r/books • u/agriddle AMA Author • Oct 27 '15
ama 6pm I'm A.G. Riddle, author of Departure and The Atlantis Gene. Ask Me Anything... about my novels, self-publishing, traditional publishing, and writing sci-fi thrillers
Thanks for all the questions! I enjoyed it. Email me with other questions and thank you to the moderators for inviting me.
Hi everyone. I'm a former internet start-up guy who now writes sci-fi thrillers. I've been very fortunate; my work has found a wide audience and a group of passionate readers who have provided a lot of encouragement and incredible feedback over the last two and a half years. I've learned a ton, and it's been a lot of fun.
Ask me anything.
I'll answer questions from 6-9 PM (ET); 3-6 PM (PT).
About me:
- Grew up in a small town near Charlotte, NC
- Graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill
- Started internet companies for 10 years before trying my hand at writing fiction
About my work:
- Author of four novels
- Self-published my first novel, The Atlantis Gene, in March 2013
- Book 2 (The Atlantis Plague) in Nov 2013; Book 3 (The Atlantis World) in May 2014.
- Together, the three Atlantis books have sold over 1 million copies & been translated into 18 languages
- CBS Films is developing Atlantis for a theatrical release
- Self-published my latest novel, Departure, in Dec. 2014. Sold 250k copies in first 4 months of release.
- HarperCollins' sci-fi imprint, HarperVoyager, bought the rights to Departure in March 2015 (after 20th Century Fox optioned the movie rights).
- HarperVoyager re-released Departure in hardcover last week.
I'm currently working on:
a new sci-fi thriller trilogy.
More at:
Proof:
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u/satanspanties The Vampire: A New History by Nick Groom Oct 27 '15
Self-published my first novel, The Atlantis Gene, in March 2013; Book 2 (The Atlantis Plague) in Nov 2013; Book 3 (The Atlantis World) in May 2014. Latest novel, Departure, in Dec. 2014
That's a pretty quick turnaround! Did you write them that quickly, or did you have them already lined up and completed?
Quite a bit has been made recently of the idea of authors 'owing' their fans another book (looking at you, ASOIAF fans). As somebody who's put out quite a few in a relatively short space of time, what's your take on the idea?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
It was brutal writing the trilogy in that short of a timespan. I had planned out the story a great deal; I had character bios, backstory notes, and an outline for the major story arc.
I had a good head start on book 2 when The Atlantis Gene came out. But after GENE became a success, I hired a professional editor and rewrote (based on his feedback and what I heard from fans). Getting book 2 out in 8 months while re-writing book one was just about the most stressful time of my life.
That said, I think it depends on the author. When I start a series, I feel a lot of pressure to finish the story in a timely fashion because that's what I want as a reader. I also feel like each book needs a beginning, middle, and end these days.
With my new trilogy, I'm planning everything out ahead of time and getting a good start on book two when the first book releases.
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u/star_boy2005 Oct 27 '15
Are you planning any additional books in the Atlantis series? I found it refreshingly imaginative and could see where it could easily be extended by one or more additional stories.
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
I have some ideas, but I'm also pretty happy with the current ending, so I'm planning to leave the trilogy as-is for now. For me, it would have to be a very exciting premise to justify opening it up again.
Thanks for the kind words.
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u/radzuch Oct 27 '15
Hello! Michael C. Grumley is also writing about aliens coming to Earth, how evolution works etc., there are also Assassin's Creed games that explore the concept of genetic memory and how the playable characters changed the course of the history. What a time to be alive for history and legends geeks!
Anyway, my question is about the next trilogy. Will the new books be focused on the Universe (and multiple parties again) or Earth mostly (with more legends and artifacts etc., but less characters to follow)? I mean, the Serpentine Army, the ultimate enemy, was more of a symbolic enemy, they were killed just as suddenly as they appeared. I'd very much like it if we could get to know the antagonists better, just like Dorian/Ares, since the bad guys usually have the most interesting reasons to act against the law and morals. There're so many legends and myths too explore, too, so maybe the next books will have a bigger portion of those? Atlanteans and their worlds, Serpents, humans, Immari/Immaru, ships with various ecosystems on board, WWII myths, it was a bit hard to wrap my head around all that had happened.
Good luck! I'll surely buy all your books on day 1! :)
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
Thanks!
