GIVEAWAY There are two ways to win.

1. Comment on this blog or sign up for my author newsletter here and you’ll be automatically entered into the drawing for a copy of THRILLING ADVENTURE YARNS 2.
2. BONUS: The first person to figure out the discrepancy between the release picture and my Western story will win a copy of Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2021 AND a $25 Amazon gift certificate. Email taste of sherri @ gmail. com (no spaces) with answer. Ann Hanlin won this part of the contest. The story is a Western, but I had an ENGLISH saddle in the picture.

*The GIVEAWAY lasts until midnight (EST) Sunday, April 25th. US only.

I’m very excited to interview my friend Kelli Fitzpatrick! We roomed together at Taos Toolbox, a two-week writing workshop, in 2018 and have been friends ever since.

Sherri: So, we should have had a chance to catch up at Farpoint Convention this year, but unfortunately the con had to be virtual due to the pandemic. What have you been up to?

Kelli: My tie-in story for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea just released in the Turning the Tied charity anthology from the International Association for Media Tie-In Writers. The Star Trek Adventures Shackleton Expanse sourcebook for which I was a contributing writer will be releasing this summer from Modiphius Entertainment.

Sherri: Nice! Let’s talk a little bit about your experience as an author for Star Trek. As a fan, who are some of your favorite characters and why?

Kelli: My favorite Star Trek character is Captain Janeway since I grew up watching her and was inspired by her leadership. I also love Voyager’s EMH for his quirky personality and the themes of personhood the show explores with his character. Other favorites include Jadzia Dax on DS9, and Discovery’s Jet Reno and Captain Pike.

Sherri: Captain Janeway was certainly an inspiration! As an author, how is writing for Star Trek different than, say, writing an original story?

Kelli: When writing tie-in fiction for a franchise like Star Trek, I must fit my story into existing canon, which means doing research and adhering to that universe’s established values, history, and laws of physics. Tie-in fiction also requires capturing each canon character’s unique voice. For example, I wanted the Doctor Crusher in my Strange New Worlds story to sound exactly like the Doctor Crusher fans know.

Sherri: That makes sense. What changes have you seen in the newer series? How is that a reflection of society?

Kelli: The new Star Trek series have given us solid representation of marginalized identities both on screen and in the writers’ room, resulting in a refreshing absence of male gaze and a distinct focus on the themes of justice and consequences. I think this updated perspective reflects our evolving society, especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the increasingly unavoidable fallout of unchecked capitalism and runaway climate change. Science fiction is a commentary of the moment in which it is written, and Star Trek continues to be a compelling example.

Sherri: You’re an author and an educator. How do you see these roles interconnecting?

Kelli: Teaching and writing are both about guiding people into strange new worlds. For teaching to be effective, teacher and student must cooperate to accomplish growth, and the same is true of author and reader: they create shared meaning together in a beautifully collaborative act. In both of my careers, I see a common thread of hope for the future—I write Star Trek stories because I believe a better world is possible. I teach the next generation to make that possibility into reality.

Sherri: What authors do you admire and why?

Kelli: I really admire the works of Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Brooke Bolander, and Amal El-Mohtar. Their stories all engage with concepts of gender, justice, unorthodox love, and the best and worst of human nature, often from unexpected or subverted angles. Their prose is engaging and filled with striking imagery.

Sherri: If you were teaching a “Literature of Science Fiction” class, what novels and short stories would you use?

Kelli:

Novels:

The Fifth Season (2015) by N. K. Jemison

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (2014) by Becky Chambers

A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) by Vernor Vinge

Dawn (1987) by Octavia Butler

The Dispossessed (1974) by Ursula K. Le Guin

Novellas:

This is How You Lose the Time War (2019) by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

The Only Harmless Great Thing (2018)by Brooke Bolander

Short stories:

“Number Thirty-Nine Skink” (2017) by Suzanne Palmer

“How the Damned Live On” (2016) by James Sallis

The Golden Apples of the Sun (1953) collectionby Ray Bradbury

Serialized audio dramas:

The Sea in the Sky (2020) by Jackson Musker

Steal the Stars (2017) by Nat Cassidy

No lineup could encompass the full diversity of sci-fi literature, and there are certainly problematic elements in some of these works, but I think these texts would serve as useful conversation points for analyzing the myriad ways sci-fi stories function, whose voices are being represented, and how the genre of “what if?” has evolved and will continue to evolve over time. Hopefully I’ll get to teach this class someday!

Sherri: I’d love to teach that class, too!

Sherri: I’m also happy to share that both Kelli and I have stories in the newly released anthology THRILLING ADVENTURE YARNS 2021. TAY 2021 is an array of 27 stories in the classic pulp style, replete with action and adventure, chills and thrills, mystery, Westerns, and much more! It can be purchased here, or you can enter the GIVEAWAY. Kelli, what was your inspiration for your story?

Kelli: My sci-fi noir story is titled “The Shadow Lady of Docktown” and it follows the adventures of a mercenary spy and her flying robot sidekick who uncover a police conspiracy. The story is set in the shadow of a great bridge, and a good chunk of it takes place inside a cathedral. I wanted to create a setting that channels the high-contrast aesthetic of noir as well as a kick-ass female anti-hero readers could root for.

Sherri: Awesome! Where can people find your stories? Where can folks sign up for your author newsletter or find you on social media?

Kelli: All of my stories are listed on the Publications tab of my website KelliFitzpatrick.com, with links to view or purchase. There is a newsletter sign-up box on the bottom of the home page of my website, or you can sign up for my newsletter here. You can find me on Twitter: @KelliFitzWrites.