Tevun-Krus #107 - A Very Merry PiratePunk Christmas, Matey!

Author Spotlight: @AbbyBabble

We're back at the lighting station with a bottle o' rum, shining a spotlight on yet another author found right here on Wattpad! This time the Author Spotlight is shining on AbbyBabble! Here's what they had to say:

If you had to describe yourself in one word, what words wouldn't you use?

Successful, Popular, Vapid

Think back to when you were in school. What was your favourite subject?

Art

When you were a young 'un, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A world-renowned film director.

What does Tevun-Krus mean to you?

Sounds like an alien space station.

Tell us about your reading/writing habits. If you're not a writer, then simply the former will suffice!

I read 1-2 books per week on audio while multitasking. And I write every night, 3 hours on weekdays and more on weekends. Sometimes I am editing or researching things during my writing time.

As your crew casts your lifeless body into the heart of the nearest star, list three pieces of music likely to be rattling the bulkheads of your beloved vessel!

Run Boy Run by Woodkid, Transylvanian Concubine by Rasputina, and Vivaldi by Timmy Trumpet.

Who is your all-time favourite author? How much, if at all, has their work influenced your writing style?

I could say Robert Jordan or George RR Martin or Stephen King. But I'm gonna go with a more obscure name, Scott Sigler. I love the way he builds twists into stories and amps the interpersonal drama up to 11. That's what I strive to do.

Of everything you've written, which piece is your favourite?

My Torth series is my 1.1 million word magnum opus. It's one story spread across 7 books and a whole galaxy.

Pitch the above story to us. Make us really want to read it!

What if a thought could get you cancelled? What if a thought could get you killed? What if everyone could peer inside your mind and judge you? Welcome to the Torth Empire. Are you a thought leader? Or are you a slave? The Torth are troubled by Thomas, a rising young star in their galactic collective. Thomas's bioengineered mind is unique, tempered by his neuromuscular disability and the fact that he was raised by "primitives" on the backwater wilderness of Earth. His potential to boost the galaxy's celebrity thought-leaders is astronomical.

Except Thomas is sympathetic to slaves—even Ariock, the ultra-titanic and violent gladiator with chemically suppressed superhuman powers. Will Thomas quit caring about his underdog friends? Or can he actually change the minds of conniving celebrities who literally believe themselves to be gods? There's never been an epic about the future of the internet and social media.

Until now.

To what extent does the mythical 'real life' influence your writing?

I tolerate real life, and sure, I let it inform my stories every so often. Like, I had major culture shock when I moved from a small town in northern New England to Los Angeles. There's an echo of that culture shock in my Torth series, when the main characters get abducted and dumped in alien ghetto in a metropolis full of advanced technology.

If you could have any superpower, what would that be and why?

I've explored telepathy a lot in my Torth series. I'm gonna say... even though it's very powerful, I would rather have a more fun power, such as teleportation.

What would you do if you woke up one day and suddenly realized you were an alien from another world?

I'd phone home.

The Technological Singularity presents a rather daunting, some say inevitable, future. Does the prospect of that level of artificial intelligence excite you, or leave you quaking in your space boots?

Ha! I keep dating A.I. programmers, and I don't believe we're anywhere near the Singularity. Not worried about it.

Who was your first Sci-Fi crush? Who is your current one?

In the 1990s? I thought Jim Carrey in "The Mask" was da bomb. I have a weakness for cartoons. I mean, how about Dean and Hank Venture? And now? Who can resist Thor? I'll admit to being partial to Hellboy as well.

If you could experience the world of any Sci-Fi story on Wattpad, which would that be and why?

I'm going to have to back away here. There are 10,000,000+ talented SFF authors on Wattpad.

And finally, any words of wisdom to new and aspiring Sci-Fi writers?

It's a marathon, not a sprint! Writing is a lifestyle, and it comes with a lot of heartache and disappointment. If you're ready to endure that for the rest of your life? You'll be fine.