.On November 3, 1990, Rob and Karina Fabian were married at the Air Force Academy chapel, thus starting a collaboration that has resulted in four children and three anthologies. While the children are still works-in-progress, their books have won an EPPIE award for best sci-fi (Infinite Space, Infinite God), and been top placers in the Preditor and Editor polls (Infinite Space, Infinite God and Leaps of Faith). In their spare time, they like to play crazy card games and watch sci-fi and Mythbusters.
Welcome to you both. Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?
We're sci-fi geeks in love! A mutual friend fixed us up. He called Rob, said, "You have to meet this woman!' and handed me the phone. I said, "Live long and prosper." Rob said, "I'll be right over!" He walked in with the Vulcan peace sign and the rest is history.
When did you begin writing together?
Around 1996, when we had two toddlers at home. We have already been good at talking about family matters, etc. during the day even with kids around, so when we went on dates, we decided to do something different. So when we went out to dinner, we took a pen and paper with us and mapped out a story. Since Rob was involved with Artemis (a group trying to get a commercial manned presence on the moon) and I was doing a series on different religious orders, we came up with an order of nuns who worked in space doing search and rescue operations. From there, we wrote a couple of stories, which led to our developing the anthologies.
Infinite Space, Infinite God II contains twelve science fiction stories featuring Catholic heroes. Meet a time traveler who sacrifices his life to give a man a sip of water, and the nun who faces venomous snakes to save a friend. Share the adventures of priests who battle aliens and machines in order serve the greater good.
Infinite Space, Infinite God II spans the gamut of science fiction, from near-future dystopias to time travel to space opera, puzzles of logic to laugh-out-loud humor and against-the-clock suspense. A great read for any science fiction fan--a must-read for the Catholic sci-fi lover.
What inspired you to write it?
Our publisher asked us to do a second volume, and we enjoy the challenge of finding quality science fiction with a distinctly Catholic flavor. Plus, it's very rewarding to give some worthy authors a chance to get published.
Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?
Bumpy, thanks to the economy. Lida, the CEO of Twilight Times Books, had planned to publish ISIG II in April, but held onto it to see how the economic winds were going to blow. We had a few contributors who were starting to wonder--and we did, too. We're glad Lida has enough faith in the book to publish it now, and we hope her faith is not in vain!
Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?
At B&N online: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?box=1606192310&pos=-1&ISBN=1606192310
OR they can approach their local bookstore (Catholic, independent or chain). It's available through all the usual distributors, or directly from Twilight Times Books.
Do you have a website and/or blog where readers can find out more?
http://www.isigsf.com/ has all the information about Infinite Space, Infinite God II and its predecessor, Infinite Space, Infinite God. It has bios of the authors, synopses of the stories, video trailers and more. There's even a study guide for ISIG I. (We're working the one for ISIG II.)
If you want to learn more about Karina's writings (and the other anthology Rob and she did), go to http://www.fabianspace.com/
Do you have a video trailer to promote your book? If yes, where can readers find it?
Yes. You can find it on the website or at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9JKtLWkchw.
What is up next for you?
As for Karina, she's not sure yet on the writing scene. She has several books in the works, but hasn't decided which to finish first.
On the publishing scene, she has Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator, coming out in December from Damnation Books (yes, there's an irony there!). Neeta is a zombie exterminator who is training up apprentices on a reality TV show. She also has a short story about a bad date with Coyote the Trickster God, "Perfect Ten," coming from MuseItUp Publishing. In September, her fantasy novel, Mind Over Mind, comes out. Deryl Stephens' psychic powers not only subject him to the thoughts of everyone around him, but to the whims of to aliens at war. Can a brilliant intern with an unusual take on psychology help him control his powers and regain his sanity?
Well, it sure looks like you'll be busy. We wish you continued success.
Story Summaries
The Ghosts of Kourion by Andrew Seddon: Professor Robert Cragg thought that he could escape the grief of losing his wife and daughter by traveling back in time to study a city soon to be destroyed by an earthquake. He felt safe in the fact that he could do nothing to save these people, but when he befriends a local family, however, he realizes he must try. In the end, he cannot save them, but he learns that if he cannot save the ghosts of Kourion, he can at least ease their sufferings.
Antivenin by Karina Fabian: Three nuns from the Order of Our Lady of the Rescue offer help to a ship that is off-course and not answering hails. They find the ship crawling with venomous snakes who have killed their handler and bitten the pilot. When one bites her partner, Sister Rita must conquer her phobia and snatch the antivenin from their nest.
An Exercise in Logic by Barton Paul Levenson: An ancient alien satellite has diverted an asteroid toward a human colony planet. The people who built the satellite refuse to veto programming logic installed by their ancestors. Can an Ursuline sister who is also an alien contact specialist change their minds?
Cathedral by Tamara Wilhite: Katarina's kind were engineered to love scientific research and dedicate themselves to bettering mankind until their jumped-up neurology caused them to die an ignoble death while in their twenties. Perhaps Katarina could have lived with this, but when she discovers the medicines she created were actually drugs to control the population, she spends the last of her tortured days righting her wrongs.
Otherworld by Karina Fabian: Father Jonas is haunted by the loss of his mother, who died while in a virtual reality world. As a priest, he's driven to evangelize to the players in Otherworld--to remind them of reality and the God who cares about what they do on both worlds.
The Battle of the Narthex by Alex Lobdell: What do you get when you mix a royal assassination, alien militia and the Saturday night Mass-and-Spaghetti dinner? Battle of the Narthex tickles the funny bone and touches the heart!
Tenniel by Colleen Drippe': Bishop Tenniel must fight the leader of the Wolfbane clan to win the conversion of the tribe to Christianity, saving their lives as well as their souls. Another exciting tale from Colleen Drippe's Lost Rythar universe.
