About a month ago I posted a review on Future Winds, by Kevin Laymon, a fascinating mix of science-fiction and horror. I really loved the book and had so many questions about it so I reached out to Kevin for an interview, which he was awesome enough to give me. Q: Future Winds was very complex and well thought out, how long ago did you have the idea for this story and how did it first come to you? How long did it take you to write?
A: I actually began writing a really dark, apocalyptic styled thriller called ‘Infidels & Insanity’ in the winter of 2014. I, myself, was in a really bad place at the time and Infidels reflected that. After completing some of the basics, I realized that the story was leading towards humanity’s inevitable departure from Earth. That got me thinking about a sequel where survival and the moral cost of species self-preservation would be the focus. Even though Future Winds is pretty dark, it is nowhere near as dark as Infidels. I changed gears and began working on Future Winds in the spring of 2015. Although Infidels was not science fiction, I was really excited to shift into writing Sci-Fi and that, obviously, is what Future Winds, in the end, became. I had to change up my mindset towards a project to preserve my own sense of sanity. *chuckles* Infidels is really that dark. When I can tolerate the mental drain, I will go back and write infidels then release it as a Future Winds prequel, but that won’t be for some time.
Q: To me, it was not always easy to look at the human race as the good guys in Future Winds. Was that your intention when writing it?
A: Yes and no. Everyone sees their own set of ideals as being correct, right? That is why they are your own personal ideals. But what if we could, for a moment, think outside of ourselves. Critical thinking is a dying ideal that I really do want to try and revive before it is too late. I don’t want to dabble into spoilers, but there are a few lines in the book that I really think help to tie things together. “Humanity was foolish to think that things would-spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler,” was a good one, I thought. *chuckles* We, as a species, do suck at times. I would love for people to wake up and realize that sooner rather than later so we can better ourselves, but hey, awakening is a very personal journey, right? To find one’s sense of self and to come to terms with who you are is, after all, by definition personal.
Q: What was the hardest part of writing Future Winds?
A: The hardest part of writing Future Winds was insuring that everything that happened in the story could be explained with Science. Now, of course, this is Science Fiction and that means there is plenty of room for imagination, but I also wanted to paint a story that was believable. Just because things do not seem scientifically possible today, doesn’t mean that they are impossible tomorrow. I had to craft a story that felt like it could exist tomorrow. Even the scene with Naberius and Abram can be explained in a somewhat scientific way if you dig deep enough into the story.
Q: You have a lot of science and technical writing in this book, especially when it comes to weaponry and AI. Is this something you have a background in or did you have to do a lot of researching for this book?
A: I have always been interested in tech but I wouldn’t say that I have any experience, per se, about how some of these things work. Basically, I would think about what I want first, then figure out a way to make it happen. Example, it rains fire on Planet Flare. I knew this would be a thing but only after deciding that it would be so, did I look into how best this could be explained scientifically.
Q: Future Winds was brutal. I mean that in a good way. Was it your intention to write something so no-holds-barred when it came to this book or is it just something that happened as you were writing that you decided to stick with?
A: As I was writing, I had to stop and ask myself if I should tone things back a bit. I think that if I had, the story would have reached a broader audience and more people would have liked it, but I am against censorship on all cultural fronts. Human beings are brutal, the Cosmos are brutal, and in many ways, life itself is brutal. Looking back, I am glad that I stuck to my guns and told the story that I wanted to tell, the way that I wanted to tell it. Now if you were the type of person who is against this type of story, then clearly, Future Winds may not be for you, but one of the coolest feelings I have had about telling this tale is receiving praise from a few people who specifically said that they typically despise the gruesome stuff. It is a really cool feeling to satisfy someone who is out of their comfort zone.
Q: A lot of unexpected moments occur in Future Winds in terms of the plot and the characters. It really added a whole new level of shock value and I, for one, enjoyed nothing and no one being safe. What made you want to take the road of nothing and no one is safe? What would you say to anyone who was wishing for a “safer” story?
A: Well, I can tell you the way I achieved this. Whenever I felt as though I knew where the story was heading, as a writer, I got out of the car that I was driving and set the vehicle on fire before finding another means of transportation. I wanted to tell a story that was unpredictable and sometimes when authors and screen writers try that, they end up with a brick of cheese. I think I delivered the story in an impactful way and am happy with it, so if someone wanted a “safer” story, I would say that; I am sorry, but the cosmos is not a safe place to be and she cares not for your desire to feel safe. *Cackles maniacally--chokes on his coffee*
Q: You tackle a lot of issues in Future Winds, such as political corruption, nepotism, division of classes, military atrocities, etc. Was this something you planned on going into the book?
A: Life is complex and I feel like those issues are just a few ingredients in humanity’s tale of existence. I didn’t want to over complicate the story, but I also think that Future Winds dabbles briefly into some heavy topics, most of which there is really no right answer to. I mean at the end of the day, isn’t survival, our most primitive instinct, a battle against an inevitable fate?
Q: Did you always want to be a writer?
A: I have always had a knack for storytelling. Up until this point, I have lived most of my life drifting through existence. Professional Drifter is the title that I would often use when referring to myself. Jumping from job to job, and city to city, I have traveled in the direction that my curiosity beckons to lead. I have learned a lot about life in these travels, but after being locked into a retail management job for 3 years plus years, I made the call in the April of 2015 that I would never work for a large corporation ever again. I quit my job and writing full time is now what I do. We can achieve great things when we work together, but at what point in history did human beings decide to subject themselves to others? *chuckles* Now, I am drifting off point, so will try and reel myself back in here, but writing is an art and creating art is a freeing experience. For me, being free is priority one in bettering myself.
Q: Do you have anything in mind for your next book? Can we look forward to any books coming out by you in the near future?
A: In terms of writing, I spent my 2015 bouncing back and forth between two novels. It’s just how my brain works. So, the first is/was Future Winds, which came out on November 25th, 2015 and the second book is called Emotive, which comes out on April 5th, 2016. Emotive is a psychological thriller. Although, it is different than Future Winds in every way, I think that the two stories actually pair quite well, given that they were written together. Essentially, Emotive is about a dog who is learning about death as he searches for happiness and a reason to live. Here is the synopsis for Emotive:
http://www.authorkevinlaymon.com/#!emotive/dm385
Q: Okay now this is one that I feel like I just need to know, what are your top three favorite books?
A: I am always afraid of this question because a lot of stuff just doesn’t age well. God forbid someone logged my answer to this question back when I was kid because Harry Potter & Stardust would have been the answer. LOL. Currently, my top three favorite reads would be:
1) Letters from Earth by Mark Twain.
2) The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
3) 1984 by George Orwell
But again, that list could change in six-months-time. :-P
Check out Kevin's book Future Winds.
You can also follow Kevin on Twitter @Kevin_Laymon for up to date news and info about him.
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