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My imagination makes me human and makes me a fool; it gives me all the world and exiles me from it. ~Ursula K. Le Guin
Today on Spacedock 19 is author Cherie Reich. She’s also a freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant. She enjoys writing horror, fantasy, and mysteries, but she doesn’t let that stop her from trying other genres. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her novelettes are published as e-books.
MP: Welcome, Cherie. It’s a pleasure to meet you here today. Excuse all the dust. Craze is remodeling. He fell into some good fortune recently. Would you care for a drink?
CR: Thanks for having me, Mary! *sneezes* Excuse me. I’m sure it’ll be lovely once the remodeling is finished. I’d love some hot tea, if you have it.
MP: You’ve written both fantasy — Women of Foxwick, A to Z Flashes of Foxwick — and science fiction — Defying Gravity, Fighting Gravity and, the newest, Pull of Gravity. What similarities do you see between science fiction and fantasy?
CR: The similarities between the two genres are the most fun. With fantasy and science fiction, there is a lot of worldbuilding. No one knows what another planet that could support life would be like or what types of creatures it would have. The same goes for fantasy. I get to create new worlds and creatures from mind-talking dragons in my Foxwick Chronicles to the feathered-covered draken (also very dragon-like) of the planets Cupidis and Persea in the Gravity trilogy.
MP: The worldbuilding is probably my favorite part. Do you think science fiction requires a bit more logic than fantasy? More science to engineer the worlds? Or does magic/fantasy also have logical bounds?
CR: Worldbuilding is one of my favorite parts too. With science fiction, writers are a bit more restrained to logic and scientific principles. I like throwing out terms, such as wormholes, nanoseconds, etc. to make my worlds sound a tad more scientific, but please don’t ask me to describe how the spaceships work! *laughs* Magic and fantasy are bound to logic too. Not just anything goes because all worlds, even the fantastical ones, have rules. For example, an author might place rules on who has magical abilities or what type of magical abilities exist in the world.
MP: Without rules, there’d be no conflict or obstacles, and it would get very boring for the writer and the reader. I also think that science fiction and fantasy attract different audiences. Have you seen any evidence of that with your books?
CR: And we definitely don’t want our stories to be boring! I agree that science fiction and fantasy can attract different audiences, although there is some crossover. For example, readers who prefer hard sci-fi will hate my Gravity trilogy. I’m okay with that because as a reader I prefer more soft science fiction and space operas. On the other hand, people who don’t like science fiction as much have told me that they love the Gravity trilogy because it makes science fiction accessible. I would say most of my readers lean toward the fantasy spectrum of readers. Of course, good story telling is key in no matter what genre an author writes in.
MP: What has been the best marketing tactic you’ve used? What has helped you gain a toehold?
CR: Overall, I would say blogging and making connections with bloggers. When my horror novelette Once Upon a December Nightmare came out in August 2010, I only sold a few copies here and there, but in February 2011, my blog numbers skyrocketed when I participated in Rach’s 2nd Platform Building Campaign as well as the A-Z Blogging Challenge and the sales did the same thing.
MP: I agree. There’s a lot of power in building connections with other bloggers and writers. It’s a nice shove up the hill when starting out. Getting an audience to find and notice us is tough. I’m glad you’re making your way, Cherie. Come back some time and we’ll talk more about that topic. I’m sure we’ll both have much more to say about it a few months down the road.
CR: We should definitely have more to say on the topic of marketing in the next few months. Thank you so much for having me! It was a lot of fun up here on Spacedock19.
Check out Cherie’s Gravity series, and her newest release, Pull of Gravity.
PULL OF GRAVITY
A space fantasy novella
Surrounded by Books Publishing
August 13, 2012
To purchase for $0.99: Amazon US / UK / DE / FR / ES / IT / Smashwords / Nook / Kobo (forthcoming) / iTunes (forthcoming) / To add on Goodreads.
A no-nonsense Earthling corporal, Nike accepts a mission to destroy the winged-people of Cupidis to give her species a new home planet.
A spoiled Cupidian prince, Edonys gets whatever he wants until his dying father tells him he must choose a mate and take his rightful place as king.
