We had a quick chat with one of our Mother of Invention authors, E.C. Myers. If you’ve backed our Kickstarter, drop us a comment here by 30 June, 5pm AEST (that’s 3am  EDT and midnight PDT) . You’ll need to include the name you used on Kickstarter so that we can verify your details. You’ll go in the running to win a signed copy of E.C. Myers’ novel, Fair Coin (postage within the continental U.S. only).

 

No spoilers, of course, but can you tell us one cool thing about your Mother of Invention story?

I love anime, and a classic show I used to like (which in retrospect is horribly flawed, as it was targeted toward pubescent boys) is Video Girl Ai. It’s about a “video girl”, a VHS tape with a recording of a girl named Ai Amano which is intended to encourage lonely men–only this girl comes alive, a la Weird Science. (See what I mean about it being problematic?) This series didn’t inspire my story, but it’s been bubbling up in my subconscious as I write it. In many ways, I’m writing the reverse of the premise of Video Girl Ai… more along the lines of Video Girl AI.

Tell about your favourite fictional AI or robot (from any medium!).

That’s an easy one. My favorite fictional robot is the Iron Giant from Brad Bird’s criminally underrated animated film of the same name. The message of the film is incredibly moving: “You are who you choose to be.” And as sappy as it may sound, every time I watch the movie, without fail, the ending brings me to tears.

What else have you published/worked on recently (or have forthcoming)?

My latest publication is a collection of short stories linked to my Silence of Six series titled 1985: Stori3s from SOS, which is from Adaptive Books and exclusively available at Barnes & Noble. I have short stories forthcoming in several anthologies all due in the fall: Where the Stars Rise: Asian Science Fiction and Fantasy (Laksa Media), Behind the Song (Sourcebooks), and Feral Youth (Simon Pulse). I’m also currently co-writing season two of ReMade, a science fiction serial from Serial Box Publishing, which features some interesting and disturbing AIs in various incarnations.

E.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts. He has published four novels and short stories in various magazines and anthologies, most recently 1985: Stori3s from SOS. His first novel, Fair Coin, won the 2012 Andre Norton Award for Young Adult SF and Fantasy. [Twitter]