Published by Mythos Press\GMTA Publishing on 7-2-2014
Genres: Science Fiction
Pages: 218
Format: eBook
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-ATTENTION- The Hunter Class Spacecraft designated 'The Amberjack' disappeared during a routine mission to Seek, Locate and Destroy the enemy Machine Mind contingent known as ‘The Ochre’. Conclusion: It was either destroyed by the Ochre or went rogue for reasons unknown. If sighted, approach with extreme caution.
On the planet Borealis, a violent revolution forces Samantha Marriot and her parents to flee their home for the relative safety of ‘The Rainbow Islands’. Once there, Sam discovers a secret her father has been keeping from her all her life, a secret that will change everything.
Meanwhile, The Machine Mind Hierarchy of Earth dispatches a ship to rid themselves of the planet’s troublesome human population. The only hope of a defence lies with a damaged binary Hunter unit that has long since abandoned both its programming and weaponry. In order for the unit to succeed it must call upon the aid of an ancient enemy, and prove, once and for all, that it is a Hunter no more.
Giveaway
Interview With G.D. Tinnams
Can you talk a little about what the book is about?
Hunter No More is set in an unspecified future where machine kind have superseded mankind as the rulers of Earth and use humanity as a tool to spread their influence throughout the galaxy. Whenever one of these human colony planets rises up against its government the machine minds purge that planet entirely, killing innocent and guilty alike, after which they simply repopulate. The novel deals with the struggle by a rogue machine mind and its human family to prevent a purge on one particular planet. There are underlying themes of freedom of choice, responsibility, growing up, betrayal, love, and revenge.
What makes your book unique?
I’m not writing to any particular formula, rather I’m writing what I like to write and I’m exploring themes that I want to explore and asking questions that I’m interested in asking. I’m not sure if that makes my book unique, but it makes it very interesting to write and hopefully enjoyable to read.
Where did you get the idea for the book?
I had the initial idea of a machine mind in human form, damaged and taken care of by humans, and then forming an attachment it didn’t quite understand itself which in turn compelled it to act against its programming. It grew from there. Where the idea came from? No idea.
Is there any message you want readers to get from reading the book?
Just questions really. Do we conform or do we make a choice? Do we believe ourselves to be good because we rationalise that nothing we do is evil?
How long did it take to write the book?
About a year which included several drafts and a lot of editing; I’m never happy with what I write so it’s always a miracle when I finish anything,
Who is your favorite character, or what character was the most fun to write?
Roger Ketch, because he always challenged and pushed the other characters and they either loved him or hated him for it. Despite his lack of any superhuman abilities or intellect, he voluntarily put himself in the most danger. Irascible and complaining, he was nevertheless always courageous.
Can you talk about how you wrote it? Did you do any outlining? Did it take you in any unexpected directions?
I had some rough ideas which I threw into the mix, but beyond that I’ve always believed that characters drive the plot, and once they are developed enough, they write the story and the author has to keep up. Sometimes this is not predictable, and without giving away any twists in the novel, I can tell you this – there definitely are twists.
If you could go back and change anything in the novel, what would it be?
That’s a tough one. At the moment it’s too fresh in my mind, but I have no doubt that as I develop as a writer there will be some decisions I regret. I don’t know what they are yet, but in a few years I’m sure there will be a large number of elements that will nag at me. The writer I am now isn’t the writer I’ll be in ten years time. Hopefully future me will be a lot better.
How did you come up with the cover?
I didn’t, rather I saw something that caught my eye as suitably epic and made suggestions to the guys at GMTA publishing. They did the rest.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I’m been going on about being a writer since at least the age of eleven and I know that’s when my parents bought me a typewriter.
What was the first story that you ever wrote?
The Defenders a twenty two page story about American secret agents with super powers. The hero finally defeated the villain by transforming into an elephant and stomping him. Not very deep, but I was only eleven.
What is your favorite genre, and why?
Science Fiction – at first because it was pure escapism and later because it challenged me to think about the world around me. When I was a child I used to read pulp books like The Galactic Warlord or The Starstormers and then that grew into Susan Cooper, and then John Wyndham and then Orson Scott Card, Robert J Sawyer, Greg Egan… The list goes on. I suppose it grew up with me, and I was never tempted to read much else.
Are there any books you are absolutely inspired by?
Permutation City absolutely blew my mind with the entire concept of digital identity while Ender’s Game showed me how dedicated, driven and haunted a character could be. The Dark Is Rising has to be a favourite for building mystery and mood while The Golden Fleece is an example of an author who just makes it look easy when it isn’t.
What are you working on next?
I have some ideas which have not coalesced into a fully story yet, so it will probably take a while. Initially right now it’s a human chasing immortality and paying a price for it. Needless to say it will be different to my last novel, but a bit the same, but different again. We’ll see.
What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Don’t think you can read a few successful books and then imitate them and come up with a successful book yourself. You won’t enjoy it and you won’t get anything out of it. You have to write what you want to write and follow your own instincts. It’s a sometimes painful and laborious process but also a very satisfying one.
How do you juggle writing with family time?
The short answer, not very well. Writing isn’t something I can sit down and do very day and the flow can be hard to find sometimes. I’ve only written two novels so far and maybe the third will never get written, but I also enjoy it too much to give up. It would be nice to have a set routine, but there is too much other stuff going on, both in a good way and a bad way. I just do it when I can and let’s face it, if it’s something you enjoy doing, you always find the time somehow.
About G.D. Tinnams
G.D. Tinnams has worked as a barman, a call centre
operator, an IT support analyst, and a software tester. But during all this time he was also an insatiable reader of science fiction and fantasy books like Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising Sequence, Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, Robert Charles Wilson’s Blind Lake and Greg Egan’s Permutation City. He is very fond of weird, mind-bending stories and decided quite early on to try writing some. ‘Surface Tension’ is his second novel.
