Ask the Author: Scott Rhine
Answered Questions (11)
Scott Rhine
Future-proof. Ashley is the son of a Norn. https://www.amazon.com/Future-Proof-S...
Scott Rhine
Ancillary Justice--the main character's multiplex "voice" rocks. I had to listen to it on audio because I was driving my son 16 hours to college.
I listened to the Fifth Season on the way back.
I listened to the Fifth Season on the way back.
Scott Rhine
Not currently. Glory Point completes the arc of this story. Originally, I had a book five envisioned, Legacy of the Magi, that dealt with the follow up. I also have a lot of world-building notes for the world of Anodyne. I could see Max's son attending there and finding out secondhand that he has a half sister. When we build 3d characters, they keep evolving in the back of our heads. The problem is one of economics. As a part of the series, only half the people who read book four are guaranteed to buy five. To pay my editors and cover artist, I need to try to pick projects that will sell a thousand copies. Every once in a while, a voice in the back of my head is so loud that I can't ignore it. That's what happened with the sister series, Jezebel's Ladder. In book five, the third generation psis were so angry with how this world treated women that they had to do something (Senescence)
Scott Rhine
to Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos universe (Endymion, etc). I'd design houses where each room was in a different world.
Scott Rhine
I actually did this in "Quantum Zero Sentinel". My DNA test came back with errors four times. Then I came back as a twin for my father.
Scott Rhine
You have an excuse, an obligation, to read as much as possible on hundreds of topics. You never stop learning. No matter what life hands you, you have a place to work it out.
Scott Rhine
Write. Get constructive criticism (not your mom or friends who will say nice things). Write more. Going from shorts to novels took me ten years. Carry two pens and a notebook. Join groups like Authonomy or IndieWriters on Facebook. Find a professional group that offers classes, like RWA or SFWA. And write every day.
Scott Rhine
The working name "Space Monkey Mafia" came from the Billy Joel song "We Didn't Start the Fire." Many of the races came from a role playing game I ran 25+ years ago. The main character comes from a short story I wrote. Most of the plot comes from a thorough exploration of the scientific premises of FTL space travel.
Scott Rhine
I get ideas all the time, often listening to music. I think I have over 4000 songs in my collection by now. I write ideas down to remember them later. I have dreams from 30 years ago that I pull out and craft into short stories. For a novel, I need at least three strong visual scenes that excite me, and I can build everything off them. I'll spend 6-8 weeks building a world in intricate detail and brainstorming the character interactions. Once that world reaches critical mass, I'm on the ride just like anybody else.
Scott Rhine
A new space adventure series called "Gigaparsec" set 400 years in the future of my Jezebel's Ladder series. The main character is a special forces medic who has trouble adapting to civilian life after the war. He collects misfits from several races with odd backgrounds. Together, they make new history.
Scott Rhine
Usually it means I went too fast and missed a turn, so I have to unravel to the point where the story works again. I've frequently deleted two or three chapters to work out a knot. Other times, I'm trying to force something the character doesn't want or wouldn't do. Find out what doesn't fit and things free up.
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Jul 22, 2025 03:57PM · flag