Hi, I'm Pippa Jay, author of sci-fi and supernatural stories to engage your emotions.
And this year I was lucky enough to have Star Wars Celebrations revisit my home country. It was last here in 2016, when I had the great privilege of being gifted a three day pass by a very generous friend and fellow SW fan.
When the announcement came of its return, I spent a long time debating whether to go. Neither of my boys were interested. My daughter was away at uni. Train fares keep on rising, and aren't even always running with strikes and regular weekend maintenance meaning buses instead.
But then a work colleague/new friend mentioned she was thinking of going. I mentioned I'd thought about it too. So we decided to go together!
I loaned her my daughter's Rey costume, and spent an intense two weeks putting together my own Sith character costume. I was really happy with it despite the time pressure.
I managed to blow up my lightsaber the night before, had a disaster with my makeup, lost one of the special coloured contact lenses, and forgot to put on my fake nails, but aside from that I think we looked awesome. We got several compliments, and unlike so many of my previous cosplay, this was by far the most comfortable. We also took LOTS of photos!
We loved it. I wish I could have taken even more photos, but then I find that cuts into looking around and enjoying it. But this has definitely been my favourite thing of 2023 so far!
Hello, I'm Pippa Jay, author of scifi and supernatural stories with a romantic soul. This month's topic is supposed to be villains we love to hate, but I'm not sure I can say that about any villains. I find hate exhausting, and if I really hate a villain chances are it's something in a genre that I don't like any way, and they can't get their comeuppance soon enough to satisfy me. Besides, hate leads to suffering... The Dark Side of the Force!
No, what I love is a redeemed villain. The bad guys turned good. It gives me hope (especially at a time when we could all do with a bit of that). So I'm going to tell you my top five redeemed villains, and you can tell me yours in the comments after. 1. Megamind. Oh come on, if you pretend you don't watch animation when you're a grown up well...I don't believe you. Some of my favourite films are animation - it doesn't make them any less complex or adult. In the case of Megamind, you have an alien with a Superman origin story but something goes awry with his arrival on Earth thanks to another alien, and he ends up living a completely different life when he lands in a prison exercise yard. Smart but bullied for being different, he decides that if everyone is going to call him the bad boy, that's what he'll be. But his life eventually takes a turn and he has to step up when the lifelong hero decides to hang up his cape and move on. There's even a heartbreaking touch of romance in the story. Favourite line: "I'm the bad guy. I don't save the day, I don't fly off into the sunset and I don't get the girl."
2. R from Warm Bodies. Okay, if you read my posts regularly you might remember my weird obsession with a certain zombie film. Never a fan of horror, I gave this a try based on the comedic trailer and was instantly hooked. This film made me fall in love with a ZOMBIE. Of course, R isn't your typical zombie. We get to see the story through him, a zombie who thinks, who has feelings, who really doesn't like being what he is. When he does the unthinkable and saves a living girl rather than eating her, it sets off a chain reaction that not only changes his life, but that of every zombie in existence. A bit of a play on Romeo on Juliet, but kind of in reverse. Favourite quote: "So much for dreaming. You can't be whatever you want. All I'll ever be is a slow, pale, hunched-over, dead-eyed zombie. What did I think was gonna happen? That she'd actually want to stay with me? It's hopeless. This is what I get for wanting more. I should just be happy with what I had. Things don't change. I need to accept that. It's easier not to feel. Then I wouldn't have to feel like this."
3. Kylo Ren from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Now, I have to admit when the new Star Wars trilogy started, Ren was my least favourite villain. He came across as the same petulant brat as his grandfather had in the prequels, throwing a tantrum at every setback. General Hux was far more impressive, even terrifying when he gave his speech to the First Order before the destruction of several planets with their Starkiller Base. By The Last Jedi my opinion changed completely as he engineered a major power grab. And *spoilers* he made the ultimate sacrifice, all for love (sigh). No favourite quote because the clip says it all.
4. Snape from Harry Potter.
Now, there's a lot of controversy over this one because some fans are outraged about Snape's treatment of Harry throughout the films, but to me, while Snape was neverendingly spiteful to Harry, he never once allowed him to be in serious danger (even if his method of doing so was sometimes to hurt or injure Harry himself). And I'm not even going to start on the latest controversy about the author, other than I'm saddened by her attitude. But I'm not up for arguments on this. Snape was a man who suffered for the entirety of his life, who had every reason to be a villain, but ultimately did what needed doing (even if it meant killing people - the risks of a double agent) to keep Harry alive (if not necessarily happy). His adult life was spent living a lie, and again it was all for love (starting to see a pattern here!). The clip below is from the final film where the truth about Severus Snape is revealed at last.
