Welcome to the book tour for The Clockmaker’s Tale…and Other Stories by Ian Williams. Today you’re going to take a peek inside the book and get to know the author and his writing better in this interview. Follow the tour for even more! Leave your questions and comments along the way. Best of luck entering the giveaway!
In The Clockmaker’s Tale: and other stories, Ian Williams takes us to the near future and beyond. From a moon base where androids conduct experiments on human test subjects, to futuristic tours of the ocean depths that hide a terrible secret; from a society governed by harsh rule of law that is enforced by AI, to a humble clockmaker tempted by the promise of increased productivity through technological augmentation.
Covering issues such as environmental decay, the end of facts and proven truths, our growing waste problem, and humanity’s tendency to divide when we should come together, this collection of six science fiction stories relates as much to our time as it does to the many possible futures.
Read an excerpt:
Returning to his briefcase, Alexander produced a card from an outside pocket. “Here,” he said, holding it between two of his fingers. George took it and looked it over, now realising there was a sales pitch to follow. He’s better at this than I am, he had to admit. At the top of the textured card was the name of a company he was certain he knew but couldn’t quite place. “ACC?” “Adaptive Cognition and Cybernetics. We specialise in cutting-edge, next-generation, technology. Our latest product was made for people just like you, who need more hours in a day than the good Lord provides.” I left my work for this? George was less than impressed. “Thank you, but I...” “Before you say no, how about I show you what I’m talking about?” Alexander picked up his briefcase and walked to the counter, where he placed it down and clicked open the catches. He kept his back turned until he was ready to present his product. When he turned, George was immediately drawn forward, to inspect the object himself. He was fascinated by the curved design. It had a snowy-white casing, with delicately printed calligraphy underlined by a sweeping blue line, and a tiny, built-in, LED screen. It appeared as well-made as any of his clocks. Such a high degree of engineering, yet it remained a simple-looking thing. “This,” Alexander said, not quite ready to hand over the device, “is our latest model. It’s called a Work Buddy.”
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Describe your book in one sentence or fewer than 25 words.
Six stories exploring the future we are creating, and how, if messed up, future generations will ultimately suffer because of it.
What was the inspiration behind this book?
After many years of watching certain issues such as climate change and plastic waste get worse and worse over the years, I felt a need to make my own points about them. I suppose you could say my frustrations with humanity were the main inspiration behind these stories.
Will we see these characters again?
Boy, from the story ‘Last Bus to Freedom’, may have a future in another story I have planned for the future. I am considering the plot in my spare moments. Who knows, perhaps a much older Boy will have to fight again sometime soon. I’ll let him rest a little longer first.
Who would be your dream narrator for the audio book version?
As a major Star Trek fan, I would have to pick Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard from The Next Generation). Or William Shatner, with as many Shatner pauses as he wants!
What do you hope people will get out of your book?
As with all stories I write, I hope that readers enjoy them first and foremost. I want people to have a good time learning about the worlds I build within my fiction writing. Then, once they are good and comfortable, I aim to kick the chair out from under them with a thought-provoking turn or two.
Tell us about your other published works.
I have five other published works, Transitory, The Sentient Trilogy, and Mayhem, Madness and Mirth. Transitory is a novel about a strange festival that takes place on a distant alien world. The Sentient Trilogy follows Graham and friends as they battle with an AI hellbent on world domination. And finally, Mayhem, Madness and Mirth is a short story collection I co-authored with an author friend.
What is your writing routine?
I first start with a rough (very rough) plan of the plot. I like to have all major parts outlined in advance, that way I can estimate the story’s size. Too many plot points may make a story feel bloated; too few, and it may seem a little sparse.
After that comes the research. I want to have the information ready to hand when I begin writing. I feel there is nothing worse for the flow of a story than too much time away looking something else up.
Once I have that done, I begin the story.
What is the best writing advice you ever received?
To love what you write. No one will want to read your work if you’ve not fallen in love with it first.
What is your favorite part about writing?
By far, my favourite part about writing is world-building. I adore creating worlds, only to destroy them when the time is right. I rule over these tiny imaginary places which only exist between my ears until I write them down and share them with others.
What are you currently reading? Up next on your TBR?
I recently finished Andi Weir’s excellent Project Hail Mary (I was lucky enough to get a signed copy). Next up is the follow up to Jeff VanderMeer’s intriguing and creepy Borne, called Dead Astronauts.
Ian Williams is a Science Fiction writer from the UK. He lives in a small town not far from London. Ian had a short career in the UK Court Service but was forced to quit that job when his medical condition worsened. Now, from the comfort of his wheelchair, he writes the stories he has always wanted to read. His writing spans lightyears of space, to near-future Earths; from small changes to society, to entirely new civilisations.
Author Website: HOME | Ian Williams Sci-Fi Author (ianwilliamsauthor.com)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ian-Williams-Author-Page-1552239548176515/
Ian Williams will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
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Thank you for hosting!
Many thanks for hosting!
Great post – thanks for sharing!
I really enjoyed the excerpt and look forward to reading the book.