Welcome to Realm Explorers! In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors. Enjoy your travels! And don't forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book.
Author’s name:
Liam Gibbs
Title of book and/or
series:
In a Galaxy Far, Far Awry
Brief summary of the
story:
He calls himself Master Asinine. Don’t laugh.
With the might of the underworld at his back, Asinine plans
to rule the—well, pretty much everything. He’s got a planet-destroying laser
and just bullied the galaxy’s major criminal organizations into forming an
unstoppable force he calls "The Bad Guys."
Standing against him is his one-time comrade-in-arms Matross
Legion, a somewhat neurotic green-skinned Trioxidillian. He and Asinine haven’t
spoken since Asinine killed their best friend, which, as you can imagine,
somewhat soured their relationship.
Gathering a small team of people with hyperabilities,
Matross prepares to confront his old enemy. Trouble is, Asinine is also getting
ready, and he has all the usual evil mastermind tricks up his sleeve—and a few
surprises for an old friend. So don’t laugh at Master Asinine. At least, not to
his face.
All bets are off in this book series that combines the most
amazing parts of space operas and comic books.
Nothing is more
dangerous than a halfwit who controls all crime!
Brief description of
the world or location you created for this story:
In a Galaxy Far, Far Awry evolves in the galaxy of
Renovodomus, a society that revolves around the advertising dollar and the
hilarious inanity of its citizens. Even the military organizations are no
exception, run by the whims of sponsors and corporate advertisers.
And, in a universe where super powers and absurdity run
rampant, the advertising dollar might be the most dangerous controlling force
to run the gears that operate society.
It’s all fun and games until someone loses…no, wait. It’s
always fun and games in Renovodomus.
If we were to visit Renovodomus as tourists, what would you recommend that
we see or do there?
Check out Intergalactic Protection, the ruling military
authority of the galaxy. Or stop by Space Cow, the most prevalent fast-food
chain in the galaxy, and taste their Still Mooing Value Meal, pending the
review of the cow’s endangered species status! Study hyperabilities at any of
Renovodomus’s top universities, like that one…or that one over there!
What dangers should
we avoid in Renovodomus?
Avoid the chicken at all costs. Oh, and heed all traffic
signals and road signs.
Is there a distinct
or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Renovodomus?
Anything unusual or distinct can be found at any of
Renovodomus’s eateries. Try Space Cow’s Is It Beef? We’ll Find Out Together
soft taco or Gastro Challenge’s You’ll Hope It’s Not Gangrenous turkey burger.
And, hey, if you’re feeling adventurous, you’ll love Vegan Catapult’s Mouth in
a Flower Bed, a lush salad rich with lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, and soil! Nummy
in your tummy!
What types of
weaponry or fighting styles are common in Renovodomus?
The most prevalent weaponry is the inborn superpowers, the
hyperabilities, of Renovodomus’s citizens: eye lasers, fire control,
self-multiplication, or the power of sarcasm!
Oh, and there’s no lack of fighting styles, which range from
gunplay, horse-and-gunplay (they go really well together for that added craziness),
and military-based hand-to-hand combat.
What types of
vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Renovodomus?
Technology abounds in the world of the future. Let’s start
with the haunt control, the most prevalent voice-activated technology that
controls the environment around you, so automated that it makes things seem
haunted. Want a chair? Just ask your house to bring you one. Or how about
latent technology, another software that stores objects in computer memory for
later use? What a space saver!
Super futuristic space vehicles? No shortage there, with
flying civilian transports (civ-trans) and military transports (mil-trans).
You’ve also got starships, transports that operate on an interplanetary level,
that come in several different classes, ranging from Trojan class to Titan
class for those times you need to ship out an entire military!
What types of plants,
animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Renovodomus that we don’t see on Earth?
Futuristic animals come typically in two forms: the thundermammal
(giant mammalian beasts used to herd and are good for eating when the family visits),
and the gnawl (smaller than the thundermammal but no less tasty with a good
barbecue sauce). Oh, and the rhinoceros, which is like the rhinoceros of today
but leash-trained. They love their treats and walkies.
Sentient races come in all shapes: the Virillian, a
reptilian race that doesn’t speak but acts rather antisocially toward each
other and members of other species (you gotta wonder how they propagate); the
Trioxidillian, a hairless, green-skinned species; and the Gharalgian, an orange-skinned
species whose members have voices that sound high-pitched and grate on your
spine.
