Kerry Nietz is a self-confessed refugee of the software industry. He spent more than a decade of his life flipping bits—first as one of the principal developers of the database product FoxPro for the now mythical Fox Software, and then as one of Bill Gates’ minions at Microsoft. He is a husband, a father, a technophile and a movie buff. He has one previously published book, a memoir entitled FoxTales: Behind the Scenes at Fox Software. A Star Curiously Singing is his first novel.
Q: What inspired you to become a writer?
Doubtless all the books I read as a kid. I used to love getting those Scholastic book order forms in elementary school. I would pour over them, circling the books I wanted. I must have driven my folks crazy (and nearly into poverty.) I think one month I connived them into ordering twenty books for me. I read them all, though, so the money wasn’t wasted. I think I still have many of them too. Will that save me money with my own kids? Probably not.
Q: Tell us about your book.
A Star Curiously Singing is a speculative Christian novel with a decidedly *cyberpunk feel. It takes place in a future hundreds of years from now, where much of the world lives under sharia law.
In this dualistic society, average people live on the streets in near-squalor and the powerful ride above them in cable car-like conveyances. This latter group shrouds itself in high tech, to the point of needing specialized debuggers to handle their machines.
That’s where my protagonist comes in. Sandfly is a debugger who’s summoned to solve the mystery of why a robot malfunctioned. The unusual circumstance? The robot has been to space. Deep space. Something about the trip made it malfunction.
A Star Curiously Singing is a sci-fi mystery, of sorts.
Q: Is there anything special you’d like people to know about this book?
Yes, it breaks a lot of rules, making me the author that my publisher now has to apologize for when he speaks at writers’ conferences. For example, it is written entirely in first person present tense.
Q: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Envisioning the future, especially the technology portion of it. As someone who has worked in the tech industry, I have a unique perspective on how things might be. I think it gives my book a very original feel. I’m confident I’ve shown things in this book that haven’t been seen anywhere else. For instance, when was the last time you read a detailed description of someone reconstructing a robot? My book has that.
Q: What message do you hope to convey in your writing?
The biggest theme is that freedom is important, and worth sharing. It is also fragile, and needs our constant diligence to protect and expand. That goes for both American freedom, and the freedom we have in Christ.
Q: What books do you enjoy reading?
Though science fiction is a preference, I read a broad range of books. In fact, I tend to alternate between non-fiction books and novels. In non-fiction, I read everything from biographies, to current events, to politics and works to encourage my faith. Some of my favorite fictional authors are: Michael Crichton, Jack Mcdevitt, Frank Peretti, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov.
Q: What new projects are you working on?
A sequel to A Star Curiously Singing is in the works. After that, possibly another.
Q: Where can readers buy your book?
You can purchase it online directly from the store at www.marcherlordpress.com or from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. And if your local bookstore doesn’t carry it, they can order it for you.
Q: Where can readers find you online?
Q: Is there anything readers can do to help your book do well?
If you like it, please tell others. And be sure to post a review online at those places that will let you—Amazon, for instance. Don’t feel like you have to write an exhaustive review. Just an honest summary of what you liked and disliked will suffice.
Thanks for the intro to another new writer. This book sounds fascinating and I will check it out for the young readers in my family. Holiday giving is fast approaching and books make wonderful gifts.
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