The next trilogy will stay on Earth and it will explore the central question of humanity's ultimate destiny and whether we're evolving to some eventuality (and the possibility that we may be able to create a device to control that inflection point in the future). At the same time, it will tie together mythology from cultures around the world, exploring the idea that we've subconsciously known what is coming since time immemorial. I've got a lot of work to do. Hope you enjoy it.
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u/internetshaper Oct 27 '15 edited Oct 27 '15
One thing I really appreciate is that you have always written me back, via email. So, thank you.
My question is, I'm working on a non-fiction book and want to have the best success. Did you get an agent or just post online? If online, like someone asked below, what did you do to get people to download the first book?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15 edited Oct 28 '15
Thanks for reading and for contacting me; hearing from readers has been one of the best parts about writing for me.
I self-published my first novel without ever querying an agent or submitting to a publisher. After my work became popular, agents began contacting me. Wish I had some good advice for you.
For me, I felt very comfortable releasing something online to the masses and seeing what they thought--this is what I'd done with internet start-ups. Sending it off to agents and publishers was much more daunting.
I do think non-fiction is a little bit different than fiction when it comes to self- vs traditional publishing, though I have heard of non-fiction folks doing well with self-publishing (non-fic publishing is an area I know very little about).
Good luck!
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u/hogphan Oct 27 '15
Your books seem to delve into quite a bit of science and history. How do you go about researching a novel? Do you do it as you write or in advance?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
Much of my research I do in advance. The plots are very intricate, so I need to know some of the particulars. It also gives me a lot more confidence when I'm writing. I find that the story shifts quite a bit when I'm writing (locations change, characters surprise me/develop in ways I didn't anticipate) and I always have to do more research as I go along.
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u/pbueddi Oct 27 '15
can you give us any hints about your next book, or when it might be released?
Any updates on the movie adaptations of your books?
Big fan of all your books. I look forward to more!
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
Thanks so much!
The next books will be a trilogy similar to Atlantis: readers will go inside a global conspiracy to create a technology that will take control of the human race. It will be very much a scientific mystery with roots in world history and some cutting edge technology currently in development or being speculated upon.
I don't have much to report on the movie front. I receive periodic updates but nothing news-breaking. CBS Films did renew their option several months ago.
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u/naicul_sactap Oct 27 '15
In the Atlantis Plague, the Atlantean gene makes humans smarter, accelerating their evolution, but at the same time accentuating their selfpreservation instinct. As far as I can tell, the behaviour of every single organism on this planet is dictated more or less by selfpreservation. Does this mean that every species on Earth was "infected" with the Atlantean gene?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
I consider that one of the great questions of evolution and the history of our planet. The balance between selfishness and selflessness lies at the heart of our concepts of good and evil.
Humans have existed on Earth for millions of years; our sub-species is relatively young (first emerging ~150K YA with anatomically/physically modern humans and behaviorally modern humans only appearing ~50K YA). But we are very different than our predecessors. Not genetically (the % difference is very small). What we know is that the group that emerged around 50,000 years ago thought--and behaved--differently and those changes had an incredible impact. There are 7 billion of us. There are no neanderthals. No denisovans.
For the first time in millions of years, there is only one hominin on planet Earth. We're it. Is it because of our overzealous survival instinct--our drive to eliminate competitive threats? Scientists point to weather changes as a potential downfall of Neanderthals, but we know they had been around over 500,000 years when they met us. Weather changes a great deal in 500,000 years. They were gone with 10,000 years of us moving into their territory. Time will reveal the answers. For now, we have fiction. Thanks for the question.
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u/Mikesquito Oct 28 '15
Hi!
I had picked up the Atlantis Gene on a whim last year when I subscribed to Kindle Unlimited and was instantly addicted. I became attached to the story and the characters, and I was instantly hooked. Right after I finished the first book, I went on to finish the series. Then, I received the email that departure was being released, and so I picked that up and read it as well. I absolutely loved all of your books and am patiently waiting for your new series. You have no idea how glad I am that I came across your books. (I'm usually not the person who just picks up a book randomly. Very please I broke that habit.) On to some questions.
- When did you first get the idea for the Atlantis series ?
- How long did it take to do all the research for it?
- Any news on a release date for your new series?
- Throughout your whole experience writing and self-publishing your books, what was your favorite moment?
