Talking Non-American Science Fiction
Science fiction has long been a tool for cultures to envision how they would evolve and examine and comment upon contemporary issues. As I consumed more science fiction in various forms of media and met other authors, I began to appreciate the differences and similarities of foreign science fiction.
Motivated to learn more, I am contacting non-American scifi creators to get their comparisons of science fiction from around the world. If you are interested in being interviewed or know someone who would be, please reach out to patrick(dot)abbott(at)gmail(dot)com.
See previous interviews with creators from Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, and Ukraine.
Phillip Carter
With his acerbic wit, strange imagination, and poetic control over language, Phillip Carter is creating a new wave of Science Fiction that is mindbending, accessible, and hilarious. His novels, novellas, and short stories breathe new life into Time Travel, Alien Contact, and other much-loved Sci-Fi subgenres.
He's also a comedian and poet. In 2015, he performed his first standup gig at the Arts Bar of Edge Hill University, reading comedy poems about freedom of speech and sentient ice. Since then he's won a scholarship in poetry, judged an Edinburgh Lit Fest story contest, starred briefly on Channel 4's Lego Masters, and founded his own small press.
In 2023, he performed his own 90-minute Sci-Fi Comedy show, Awkward Re-Entry, for crowds at the Manchester Fringe.
Phillip, like his icon David Bowie, is a multifaceted creator of lyrical storytelling and art who is worth checking out.
The Interview
The interview was wide ranging, and Phillip’s comedic side is prominent all throughout. Here’s some snip its to get you interested.
On the Differences Between the United States and the United Kingdom
What Was the First Science Fiction Story
Why He Went the Independent Route
Be sure to listen to the whole podcast to get more insights into his books, tales about him being a standup comedian, and his encounter with high strangeness.
The Great Drone Episode of 2024 - Initial Thoughts
Something is in the air over New Jersey and the rest of the American northeast. A lot of it, like the brief DC scare, are misidentified planes. Yet, law enforcement with local politicians like Andy Kim are reporting things that do not behave like planes nor do they appear on flight trackers, though he later posted that most were probably planes. Even skeptical news reporters are claiming to have witnessed 50-some objects fly over the coast.
Theories of what these things are, besides planes, include Iranian drones (denied by the Pentagon and accused of being a false flag by Elon Musk), part of a Musk-Putin-Trump plot to overthrow America, aliens (pretty sure the video is of a helicopter), or a New World Order/demonic plot to discredit Catholicism.
Theories without evidence tell you more about the person making the claim than the subject in question. Keep an open mind and test everything. Time will tell, like during the Chinese Spy Balloon scare when everyone was talking about efforts to shoot down UAPs.
The Fallen Series
Get the complete Brendan Murphy saga in the Fallen universe (which continues after his character arch with Dormition). Veteran Brendan Murphy is assigned as a liaison to the mysterious alien race Sabia. Can he stop war, balance covert agendas, and save his own sanity? Now, both are also available on Kindle Unlimited!
Please remember to leave a review once you finish it. Also, I’d love to hear directly from you about your thoughts!
Other Independent Book Promotions
Pax Machina by Greg Sorber - Book for Sale for $1.99 and on Kindle Unlimited
Major Misty Durham hoped to put tragedy and bloodshed behind her. Now the human administrator of Mechhaven, she’s committed to providing sanctuary for decommissioned mechs. But conflict returns with a bang when a legendary machine with crucial secrets crash-lands on her world.
Angel is desperate to remember his mission. As the advanced mech seeks asylum after a failed deep-cover operation, he brings intimate knowledge of the enemy’s tactics… except battle-inflicted damage prevents him from accessing the data. And when his adversaries come hunting, his last chance for survival is to pray the mothballed locals won’t give him up.
After refusing to surrender her newest charge, Misty gathers disarmed mechanized warriors and former enemies to prepare for the inevitable mêlée. And Angel knows if he can unlock the intel buried in his memory matrix, he could be the key that stops them all from being shipped to the scrapyard.
Can an embattled leader and a fugitive mech inspire a ragtag crew to rise up and fight for peace?
Pax Machina is the action-packed first book in the thrilling Mechhaven science fiction series. If you like thunderous tech, complex relationships, and shocking twists and turns, then you’ll love Greg Sorber’s tumultuous tale.
Exile's Hope by David Liberto - Free Book
Exiled from Miraden Forest for a crime her father committed, Gossama longs to return to the land of her people. When the elders of the Dasari nation recognize her unique gifts and call upon her to aid them in their fight against the reyuul, Gossama must navigate a treacherous path of self-discovery and power. Ancient lost ones, feared reyuul, and even a dragon stand in her way as Gossama risks her life and soul to reclaim her home and her identity.
Star Rider Emerges by Heidi Skarie - Free Book
Will a young woman survive when her village is destroyed by an alien space fleet?
Toemeka lives with her family in an idyllic mountain village on a distant planet. The village is aware of the war that rages on their planet but the elders believe it won’t touch them. They are about to be proved wrong.
The tale is the exciting backstory to Star Rider on the Razor’s Edge that reveals the events that led up to Toemeka joining the Coalition of Free Nation and becoming an undercover operative.
The Handler's Gambit by Ingrid Moon - Book for Sale for $2.99 (Audible Version Also Available)
Commander Boone's treacherous secret could save thousands of lives—if he could only escape from the murderous warlord who employs him. He wears his game face while following orders to destroy enemy fleets and handles a reckless assassin with elemental powers. Behind the scenes, he is undermining the warlord's pursuit of an innocent rival.
The duplicity and the horrors are taking their toll.
Boone wants out.
In a bold gambit, he crafts a plan to escape. But his superiors might be catching on, and the plan is not without its own horrors. With everything working against him, including the woman he thought was his salvation, he may not live long enough to execute it.
Cave of Time by Luna Fox and F. Lowberry - Free Book
A plague has swept through the village of Dasen, taking all the magic from the place and the druids. Master Rody longs for the day that it returns. Back when conversing with nature is normal and casting spells is natural to them.
The desire grows urgent as deadly forces arise from years of captivity. Years of magical absence has left the village defenseless. But just when everything seems bleak, an ordinary boy rises up to the challenge. Will he be able to prove himself among his cruel peers? Will he even reach the Cave of Time before it’s too late?
Until Next Time
Next time we’ll continue Dormition with Chapter Three, which is another spoiler-free prequel chapter. Then, for New Year’s, it’s readers choice. Do you want a) my thoughts on the Star Trek conclusion 765874: Unification, b) a look at the monsters that will inhabit the sequel of The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency, the Uranium Man, c) a collection of very short stories or d) my own medium confidence investigation into the mystery drones?
As always, please leave a comment with any questions, reviews, thoughts, whatever about Fallen, Risen, Dormition, An Odd Pilgrimage, The Savannah Paranormal Detective Agency or whatever else I have discussed. I promise to reply!
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