Interview with Brad Philpot Reader Views welcomes author Brad W. Philpot, author of the new sci-fi novel “The Paladin Chronicles.” Brad is being interviewed by Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views. Juanita: Hi Brad, thanks for joining us today. We are looking forward to hearing more about your exciting new sci-fi novel, “The Paladin Chronicles.” Would you start by telling us the storyline?
Juanita: What inspired you to write your book? Brad: One evening, while attending Southwest Texas State University, I happened upon an announcement that the famed astronomer, Carl Sagan, was going to give a lecture on the sixth floor of the library that evening. I rushed over to the library and got there just before he started his presentation. He was there to pitch his plan for a spherical space station. He talked in-depth about how an end-less stream could flow around the interior of the sphere, how its interior could be laid out, and how it might look if it were a small city in space. As he talked, my mind raced with all the wondrous possibilities of such a place. It was an intimate gathering because only a few students showed up to hear him speak. Despite the poor showing, he talked enthusiastically for several hours. He impressed me as a kind and brilliant man. I left there that night with an idea for a novel that would not see fruition for many years. I would occasionally write a short story when the writing bug bit me hard, but I would put aside the notion of writing the book for a better time, when there wasn’t so much to do. About two years ago, I was sent to Florida for a recertification class/test and one evening while I was sitting in the doorway of my hotel looking out into the parking lot, bored as could be, I remembered Carl Sagan’s lecture and realized that I had let so much time go by and not written the novel. That evening I wrote the outline for the Paladin Chronicles and made a commitment to myself to begin writing it as soon as I got back home. It should be easy, I thought – after all, I wrote the outline in one evening. When I sat down to begin writing, I encountered my first big hurdle. I had written the first sentence of my action novel in the passive voice and what’s more, it could arguably be a run-on sentence. I thought back to my high school English teacher and I could hear her voice telling me softly, “Brad, you can’t do that.” I rewrote the sentence and it still did not seem right. I kept telling myself, you can’t start an action novel with a passive sentence. Two weeks and many frustrating hours later, I was still rewriting that first sentence and I realized that if I didn’t move on, the novel would take me close to a century to write; I went back to the first sentence I had written and moved on. Occasionally, I look back at that episode --with not so fond memories -- and think of it as a writing attitude gestation period. My advice to any aspiring writer is that if you hit a stumbling block, just move on. Nothing is perfect! Juanita: That’s great advice Brad. Now, who are the main characters of “The Paladin Chronicles”? Brad: There are many characters in the book, but the main characters are Dr. Grosset, Ridi, Lensil, Sandovaar, Keiko, and Lensil’s dog George. Juanita: What are their contributions to the storyline? Brad: Their interactions with Dr.Grosset and with each other help move the plot along at a brisk pace once the adventure begins. Dr.Grosset is a master manipulator, but he meets his match with Ridi. The Doctor’s curiosity gets them in and out of many difficult situations and the romantic feelings between Ridi and Lensil, Sandovaar and Keiko add a fun and entertaining element to the book. George is a dog unlike any other, but like all dogs, he just wants a friend. Juanita: Are they all Paladins? Brad: Ridi, Lensil, and Sandovaar are Paladins and like all Paladins, they have exceptional abilities. Dr.Grosset and Keiko are normal humans from Earth. Keiko is a quick study and Dr.Grosset is a genius that’s never found his true calling in life. Juanita: Where do you take the story in terms of time and place? Brad: The story takes place in the near future. Part of the action takes place in space, but there are sequences that occur on Earth as well as other planets and a moon. Juanita: Brad, your book isn’t just your typical science fiction novel. You include intrigue, romance, technology, action and adventure to drive your plot. Would you give us an idea of the atmosphere of “The Paladin Chronicles”? Brad: I would like to think that the atmosphere is captivating, lively, and entertaining. Intrigue and romance are things that almost everyone enjoys reading about and the interactions between Lensil and Ridi, Sandovaar and Kieko and the always-scheming Dr.Grosset -- and how he affected their relationships -- were fun to write. Aside from the main character’s immediate concerns about meeting the Zillian threat, there are political power plays going on Earth that raise concerns for Dr. Grosset as well – he survives as a political power by outguessing his opponent’s strategies and actions. He underestimates the leader of the Paladins however, and this slip-up takes him on a mission with two of the Paladins – Lensil and Ridi. There is plenty of adventure as they confront one dangerous situation after another. For the space battles, I created some truly unique and never before heard of weaponry – such as the cryogenic cannons and shells, tube lasers – as well as some fleet battle tactics that would be appropriate in the 3-D arena of space warfare. Juanita: I understand that this is the first book in the Paladin Chronicles series. What direction are you taking the