Kristyn is an author who’s obsessed with SFF, food, video games, and her dog. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, and her book Fortuna launches a new space opera trilogy that will hook you from the first crash landing.

In this episode Kristyn and I discuss:

• How a NASA discovery and a TV show inspired the world and story of Fortuna
• Techniques for building multiple worlds
• Creating complex family and cultural dynamics
• Using dual perspectives to create balance and expand world-building
• How to grapple with real-world issues in a speculative story

Plus, her #1 tip for writers.

About Kristyn Merbeth

Kristyn Merbeth is obsessed with SFF, food, video games, and her dog. She resides in Tucson, Arizona. Check out her website, or connect with her on Twitter or Facebook.

Fortuna

Fortuna launches a new space opera trilogy that will hook you from the first crash landing.

Scorpia Kaiser has always stood in Corvus’s shadow until the day her older brother abandons their family to participate in a profitless war. However, becoming the heir to her mother’s smuggling operation is not an easy transition for the always rebellious, usually reckless, and occasionally drunk pilot of the Fortuna, an aging cargo ship and the only home Scorpia has ever known.

But when a deal turns deadly and Corvus returns from the war, Scorpia’s plans to take over the family business are interrupted, and the Kaiser siblings are forced to make a choice: take responsibility for their family’s involvement in a devastating massacre or lay low and hope it blows over.

Too bad Scorpia was never any good at staying out of a fight.

Perfect for fans of Becky Chambers and Catherynne M. Valente, Fortuna introduces a dazzling new voice in science fiction.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode #281

(Right-click to download.)

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The post Episode 281: The Art of the Space Odyssey — Interview with Kristyn Merbeth appeared first on DIY MFA.