Nike and her reconnaissance crew’s space cruiser lands upon Cupidis, and they are taken to the royal palace. The king’s decline leads her to believe Mission: Conquest will be easy. Edonys refuses his father’s last request to fall in love, but Nike isn’t anyone. She’s bold and different than any Cupidian female. As Nike and Edonys’s quests intertwine, an Earthling and a Cupidian will find it easier to ignore the pull of gravity than the pull of love.
Author Bio: Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant. She enjoys writing horror, fantasy, and mysteries, but she doesn’t let that stop her from trying other genres. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her e-books include the horror novelette Once Upon a December Nightmare, the fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles, and the space fantasy trilogy Gravity. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Valley Writers and placed third in Roanoke Valley’s BIG READ writing contest.
Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook
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And don’t forget about the What’s Your Chocolate? blogfest on Monday, September 10th. What’s simpler than talking about chocolate? For more detail and to sign up, go HERE.
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Also now released is Ciara Knight’s newest book, Weighted.
Get your copy at: Smashwords / Amazon / Barnes and Noble
So what are your thoughts on fantasy versus sci-fi?
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Like you, I couldn’t describe how teleportation works – it just does.
There is some crossover, because those are my two favorite genres. But hard core/tech science fiction fans wouldn’t like my books either because they are space opera and more accessible.
I’m also in the soft sci/fi – fantasy camp. I don’t want to know how the engine works! Great interview, Cherie and Mary.
Hi, guys! Great interview! Cool to meet Cherie! I remember how I used to think fantasy and sci-fi were the same thing until someone broke it down for me. It seems the biggest difference is the science part (v. magic). I just love the adventures! And world building is always fun. It’s like letting your imagination just go~ Best to both of you! <3
Thank you so much for having me, Mary!
That’s why I like your books, Alex. They are softer on the science but have lots of adventure.
Thanks for stopping by, Laura! I think knowing how the engine works distracts from the storyline, unless they have to fix the engine while aliens are chasing them.
Nice to meet you, Leigh! I often think of science fiction and fantasy as the sides of the same coin. They are really close but different too.
Excellent interview! Yes, I do love the world building in fantasy and science fiction. And there is a lot of crossover. So true!
The hard science stuff tends to go over my head, but I do appreciate an author who can create a specialized world based on that science, and then perhaps expand on it to include unrealized possibilities. Congrats on the release!
I’m really into world building, too. Love it!! Thanks for sharing Weighted with others!
I happen to like both scifi and fantasy, but I’m not a techie scifi reader, more of a space opera, adventure scifi reader. I guess I could say I love adventure, whether it’s scifi or fantasy. I think the world-building is intense for both genres.
Great interview!
I do sometimes describe some tech, because the Husband Unit is into that and is a sci-fi head. If I do, I don’t go into great detail, because it doesn’t interest me much either, Alex and Laura.
Yes, that seems to be the biggest difference, Leigh.
It’s great to have you here, Cherie.
Hi, Aubrie. I love that world building, too.
I do appreciate the science, too, LG. I think there needs to be a rudimentary understanding by the author of it in sci-fi.
Am glad to share Weighted, Ciara.
I’ve read both types of sci-fi, Tyrean. Some do get very technical. I find that interesting. Slower reading, but interesting.
You always ask great questions M.Pax. I started Cherie’s Kindle book and she’s a great writer.
Great interview! I love Cherie’s writing and it was fun to learn more about her.
Fun interview! I write real world stories, but I still have story world to build.
Nice interview. Sci fi and fantasy are so closely linked but so totally different.
Wonderful review! I love the world building aspects of Sci Fi and Fantasy as well. I’ll have to check out Cherie’s book s. They all sound like good reads :)
Nutschell
http://www.thewritingnut.com
Fun and informative interview, Cherie and Mary! I’m definitely a soft sci-fi gal, myself. The more science in it, the more I struggle to get lost in the story.
Thank you, Aubrie! There’s a lot of fun in worldbuilding.
I sometimes skip the hard science stuff when it gets too technical. I want to know the story. Thanks, L.G.!
Congrats, Ciara, on WEIGHTED! It looks awesome!
Tyrean, I love the adventure aspect of fantasy and science fiction too.
Maurice, aww, thank you!