series and how does the first book set the stage for future releases? Brad: The second volume will be a continuation of the main characters lives and expand upon the roles of some of the lesser characters. In the first novel, I left some minor open-ended elements to set the stage for the second book. Juanita: Your book is a refreshing addition to the many sci-fi novels on shelves these days. Would you elaborate on the uniqueness of The Paladin Chronicles that sets it above the rest? Brad: I think that science fiction is at its best when it conveys a message and touches on some aspect of human nature. When I say: human nature, I’m talking about things like love, fear, loathing, and compassion – these are some of the things that make us unique as a species. I think it’s interesting to note that a person can go anywhere on the planet and hear a baby call his mother some form of the word: Momma. It is also true that we can see a child – any age -- playing with a puppy and sense that there is some form of mutual affection there. Our human reactions are also determined, to a large extent, by the societies and cultures that raise us. To people of some societies the Parthenon is simply a big chunk of rock, but to western cultures, the image of it conjures up thoughts of democracy and philosophy. Very few people are aware that the age that created it lasted only a generation – it fell through a combination of war and plaque – but the contribution of that short-lived society has reverberated for thousands of years and is the bedrock of western thought. When I speak of human nature, those are the things I am referring to. Science fiction should also inspire young readers of scientific possibilities – they are the future. Aside from entertaining, I believe that is how the genre is best utilized. In writing this book, I tried to portray a more subtle side of human nature without relying on profanity or sexual narratives to convey dastardliness or emotions while going quite a bit beyond the edge of present science. Also, I think my novel offers a more practical view of what battle in space might actually be like. I’ve read so many sci-fi novels where ships battling in space are firing rockets at one another. It doesn’t seem logical when you consider that a ship that has the capability to travel faster than light would be vulnerable to something as slow – in comparison – as a rocket. Juanita: Are you making any real-life statements with “The Paladin Chronicles” that pertain to Earth as we know it? Brad: That’s an interesting question. As a historian – my degree is in history – I think it is important to note that every cosmopolitan society in written history has suffered plaque. As a student of human nature, I would also say it’s not a good idea to negotiate with those whose ultimate goal is to extinguish you. Another thing is: things are not always what they seem to be, so it’s not a good idea to make assumptions about things you aren’t sure about. Brad: When I was in the fifth grade, the teacher took us down to the library to check out our first book. There were so many books there I didn’t even know here to begin looking. The librarian came over to me and asked if I thought I might like to read some science fiction. “I don’t know,” I answered. She pulled a book off the shelf and handed it to me. It had a great cover, so I took it home and read it. The book was Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. I’ve been sold ever since. Starship Troopers, by the way, is the only science fiction novel that is on the reading lists of four U.S. military academies. Many people think that Heinlein was nothing more than a writer of juvenile science fiction, but he was much more than that. He often wrote on a level that was much higher than that of his intended audience because he believed that they could comprehend it – and he was right. He inspired a whole generation of engineers, scientists, and space explorers, which is the reason I dedicated the book to his memory. It seems to me that too often, language and situations are used that limit a sci-fi book’s potential for entertainment to a very adult level audience. I know that mostly adults will be reading it, but I wanted to make it available to the kiddos as well. Juanita: Brad, you’ve worked in the field of Space Sciences for the last 23 years. How has your experience in the field contributed to your writing? Brad: Actually, I work for a contractor in its Predictive Testing and Inspection Department at the space center in Houston. My section of the department deals exclusively with the training, testing, and research equipment. My job is to determine problems with equipment before it causes failure or has an impact on the training or testing schedule. We use vibration analysis and other techniques to do this. In my book, I use a particularly destructive form of vibration called resonance to give the dog’s growl the ability to shake the Earth. Readers need not fear; I don’t go into boring technical details about how it occurs. I’m only mentioning it here in case someone reads it and thinks it is ridiculous. Once, I was called to a laboratory to examine an electron microscope. It was brand new, but the images it was displaying were blurred. The user thought that the tabletop might be vibrating and causing the image to blur. As it turned out, a very small pump in the room was producing vibrations – albeit at a very low amplitude – and some these vibrations were at the resonant frequency of the tabletop. The vibration isolators of the tabletop could not isolate its resonant frequency and the vibrations of the pump were amplified many times when combined with the