At this year’s Wondercon, held in Anaheim, California, in March, writer Chuck Austen discussed his upcoming series Defiant on the Dstlry: The Future of Sci-Fi panel.
Before Chuck Austen set down his pen for a final time, he wanted to write a final story that was positive and fun. He lacked the time to agonize over the particulars with Defiant, which made the writing process more enjoyable.
Chuck lists TV shows like Twilight Zone and old Western movies as favorites. For Defiant, he also drew on his favorite science fiction writers, Jack McDevitt, Arthur C Clarke, and Larry Niven. While Chuck has written established characters like X-Men and Superman, he always enjoys the freedom of creating original characters.
Chuck is a huge history buff. Despite writing scary fiction, he's not much of a horror guy. Still, he can draw on his fears to make that happen. But he enjoys how science fiction allows him to write about the problems afflicting our society. Along with contemporary politics, Chuck Austen also lists artificial intelligence as a concern. But no matter what future he crafts, he tries to keep the human story preeminent. It's the characters we care about, and not the technology they use.
I enjoyed listening to Chuck discuss his life, work, and the passions that drive him. While I may have written a few things down wrong in my notes, here's a brief description of his new series from the Dstlry website:
On his final mission, Sandusky returns to the stars to reclaim his son Devon’s body and uncover the truth surrounding his death. Light years from home, among a cascade of twisted metal, Sandusky finds Devon - his body entombed in the remains of his ship, The Defiant—lost in a massive battle that sparked an intergalactic war. But nothing is what it seems, as Sandusky digs deeper, he and his allies are drawn into a galaxy-spanning mystery, one that holds secrets far darker and more complex than anticipated. For fans of DUNE, FIRELY, and ANDOR.
Learn more about Defiant, and read the free Defiant ashcan, at the Dstlry website.
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