Interview with spec fiction author Darby Harn

Today’s special guest is spec fic author Darby Harn. We’re chatting about his new superhero collection of short stories, In Between: Stories of the Eververse.

During his virtual book tour, Darby will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
Darby Harn is a novelist, freelance writer and podcaster. His novels include Ever the Hero, The Judgement of Valene, Nothing Ever Ends and A Country Of Eternal Light. His short fiction appears in Strange Horizons, Interzone, Shimmer and other venues.

Please tell us about your current release.
In Between: Stories of the Eververse is a story collection of novellas and short stories set in the Eververse, my speculative fiction series about autistic superhero Kit Baldwin. Kit takes on superpowered wolves, zombie gangs, and more strange challenges as she discovers more about herself and her powers. For readers who have read the other books in the series, this book continues to add layers to the world. For new readers, it’s a great jumping on point.

What inspired you to write this book?
The simple answer is I missed Kit. The first three novels in the series each have a different main character, and I wanted to tell more stories with Kit, who is the MC of the first book. I was writing stories and novellas in between the novels that became a way of staying connected to her and ultimately going on this journey of discovery myself. Kit’s autistic, which is fairly evident in the other books, but in the course of these stories she begins to acknowledge and accept this. That process of discovering who she is later in life mirrored my own.

Also, I just love this world. I wanted to explore the possibilities and the consequences of a world where an alien spaceship crashes in the middle of the city and starts leaking radiation. People get superhuman powers. Is it just people? What happens to the ecosystem of that city? What kind of challenges does Kit face in just trying to maintain order in a place like this when she struggles to find order within herself? As much as the stories are about these fantastic things, they’re considerations of reality and morality that are more of a literary approach to the genre.

Excerpt from In Between: Stories of the Eververse
Post Credits Scene:
“Bring my girlfriend back to life,” the old man says.

Since I got my powers, I get all kinds of strange requests. A fair number of them are curiously sexual, but mostly people ask me to do some good in the world. Catch asteroids. Cure cancer, end hunger, please and thank you. You know.

Little things.

This one might go up on the fridge. Bring his girlfriend back to life? He could do with some help himself. Seventy, maybe. Liver spots. A rattle in his chest like a bad engine. Still, he got up here on the roof. He knew it was me, warming my feet with the other birds.

Sometimes, I don’t know when I’m me.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m currently writing book five of the Eververse, which focuses on Kit again. I’m about 40% in to that and I’m very excited by it so far. Book four will be out in 2023. I’m also working on a space opera novel I hope to share more about in the near future.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve always been writing. I don’t know if I had a moment where I thought of myself as a writer or author, but in writing these stories and this book in particular, I’ve felt like I’ve finally come to a place where I’m the writer I want to be. These are the kinds of stories I want to tell and I’m no longer searching or struggling to find a voice or identity. I’ve found it.

Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
My day job is being a freelance writer, so I’m always writing. I work 10 or 12 hour days depending on how intense things are. I break things up into chunks to try and manage.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I love voices. I love the way people talk. There’s an aspect of my writing that I think is just interested in the sound and rhythm and melody of the language.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be creative and I always have been in some way. I also wanted to be an astronaut, and I suppose I go on long, strange trips in my books.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
I’m always happy when people let me know they’ve read and enjoyed the books. I love to hear from readers!

Links:
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