting Karina and Rob Fabian, editors of Infinite Space, Infinite God. This is one incredible book and you're going to want to know all about it!
JAMIESON: Hi there, Karina and Rob Fabian, and welcome to The Wolf!
Karina and Rob: Arooo! Thanks for having us.
JAMIESON: Why don’t you start by telling my readers about your new book? What is it all about?
Karina and Rob: Infinite Space, Infinite God is thought-provoking sci-fi with a Catholic twist.
The 15 stories cover the gamut of future science, from genetic engineering to asteroid mining to interstellar travel. They span the topics of sci-fi: time travel, space opera, dystopia, psychological thrillers and sci-fi mystery. Finally, they examine the Catholic worldview in the challenges of the future, from evangelizing to aliens to determining the soul-status of artificially created humanoids, to religious orders and even saintly miracles.
It won the EPPIE award for best electronically published science fiction of 2006 and is coming out in print August 15 from Twilight Times Books. www.twilighttimesbooks.com.
JAMIESON: What inspired you to write it? Did the story pop into your head fully formed? Or did the story develop over time?
Karina and Rob: The idea for Infinite Space, Infinite God—or ISIG, as we call it—had a long germination. We’re Catholic; Rob is a space operations officer in the Air Force, and Karina is a writer and former Intel officer. We’re both sci-fi fans. Fertile soil for the seeds.
We like to collaborate on stories during dates and one evening over dinner-without-children, we came up with the idea of a near-future order of nuns devoted to space search and rescue operations. Thus, the seeds.
Some terrific people nurtured the stories and subsequent anthologies along. When we couldn’t find a market for our stories, a friend starting an e-press, Kathryn Lively, suggested we put together a Christian sci-fi anthology and include them. Leaps of Faith was born and had a successful run as an e-book. A Catholic editor asked us to consider doing one with a Catholic focus, and ISIG was born. (The Catholic editor couldn’t get his publisher to take a chance on sci-fi, but Twilight Times picked it up and we’re very happy with the results.)
Religion in science fiction is rarely explored, yet how likely is it we’ll just give up faith and the practice of faith because we have some new tech toys? We believe the future and the discoveries and challenges it brings will cause us to cling more tightly to our faith. It does more than guide our morals; it sustains us in stress. It defines who we are.
JAMIESON: How did you both start writing? Have you always been a writer?
Karina: I have always been writing, and have done a variety of stuff over the years: short stories and novels, interviews and slice-of-life articles, local news and wild humorous fantasies, even a couple of children’s stories. I got a semi-serious start in fiction with Star Trek Fanfict, and my first paying gig was with Wyoming Catholic Register.
Rob: I have always had great ideas. I generally get to the outline stage. Over the years, I’ve focused more on non-fiction and academic writing, and the stories and anthologies with Karina have drawn me back into fiction. Perhaps when I retire, I’ll spend more time on the many stories and novels bouncing around in my skull, but right now, I’m more driven to accomplish other things.
JAMIESON: Here’s a fun question: what is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received? What would your advice be for a budding writer?
Karina: My favorite piece of advice comes from Orson Scott Card: If you want to be a writer, don’t major in English. Major in something that will give you a career you like that won’t leave you exhausted at the end of the day and keeps you fed. Then read, read, read and write, write, write.
My advice: Write if you love it. But if you want to publish, be ready to work. Getting published and marketing your work is a big part of being an author today.
Rob: Can’t say I ever got writing advice personally. The best I read was Marion Zimmer Bradley’s advice: If you can Not write, don’t. Leave it to those who have to write.
My advice: Read. I’ve learned more about what makes a story work and what makes believable dialogue from reading than any other source.
JAMIESON: Where can readers find you on the net? Do you have a web site or a blog?
About Karina (with her blog): www.fabianspace.com
About Infinite Space, Infinite God: http://isigsf.tripod.com
About Karina’s Dragon Eye PI universe: www.freewebs.com/dragoneyepi
On MySpace: www.myspace.com/karinafabian
JAMIESON: It’s been such a pleasure having you stop by The Wolf! Thanks so much for visiting!
Karina and Rob: Thank you!
