Fiction Scribe

Hello everyone! Today I’ve interviewed science fiction author Darrell Bain and have asked him to tell us about his book Savage Survival. This book is a Special Limited Edition Hardcover, which could become a collector’s item.

I’m pleased to have him here on the site, and I hope you will all join me in welcoming him.

Hello and thank you for stopping at Fiction Scribe, Mr. Bain. Tell the readers a bit about yourself.

*Thanks for having me. I’m one of those folks who didn’t get into writing for publication until later on in life, although I’ve always liked to write. I dropped out of high school without finishing the ninth grade, spent a number of years in the military, including a couple in Vietnam that I wrote a fictional book about (Medics Wild!). After 13 years with the military I left and got a degree in Medical Technology. I’ve managed medical labs here and there, including Saudi Arabia, was a Christmas tree farmer for a while and now retired with my wife on the site of the farm and am now a full time writer. Anyone wanting to know more about me can read my autobiography on www.fictionwise.com (Darrell Bain’s World Of Books). A publisher saw some memoirs I’d posted on my web site in response to fans wanting to know about me and asked me to expand them into a complete book—the last thing I was expecting when I posted them! It will be in print form in 2008.

What brought you into the world of writing? When did you start?

*I pretty well answered that one above, but I’ll add that I really got started writing after purchasing my first computer in 1989, I think, and once I saw how easy a word processing program made typing, the first thing I did was write a novel, The Pet Plague. I’ve been at it ever since. I closed the farm when I turned 63 and have been writing full time since.

You’re currently on virtual tour for your science fiction novel, Savage Survival. Could you tell us a bit about the book?

*Yes, this is my favourite of all the dozens I’ve written. It is basically a coming of age science fiction novel, an old tradition in the genre. However, this book describes a particularly hard way to grow up, in a series of horrible environments where more die than survive. There’s a method to it, as readers will gradually realize as they follow Lyda, the protagonist, from age eleven to young womanhood.

What inspired you to write Savage Survival? Where did the idea begin?

*This was one of those rare novels that sprang almost full blown into my mind one morning, with the plot, theme, character and settings already there. The book practically wrote itself.

What character do you relate to the most and why?

*Lyda Brightner, of course. She epitomizes everything that is fine and noble about the human race and maintains that characteristic under almost indescribably severe environments.

Young Lyda Brightner has a horrible childhood of rape, murder, and more. How did you research and prepare yourself for writing for what would obviously be an at least slightly disturbed character?

*The only real research I had to do was to get the prison patois right, which is one reason the book is dedicated to some inmates. They helped a great deal. However, I suppose seeing orphans in Vietnam living hand to mouth on the streets and sometimes supporting younger siblings in the process, yet still managing to have an upbeat attitude about life had something to do with the idea. I still carry those scenes in my mind today and have nothing but admiration for those kids. And last, I had a sort of rugged childhood myself in some ways, living as a child at the bottom of the economic ladder and being shuffled around from parent to parent to guardian to relative and so on. That gave me some insight.

What drew you to writing this book in particular?

*I think I’ve pretty well described that already. Once all the aspects of the book boiled up in my mind that day, I could hardly wait to start writing, and finished it in one month flat.

Are there any authors who have inspired you in your writing?

*Oh yes. Robert Heinlein probably had the most influence. I admire John Varley, too. He’s another high school dropout. My wife Betty says my writing style resembles his and also another really good science fiction writer who’s appeared on the scene lately, Travis S. Taylor. I’m currently collaborating on a novel with him, and I consider it a great honour.

You’ve written in a number of genres; do you have a favourite?

*I love to write humour, but unfortunately, it doesn’t sell nearly as well as science fiction and thrillers. However, I enjoy writing those two genres, too. and combining them in one book. Sometimes I put a little humour into my more serious work just for fun.

What are your dreams for your writing?

*I suppose all writers dream of a best seller. Other than that, I just want to stay healthy enough to keep writing as long as I live.

When you’re not writing novels, what do you do?

*Read or talk with my wife, Betty.

Any advice for writers?

*Yup. The more you write, the better you’ll get. And finish what you start (this advice comes from Heinlein, not me, but I’m a strong advocate of it).

Thank you very much for your time.

*Thank you for having me. Just one last word: Savage Survival is really an upbeat novel, as readers will realize at the end.

If you would like to check out another interview with a science fiction author, go here for my interview with author Dwayne Anderson.