Favourite quote:“Look...at...me..." he whispered. The green eyes found the black, but after a second, something in the depths of the dark pair seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank, and empty. The hand holding Harry thudded to the floor, and Snape moved no more.”
5. Riddick from The Chronicles of Riddick. This is my favourite of the three films because, yes, yet again it involves and (almost) romantic sacrifice. It's a bit different to the others though, because Riddick is much more of an anti-hero than a villain (although those on the receiving end of his abilities might want to argue that). Riddick is not a good man - he's a stone cold killer - but in the first film, Pitch Black, he does put himself out to save people (though I think it was mostly out of his disgust with the real villain of the story). And he obviously has a conscience that prompts his actions when, several years later, he discovers the girl he helped save in the first film is in trouble again. The Riddick films are also gloriously cinematic scifi in the style of Dune but without all the heavy deadweight, and Judi Dench rocks as the air elemental Aereon. The clip is the deadly escape run across the surface of Crematoria, a planet where reputedly Hell would make a pleasant holiday destination in comparison.
Favourite quote: when he doesn't get eaten by the man-eating alien beast and is found petting it instead, "It's an animal thing." (Riddick is a man of few words!)
And there you go. Hope you enjoyed those (I'm excited I made a discovery about why these are my favourites, so I've learned something new). Let me know if you agree with my choices or not, or feel free to add your own.
Hi, I'm Pippa Jay, author of scifi and supernatural stories to engage your emotions. I had to think long and hard about this post. I'm a believer in alternative timelines and parallel universes, that every decision we make in life - even the small ones - changes the path we take while another version of ourselves is sent down another track. So for me, even a minor decision can be potentially momentous, creating multiple alternative possibilities in time and space, and a concept I've used in my time travel series.
But before I get too sucked in by the theory of alternative universes... I think most people have a least one significant and life changing experience. Not long ago I wrote about my near death experience, so I didn't want to go over that one again - it was terrifying but surprisingly didn't prompt any big changes in my life other than relief that I survived it. My marriage, the death of my mother when I was 19, the birth of each of my children - all have had an impact, and probably the most major.
But I've decided I want to talk about something that changed my life as an author and led me to write what I write. It might seem somewhat frivolous to some, but for the the eight year old me it was transformational.
The opening to Star Wars: A New Hope when it was first shown on TV. I'd never seen it. Never heard of it. With Christmas coming up it was a special premier in the days when you had to wait years for films to reach TV, and videos were still an expensive luxury. That explosion of music, the novel scrawl of a written prologue, then a tiny spaceship pursued by one that swamped the screen with weapons blazing...I'd never seen anything like it before. I was instantly transfixed.
Despite being a life long Whovian (my parents were fans, and I can remember the first episode I ever saw - Planet of the Spiders - when I was just three years old), until that point I had been writing fantasy. I was still in love with the elves of Tolkien, young Garion of the Belgariad saga by David Eddings, and the magic of the Shannara trilogy. Spaceships came a poor second to unicorns, and blasters to swords and magic stones.
Until the day I saw that opening. Everything changed. It was like being able to step into one of those alternative universes, where there were still knights but they wielded mind powers instead of magic and lightsabers instead of metal swords. I. Was. Hooked. I was also deeply in love with the main character - Luke Skywalker - a crush that is still with me to this day (though maybe not quite so deeply, lol). I wanted to be a Jedi, wield a lightsaber, convince my parents that it wasn't bedtime yet with my mind powers, and zoom around a galaxy far, far away in my very own X-Wing.
That passion has never left me. I switched from writing fantasy to a version of Star Wars, then onto space opera and scifi of my own. Though many years later I went back to my Whovian roots and wrote a time travel romance that became my debut publication, the thrill from that first view of Star Wars has never left me. I felt it again when I saw The Force Awakens at the cinema this Christmas just past - almost thirty six years to the day after seeing it the first time - with Disney staying loyal to the fanship by retaining the films iconic opening. Even thinking about the music and the script crawling up the screen can set me bouncing in my seat. It was the same excitement I felt when I was lucky enough to attend the three day Star Wars Celebration Europe in London less than a month ago, and where I got to see my childhood crush in person (even if I didn't get close enough for a photo).
Right now I'm reworking what I call my Star Wars story - Gethyon - having got the rights back so that I can re-release it in September. While it has elements from my time travel series to which it's connected, this is the one most loyal to my love of Star Wars: a young man who feels out of place in the universe, struggling to manage the powers he discovers and to face his responsibilities instead of running away. I can't wait to put it back out!
Somewhere out there may be an eight year old me who didn't get to see that film and have her life changed forever. I'm just glad that one isn't me!
