Tracey Martin | Imagining Next Week. Or Maybe Next Year.

Confession time: Although my RedZone series (REVIVE and RESIST) is science fiction, I don’t really consider myself a science fiction writer. My true writing loves are fantasy, paranormal, and oodles of romantic angst. When it comes to reading or watching TV and movies, sure—bring on the androids, the aliens, and the technological impossibilities that fill my head with wonder. But the thought of writing such things myself? That always seemed a little too impossible. When I got the idea to write REVIVE, however, the nagging that this had to be my next project wouldn’t quit. It was time to confront whatever was holding me back from trying my hand at a genre I enjoyed.

Like with so many hang-ups, I realized my reluctance stemmed from fear, in this case, the fear of getting things wrong. Logically, I know I will always get things wrong in my books. Everyone does because no one can be an expert in everything. But having been trained in science, and as someone who does research for a living, the idea of getting my science wrong especially rankled. Maybe it wouldn’t have been such a big deal if I were planning a grand space opera where the science was indistinguishable from magic, but REVIVE and RESIST are firmly rooted in time and place. Not just on earth, but on an earth almost identical to the one we’re living in now.

How do you predict tomorrow’s scientific breakthroughs? Technology is developing so quickly these days that even last year’s inventions can feel dated. And just as importantly, can you tell what kinds of technology isn’t going to change? Filled with anxiety, I decided there were two ways I would handle the issue.

The first was to make the timing in my world unclear. The setting for REVIVE and RESIST is a trope that’s sometimes called Twenty Minutes in the Future. This is an undefined year that shares many similarities with now while also providing license to create whatever new technology that a story calls for. In the RedZone world, self-driving cars and tablet computers that can be folded like a piece of paper and be carried in your pocket live along side normal vehicles and pens and paper.

The second way I handled the changes was by narrowing my scope, focusing on the technologies and sciences going through the most rapid changes. Aside from self- driving cars, I chose to focus heavily on biomedical engineering. It seems almost every week some new breakthrough is happening in the medical world, and this dovetailed nicely with the science I was creating to inform my characters. As a bonus, I got to put those psychology degrees I accumulated years ago (but rarely use) to a purpose, drawing on what we know about neuroscience and extrapolating fantastical ways we might manipulate our brains.

Only time will tell whether I guessed wisely or if the cyborgs that roam RedZone's world are as big a bust as flying cars turned out to be. And now that I’ve made my choices, I realize the bigger challenge was never making predictions in the first place. It was the same challenge I faced when I wrote my urban fantasy series: creating a coherent, believable world where my characters could run wild. Because whether science or magic defines their lives, that’s the real reason I read and write. For the literal and figurative explosions. And REVIVE and RESIST have plenty of both.

Giveaway

What technology do you wish for in the future? Leave a comment below for a chance to win $15 Amazon gift card and a copy of either REVIVE or RESIST. (Paperback for US winner; Ebook for international winner)

About Tracey Martin

Earning a doctorate in psychology convinced Tracey Martin that imaginary people were way more fun than real ones. Plus, they make better minions. From this revelation an obsession was born, and she’s been writing stories of kick- ass girls and women (and the guys who deserve them) ever since.

She loves fantasy and SF, likes her music epic, and prefers her movies to contain explosions. A city girl at heart, she doesn’t understand how she and her husband ended up living in New Hampshire, but she’s vowed to escape one day. Until then, writing keeps her off the mean, small town streets.

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About RESIST

Truth is a powerful weapon--but explosives never hurt.

Sophia can run but she can't hide. RedZone is on her tail and those of the six techaugmented soldiers who escaped its clutches with her. If she could only focus on fighting her way to safety, she might live long enough to disappear. But it's not just her own backside she needs to watch out for.

At her side is her boyfriend, Kyle. He's the reason she found the courage to escape, and she'll do anything to keep him and his secrets out of RedZone's hands. Only problem is, since she was once sent to capture him, he has good reason not to trust her.

In fact, there's not much trust to go around. RedZone keeps finding them, suggesting someone is a traitor. And if that's not enough to recapture the group, the organization has a backup plan. One that will force Sophia and Kyle to choose between safety and risking everything one more time.

Warning: Contains killer robots, mutant college students, and dangerous super soldiers. And those are the good guys. It's enough to make a rogue assassin wish she were taking her philosophy final instead.