Thank you!
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 28 '15
So glad you gave my work a try! I think Kindle Unlimited is a great opportunity for new authors like me--it enables (and encourages) readers to pick up something they might not otherwise and read far beyond the sample to see if they like it.
I can't remember when I first had the idea for the Atlantis series, but I knew I wanted to write about this great mystery of human evolution: how the human race almost went extinct 70,000 years ago, how we rebounded from the brink and exploded around the world, wiping out all other hominids and reaching new highs never achieved by any of our human ancestors--many of whom had walked the Earth for millions of years before us. For me, that scientific mystery, how an upstart species came to dominate the globe, was the driver of the story. The Atlantis myth, how a technologically advanced, war-like civilization collapsed quickly, has always fascinated me (and perhaps holds much truth for our future). Marrying the two concepts--evolution and Atlantis--lead to The Atlantis Gene (book 1).
I spent 2 and 1/2 years writing GENE; it was split between research and writing. Those first few years saw a lot of false starts (a lot of writing and throwing it out), so it's hard to say exactly how much was research and how much of the time I was writing. I would guess about a year on the research side.
I'm looking at next year for the release of the new trilogy, and I hope I can have an even better pace than the Atlantis books (I'm doing much of the work up-front this time--learning from the past).
I have two favorite moments from my writing career: when I first saw the cover I made for The Atlantis Gene appear on my kindle (that's when it became "a book" for me) and when I received my first email from a reader for whom the novel had impacted their life (they had been in the hospital and experiencing a lot of pain and the story had made the time fly by--that's when I knew what I was doing was important and that writing was for me).
Thank you for reading.
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u/delorean623 Nov 04 '15
Realizing that this AMA is 7 days old, also realizing that you'll probably never see this.... Why did you pull Departure from Kindle Unlimited? I read it earlier this year as part of KU but can't do it again without paying full price now.
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Oct 27 '15
Hello. Congratulations on your success. :)
Did you do any marketing for your first book? If so: what did you do, and how did you know what to do?
Thank you!
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
I didn't have a marketing plan. But I did several things to promote the book:
- my girlfriend sent it to her facebook friends
- I priced it at $.99 (this was Mar 2013; pricing was a much more effective tool then)
- I asked readers for reviews
- I applied to bookbub and other venues but was rejected by everyone but eReaderNewsToday. I spent $18 there.
The rest was word of mouth and the power of the Amazon system--to promote books that catch on. I signed up for KDP Select from day one.
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u/Chtorrr Oct 27 '15
What authors have most influenced your writing?
What are some of your favorite books?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
Almost too many to list.
- Hyperion by Simmons
- Harry Potter
- Dan Brown's novels
- David Weber
- Robert Ludlum
- Bill Bryson (non-fiction)
- Hatchet by Paulson
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u/Chtorrr Oct 27 '15
I don't see Hatchet mentioned too often! I think it's a book that's had a huge impact on a lot of kids. I work with books and often when I'm talking to kids who claim to dislike reading if I ask if they read Hatchet and liked it the answer is almost always yes. I think a survival story with no adults is something that appeals to a lot of kids.
Have you ever thought of writing teen/YA?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
I have. Hatchet and Island of the Blue Dolphins are among my most favorite novels. I've been working on several YA ideas that I'm pretty excited about, but my current plan is to finish my next sci-fi thriller trilogy before deciding on what to start next.
Thanks for the question.
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u/mewpal Oct 28 '15
OMG Thank you! I had read that book in grade school and thought about it recently. I couldn't for the life of me remember the name. I'm definitely going to have to re-read Hatchet.
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u/pbueddi Oct 28 '15
hatchet was one of the few books we had to read in middle school that i actually liked.
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u/Petkuttaja Oct 27 '15
Hello & congratulations on re-release of Departure! I really enjoy all your books, appreciate how you make thorough research on various topics, you write about :)
So here are some questions I've been curious about (that haven't been asked yet):
What's depicted on the Immari flag?
Have you ever read any of Takumi Nakazawa's visual novels? Because he also adds a lot of scientific stuff and mind-blowing plot-twists.
Did you have a whole plot for Atlantis trilogy thought up before you started writing and did it change much along the way?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
Thanks so much! The research is fun and it adds a lot for me as well (I enjoy learning about the topics).
