Read on for an exclusive interview with author Richard Dee!

1. First of all, for anyone that doesn’t know about you please can you provide a short introduction. Where are you from, what do you write, and how long have you been writing? (As well as any other info you feel relevant)

Hi, everyone. It’s great to be here and have the chance to talk about my writing life. I’m a native of Brixham in South Devon. I left as a teenager and I’m happy to say that I’ve finally managed to return to live here again in retirement.

I never wrote much when I was younger, I hated putting pen to paper and received little encouragement at school. In fact, I was told that I was incapable of writing anything interesting. I spent a lot of my life at sea, where I had to write official paperwork as well as keeping in touch with family by letter (This was in the days before satellite communications and email). I found the letter writing hard, I saw the wonders of the deep and struggled to describe them.

Then, out of the blue, I had a dream. It kept repeating, night after night. I thought that I was going crazy, and in desperation, I wrote down as much of it as I could remember, hoping that would clear it from my head. To my surprise, it worked. Then I had another dream, which I realised was connected to the first. So, I wrote that down too. The dreams kept coming, and I kept writing. In 2013, my first novel, Freefall, was born.

An injury to my shoulder and the chance discovery of NaNoWriMo in 2014 resulted in my second novel, Ribbonworld.

I’ve been writing ever since.

2. You are known for your ability to create complex, detailed worlds. How do you come up with your ideas in terms of locations, technology, etc?

In my life, I’ve travelled to many different places. At a time before globalization, before the fall of the Berlin Wall, everywhere was totally different to everywhere else. Contacting home was difficult. I think visiting such places gave me insight and ideas for diverse locations and people, even though I never knew it at the time. And being on a ship with a small crew is great for learning about human behaviour.

My mind must have stored it all up, ready for the moment when I started getting the dreams. All I’ve done is move everything out into space and made up some science to accompany it.

As for the technical accuracy of the worlds I build, I’m a great believer in the saying, attributed to Isaac Asimov. “Nothing has to be true but everything has to sound true.”

To me, this means taking the science we have today and expanding it into a future or an alternative reality that sounds plausible and appears to function.

I’m also a bit of a geek, I love science and avidly read about the latest discoveries and technology. As I’m digesting it, I’m looking for somewhere that I can use it. Or paying attention to what it sparks in my head.

When you investigate, it’s surprising how much of what we might need to survive on another planet we already possess. All we require is a place to go and a way of getting there. And if history has taught us anything, it’s that humanity, for all its faults, always finds a way of getting what it wants.

I try not to fall into the trap of creating static universes, filled with pointless wonders that have no real use (apart from the ornamental) or basis in possibility. My worlds are functional, with everything having a purpose, which I think helps the reader to relate to them. And they evolve and develop as stories and series progress.

3. What is it about Sci-Fi that you enjoy so much? How did you first come to love the genre?

I grew up on 1950s Sci-fi, either through the pulp magazines swapped at school or gifted by cousins. Then there were the old movies on our black and white T.V., with titles like The Day the Earth Stood Still, This Island Earth or Creature from the Black Lagoon. As well as the novels of such people as Asimov, Clarke and Bradbury, which I read avidly.

As a child of the 1950s, my early years were dominated by space. Telstar (great song, too), the first manned spaceflights, Gemini, Apollo and all the excitement of a new frontier that seemed to be growing as I did. It was a time when anything seemed possible.

I remember watching the first-ever episode of Dr Who and wondering if the police box I’d seen in Paignton could be the TARDIS, which gave me a shiver.

 I loved the idea of heading out into the unknown (maybe that’s why I went to sea?) and discovering what was there. And I loved the way Sci-fi portrayed the future, with people who weren’t that different from us. They had all our good bits, as well as our vices, carried across time and space to a new home.

And Aliens, there was a whole new topic for speculation.

4. What can readers of your books expect? What sets you apart in the genre?

As well as a good story and a realistic setting, I want my stories to be accessible. Written in such a way that the science doesn’t put people off by being more important than the fiction.

I like to drop you into what you think is a familiar situation and, just when you’re getting comfortable, give it a twist.

