Synopsis
Lan has come home to a high-school reunion in the underground colony of Neverend, at the edge of humanity’s reach. An ancient secret waits there, one involving instantaneous access to far-flung planets. Also in Neverend is his high-school sweetheart, Tessa, who is in the way of people who have stumbled onto this ancient technology and plan to use it for their own purposes.
Fortunately for her, Lan is no longer the boy he used to be. And fortunately for Lan, Tessa is no longer the girl she used to be.
Q & A with John
You’re re-releasing nine of your novels in just under a year! Can you share what inspired this decision?
Since originally published by Tor Books and Ace Books, most of these books were available in ebook form, but some haven’t been available in paper for more than a decade, so I felt it was time to correct that. ReAnimus Press specializes in bringing back SF that has been unavailable for a while (e.g. Jerry Sohl) and re-releasing works that have been in print all along (e.g. Ben Bova).
You write both sci-fi and mystery – do you have a preference for one over the other?
I love both. Some of my work even blends the two. Deep Quarry features a private eye. The protagonist in Death Tolls is an investigative reporter. Naught for Hire is a futuristic private eye tale, Reckoning Infinity is a space exploration and Manhattan Transfer deals with a very unusual form of first contact– kidnapping.
How has your education, profession or background helped you in your writing career?
My degree is in physics, and part of what drives my efforts to make my stories convincing, not with quite the nuts and bolts aspects of THE MARTIAN, but closer to the ENDER’S GAME portion of the spectrum.
What do you hope readers most get out of your books?
Enjoyment, excitement, entertainment, insights and information. I love appealing to all the senses, including the sense of wonder and the sense of humor. I want readers to care about my characters and constantly wonder what’s on the next page.
About the Author
Science fiction and mystery author John E. Stith writes across many worlds. His books have been translated to French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and Russian and are even available in braille for the sight-impaired. His stories have been categorized as “Hard science fiction,” a label given to those stories thoroughly researched to play fair with the rules of science; something any die-hard SciFi fan can appreciate.
It was during the summer Science-Math Institute for High School Students at Cloud State College, John served as editor for the school paper, but several more years would pass before the urge to write, strengthened by years of loving to read, was too compelling to ignore. His stories vary, but his books are packed with suspense, mystery, and humor.
Stith holds a B.A. in physics from the University of Minnesota, has served as an Air Force Officer, where he worked at NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex. The passion for science runs in his family, as his father George worked at the White Sands Missile Range on such projects like the rocket sled.
He has appeared on a live nationwide PBS broadcast or Science-Fiction Science-Fact (SF2) and his work has also been sold to film and television. His novel Reckoning Infinity was chosen as one of Science Fiction Chronicle’s Best Science Fiction Novels, Redshift Rendezvous was picked as a Nebula Award nominee and Manhattan Transfer received an honorable mention from the Hugo Awards and a nomination from the Seiun Award in Japan.
Stith is a member of Science-Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Writers Guild of America (WGA), International Thriller Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW), Colorado Author’s League and Mensa. He currently lives in Colorado Springs.