Tin Servants by J Sherer: Father Paul's desire to serve his people in war-torn Ghana that he allowed himself to altered to resemble the androids sent to provide medical help. Once there, however, he finds himself limited in the comfort he can offer, and embroiled in a conspiracy to convert the andorginacs into soldiers.
Basilica by John Rundle: A Navy buddy needs help fixing up an old clunker of a spacecraft and Father Carpizo arrives to do his old friend a long overdue favor. As he turns wrenches, however, Carpizo finds a mystery to whet his appetite: a riddle deep rooted in the history of the Church. The scholarly priest unwittingly uncovers a dark secret which others have paid for with their lives. He is suddenly confronted by unspeakable evil and now Carpizo must make the ultimate sacrifice to destroy it…if only there is enough time.
Cloned to Kill by D. Mak: The power of Baptism helps a clone programmed to kill find her humanity--but to what lengths will Father Markham have to go to protect his new ward?
Frankie Phones Home by Karina Fabian: Sixteen-year-old Frankie was kidnapped by aliens who wanted to understand the mysteries of her human religion. Now, as they return to Earth to make First Contact, Frankie calls her family.
Dyads, Ken Pick and Alan Loewen: Father Heidler's latest assignment takes him to Cathuria, where the Catholic Church and all of Earth are blamed when a failed missionary's desperation boils over into terrorism. With the planet in the midst of riots and the Archbishop/Ambassador to Cathuria severely injured in a retaliatory strike, Father Heidler negotiates a delicate maze of politics and religious convictions to find a way to restore peace and reconcile the two worlds.
The Ghosts of Kourion by Andrew Seddon: Professor Robert Cragg thought that he could escape the grief of losing his wife and daughter by traveling back in time to study a city soon to be destroyed by an earthquake. He felt safe in the fact that he could do nothing to save these people, but when he befriends a local family, however, he realizes he must try. In the end, he cannot save them, but he learns that if he cannot save the ghosts of Kourion, he can at least ease their sufferings.
Antivenin by Karina Fabian: Three nuns from the Order of Our Lady of the Rescue offer help to a ship that is off-course and not answering hails. They find the ship crawling with venomous snakes who have killed their handler and bitten the pilot. When one bites her partner, Sister Rita must conquer her phobia and snatch the antivenin from their nest.
An Exercise in Logic by Barton Paul Levenson: An ancient alien satellite has diverted an asteroid toward a human colony planet. The people who built the satellite refuse to veto programming logic installed by their ancestors. Can an Ursuline sister who is also an alien contact specialist change their minds?
Cathedral by Tamara Wilhite: Katarina's kind were engineered to love scientific research and dedicate themselves to bettering mankind until their jumped-up neurology caused them to die an ignoble death while in their twenties. Perhaps Katarina could have lived with this, but when she discovers the medicines she created were actually drugs to control the population, she spends the last of her tortured days righting her wrongs.
Otherworld by Karina Fabian: Father Jonas is haunted by the loss of his mother, who died while in a virtual reality world. As a priest, he's driven to evangelize to the players in Otherworld--to remind them of reality and the God who cares about what they do on both worlds.
The Battle of the Narthex by Alex Lobdell: What do you get when you mix a royal assassination, alien militia and the Saturday night Mass-and-Spaghetti dinner? Battle of the Narthex tickles the funny bone and touches the heart!
Tenniel by Colleen Drippe': Bishop Tenniel must fight the leader of the Wolfbane clan to win the conversion of the tribe to Christianity, saving their lives as well as their souls. Another exciting tale from Colleen Drippe's Lost Rythar universe.
Tin Servants by J Sherer: Father Paul's desire to serve his people in war-torn Ghana that he allowed himself to altered to resemble the androids sent to provide medical help. Once there, however, he finds himself limited in the comfort he can offer, and embroiled in a conspiracy to convert the andorginacs into soldiers.
Basilica by John Rundle: A Navy buddy needs help fixing up an old clunker of a spacecraft and Father Carpizo arrives to do his old friend a long overdue favor. As he turns wrenches, however, Carpizo finds a mystery to whet his appetite: a riddle deep rooted in the history of the Church. The scholarly priest unwittingly uncovers a dark secret which others have paid for with their lives. He is suddenly confronted by unspeakable evil and now Carpizo must make the ultimate sacrifice to destroy it…if only there is enough time.
Cloned to Kill by D. Mak: The power of Baptism helps a clone programmed to kill find her humanity--but to what lengths will Father Markham have to go to protect his new ward?
Frankie Phones Home by Karina Fabian: Sixteen-year-old Frankie was kidnapped by aliens who wanted to understand the mysteries of her human religion. Now, as they return to Earth to make First Contact, Frankie calls her family.
Dyads, Ken Pick and Alan Loewen: Father Heidler's latest assignment takes him to Cathuria, where the Catholic Church and all of Earth are blamed when a failed missionary's desperation boils over into terrorism. With the planet in the midst of riots and the Archbishop/Ambassador to Cathuria severely injured in a retaliatory strike, Father Heidler negotiates a delicate maze of politics and religious convictions to find a way to restore peace and reconcile the two worlds.
Here are the links for purchase:
From Publisher: http://twilighttimesbooks.com/ttb_booklist.html#InfiniteSpace2
From Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?box=1606192310&pos=-1&ISBN=1606192310
From Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Space-God-II/dp/1606192310/
Kindle edition: http://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Space-God-II-ebook/dp/B004CLYDUG/
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3 comments:
Thanks so much for hosting us today!
Super duper interview! :)
Interesting interview! Enjoyed learning more about Rob and Karina.
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