Want to chat? Find me on Twitter as @pippajaygreen where I'll talk all things geek, books and chooks (and other things beside).
Hi everyone! I am YA author B A Binns , writer of contemporary and realistic fiction for teens. My tagline tells you what I am about - Stories of Real Boys Growing Into Real Men - and the people who love them.
Either I’ve been alive a very (very) long time, or history has been moving along pretty fast lately. I remember in history class noting the long times between any events of merit. Not so in my lifetime.
I’ve seen the Berlin wall fall. Feared for my brother during the Vietnam War. Watched the once dreaded USSR split into pieces.
Selma isn’t just a movie to me. That march and other acts literally reset my future and changed the lives for many people like me. Then I had to live through the assassination of the man who helped spearhead those changes, Doctor Martin Luther King. That was followed by the assassination of a President and then his brother, a Presidential candidate. All this changed the way we Americans looked at each other.
I’ve seen things happen that people couldn’t even dream of when I was born. A Black man as president of the United States. And pretty soon there will be a Woman President (unless people actually do elect the very scary and unqualified man who preaches hate).
I’ve also seen a man walk on the moon.
It happened when I was young and full of the glory of science fiction. I’d seen Sputnik, heard President Kennedy vow to have the US lead the race to the moon. I loved him for that alone.
I prayed for Apollo 13 and when Neill Armstrong took his “One small step for man…” I stepped with him. I cried when I watched the Challenger disaster, feeling the same pain that an earlier generation felt when the Hindenburg erupted in flames. Last week I sang along as the lonely Curiosity Rover sang Happy Birthday to itself from its forever home on Mars. I was there for the early pessimism about the Hubble Space Telescope, and now enjoy seeing some of the great pictures it sends us about the reality of the universe we live in.
And I love authors who give me views of possible future realities. I’m not much into the dystopian sub-genre, but I love seeing visions of distant times and worlds that show advancement and an overall positive future. Maybe because too many of the changes I have lived through have been negative.
Nichelle Nichols was my goddess every week from 1966 to 1969. (She still is my goddess for that matter). Zoe Saldano carries the torch well, and I love Uhuru's relationship with Spock in the reboot. I also love that Star Trek portrays a more positive future, where things get better and the human race evolves. There is no evil Empire of dark side of the force holding us back. That's why I will always be more Star Trek than Star Wars.
As much as I read and watch S/F, for now my own muse insists on remaining in the contemporary realm. I get my future fix by reading stories Sword and Soul and Afrofuturism stories from authors like Balogun Ojetade, Alicia McCalla, Valjeanne Jeffers and Octavia Butler in books like:
Once Upon a Time in Afrika, a Sword and Soul tale by Balogun Ojetade, is full of magic, gods and demigods. This fairy tale like story tells about a beautiful and badass princess and her father, the king who sets up a tournament that brings on eager suitors, along with an evil war lord out to grab the princess. Fortunately, the princess is more warrior than wimp, and perfectly capable of picking up her own sword to deal with danger.
Alicia McCalla mixes West African mythology and Norse mythology in her African Elemental series, to create a story with elements of horror to go along with the science fiction. The heroine is from an African pantheon, the hero a descendent of a Norse god, and they have to accept their calls to become the warriors they are destined to be in order to save their child from a violent predator
Diverse Energies is an anthology of short fiction. The many stories involve diverse group of young people - students, street kids, good girls, kidnappers, and child laborers. They are all pitted against their environments, their governments, differing cultures, and sometimes one another. (Okay, many of the stories do have a dystopian air to them after all). This is my go-to book when I want a quick fix of the future or of alternate realities
FYI - I teach a class to writers called Writing with Diversity. During the class two of my all time favorite S/F stories for examples of different techniques. Both Babel-17, a novel by Samuel Delany, and The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula LeGuin, provide examples for two of the lessons: Worldbuilding and Crafting Characters of Color.
Welcome to Romancing
the Genres, Nic! Thank you for doing this Guest Interview for our Highlighting Young
Writers Month.
Tell us a little about yourself. What inspired you to start
writing fiction?
I am
fourteen years old, turning fifteen in over a month, and will attend L.O. High School next year. I first began writing fiction in the second
grade, but, since it was many, many years ago, I cannot remember just what my
main inspiration was.
I
generally prefer to write in a quiet place with computer access where I can
feel comfortable and at home. My room fulfills all of those requirements, so I
generally do most of my writing there.
Tell us about your latest writing project.
