INTERVIEW WITH J.T. NICHOLAS AUTHOR OF RE-COIL FOR TITAN BOOKS

Author Interview with J.T. Nicholas and his new novel, Re-Coil for Titan Books conducted by Sandra Scholes.


In his new novel, J.T.Nicholas writes about a future where humans could become immortal through uploading their memories to a new body everytime the old body wears out, yet there are always problems with any technological breakthrough, and Nicholas points out the floors in our human compulsion to be younger, better, faster and stronger, even when we are naturally predisposed to age normally. This interview is for those of us who want to know more about the novel and how fascinating it is and how popular it will be in 2020.



Q: Most readers of Titan Books are novels in trilogies, what made you want to write a standalone?



The main answer to that is more business-related than story-related. For newer authors, it’s easier to sell a standalone work than it is to sell a trilogy. Less risk to the publisher, less expense, etc…. I know that’s kind of a boring answer, but it does have the advantage of being a true one. I do have some sequel ideas for Re-Coil, so if it takes off, there’s definitely a chance for more in the universe.



Q: I am assuming you have written in other genres, why did you want to write science fiction?


Sci-fi and fantasy are the two genres that I read most, followed closely by mystery. I hope to write books in all three genres, one of these days and have certainly dabbled in writing all three. I’ve only published sci-fi novels to date, though. So why did I focus on sci-fi? I think it probably has something to do with having thought a lot in recent years about technology and how it’s changing society. Regardless of how we’d categorize the change, I don’t think anyone would argue that the rise of the smart phone and social media (for example) have had a real and measurable effect on how we interact with each other. I find the idea of technological advances changing not just how we live, but how we think about things and how we connect with each other to be fascinating. Projecting some of that forward into sci-fi novels that look (at least in part) on how technology has reshaped society just seemed like a natural fit.



Q: The cover for Re-Coil is colourful and depicts an astronaut in space; I am assuming it is Carter and the sections of his body represent the coils or bodies he may go through. Tell me, did you have any input on how the final cover looked?


My input was pretty much limited to, “Ooh! Pretty!” 😊 In most traditional publishing, the author doesn’t really have much input into the cover. And that’s probably a good thing, because when it comes to visual design, I don’t know a good idea from a bad one. I think your interpretation of the meaning behind it is probably spot on, though.



Q: Your main character, Carter Langston isn't your typical hero. He's on a salvage mission and murdered then reanimated in a new coil thanks to the latest technology. Did you base him on anyone famous and what are his strengths?


Not really. In my head, he’s kind of a racially ambiguous every man, a blue-collar sort of guy who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. My favorite type of hero in literature has always been the stoic. The guy that takes the hits and doesn’t give up. Keeps on keeping on. I think that’s probably Carter’s biggest strength. You can knock him down, but he’s going to keep getting up again, right up to the point where you kill him. And in Re-Coil, even that’s not enough to keep him down.



Q: Langston wonders why he is being stalked by a mystery assassin. Shay Chan comes along as his tech whiz, but inadvertently becomes a focus for his assassin. This sounds so exciting. How did you make this into a book that could instantly hook the reader?


First, thanks! If you think it’s a book that can hook readers, that’s a huge compliment and something every author strives to do. How is a much harder question. I mean, the canned answer is to say create relatable characters and then go out of your way to make their lives as difficult as possible so that it seems impossible that they’ll ever win through. Throw in some danger and mystery and a little romance. And then figure out how they win through all the hardships and save the day. But I don’t really have a “how to” on how to do that.



I think that more generally, becoming a better storyteller is equal parts consumption and practice. So, you have to read (or watch, or listen to) other stories and find out what it is that you like about them. Learn from those who have already been there and done that and try to dissect why the story is making you feel a particular way at a particular time. Then you have to write… a lot. Writing is a skill, and no one is born a master of it. I had a writing professor who said that everyone had a million words of junk in them. You had to write your way through those million words of junk to develop the skills needed to make a real go of it. That number is arbitrary, but the point stands – if you want to be a good storyteller, you have to practice the “craft” of it.



Q: Many have labeled your book as a cross between The Expanse and Altered Carbon, but rather than do that I would want to have your take on what inspired you to write such a gripping novel?


I’ve always loved sci-fi mysteries and sci-fi that asks ethical and moral questions. Morgan and Corey certainly fit into those categories, but some of my biggest inspirations are L.E. Modesitt Jr., Phillip K. Dick, and Isaac Asimov. Beyond that, and as I hinted at above, the question of how society is shaped by technology is also a broader inspiration for me. I like exploring that question along with the question of what it is that makes us human.



Q: I like how you create problems with the coil bodies and the backup process to show that immortality has its price, but how did you come up with them?


Mostly that’s from working in IT in various forms (I spent the better part of my non-writing career doing data analytics). I mean, no backup system is going to be perfect, ever. And no process is going to go flawlessly one hundred percent of the time. So, it makes sense that something that relies on both backup and manufacturing (for lack of a better term) is going to have its issues from time to time.



Q: I've been talking all this time in terms of your novel and it's characters, but what do you like to do when you're not writing?


Play games (video, board, tabletop), martial arts (kung fu, JKD, and Kali), binge watch shows (right now, I’m binge watching Duck Tales on Disney, because why not?), go swim in the ocean (when it gets warmer). Play with my dogs (2 Australian Shepherds). I used to also answer questions like this with “run” and “lift weights” but I’ve hit the age where exercise is less about wanting to do it and more about wanting my body to keep functioning more or less properly. I’m fortunate in that my wife likes to do all of the above with me, so we spend a lot of our not-writing time (she’s an author too – Julie Kagawa, check her out!) hanging out together.