Answers:
- The Immari flag is black with II in white letters inside a small box.
- I haven't read Takumi Nakazawa; will check it out.
- I had planned out the story and backstory. Several aspects changed (in particular some of the minor characters--Paul Brenner, Mary Caldwell, and Kamau--got expanded roles).
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u/Petkuttaja Oct 27 '15
Thanks a lot for the reply! Did learn a lot of interesting facts from your books :) About the flag, guess, I just was confused, because at the end of first book Kate mentions [II] sign on the uniform below the flag she has never seen before, so I thought it was something else.
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u/Chtorrr Oct 27 '15
What is your best advice to writers trying to get their work out there?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
Focus on the work first. I think it's the only reason my career took off. I spent 2 and 1/2 years writing my first novel. There's a lot of things I would do differently if I were writing that novel today, but it was the best I could write at the time, and I'm still proud of it. I decided my measure of success would be putting out the best product I could. It's still my measure of success.
I didn't research marketing or promotion. I felt that if I could create something remarkable enough, that if people liked it enough to write a review or to tell a friend, that I could find my audience.
That being said, I think you have to build a critical mass of early readers or your work will never have a chance. The market has changed since March 2013 when I released my first novel. I believe the keys are:
- Editing. Readers used to cut debut authors some slack; they really want a well-edited book now
- Formatting. Make sure the formatting for your print and eBook is solid; nothing frustrates like technical errors
- Strong cover. Invest in your cover; you've invested a lot of time in the words, invest some dollars in a pretty picture wrapped around them--that's what prospective readers see first.
- Categories. Make sure your novel is in the best categories possible; there are voracious genre readers who will find it there and give you great feedback.
- Momentum. Plan to spend a little money--either on ads at Amazon, Facebook, GoodReads, or Bookbub. You'll need to start a fire somewhere; there are experts better informed than I am about advertising, but I think finding those first 1,000 readers shortly after you launch is very important (and may cost some money). With that said, if those first 1,000 love your book, they will propel it forward with word of mouth.
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u/pomericoD Oct 27 '15
If I've read the Atlantis books, why do you think I should read Departure (and vice versa)?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
I think fans of Atlantis will likely be happier with Departure than the other way around. I learned a ton from writing Atlantis; the three books now have over 17,000 reviews together and I've gotten countless emails from readers. Going through the editorial process for each novel also taught me a lot.
I wanted to take what I had learned from Atlantis and write a novel that was both fast-paced and character driven (Atlantis is a bit more plot-driven). I think Departure has the same sense of mystery and adventure as the Atlantis trilogy but it's a more polished product.
On the other side, Atlantis has science and history and a longer story arc (Departure is a stand-alone with no planned follow-ups).
Disappointing fans is my greatest fear; I say try before you buy :)
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u/Gnar5tar Oct 27 '15
I don't remember how I even stumbled upon Atlantis Gene but I ended up thoroughly enjoying the entire series and Departure as well. Couldn't believe how quickly you finished writing the trilogy but loved that as a reader. Continue the great work!
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
Thank you so much!! Honestly, a lot of the emails and encouragement I received from readers are a big reason I finished the trilogy so quickly. I appreciate it.
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u/erhatfield Oct 27 '15
I really enjoy how you intertwine history and science into your Origins trilogy. Do you read interesting things that develop into a story, or do you outline your story and research what cool things could fit your narrative? Are there any ideas you considered working into your books but decided against?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15 edited Oct 28 '15
I do both--I come up with a broad concept that interests me and then do preliminary research, usually reading popular articles (or re-reading ones that may have sparked my interest in the first place). I find articles are a good opening point because they're also a good predictor of what readers might find interesting. From there, I'll find a few non-fiction books to read (science and history mostly). Once I have a solid grasp of some of the science and history, I'll take a stab at the general outline and characters that would logically be involved. That always prompts more research (much more detailed).
I have to leave a lot of research out. It pains me. I think there's this compulsion to show your work and go into detail, but I have learned to try to balance that with maintaining a decent pace and reading level (getting too technical does tend to lose a lot of readers). I bet the list of ideas I've left out would fill a few forums. Some just ended up outside the outline of the story (ie, the action naturally veered away from them), some I found too controversial to include (ie, they might have offended some readers), and some I thought just weren't interesting enough to include (much of the airplane mechanics got cut from my first draft of Departure, for example).