tabletop’s resonant frequency. When confronted with the evidence, the manufacturer admitted its knowledge of this and replaced them with a new set that had been produced because of this very reason. Resonant vibration has also been named as a factor in many building collapses. I thought I would give the dog that ability because of a story I heard as a child about the walls of Jericho. Although I’m not religiously fervent, I often think back to my bible school studies when I first heard about the walls of Jericho falling down as Joshua marched his army around the city. When I first heard the account as a child, I was skeptical. It was one of those stories that I never forgot – mainly because I was curious about how it could have occurred. Every time I think of it, I think of resonant vibration. I’m surprised that the possibility hasn’t occurred to someone else in the field. It would be interesting to go there with the right equipment and do some testing. Juanita: How has this impacted your writing? Brad: In the course of doing my job, I go into many laboratories, research facilities and training venues. Almost every week I witness the astronauts training for spacewalks in the weightless environment of space at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. At the other facilities, there are mock-ups of experimental space-flight machinery, robots, vehicles, and all sorts of wondrous things. For many of the guys, it is all blasé because they’ve seen it so many times, but I’m continually fascinated by it all. In doing my job, I have the privilege of interacting with some of the most brilliant and dedicated people on the planet. I think that exposure has had a tremendous impact on my writing. Juanita: Who have been your influences? Brad: In literary terms, I would say that Heinlein, Wells, and Clarke have had a big influence. But I wouldn’t restrict it to fiction novelists. I like reading history and some of the historical theologians like Walter Prescott Webb have had a considerable influence on my thinking as well. Juanita: I understand that “The Paladin Chronicles” has been nominated for an award. Would you tell us more about your nomination? Brad: The book has been nominated for an EVVY award for books published in the year 2006. The winners will not be announced until late spring or early summer of 2007 – I’ll have to keep my fingers crossed on that for quite a while. About twelve years ago, the EVVY’s started giving awards to small press publishers and the awards have grown over the years. I think it has gone a long way to adding respectability to that area of the printing industry. The CIPA group has done a wonderful service to the world of POD publishing. I think it’s interesting to see the changes occurring in the printing industry. In a little over a decade, the small publishers have captured quite a bit of the market. The traditional publishing area is a tough nut to crack – especially for a first-time novelist. After spending considerable time reading about those difficulties, I decided to self publish – I wanted to keep it fun. I think the future holds even more dramatic changes for booksellers as well as publishers. The introduction of large digital printing machines is going to have a major impact on both of them. Instead of bookstores full of thousands of volumes of books resting idly on the shelf, I envision virtual stores where readers can sit, have coffee, or a meal while perusing books on a large computer screen at their table. When the customer makes his or her choice, it is sent to the bookseller and a one-off copy is produced there in the store by the in-house printing machine. The publisher’s function will be to provide the master copy to the store – talk about saving costs and increasing book availability! Maybe instead of bookstores, the owners will call them Reader’s Restaurants. Juanita: Well you’ve heard it here readers. I think you may be on to something Brad. How can readers find out more about you and “The Paladin Chronicles”? Brad: The best way is to buy the book. For the money, books are the best entertainment value there is. Where else can you get a whole weekend’s entertainment for $15.00? The publisher – Outskirts Press -- provided me with a web page, but I’m afraid I haven’t done much with it. I am not thrilled about posting images of myself on the internet or seeking aggrandizement; I just like to write stories. For readers who absolutely must know, I’m just a southern boy who grew up on the coastal bayou country of Texas. Although I have been many places in the world, my favorite is the place I grew up and I still live in the area at a small seaside community on Galveston Bay. I own a boat and like to fish for speckled trout – also known as spotted sea trout. I used to like to hunt, but I gave up the sport years ago. It’s easy for me to understand why people enjoy it though. There are miles of nature trails in the area and I spend many afternoons on the weekends walking them. For me, a real good day would be getting up early and fishing for a few hours out on the bay, coming home and writing or reading for a couple of hours, taking an afternoon walk on the trails and then coming home and frying up some trout and having a few brews with friends. Juanita: Thanks for talking with us today Brad. We have certainly enjoyed hearing more about your adventurous sci-fi novel “The Paladin Chronicles.” Before we let you go today, do you have any final thoughts? Brad: Of course, I would like to thank readers for buying my book and wish them my best. Thanks for calling, Jaunita. Read Review of The Paladin Chronicles |
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