A review of one of my books said that I wrote Sci-fi for people who don’t like Sci-fi. I liked the sound of that, because it meant that the world I’d created for my character’s adventures was functioning properly. After all, most of us don’t take much notice of the science in today’s world. We’re aware that it exists and we use it but it compliments, rather than overwhelms the story of our lives.

I’m not into writing about whatever seems to be the latest trend. What I try to do is to mix genres and tropes a little, just to see what happens.

5. Aside from writing, you’re an avid cook. But what are the key ingredients for cooking up a believable sci-fi world?

I love cooking, largely because I spent years on ships, with no choice over what I ate. Sure, it was all done for me, but it’s not the same. Some of it was gourmet quality, and some was… well, let’s not go there.

I think the same sort of idea applies to creating a world. Sometimes it’s better if it’s not all done for you. In the same way that Alfred Hitchcock worked, I think that suggestion is always better than giving the reader everything. Let their imagination help you.

 To continue the analogy. You need the right basics before you can begin, everything must be set up to function. You start with one or two ingredients and add more as time goes on. Pay attention and keep stirring, don’t let things stick or burn. Very often, the last thing you put into a dish elevates it. Especially if it’s an ingredient nobody expected.

And when you’re serving, the first bite is always with the eye. So cover design is important, too.

6. One of your most notable series follows the character of Andorra Pett. How did she come into being and what can you tell us about this series?

Andorra Pett is the result of a bet. What’s more, she was only ever intended to be a short story. In 2016, my wife was reading one of those “Cupcake Café on the Beach” type stories. This was after I had published a couple of books and was wondering what I might do next.

“I bet you couldn’t write a female lead character,” she said.

I thought about it, I had a wife and three daughters, they all had strong characters. Their lives had given me plenty of heart-stopping moments, good, bad and downright hilarious. Surely, I could think of something?

My brain went to work. Andorra Pett was the result. I took the theme of my wife’s book and moved it into space. Andora was getting away from a cheating boyfriend, in a time not too far from now. She ended up on a space station orbiting Saturn, where they were mining the rocks in the rings for rare minerals. There she took on the lease of a derelict café (There’s the food thing again). And mayhem ensued.

Andorra’s an amalgamation of the ladies in my life, although which part of her comes from each is a closely guarded secret. She’s accident-prone, can be a bit dozy at times, but above it all, she’s loyal, lovable and tenacious. And a lot cleverer than she thinks.

Like all good amateur detectives, she had a sidekick. Hers is Cy, her best friend. He was bored with his life, so he tagged along for the adventure and to keep her out of trouble. When they discovered a body in the café, she had to turn detective and try to avoid becoming the next victim, all while learning to live in a new environment.

When I finished writing the first story, I just kept going. Before I knew it, I had written a second.

People started to read them and asked me for more. I’m now writing her sixth full-length story, there are also a couple of short tales available in various places. As well as on the space station, Andorra has had adventures on Mars (twice) back on Earth, on an interstellar cruise liner and on the Moon.

I have no idea what else she might get up to. But I have started writing about the exploits of her great-granddaughter, Faye Masters.

7. You have a very interesting background in terms of your career. What can you tell us about this and how has it affected your writing?

I failed all my O Levels in 1974 and went to work in a supermarket. I didn’t enjoy school, I had no idea what I was going to do but I wanted to travel. One of the only teachers who had helped me persuaded me to retake my exams and I applied for a job as an apprentice Navigator with P & O Shipping Company The second time around, I passed enough subjects to get the job and joined my first ship in 1975.

Time on ships was mixed with time at college. I passed my Second Mate’s Certificate of Competency in 1978. My First Mate’s followed in 1982 and I became a Master Mariner in 1986. I also obtained a B.Sc. in Nautical Science.

While all this was going on, I got married and started a family. I got fed up with four or five-month trips away from them and changed track, while keeping involved in shipping. I was a Marine Insurance surveyor for a while, a lock keeper and an assistant Harbor Master at the Thames Barrier. In 1994, I was head-hunted to train as a ship’s pilot for the River Thames. I did this until a shoulder injury forced early retirement in 2015. I used to pilot ships through the Thames Estuary, Tower Bridge, the Thames Barrier and even the wilds of Barking Creek. Travelling and meeting people from different cultures gave me a wealth of stories, which I’m gradually reworking into my writing.

