Interview with The Union Series author Phillip Richards

In The Empire at War Box Set, Phillip Richards has joined forces with three other British authors to present us with the best of British Military Science Fiction. Phillip’s contribution is his first book in The Union Series, C.R.O.W.

C.R.O.W. has been released as part of the Empire at War collection. How would you describe C.R.O.W. in your own words?

C.R.O.W is set in the near distant future, where mankind’s rapid expansion into the stars has resulted in war between bickering colonial powers. The story follows Andy Moralee, a young trooper who has arrived in his unit just in time to go to war. It follows his experiences within the harsh regime of a platoon that detests newcomers, before seeing him take part in a battle of unimaginable scale on the surface of New Earth. C.R.O.W is more than just another military science fiction novel glorifying combat, it is a book that exposes the brutal realities of human conflict, where nobody survives unscathed.

In your opening chapter we meet Andy Moralee as he going into battle on New Earth, but then you go back and spend some time on the background. Why did you feel this part also was important for the story?

The period spent on board Challenger was intended to immerse and introduce the reader into the way that Andy’s platoon worked and interacted with one another, as well as set the scene for the battle itself. In all of my books, I like to include at least some of the battle procedure carried out prior to any operation, for several reasons. Firstly, it adds to the realism. Nobody is going to land on a hostile planet without some serious preparation. Secondly, I’m a serving infantry soldier, who is busy climbing the ranks. There’s nothing I love more than talking tactics, and there’s no field- certainly as a writer- where I can be surpassed. I’d be a fool not to take advantage of that!

C.R.O.W probably has the longest period of battle procedure of all four current Union novels. In the case of C.R.O.W, this was my opportunity to build up the platoon for the reader, fleshing out the characters, before forcing them through the meat grinder of war. Some people may not enjoy the suffering that Andy faces during his opening voyage within the platoon, and might even see him as being a little weak. Seeing as Andy is loosely based upon myself, they’re probably right! I WAS pretty weak in the head when I was a young serving soldier. But just like in C.R.O.W, war quickly changes things. Trust me- you wouldn’t want to call me weak to my face!

We also have to talk a bit about the weapons. I’m no expert at all, but I would say you have in many ways evolved the technology we have today into something futuristic that is not over the top. Can you tell us a bit about your weapons? Was it difficult to find the balance between too much and too little “sci-fi”.

I wanted my books, especially C.R.O.W, to highlight the true brutalities of war in a way that other books do not. Fanciful lasers, droids and cauterising lightsabres often give combat a clean, glorified image that simply isn’t true, and never will be. Instead, the combat in my books is centred around kinetic weapons, blades and fists. Is this realistic on a future battlefield? I’m afraid so, yes. If you disbelieve, then I’m afraid you’ve been watching too much star trek and not enough of the news. War is awful. As long as it involves humans, it will be awful. Did you know what one of the preferred weapons was for the German and Russian soldiers fighting in the trenches of the eastern front in WW2- even when automatic weapons were becoming readily available? Standard issue shovels. Takes a head clean off, and doesn’t run out of ammo.

One type of weapon I did actively avoid was the unmanned drone. Apart from UAVs, robotic vehicles and automated guns, my books avoid the use of robotics as much as possible. This is probably the only intentional move away from realism on the battlefield, mainly because I didn’t feel that miniature robots would allow for me to keep to my intended theme. My books explain much of this type of equipment away with the addition of electronic warfare, where robotic equipment can be readily hacked and turned against its user. In later novels this unseen weapon is used against Andy and his comrades with devastating effect.

How has it been to join forces with fellow British authors and promote British military SF like this?

Great, though rather humbling! I’m simply amazed by their professionalism, and the speed by which they can produce such high quality pieces of work. My job within the British Army eats up so much of my time, it’s a battle just keeping up with these guys!

What do you think you as a British author bring to military SF that is unique and different?

A different viewpoint, certainly. I’m not the only British serviceman to write military SF, but (as far as I’m aware) I’m the only one that still serves. My fiction takes British Army doctrine and puts it into a sci-fi context, and so straight away you’ve got something with an altogether different flavour to anything else out there.

How much from your army background do you bring into your stories?

Loads! Most of the combat scenes are based upon things that I have experienced myself- either in reality or on exercise- whilst in command, as a subordinate, or as an instructor. When decisions are made by Andy or his commanders, they are often based upon current British Army doctrine, with slight variations made to keep it interesting. The interaction between the troopers in Andy’s platoon, as well as their responses to stress, are taken directly from my experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. I remember a reader from the US once saying that ‘British soldiers don’t talk like that’, which made me laugh. I am a British soldier, so I can assure you that they do!

So far there are four books released in The Union Series. How do you feel you as an author have you grown in the process?

A great deal, it has to be said. C.R.O.W really was meant as a standalone, with no intention to write a second. When I started to receive positive reviews, I decided to write more, and it just took off from there. I certainly take the whole thing much more seriously now, and I try to balance my own wants with those of my readers. My storylines are growing more complex as my confidence grows, although the downside to this is a lengthening production time!

What’s next for Andy Moralee and do you also have other new and exciting projects you’re working on?

Andy Moralee shall continue to promote and progress through his career in my stories, but where that will take him, I don’t know. As he promotes, he will begin to take a front row seat in the planning process and take charge of more men. Both of these changing factors will introduce greater stress, and friction between him and those around him. As for the conflicts themselves, well they’re certainly becoming more complex, and that’s only involving two planets. I’m sure there are other planets out there for Andy to fight on!

As for other projects… well… we’ll see! Nothing is upcoming as of yet, even though I do have numerous ideas. To be honest, thanks to the army I struggle to find the time to write the Union series, so anything else might well have to wait until I wind up stuck behind a desk. I’m in no rush… I’m dreading that desk like an open grave!

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