I am
presently working on a science fiction novel, which is for the moment untitled,
that is set in the far future. It tells the story of a naval officer fighting
in a centuries-long interstellar war that has long since degenerated into a
long, protracted stalemate, with a corrupt totalitarian regime using it to stay
in power. The protagonist finds himself caught in a covert resistance movement
attempting to overthrow the government, while simultaneously attempting to end
the war through any means necessary. I have actually been developing the plot,
characters, and setting for several months now, but due to the pressures of
school and recent surgery I have been unable to make much progress.
What was the last great book that you read?
Just a few months ago I
read H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds
and found it to be quite a good read, even though some elements appeared
scientifically dated or outright absurd.
What types of scenes (dialogue, action, romantic) do you
most enjoy writing and why?
I enjoy
writing description, as it allows me to vividly flesh out and elaborate upon
the detailed minutiae of my fictional worlds.
Who has helped you most as a writer? What did they do?
All of
my teachers since the beginning of my formal education have helped enormously
with my writing ability, helping me to refine my work while simultaneously
giving considerable support and encouragement. My teacher last year was
especially helpful, and I am actually maintaining an email correspondence with
him to assist with my novel.
Are your friends writers, too?
Some of
them, yes, but they are not quite as interested in writing as I am. However,
both of my parents are dedicated writers.
Where do you go for writing help?
Usually
I consult online sources (no particular site, just whatever comes up on
Google), my parents, or my teachers whenever I encounter difficulties when
writing.
What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?
I hope
to finish and publish my science fiction novel by the end of high school.
Beyond that, I simply aspire to be at least moderately successful as a
professional writer.
What question would you like to ask the writers in our audience?
What is
the easiest way to get one’s writing published?
I hope you get some thoughtful answers to that question, Nic. thank you for sharing your experiences and perspective as a young writer with our audience.
Hi, my name is Pippa Jay and I'm an author. Y'know, it still feels a
little odd saying that? My debut novel came out in May 2012, but it was a while
before I felt brave enough to say it to a total stranger when they asked me
what I do.
PIPPA JAY
Then she asked me,
"What do you write?"
"Science fiction romance."
"Oh, you mean like Twilight?"
Long pause.
"Er, no, not like Twilight
at all."
Moving swiftly on...
I write scifi, usually with romance woven through it. If you're
wondering what science fiction romance is, think Star Wars (Han and Leia), Avatar
and John Carter. Maybe even Farscape and the revamped Doctor Who? But I try to keep my stories
tech light and avoid too many unpronounceable names, focusing mainly on my
characters. I love to write tortured souls, and the more I can torture them,
the happier I am! Bwah-ha-haaaa!
KEIR
I live in the glorious and historical town of Colchester in the UK -
Britain's oldest recorded market town - with my husband of 20 years and our
three little monsters. Colchester Zoo, the nearby coastline of East Anglia and
the town's Roman and medieval past have all had their influence on my writing.
My debut novel Keir
starts in a setting probably more suited to a fantasy, based on my love for the
medieval period and local landmarks like the Layer Marney Towers. But my
characters are soon swept away to other worlds, including the tropical planet
Metraxi, and the island paradise of Kasha-Asor (both based on hot, lazy days at
the local beach). Yep, we do get hot days even in the UK!
TERMS & CONDITIONS APPLY
For my most recent release, a hot scifi romance called Terms
& Conditions Apply, the story takes place on a luxury space station
that promises to fulfil all your dreams with holographic suites and an empathic
AI capable of seeing and fulfilling your darkest, deepest desires. But even
there, the meeting area at the opening of the story is based on a setting in my
home town. Culver Square doesn't have the statue of Venus in the centre, but a
collection of seashells and sea holly that once had a fountain - until it was
repeatedly polluted with detergent that made the pool foam over. Pretty, but it
meant the council was constantly having to flush it out, and it just became too
much work. :(
GETHYON
For my upcoming release Gethyon,
I took myself back to my teens, along with some angsty music by My Chemical Romance and 30 Seconds to Mars, and modelled the
younger version of my hero on my then six year old son. In part, Gethyon is a tribute to my first crush -
a certain young hero by the name of Luke Skywalker, and the reason why I
switched from writing elves and magic to aliens and spaceships. But even though
Gethyon isn't strictly speaking a
romance, a romantic element has still crept into this YA scifi novel. Does he
get the girl? You'll have to read it to find out.
Bio and links –
A stay-at-home
mum of three who spent twelve years working as an Analytical Chemist in a
Metals and Minerals laboratory, Pippa Jay bases her stories on a lifetime
addiction to science-fiction books and films. Somewhere along the line a touch
of romance crept into her work and refused to leave. Between torturing her
characters, she spends the odd free moments trying to learn guitar, indulging
in freestyle street dance and drinking high-caffeine coffee. Although happily
settled in historical Colchester in the UK with her husband of 20 years, she
continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.
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