November 2016
1. Hi, Dan--
Can you tell us a little what your story, "Dirt Moon," is about?
A squad of military commandos lands on a dirt moon, thinking it deserted. Before long, they realize it's not, and whatever lives there is hunting them.
2. How did you come up with the idea?
I wanted my story to emulate golden-age military sci-fi, but with an element of horror to it. I think that the unseen, unknown monster is the scariest kind. To keep it fair, I put in a hero who's been through hell half a dozen times, so it takes a lot to frighten him.
3. What is your inspiration for writing as a whole?
For me, it's like this arcane craft that's incredibly difficult to learn. There's no magic formula, and no guarantee of success, either. I love the challenge of it. And I really enjoy being part of an incredibly supportive writing community. That's what keeps me going. Especially when it's a tough slog, which is most of the time.
4. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm still just a guy from the Midwest, but a lot has changed since the publication of "Going Viral" in The Time It Happened. Harper Voyager published my debut novel The Rogue Retrieval earlier this year, and we just signed a contract to do two more books in the series. I also moved to Ohio to take a new job: studying the inherited basis of pediatric disorders at Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University.
5. Where can listeners find more of your work?
The best place to start is my author web site, dankoboldt.com. From there, you can find my books, short stories, and my weekly blog series on the Science of Science Fiction.
6. Any new work we should keep an eye out for?
The sequel to The Rogue Retrieval, tentatively entitled The Island Deception, will be published in March 2017. I also have a story coming out in Galaxy's Edge magazine early next year.
7. (And just for Juli's curiosity: What are you reading now?)
I'm reading Uprooted by Naomi Novak, which just won the Nebula award for best novel. So far, it's fantastic.
~~~~~
Editor's Note: If you enjoyed this story, you might be interested in reading the whole anthology, Hyperpowers, with many more great stories. It's available on Amazon and Smashwords.
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