Q&A with G. S. Jennsen

 

 

 

I loved the atmosphere you created in Venatoris. We got the “feel” of it right away... the frontier vibe and the scent of unbridled competition. How do you go about envisioning an unknown world in an imaginary galaxy?

 

All my writing is grounded in the core concept that no matter how much our technology advances, so long as keep these bodies of ours (however heavily augmented) we’ll remain fundamentally human. This means whatever we find out there in the stars, we’ll see it and experience it through the same human perspective we have now. This allows me to present what are often mind-blowing, nearly incomprehensible sights and experiences in a familiar, relatable way. The reader can put themselves in the world and imagine being there, because their perspective isn’t so different from that of the character.

 

As for coming up with those sights and experiences, I’ve loved astronomy and space my entire life. I’m always researching, looking for wilder, more amazing creations I can bring to life, then throw characters into the middle of them.

 

What authors, past or present, got you jazzed about writing SF?

 

Goodness, I’ve been reading science fiction since I was a kid. In the old days, Isaac Asimov for the sweeping space exploration and fantastical future, Frank Herbert for the deep world- and culture-building. Later, Catherine Asaro for daring to mix serious, hard science fiction with romance and Lois McMaster Bujold for daring to have fun with science fiction. William Gibson for painting masterful imagery with mere words and Peter F. Hamilton for telling vast, grand stories.

 

Any Works in Progress?

 

Absolutely. Dissonance: Aurora Renegades Book Two (Aurora Rhapsody #5), will be released April 2, 2016‌—‌so pretty much now. By the time it comes out, I’ll already be working on the next book in the series, Abysm. If anyone wants to know more about Aurora Rhapsody, they can visit gsjennsen.com, or go directly to gsjennsen.com/aurora-rhapsody.

 

How can fans find you or follow you?

 

I love hearing from my readers. Seriously. They can email me at gs@gsjennsen.com; I’m active on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but I’m also on all the other social media networks (I’m easy to find‌—‌just try “GS Jennsen”). If someone wants to guarantee they’ll find out about new releases, though, the best way is to subscribe to my mailing list..