Interviews & Media Updates
Is Rock your debut novel?
Yes, It has taken a long time to complete my first novel.
How long? Can you tell us about your journey to this point?
I started writing a science fiction novel in 1975. My brother, who I have dedicated this book to, read the first several chapters and told me where my plot was very similar to Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. I was both flattered and dismayed. I admired Arthur C. Clarke as an author but at that point had not read Childhood’s End. After reading that novel, I felt like a plagiarist and stopped pursuing that plot. After completing my degree in engineering, writing took a back seat to family and career. That first effort should have been titled Graduate’s End.
Are you still interested in science fiction?
Certainly. I still enjoy science fiction novels and movies. I am especially intrigued by stories where history intersects with future - Arrival; Cowboys & Aliens; Westworld; Back to the Future.
Did those movies influence the story line in Rock?
At first, I tried to incorporate multiple time lines including present day. There was a draft but the modern plot was riding the tails of the interesting history from Llano County, Texas in 1886. That time and place were key to the fictional story. After I focused my research and writing on that time period, the fictional story in Rock wrote itself.
What is the significance of 1886?
John Barringer turned 31 that year and the town of Bluffton had been substantially rebuilt after the fire of 1883. As a carpenter involved in the rebuilding, Barringer was now able to turn his interests from carpentry to mineral development when he acquired Barringer Hill.
Yes, It has taken a long time to complete my first novel.
How long? Can you tell us about your journey to this point?
I started writing a science fiction novel in 1975. My brother, who I have dedicated this book to, read the first several chapters and told me where my plot was very similar to Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. I was both flattered and dismayed. I admired Arthur C. Clarke as an author but at that point had not read Childhood’s End. After reading that novel, I felt like a plagiarist and stopped pursuing that plot. After completing my degree in engineering, writing took a back seat to family and career. That first effort should have been titled Graduate’s End.
Are you still interested in science fiction?
Certainly. I still enjoy science fiction novels and movies. I am especially intrigued by stories where history intersects with future - Arrival; Cowboys & Aliens; Westworld; Back to the Future.
Did those movies influence the story line in Rock?
At first, I tried to incorporate multiple time lines including present day. There was a draft but the modern plot was riding the tails of the interesting history from Llano County, Texas in 1886. That time and place were key to the fictional story. After I focused my research and writing on that time period, the fictional story in Rock wrote itself.
What is the significance of 1886?
John Barringer turned 31 that year and the town of Bluffton had been substantially rebuilt after the fire of 1883. As a carpenter involved in the rebuilding, Barringer was now able to turn his interests from carpentry to mineral development when he acquired Barringer Hill.