“Millennia ago, planet Helios held a grand technological civilization. But the Cataclysm tore the land apart, and the survivors were forced to flee to the Six Stations, the artificial planetoids that orbited Helios. It did not take long for their society to devolve into a virtual medieval world, with barely enough technology to survive the harshness of life in space.”
We have talked to Jake Bible about his new book, Reign of Four.
Hi Jake, Thanks for giving us some time here at SFFWorld.
First of all can you tell us a bit about your series, Reign of Four? What is it about?
Reign of Four: I is about Master Alexis Teirmont the First, Master of Station Aelon, and his struggles to rule on a primitive space station in a feudal environment that pits nobles against the lower classes, as well as against each other. The book spans his entire reign, from young Minor (like a prince) to his final days as Master of Station. It follows his battles, his loves, his family, and his constant attempt to keep an iron grip on his crown. The style and setting is what I call “medieval space fiction.” It is full-on space opera, but without the high tech spacefighters or laser guns or any of that. These folks have inherited this tech from a long dead civilization and they are just trying to keep the lights on.
Reign of Four is the first in a series. How did you come up with the idea?
A: I have always been fascinated with history, especially the history of the kings of England. I always wanted to write about the great Plantagenet line of monarchs, so when the opportunity came up with Permuted Press, I jumped at adapting those stories into a space opera series.
Am I right in assuming there will be four books in total, one for each monarch? Is it so that the rest of books in the series are already complete or is it work in progress?
Yes, there are four books and they each represent one of the monarchs of Station Aelon, modeled on Edwards the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and the Black Prince of England. All novels are complete and ready to be published. It is an addictive series, so readers will like the fact the novels will come out one by one in quick order.
You’re best known for writing about zombies, what made you want to write something as different as Reign of Four is?
Like I said before, I have always been fascinated with history. But I’m not a historian. The lives of the Plantagenets are rich with all kinds of drama and violence and intrigue and betrayal. Edward the 1st was king during William Wallace’s time (Braveheart). Edward the 2nd was almost certainly gay and suffered under a time of great oppression, causing one of the worst reigns in England’s history. Edward the 3rd started the 100 Years War. And the Black Prince was a legend for his abilities on the battlefield as well as his rumored befriending of artists and writers such as Chaucer. I have plenty of zombie books under my belt, it was just time to switch it up and maybe reach a new audience.
We also have to talk a bit about Z-Burbia. The sixth book in the series, Rocky Mountain Die, has just been published. What can your fans expect?
My fans can expect the same snark and satire that have been the lifeblood of the first five books. Jace Stanford is a fun narrator to write. With Rocky Mountain Die, I bring the Stanford family saga to a close. It is poignant in a way, but, of course, bloody, brutal, and badass. That’s how the Stanfords roll!
Why the fascination with zombies?
Zombies are the great metaphor of the human condition. George. R. Romero saw that with his Night of the Living Dead series. I think writing zombie fiction allows me to strip away a lot of layers of societal norms and get down to the meat and bones of how people really are. That can also be said for most post-apocalyptic fiction. But with zombies the survivors can never rest. They can never get comfortable and truly rebuild because the dead always rise and the dead are always hungry. That kind of tension is great to play with.
How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurned you on?
I have been writing since I was in elementary school. In high school I started getting serious, but after that life got in the way and my writing was sporadic. It wasn’t until after I was married and had kids that I got back into it. I was lucky to be working as Director of Customer Service for a small online retailer. Being in customer service meant I had to stay at my desk, even if the phones weren’t ringing or emails weren’t coming in. This gave me plenty of downtime to write fiction. Once I sold a few short stories I began on my first novel and went from there.
How do you feel you have evolved as a writer throughout your career?
Wow. I have changed a lot as a writer. Yet I’ve stayed the same. It’s hard to put into words, which is ironic since words are my livelihood. They say practice makes perfect, which is true. I have over twenty-four novels under my belt now. I know how to structure a story, how to create meaningful characters, and how to go from what’s in my head to words on the page without too much struggle. But even after twenty-four novels, my voice has remained the Jake Bible voice. My readers can recognize my writing rather quickly, whether it’s my first novel, Dead Mech, or the latest Reign of Four. I have a certain cadence and rhythm to my writing.
Have you ever struggled between what you would like to happen to a character and what you considered more sensible to occur? Can you tell us when and what did you do at last?
I am a stream of consciousness writer. Most of the time I let my characters find their way. It makes the story more organic and authentic. Life isn’t structured and predictable, so neither should a novel be. However, I have had issues keeping the characters’ personalities separate. Many of my novels have lots of characters and I have had to go back and rewrite scenes because one character sounds too much like the other. Keeping the different voices in my head – I mean on the page – straight can be very difficult at times.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I am an opportunistic reader. I have a Kindle and an iPad, but I also buy paperbacks and hard covers. I am a library addict, so I will read whatever format they have available quite often. All I care about is the story, how it is delivered into my eyes is really not something I think about. Although, when I travel I prefer my Kindle, just for convenience.
What kind of books do you read, any favourite authors?
I read anything. Seriously. All types of fiction and non-fiction. But, my favorite authors of all time are: Roger Zelazny, Stephen King, Cormac McCarthy, Henry Miller, EA Poe, Robert McCammon, John D. MacDonald, and so many more. I’m forgetting lots of names.
What do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
I’m not a hobby guy. I do live in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, so we hike a lot, kayak, swim, etc. All the outdoorsy stuffs. I also cook. I was a low level chef at one point in my life and I handle all the cooking needs in our house. I would lose my mind if I didn’t get to cook.
What’s next, do you have other projects you’re working on also?
I am closing out some series this year. I will be closing out my Kaiju Winter series and my Dead Team Alpha series. I’m also keeping my Mega series going indefinitely (Go Team Grendel!) as well as possibly getting into crime fiction. I have some irons in the fire for graphic novels and could be working on some TV projects, but for now I am all about cranking out good, exciting, entertaining novels.
Once again, thank you very much for your time, Jake.
Thank y’all for the interview! Cheers!
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2015
