Influences on My Stories

I made my own story-world. I do not take from any real life or fictional source. I have a way to do this, I made a completely different culture.

What things are like here are not like there. In how people relate to each other, in how the government works, the very problems or threats they face are nothing like what happens in other stories.

The biggest influence on my stories is the Culture books of Iain M Banks. His ideas of AI match mine. I have always 'humanized' AI. I like writing about AI's. It is a contentious issue in the Commonwealth whether if the AI could be considered a person. The law, after much arguing and research, says they are if they are over a certain rating. Most androids are over this standard where house computers are not, with a few exceptions.

The Qesak Orbital in my stories was inspired by orbitals in Banks' novels. It is actually smaller than those and is not as varied.

History influences my stories, especially World War 2.

The actual US Navy inspired the military of the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth was inspired by early American colonies.

I gather ideas from life and from what I see on CNN.

This idea net, as it is, always is open. I can generate new ideas if left to ruminate on them for a while. I did this when I was at work. I will do this when I return to work.

I will use Ischia as an example. In studying Ancient Egypt, a very big fascination and interest of mine, I got the idea of making a character like one they would have made. She will be like Ketheri in some ways, very much not like her in others.

One day, I will write my opus. It may not be like any story I have ever written. Depends on what happens between now and then.