I am honoured to be hosting Karina and Rob Fabian, editors of Infinite Space, Infinite God. This is one incredible book and you're going to want to know all about it!
JAMIESON: Hi there, Karina and Rob Fabian, and welcome to The Wolf!
Karina and Rob: Arooo! Thanks for having us.
JAMIESON: Why don’t you start by telling my readers about your new book? What is it all about?
Karina and Rob: Infinite Space, Infinite God is thought-provoking sci-fi with a Catholic twist.
The 15 stories cover the gamut of future science, from genetic engineering to asteroid mining to interstellar travel. They span the topics of sci-fi: time travel, space opera, dystopia, psychological thrillers and sci-fi mystery. Finally, they examine the Catholic worldview in the challenges of the future, from evangelizing to aliens to determining the soul-status of artificially created humanoids, to religious orders and even saintly miracles.
It won the EPPIE award for best electronically published science fiction of 2006 and is coming out in print August 15 from Twilight Times Books. www.twilighttimesbooks.com.
JAMIESON: What inspired you to write it? Did the story pop into your head fully formed? Or did the story develop over time?
Karina and Rob: The idea for Infinite Space, Infinite God—or ISIG, as we call it—had a long germination. We’re Catholic; Rob is a space operations officer in the Air Force, and Karina is a writer and former Intel officer. We’re both sci-fi fans. Fertile soil for the seeds.
We like to collaborate on stories during dates and one evening over dinner-without-children, we came up with the idea of a near-future order of nuns devoted to space search and rescue operations. Thus, the seeds.
Some terrific people nurtured the stories and subsequent anthologies along. When we couldn’t find a market for our stories, a friend starting an e-press, Kathryn Lively, suggested we put together a Christian sci-fi anthology and include them. Leaps of Faith was born and had a successful run as an e-book. A Catholic editor asked us to consider doing one with a Catholic focus, and ISIG was born. (The Catholic editor couldn’t get his publisher to take a chance on sci-fi, but Twilight Times picked it up and we’re very happy with the results.)
Religion in science fiction is rarely explored, yet how likely is it we’ll just give up faith and the practice of faith because we have some new tech toys? We believe the future and the discoveries and challenges it brings will cause us to cling more tightly to our faith. It does more than guide our morals; it sustains us in stress. It defines who we are.
JAMIESON: How did you both start writing? Have you always been a writer?
Karina: I have always been writing, and have done a variety of stuff over the years: short stories and novels, interviews and slice-of-life articles, local news and wild humorous fantasies, even a couple of children’s stories. I got a semi-serious start in fiction with Star Trek Fanfict, and my first paying gig was with Wyoming Catholic Register.
Rob: I have always had great ideas. I generally get to the outline stage. Over the years, I’ve focused more on non-fiction and academic writing, and the stories and anthologies with Karina have drawn me back into fiction. Perhaps when I retire, I’ll spend more time on the many stories and novels bouncing around in my skull, but right now, I’m more driven to accomplish other things.
JAMIESON: Here’s a fun question: what is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received? What would your advice be for a budding writer?
Karina: My favorite piece of advice comes from Orson Scott Card: If you want to be a writer, don’t major in English. Major in something that will give you a career you like that won’t leave you exhausted at the end of the day and keeps you fed. Then read, read, read and write, write, write.
My advice: Write if you love it. But if you want to publish, be ready to work. Getting published and marketing your work is a big part of being an author today.
Rob: Can’t say I ever got writing advice personally. The best I read was Marion Zimmer Bradley’s advice: If you can Not write, don’t. Leave it to those who have to write.
My advice: Read. I’ve learned more about what makes a story work and what makes believable dialogue from reading than any other source.
JAMIESON: Where can readers find you on the net? Do you have a web site or a blog?
About Karina (with her blog): www.fabianspace.com
About Infinite Space, Infinite God: http://isigsf.tripod.com
About Karina’s Dragon Eye PI universe: www.freewebs.com/dragoneyepi
On MySpace: www.myspace.com/karinafabian
JAMIESON: It’s been such a pleasure having you stop by The Wolf! Thanks so much for visiting!
Karina and Rob: Thank you!
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