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A Brief Interview With Adam Connell

Q—What kind of science fiction is Counterfeit Kings?

A—It’s probably easier for me to tell you what it’s not. Counterfeit Kings is not Hard SF. It’s not traditional space opera. You won’t find aliens or lasers or weird evolutionary leaps. I guess, if I can coin a phrase, it’s space drama. The setting is a mining colony near Io, and there’s plenty of conflict and action, but this book is really an examination of some truly desperate people. They’ve made sacrifice after sacrifice and now, in a time of crisis, they have almost nothing left to give.

Q—So technology has no part in Counterfeit Kings?

A—Not true. [Laughs] Technology is the foundation of the book’s conflict. It’s integral to the plot, otherwise you couldn’t call it SF. I’ve extrapolated from current scientific knowledge—my explanation of the gas mines is a perfect example of this—but I haven’t made quantum leaps of scientific assumption. When reading Hard SF, no matter how great the story's core idea, I sometimes lose interest.

Q—Because technology is so difficult to relate to?

A—Exactly. As a reader, I’m always looking for a reflection of the human condition. To date, I haven’t found this in a description of Ion Drives, or in the appearance of some incredible alien device or artifact. As a writer, I craft my stories around people. Complex, original characters who are faced with tough, tough choices. The kind of people you can identify with, good and bad.

Q—The Counterfeit Kings environment—the ships and the mines—is quite gritty. Was this done intentionally?

A—Not consciously, not for the sake of being different. The environment had to be that way for the story to work. But I suppose on some level I was rebelling against standard SF fare. This is just my opinion, but the SF readership has been force-fed pristine, sanitized futures for too long, don’t you think? I’m always hungry for a realistic future that’s dangerous, something that’s exciting and maybe a bit unclean. Something that has the texture of authenticity. I think the audience is hungry for this as well. Just look at the phenomenal success of Richard Morgan’s Altered Carbon, or any of China Mieville’s books.

Q—What is Counterfeit Kings really about?

A—If I had to boil it down, it’s about bad choices. The way they can reverberate through the years and paint you into a corner. We’ve all of us made bad decisions. How we deal with the repercussions defines who we are.