Julie, thanks for stopping by!
Carol, there’s definitely worldbuilding in real world stories too.
I completely agree, Southpaw.
Thanks, Nutshell!
I’m with you, Shannon. I don’t mind science. Really enjoy it at times, but it can slow down the pace. I don’t need to know how they make the dinosaurs. I want to see them eat people. LOL! And yes, I’m sorry for the Jurassic Park reference.
She is fab, Maurice.
It was a fun chat to do, Julie.
I imagine this world writing would still require world building, Carol. Perhaps harder, because there are facts to deal with.
True, Southpaw.
Me, too, Schell.
I like if the story uses science, Shannon, but I don’t want to read page after page of it either.
Jurassic Park is one of my all-time favorite movies, Cherie. I feel any TV show could be improved by man-eating dinosaurs. They’re wonderful.
I think they have a lot in common. My favorite author is Anne McCaffrey. So many think her books are fantasy because of the dragons, but they are all sci-fi. I’d say they are the perfect blend.
Hi, Mary and Cherie,
Really like Cherie’s cover.
I don’t write in the genre that either of you do, but the thought of all that worldbuilding usually awes me into silence.
Great chat! I love the world building involved in those genres too. I prefer not to get too technical and have to explain how things work. I like that both fantasy and sci-fi fans won’t expect you to go into deep explanations since they are smart readers, but you have to stay within the reasonable confines of your world.
I love both scifi and fantasy. They each have their different appeal. I particularly love the world-building in both. The richer the world, the better.
I write science fiction and fantasy, and the thing I like most about reading and writing either (or anything, for that matter) is character. I want to see personalities come to life and develop. I want to see them put into context and see how they mesh or conflict with that context. If hard sf or militaristic fantasy is part of that, I’ll go along with it, as long as character is at the heart of the story.
I love world building too… my favorite part… and then the rules.. yep… without them the world would be pretty boring. Great answers.
yay cherie! she’s a book writing machine! and i love fantasy AND sci fi =)
now if someone would just invent a way for me to read faster…
Well… I never used to read Science Fiction, but for some reason, all of my CPs except two write it, so I kind of got into it from there.
Now I quite enjoy it. :-D
Dragons of Pern is a good one, Diane.
It is a very nice cover, JL. Your worlds are just as intriguing.
I agree, Christine, and it’s important to create those confines.
It’s the funnest part for me, Lynda, both as a reader and writer.
Character is very important, Marian. Tanya Huff writes one of my favorite characters, Gunnery Sergeant Torrin Kerr.
The rules are critical to creating the conflict, Tania. You’re right.
I wish I could read faster, too, Tara.
We converted you, did we? I’ve learned more about fantasy from you, Misha.
Blogging is definitely a nice community. :) I do wonder about the differences in Sci fi and fantasy readers. Hmm….
I enjoy Cherie’s writing. The thing about those campaign building blog things is that they can be overwhelming. It’s interesting though that her sales improved.
Great interview!
The crossover between SF/F is interesting. Despite being so similar in worldbuilding, they have their own distinctive tropes and terminology.
I always thought of teleportation as a disassembling and reassembling of our atoms, as described in …Star Trek? Not only does it sound like something that could happen, it also sounds like something that could go horribly wrong. Like The Fly, for example.
Great Interview!
Very nice interview with both of you! For me the main difference between science fiction and fantasy is that science fiction *might* be possible. It’s rooted in science at least to a degree and the rules for worldbuilding tend to be much more rigid. With fantasy the rules are more free and arbitrary. Although it still takes consistency within those rules to be effective. I tend to connect more with “hard” science fiction (Niven, Asimov, etc) but do enjoy fantasy if it’s done well.
Fantastic interview you two!
I love sci fi and fantasy also – but just gotta be careful magic and or tech. doesn’t end up being an easy way out for your characters deus ex machina style.
I think there’s a difference, Libby. But I’ll find out more later this year.
They can be overwhelming, Michael. I agree it’s interesting that she saw her sales go up.
They definitely do, Eagle, but I’ve also been seeing more crossover.
I agree, Ms. Hatch.
Great points, Chris.
I agree with you, Jay. I always find that a cop out.