“A disgraced investigator on Mercury. A man’s disappearance on Titan. A conspiracy. Jeremiah soon learns his shot at redemption may cost him his life.” Matthew S. Williams has just released the first book in The Formist Series.
Hi Matthew and welcome to SFFWorld. First of all can you tell us a bit about The Cronian Incident?
The story takes place in the late 23rd century, where the human race has expanded to colonize just about every planet, moon and large asteroid in the Solar System. Within the inner Solar System, life is characterized by post-scarcity, post-mortality, and abundance, while life in the Outer Solar System is more traditional, harder and shorter. And when a high-profile Extro disappears on Saturn’s moon Titan, it sets in motion a series of events that could threaten to destabilize the entire Solar System.
The Cronian Incident is basically a hard SF story with mystery/detective twist, one which touches on topics like climate change, technological change, colonization, space exploration, terraforming and the human condition.
How did you get the idea in the first place and what do you feel is unique about your story?
Well, the idea actually came to me in two parts. On the one hand, I’ve been tinkering with an idea of how human beings will go about colonizing the Solar System for years now. I was inspired by talk of how climate change will drive us to seek other worlds for their resources and real estate in the 21st century. I was also inspired by speculation about how technological change will accelerate human growth and space exploration during the same period. So I began wondering how these two forces would coincide and/or compete to determine which Solar planets and moons would be settled and by whom.
The second big flash was the result of my writing articles for Universe Today. I had just finished a series about the planets and moons of the Solar System, and was talking to a friend about how people could go about living on Mercury someday. Before long, I felt the seed of an idea growing in my mind and began contemplating what life on every known planet and moon would look like. I then decided to combine these two sources to create the universe of The Cronian Incident.
Of course, having a setting was not enough. So I began contemplating a narrative that allow readers to take a trip through this universe and learn all its secrets. And of course, that narrative had to say something about the human condition and where we are today. Before long, I had a detective, mystery/thriller story in mind that involved the disappearance of a high-profile man, and a conspiracy that went to the heart of life in the late 23rd century. That was when The Cronian Incident was born!
Can you give us some insight into your main character, Jeremiah Ward?
Ward is essentially a flawed and haunted man. In his old life, he was an investigator with Interpol who worked the Martian beat. The work was hard and could cost a man parts of his soul. And Ward was also troubled by the frenetic pace of life in the inner Solar System. This led him to develop a problem with a designer drug called Glow, and two witnesses died on his watch as a result. For this, he was sentenced to hard labor in a mining colony on Mercury, where he still struggles with addiction and the ghosts of his past. When an offer comes to investigate the disappearance of a high-profile person, he sees this not only as a chance to clear his name, but also as a shot at redemption.
But of course, Ward is no fool. So he naturally suspects that he has been chosen deliberately because of his checkered past. A man with everything to lose is easier to control, and less likely to ask questions of his handlers.
What is it with Science Fiction you find so fascinating?
I have always loved science fiction for two reasons. On the one hand, it specializes in speculating about where we are going and (when it’s done right) tries to be as realistic as possible. But at the same time, all attempts to anticipate what the will future hold are based on the present. Therefore, science fiction not only presents a possible picture of tomorrow, but commentary on today.
How important is it for you that the science in science fiction is accurate?
Very. My favorite works of science fiction have always been of the hard variety. That is to say, they involved science that was either known or believed to be possible. This was essential to creating a willing suspension of disbelief. Whenever stories took liberties with things like space travel (i.e. faster-than-light), or other things for which there was no plausible explanation, I began to lose interest. If we’re going to speculate about the future, we should do our best to make it as plausible as possible.
What are your expectations now that your first novel is being published?
At this point, I wouldn’t say I’m expecting anything, just hoping. I’m hoping people will read this book and connect with it. I’m hoping to establish a fan base that I can reach out to. And I’m hoping that I will be able to use the opportunity this book has given me to talk to people about the importance of science, the dangers of climate change, and the future of space exploration. Basically, I want to be able to dream out loud and have people join me!
The Cronian Incident is the first book in the The Formist Series, do you already have the rest of the series mapped out? When can we expect the next book?
Well, yes and no. The sequel is already in the works and should be out before the end of 2017. Beyond that, I’ve got some tentative plans and hope to take the series and the universe as far as I can possibly go with them. But nothing is set in stone just yet and I need to see where the story and characters take me.
Can you tell us a bit about the process that led up to the novel being published by Castrum Press?
Certainly! For years, I was doing the independent author thing. I would write books, publish them through indie services, and use social media to discuss my process and the stories I had written. That was exactly what I was doing while I was working on The Cronian Incident, telling other SF writers and fans about my idea and what inspired it. Before long, my idea came to the attention of Paul Corcoran, the owner of Castrum Press. He reached out and told me he found the idea interesting, andwe started talking. I was impressed with his vision and his commitment to promoting new talent, and liked what he had in mind for my story. Before long, we came to an agreement and I decided to sign on with him!
It was kind of ironic. The process I was following as an independent author gave me the opportunity to become a more traditional one. Which, if I am being honest, is what I prefer for myself right now.
What’s next, do you have more new and exciting projects you are working on at the moment?
I can’t think of a time when I didn’t have many irons in the fire. It’s kind of my greatest strength and weakness. Suffice it to say, I have many ideas that I would like to see developed. Some are about space exploration, others are more contemporary in nature. I’ll guess I’ll have to wait and see which ones pan out.
* * * * * * *
Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2017