8. You have many books out there, where should a new reader start? Do you have a recommended reading order? Are your series and stand-alones interconnected at all? Tell us everything!

That’s a tricky question. Because of the random nature of the ideas I get, my writing isn’t confined to a single genre. With over twenty books to choose from, in several series as well as stand-alone, there’s a real mixture. And they don’t all conform to genre stereotypes, as I said before I do like to mix things up a little. Once we have settled the Galaxy, there will be as many settings as you could possibly want and not all of them will be aware of the others. After all, there are plenty of planets to go around. They might be hundreds of light years or centuries apart. And that’s before you get to the alternative realities.

Most of my work is broadly Sci-fi, I guess you’d call it space opera, stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, in a futuristic setting. There are corporate conspiracies, tales of space traders scratching a living on the edge, good guys and bad, as well as some who could be both. Many are set in the same universe, at different times and places. After all, once you’ve created a universe, it seems a waste not to use it more than once.

Then there are the Andorra Pett mysteries, which are a cross between Agatha Raisin and Miss Marple, in space. These are set in the near future, so are a lot more recognizable.

I’ve also written Steampunk. These are adventures set in a Victorian-style alternative universe, there’s no oil or electricity, everything runs on Steam or Clockwork.

Then there are my stand-alone novels. In them, I explore subjects like reincarnation, disability, science on the edge, revenge, extreme survival, mafia-style gang warfare and much more. I’ve also written a sword and sorcery fantasy adventure and a textbook on Worldbuilding. If that wasn’t enough, I have published over 200 short stories, Drabbles and Flash Fiction pieces on Medium.

For Sci-fi, Ribbonworld or Myra are good places to start. I also have a free prequel to Ribbonworld. Called The Lost Princess, it’s available via my website.

Andorra Pett’s first adventure is Andorra Pett and the Oort Cloud Café.

Steampunk is in two series, both set in the same world, at different times. The first stories are The Rocks of Aserol or The Sensaurum and the Lexis, respectively.

My stand-alone stories are,

Life and Other Dreams. The question is simple. Where do your dreams take you?
We Are Saul. Second chances come with a price.
I Remember Everything. Ian Gisbon died. His soul moved on. Now it wants revenge.
The Syk’m. Everyone said they were monsters. Then they asked for our help.
The Hitman and the Thief. It was one last job for the hitman, what could possibly go wrong?
Survive. The tale of Ballantyne Alysom.Lost in space. That’s the good news!
Where’s Lizzie? A missing child, a family full of secrets.

9. How did you first fall in love with writing? And how do you manage to write so fast? What keeps you so motivated!?

As I said before, I hated writing, until I had the dream. It’s almost as if there is someone out there pushing my pen. I see a film of the story, on a screen in my head and write down what happens. I can pause, rewind and change the camera position to make sure that I get it all. But I can never fast-forward, so what happens is as much of a surprise to me as it is to the reader.

Writing has become a compulsion. I’m on the autistic spectrum so once I get an idea, I just have to keep going and can become very single-minded about it. I try to write 2000 words a day, every day, it’s surprising how quickly they add up.

As long as the stories keep appearing, I’ll keep writing them down, after all, it might end tomorrow.

10. Finally, please tell us about your latest release! What is it called? Where can we find it? And what can we expect next from the world of Richard Dee?

My last release was The Adventures of Kalyn Deere, Bounty Hunter, a project that I’d been working on for some time. It’s a series of short stories, connected with an overriding arc, about a woman who is forced into a life she always wanted but didn’t expect it to happen the way it did. It’s a real learning curve for her.

What’s next? I have no idea. I have at least ten half-finished stories, some may become novels, others might just be short works. I have no clue what new ideas I’ll see next. If past performance is anything to go by, I’ll have several more before I get any of my works in progress done.

I’m attempting NaNoWriMo this year, my tenth go at the challenge. I’ll be writing Andorra Pett Meets Her Match, unless something more interesting pops up. My editor is booked for December 1^st, which should concentrate my mind.

All of my books are available on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback formats, just search Richard Dee. You can find more about me on my website,  https://richarddeescifi.co.uk/

Also on the site is my blog, which keeps you up to date with my writing life.

My work on Medium is at https://medium.com/@richarddockett

Thank you for reading. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

Thank you for joining us today, Richard!