Bryan Thomas Schmidt is a Hugo-nominated editor and author of adult and children’s science fiction and fantasy including The Worker Prince and the new anthology MISSION: TOMORROW.
A boy on quest to rediscover himself at the same time as he has to face dilemmas of loyalty and moral. Can you tell us a bit about The Worker Prince?
TWP is the story of Moses told like Star Wars essentially but not completely. I originally envisioned it that way as a teenager, but when I finally sat down to write it, I felt that was too cliché almost, because everyone knows the story. It left no surprises. Plus, I wanted to write for a general audience, not just Christians, so I left out some religious elements and used the basic framework, but took it in new and interesting directors following the Heroe’s Journey. It is golden age style in one sense, an attempt to capture the feel of Star Wars: A New Hope, which I am told I did well, while still telling a new and interesting story with new and interesting characters and world. Davi Rhii is raised a prince but discovers he was secretly adopted after his family sent him away in a modified messenger pod to save his life from a decree that all first born males be killed. He was found and taken in my Miri Rhii, whose brother Xalivar, the High Lord Counselor, had issued that decree after nightmares about a first born worker child taking away his power. That nightmare becomes true as Davi discovers his identity and begins to question the status quo after being assigned to the worker’s home planet for his first duty post-military academy and discovers the workers are not the subhuman animals he was always taught to believe. As he questions things he’s always believed, he comes in to conflict with family and friends and makes new friends whom he joins in a fight for justice.
It’s a Space Opera with the biblical story of Moses at its core. At the same time I wouldn’t classify it as Christian Science Fiction, but rather YA. How do you see this yourself?
Well, it was original published by a small Christian micropress, but while it sold decently for the market and got some great press, including Honorable Mention on Barnes and Noble’s Year’s Best SF Releases, it never reached the audience I’d hoped for. And when the small press died around the time the second book released and sales died out, I decided to revise and take out heavier religious elements and references and try again in General Market. Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta offered me that opportunity through WordFire Press. I jumped at it.
So far there are two books and a prequel available in this series. Do you have plans for more?
Well, technically, the original novel is only available now in this AUTHOR’S DEFINITIVE EDITION from WordFire, though you can find old copies around. THE RETURNING, Book 2, is available that way also, but we are doing a revised version of that as well, and I expect it to be out next Summer. I also have written a brand new concluding volume, THE EXODUS, which will close the trilogy and release by Fall 2016 or so.The prequel short story, “Rivalry At A Sky Course” fleshes out event alluded to in Chapter 1 of THE WORKER PRINCE and is available as an ebook, yes. I also have a sequel short story around called “The Hand Of God,” which was in SPACE BATTLES, my first anthology as editor and also appeared in “The Many Tortures of Anthony Cardno.” Will try and get that one out again soon. Perhaps as part of the third novel.
I’d love to do more. But that depends on the first trilogy doing well. If people give it a chance and enjoy it, then there can be more. I hope to find a major publisher who will publish them. But it really depends if the series can find success this time enough to justify it.
The new cover for The Worker Prince is rather striking I must say. Can you tell us a bit about the cover and how it came about? How involved were you in the process?
I was asked to pick images that I thought would work from Dollar Photo Club , but it was Kevin J. Anderson’s concept, well executed by WordFire’s Cover Artist. It is quite stunning. I like it even better than the original, and that was quite iconic as well.
Then we also have to talk a bit about MISSION: TOMORROW, a new anthology you have edited. Why did you want to do an anthology about the future of space exploration?
I am a huge astronaut fan. I love books and movies about them. I have clippings of all the launches from Gemini through the mid-80s space shuttles. I have tons of documentaries. I have visited Huntsville and other NASA sites, though not yet in Florida and Houston, sadly. And I have been saddened by the defunding which has occurred time and again in the last few decades with every president, but most extensively of late, and wanted to do stories that explore what that means for the future of space flight from Earth. What might it look like if NASA is not the only or primary game in town? From corporate to private to other countries…etc. We got some really fascinating takes on that theme.
Any personal favourites among the stories?
That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child and insult the others. Can’t do it. I chose all stories I am very proud of.
You have some pretty impressive names here with Jack McDevitt, Ben Bova and Robert Silverberg just to mention a few. How did you work to get what you feel was the right stories for this anthology?
I invited writers I felt would tackle the subject well and sent them off to write. This included old pros like Bova, McDevitt, Jack Skillingstead, Michael Capobianco, Brenda Cooper and Robin Wayne Bailey, and some new or up and coming talent like Angus McIntyre, Jay Werkheiser, Curtis Chin, Jaleta Clegg, and a few up and comers who’ve been around like David Levine, Lezli Robyn, etc. In so doing, I got a huge variety of stories and takes on the concept from humor to mystery to drama.
You have also worked with Andy Weir and edited The Martian. How did you get involved in that?
I was recommended by Jennifer Brozek who grew up with Andy. He brought me in to copy edit and get the manuscript into proper format for a print version of the electronic he had already done online. This was in 2012 and early 2013.
How has it been to follow the incredible success of the Martian? Did you ever expect something like this?
No. I thought it was a solid first novel but not spectacular. He’s revised it since and done a lot of things I asked for that he first refused as well as worked with talented editors at Crown to improve. He’s a nice guy. I am glad to see him succeed and thankful that he openly credits me and others who worked with him. It’s way bigger than I had imagined but Crown declared it a future hit from Day One and with Ridley Scott involved, they put a lot of time and money into making that happen, which they know how to do. Good for them. I believe the hardback alone is in its 23rd printing. That’s incredible.
So with both being an author and editor, what do you prefer?
I like both, but I still think of myself as an author and after achieving a lot of success and establishing myself as a successful editor the past few years, I am not taking time to get back to writing so hopefully I can achieve recognition and success there too. Fingers crossed.
How do you handle the editing process when it comes to your own books?
I hire another editor. I need objectivity I don’t have and another set of eyes, or if a publisher provides an editor as Baen and WordFire have, I work with them and take their good advice.
What’s next? Do you have more new and exciting projects you’re working on?
My Olympics/sports-themed Science Fiction anthology GALACTIC GAMES is out from Baen in June. I will also have SPECULATION KC, an anthology of stories—both classic and new—with Kansas City area ties for the Kansas City World Con. DECISION POINTS is my first YA anthology and it will be out from WordFire Summer or Spring. It contains science fiction, fantasy and horror, including an Ender story by Orson Scott Card, new Jonathan Maberry and Jody Lynn Nye, a number of never been anthologized stories by recognizable names including Robert J. Sawyer, Lois McMaster Bujold, and more. I also have a Decipher WARS tie-in novella coming out soon as author, and will have an X-Files story later this year in the anthology CONSPIRACY THEORIES edited by Jonathan Maberry. Then there are several other short stories and anthologies to follow. Three more in contract after all of these come out, in fact. Beyond that, I am working on selling others.
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2016
