Yep, that Sonny Whitelaw. Author of the Stargate novels, winner of the Draco Award—and soon to be a Musa published author with a new edition of The Rhesus Factor, available December 20th!
When Sonny’s not writing, she can be found exploring all the wonders New Zealand has to offer. Here she is being awesome, exploring caverns on Fox Glacier.
Working with Musa will give Sonny a wider audience in an e-publishing format. On her website, she mentions her Stargate novels are not available in New Zealand, where she resides. Musa Publishing will ensure that The Rhesus Factor will be available at the fingertips of all who wish to access it, anywhere!
Below is an excerpt from an interview with Sonny—you can read it in its entirety in the upcoming October issue of Penumbra EMag, so be on the lookout!
Sonny, were you a fan of the Stargate television series before writing the proposal for the novel?
Honestly? No. Not because I didn’t like it, but because I didn't see a television for two decades (aside from the odd trips overseas). But when I saw the movie, I loved the premise because back in the 1970s, I’d been intrigued by how the nineteenth century alien-gods-built-the-Egyptian-pyramids notion had escaped eighteenth and early nineteenth century science fiction and insinuated itself into pop culture and pseudo science. Back then, I thought it would make a great modern science fiction tale (after all, James Cameron turned Pocahontas into Avatar). The storytelling potential of Stargate was unlimited because it could capture every mythology from every culture for the past 10,000 years of human history, plus any number of aliens on unlimited planets. So yeah, when offered me the chance to play in their sandpit, I leaped at the opportunity.
Why do you think speculative fiction is so successful?
I wrote my second Masters thesis, The Attraction of Sloppy Nonsense, on that very question! (If by any chance anyone is vaguely interested, just Google the title). By its nature, speculative fiction explores and often challenges the human condition. It pulls apart what we believe, including our mythologies, and exposes the potential moral quagmires that science and technology are creating. That’s the storytelling side of speculative fiction. When it comes to movies and television, mind-blowing special effects breathe life into stories that many people would never normally read, if only because they don’t have time. Gaming takes it a step further: take great stories, add science fiction and a user interface, and even the most unadventurous can become immersed in fabulous tales set in realistic worlds without leaving the safety of their room.
As an author, what is your take on e-publishing and what it means for a changing market?
E-publishing has certainly come of age. I haven’t read the latest statistics but the last time I looked, around 60% of sales through some of the big name international print publishers were e-books. And many are struggling to compete with e-publishers who’ve been around for a while and have embraced the market and technology and run with it. Indeed, a top New Zealand publisher has just been forced to close, citing competitive pressure from e-publishers, and particularly self-publishing. While self-publishing is certainly taking a chunk of the market by virtue of the sheer volume of works out there, there is little or no quality control in the finished product. Readers quickly learn that if they want a quality product, they’ll buy from quality e-publishers.
What can you tell us about the upcoming The Rhesus Factor?
I'll let two reviewers explain:
Cause and effect, and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Those principles are commonplace and indisputable. The Rhesus Factor by Sonny Whitelaw demonstrates with painful clarity that we ignore cause and effect at our peril. Perhaps the most frightening book of recent years, Whitelaw's thriller builds an all too plausible scenario of what might happen should our ecosphere decide to apply an equal and opposite reaction to our actions.
Fast-paced and grounded in solid research, the book charts not only the breakdown of ecosystems in the wake of global warming, but the breakdown of society that will be an inescapable result. It is precisely in the devastating detail of the wreckage of everyday life that the book is at its most explosive. While Joe Voter may dismiss global warming as a theory that doesn't affect him, the very real prospect of losing home, livelihood, educational facilities and medical care is bound to strike a chord. - Dr. Sabine C Bauer
Although fiction, I now know that some of the events in the book could happen in the future. The effects of global warming are evident, as is how this has put stress on the world, leading to world events that include terrorism, environmental vandalism and a lifestyle that we do not want for our future generations. I encourage all members to buy this book when it becomes available. - Barbara Stone MP for Queensland, Australia. (Excerpt from speech to Queensland State Parliament).
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Check back again for more information on the new edition of The Rhesus Factor by Sonny Whitelaw releasing December 20th!
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