But when I got the chance to interview one of my favorite authors, and on the eve of the release of a long-awaited sequel, it was impossible to pass.
So, here is my short interview of the great 'Adrian Tchaikovsky', whose sequel to the acclaimed 'Elder Race' named 'Engines of Reason' is releasing today.
1) Hi and welcome to my blog. Hope you're doing well. Nowadays everyone who read fantasy or sci-fi know who Adrian Tchaikovsky is. Start by telling something about you that generally your fans aren't aware of, please.
1) Hi and welcome to my blog. Hope you're doing well. Nowadays everyone who read fantasy or sci-fi know who Adrian Tchaikovsky is. Start by telling something about you that generally your fans aren't aware of, please.
AT: That’s a tough one. I feel like I’ve spilled just about everything about myself in one interview or another. Possibly people don’t know that I used to be an evil lawyer before the writing really took off? Or that my name isn’t spelled like this (check the copyright page of my books!). Honestly there’s not much to be outside the writing!
2) It's been 5 years since the release of 'Elder Race', what made you return to it?
AT: Sometimes sequel ideas take a while to come together. A lot of the time there’s a wait to see if the book will take off (and so if the publisher will even want a sequel) but in ER’s case it did inexplicably well right out of the gate – something about it caught people’s imaginations and I think it was the first of my books that really did well over in the US, for example. However it was also fairly self-contained, and for a while I wasn’t sure what the story would be about Lyn and Nyr’s future, that would be worth the telling. Presumably they just had something of a quiet life? Apparently not, as my imagination belatedly furnished! The story of Engines of Reason came to me a long time after, when a couple of fragments of book ideas sort of collided in my head and I realised the resulting amalgam looked a lot like it fit into Elder Race’s world.
3) We all remember Lyn and Nyx like it was yesterday. Have they changed much in this sequel? Will there be any new viewpoint characters this time?
AT: Sometimes sequel ideas take a while to come together. A lot of the time there’s a wait to see if the book will take off (and so if the publisher will even want a sequel) but in ER’s case it did inexplicably well right out of the gate – something about it caught people’s imaginations and I think it was the first of my books that really did well over in the US, for example. However it was also fairly self-contained, and for a while I wasn’t sure what the story would be about Lyn and Nyr’s future, that would be worth the telling. Presumably they just had something of a quiet life? Apparently not, as my imagination belatedly furnished! The story of Engines of Reason came to me a long time after, when a couple of fragments of book ideas sort of collided in my head and I realised the resulting amalgam looked a lot like it fit into Elder Race’s world.
AT: A good few years have passed for them, and not entirely happily. Political and personal changes have driven them apart, Lyn’s been married and has a child, Nyr is kicking about playing Merlin in the Lanessite court. Nobody’s particularly happy but it’s been a sort of gradual decline rather than anything catastrophic. At the start of the book there’s some bandit/rebel activity that starts to look as though someone has got a hold of the old colonial technology, meaning it falls into Nyr’s bailiwick, and that’s where we meet our new PoV character, Sendra, a bandit/rebel who also thinks he’s got a hold of the old technology, but in fact has found something rather more problematic…
4) Now that the second book is here, are there more stories you want to tell in this setting or using these characters?
AT: The end of the 2nd book ties off this particular story but leave enough threads that you can see where a third book will go. So there should eventually be a trilogy of novellas.
AT: As usual there’s quite a lot on the plate. I have some new Warhammer stuff which hasn’t been announced yet, and I’m just finishing a Cage of Souls sequel. There are a couple more standalone SF books contracted for, one of which I’ve delivered, and a fantasy novella that’s quite different to anything I’ve written before, titled “Last Song of Ash”. The Terrible Worlds series has another three to go after the recently released Preaching to the Choir, two of which have been written. I’ve also got some plans to expand my repertoire into areas of the genre I’ve not previously touched. Watch this space!
6) So 2026 is more than half over. Any books you read from the year you liked?
AT: I got an advance copy of Claire North’s As We Fall Through Time and it blew my mind. Amazing book. Premee Mohammed’s Wickhills is very good, and Ian Green’s The Deep and the Drowned. Beyond that I’m still getting to read new stuff via Emma’s recommendations on the Starship Alexandria podcast, which people can check out.
7) I have been reviewing or blogging for about 12 years now. And only just have the time and decided to try my hand on writing fiction. Can you impart a bit of guidance or instructions for new writers like myself?
AT: It’s very tricky – from a craft perspective everyone has their own process and method, and you have to find that organically, trial and error. From an industry perspective, I got into print almost 20 years ago now, and things have changed so much in that time that I don’t really have up to date advice. I think the old adage of “Just write” is always good. The more you write the better you get – there are no shortcuts to that, and using aids like AI to write for you – however you try to limit that – will only rob you of the chance to hone your skills. You can’t ever get better that way, Also, write what you love. I think a lot of people try to write whatever looks popular, whether it speaks to them or not. Write the book that only you can write, not the book everyone else is trying to write.
Wow, that was an amazing interview. Not only did Adrian tell us some of the amazing work he has coming for us (I am especially intrigued by the Warhammer stuff), he also informed us about some great books from 2026. But I particularly liked his insight and advice for aspiring new writers like myself; his comment about AI and writing the book that only I can especially resonates.
About 'Engines of War' -
On a planet where stories govern identity, where science and magic are a merely point of view, a fallen princess, a reluctant wizard, and a precocious child must unravel the past to shape the future.
Betrayal, ancient myths, and the clash of worlds converge in this spellbinding tale of courage, friendship, and self-discovery.
A profound exploration of identity, memory, and discovery from one of science fiction’s most compelling voices.
About Adrian Tchaikovsky -
Adrian primarily explores deep themes, such as artificial intelligence and alien awareness within epic galactic and fantastical settings.
He has a deep interest in the animal world specifically insects from his studies in Zoology and has a particular penchant for spiders.
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