Tevun-Krus #79 - LGBTQ+ SF

Author Spotlight: @BeeKienitz

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

Straight, organized, down-to-earth

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

Band. (I was a percussionist)

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

Dolphin trainer, naturalist, military musician.

What does Tevun-Krus mean to you?

*leans against the wall in a back alley and stares off into the abyss* "Yeah, I remember Tevun-Krus. I remember what I did to that place, and what it did to me. Tevun-Krus is what you want it to be, what you need it to be. The price is that it makes you what it needs you to be, too. A place like that leaves a mark on your soul, but I can never return to its call."

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

I do a lot of reading and writing on my phone, because I do my best writing when I really shouldn't be writing. When life is mundane, my mind loves to wander to the worlds I create. When I set aside writing time, I like to sit in coffee shop windows and smile away passersby, because my favorite stories are about human (or inhuman) connection, and those little moments of acknowledging strangers and making them feel seen are inspiring.

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!

I'm going to cheat. We've cued up the Steven Universe soundtrack, the Mandalorian soundtrack, and we have a traditional Irish session band stashed in the hold for after-hours.

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

star-powered Maggie Derrick is my favorite author of all time. Her writing is like taking a seat in your favorite pieces of art, and watching them unfold around you. I don't think her style has influenced me profoundly, but she has definitely pushed me to up my game as a writer.

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

Unbecoming Humans is so much more to me than a story. It was a fever dream and a heart song. It's a story that would have changed my life as a young reader. It's been several years since I started the series, and it's still changing my life today.

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

In Unbecoming Humans, I set out to write a queer Hunger Games; one where the queer characters don't die needlessly (spoiler alert: the queers don't die). The story has evolved a lot from that basic concept, but it's never gone from my mind. The characters in Unbecoming Humans are a mashup of the superhuman things we want to be (strong, intelligent, beautiful) and the very human things that we are (loving, cruel, jealous, scared, courageous, still beautiful). These young, genetically modified superhumans are locked away to protect them from a world succumbing to the apocalypse, and raised to give rise to the next evolution of humanity. For Aria, being a superhuman locked in a lab on a path pre-determined scientists wanting to play God, is not super at all. That is, until a new young woman is brought to the compound. Nima is clever, strong, and beautiful even before having her genes modified, and her smile is exactly the kind of trouble Aria has been waiting for.

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

Real life exists in connection and relationships. Everything else is up for interpretation.

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

I would shapeshift into a raven. They are clever, mischievous, loving, and they can fly. Such delightful creatures.

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

I would seek answers? Why am i here? How did i get here? Where did i come from, and why did I leave?

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?

Both! I am an agent of change and chaos to the point of recklessness. Will technology destroy us, will it advance us? Who knows! But won't it be exciting to find out?

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

My first was probably Padme from the Star Wars prequels. Most recently, Cara Dune from The Mandalorian.

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

I've been on a queer superhero kick lately. If you have those stories, send them my way. I just want superfolks who are hopelessly in love because I love love, and I love struggling heroes

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

Wattpad is about writing what you want to write. Don't worry about industry standards, or reader comments telling you what you should write. The universe is yours to create (or destroy). Have fun, open yourself up to possibilities, and do the thing.