Unfortunately the plant life in Renovodomus is not too
exotic…except for the Death Ray Bulb, which may or may not try to eat you as
you pass by! Ah, just kidding. It’ll probably only try to steal your
wallet.
Tell us about any
sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Renovodomus.
No disappointment here. Renovodomus’s national sport is
extreme couponing, which is left undefined except that it involves clipping
coupons, competitively shopping for the lowest prices…and bloodthirsty combat! The winner takes home the Voucher Cup. The
loser? Well, let’s just say paying full price for a jar of pickles is a
disgrace.
The other dominant sport is capture the flag, with a rabid
fan base exceeding the millions and a league boasting no less than four hundred
separate teams. Go, Mongolian Yurts, go!
Are the days of the
week and months of the year the same in Renovodomus as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly
there?
Since Terrans (humans) were the first settlers in
Renovodomus, the clock operates the same as it does today, with days taking 24
hours and hours taking 60 minutes. Since the advertising dollar rules all, the
most celebrated holiday is Boxing Day because of all its sales, and Christmas
is now known only as Boxing Day Eve. But beware the sales season! It’s a cutthroat
shopping period out there.
Is there a particular
religion practiced in Renovodomus? Please describe what it involves.
The only mentioned religion is Alaphan, which bears such a
striking similarity to Christianity that….hmm…one wonders if it’s Christianity
in the future.
Has anything in your actual
life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
My inspiration comes from the loves of pop culture I held
growing up as a child. I immersed myself in comics and science fiction, and so
I took my interests—Spider-Man, Star Wars, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Futurama,
The Tick, Spaceballs, X-Men, and
innumerable others—and enthusiastically mashed them together into this super
awesome series. I also love making people laugh—it’s my special gift—and so I
want to give that gift to the world. Therefore, though this series is a
superhero-inspired space opera, it’s also an extreme comedy, where the laughs put
the reader in danger of snorting milk out of their noses in public.
What, if any, “hot-button”
or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
There are no hot-button topics in In a Galaxy Far, Far Awry.
It’s a lighthearted world where the reader can escape the pressures of life.
Sit back, have a laugh, and don’t worry about a thing. Not everything has to be
dark and controversial, am I right?
What is your
audience?
My amazing audience is both men and women ages 18 to 60 who
love comics and science fiction culture. These are the people who frequent comic
book stores, who love watching Star Wars
or Star Trek, who hungrily wolf down
helpings of Futurama. However, since
there is no sex, no swearing, and comical violence in the books, the series is
suitable for anyone aged 12 and over, depending on reading level. Since
debuting my series, I’ve found a lot of children are interested in finding out
more. And who am I to turn down a young reader?
Author Autobiography:
Liam Gibbs knew he was destined to write at age four, when
he authored a breathtaking account of a cow who ate grass. The bovine saga
failed to catch the public’s eye but earned the budding author parental
acclaim. Since those early times, he’s gone on to write the novella
Superpowered and humorous articles for various magazines.
A twenty-year veteran of the brutal world of hand-to-hand
comic book fandom, Gibbs cut his teenage teeth on titles such as Spider-Man,
X-Men, New Warriors, and other Marvel comics.
Gibbs graduated college with a degree in professional
writing, which included classes on fiction writing and story structure. He
lives on the balmy shores of Ottawa, Canada, where he relaxes by watching
staggeringly awful horror and science fiction movies. A health and fitness nut,
he shoots lasers from his eyes, uses the word exclusive incorrectly, and once
wrestled an exclusive brontosaurus. True story.
Where, and in what
formats, can we purchase your books?
Two fantastic/unbelievably fantastic books in the series
have been released so far, both in paperback and Kindle format.
Book 1, Serial Fiction
Sideshow, can be found on Amazon.
Book 2, Home Sweet
Home Invasion, can also be found on Amazon.
Where can readers
connect with you online?
Readers can connect with the series and its author in so
many places.
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Renovodomus. Questions about the world or the book? Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the Biblical/Fantasy realm of the Tethered World, in Realm Explorers Part LXXXIV!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the Biblical/Fantasy realm of the Tethered World, in Realm Explorers Part LXXXIV!
-Annie Douglass Lima
No comments:
Post a Comment