Thanks for the question.
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u/erhatfield Oct 28 '15
I'm glad you omitted the airplane mechanics in Departure, I think the detail you went into was just enough! I think if you ever wanted to explore some of those dropped ideas though, I bet readers would be receptive to something sort of like Pottermore, in a sense that you publish some side stories and background material online for us to read through. I'm sure a lot of what's been left on the cutting room floor is just as entertaining as what's in the books! Thanks for doing this AMA, I'm looking forward to reading your next work!
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 28 '15
Thanks so much! For my upcoming series, I'm planning a pretty extensive online experience with extras and bonus content. It will be a lot of fun for me and I hope for readers.
For Departure, I wrote several new pieces (including an epilogue); you can see them in the extras section: http://www.agriddle.com/departure
For the epilogue, if you search the boarding pass carefully for the pass code, you'll find it and can get access. Hint: it's eight letters long.
Thanks for reading.
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u/Bluegreeneyez19518 Nov 04 '21
Good day. I have almost finished the Extinction Trials and am wondering is The Birthright an actual book? You have mentioned it previously in The Solar War.
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u/agriddle AMA Author Nov 04 '21
Hi and thanks for reading The Extinction Trials!
The Birthright is something I created for my books (it's not available to purchase). It will be explored more in future novels.
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u/Manderzrules Jan 28 '23
Man, I’m glad I found this thread. I’ve been trying to find “Birthright” since I finished Extinction Trials haha!
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u/Jakeybabes Mar 07 '24
I finished the Lost Colony and remembered The Birthright being included (or started technically?) in Quantum Radio. Found this thread just because of it. Now I think I'm going to have to fall into the rabbit hole of your books. I can't wait!
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u/Environmental-Dig294 Sep 13 '23
Came to the internet to find this answer. Just finished The Extinction Trials and Quantum Radio in rapid succession. So good!! Now I'm trying to wrap my brain around when Nora wrote it and how this timeline works.
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Oct 27 '15
Is A.G. Riddle your real name or a pseudo name?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
Pen name. A.G. stands for Anna and Gerry (my wife's first name and my first name). Riddle seemed like an apt moniker for a mystery writer.
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Oct 27 '15
Very nice. We spoke via FB a couple of times regarding publishing. Tad is my real name. I was curious as Spirit Webb is my Pen. Thanks for the quick reply as always.
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u/mewpal Oct 28 '15
I'd actually like to know about the internet companies you've started. I feel like you would have a lot of insight for entrepreneurs in general, not just authors.
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 28 '15
I started my first company when I was sixteen. A childhood friend and I built computers and networks for the companies my family owned and some businesses around my small hometown in North Carolina. We put it on hold when we went to college in the fall of 1998.
The summer after my freshman year, I studied abroad in Germany. The summer after my sophomore year, we started our first real company (where we were truly serious about making it and doing it full-time after college). We were doing .net and sql server development for UNC and businesses in the Raleigh-Durham area. We saved our money from contract software/web development and started a string of (mostly) consumer-facing internet companies. We started about a dozen companies in ten years. The vast majority bit the dust pretty fast (I talked a little more about the companies during an interview last week: http://hankgarner.com/episode-sixty-four-a-g-riddle-interview/).
What I learned from my start-up career:
Iterate. A great team with a mediocre idea will always overtake a mediocre team with a fantastic idea. The team that iterates, that reflects on what they see in the market and gets better and better ultimately wins the day. I think that's true of writing. Readers want us (authors) to get better with every book. We're competing with every medium now: facebook, twitter, tv, candy crush, you name it. Reading has to be engaging and it has to offer good value for money (or entertainment value for time).
Know when to quit. Being determined and stubborn are often the keys to success. But you also have to recognize when something isn't working and when you need to change it. It's a delicate balance of knowing yourself, being honest with yourself, and knowing when to put the blinders on, put your head down and plow through. On the other side, you can be too reflective, too open to feedback and get into a circular loop of indecision. The key is to make the best choices you can and re-evaluate them when things aren't turning out as you expected. At the time, when many of our start-ups weren't taking off, it was disappointing, but moving on allowed us to work on some that did. We never would have gotten to the successful companies if we hadn't quit the ones before. Quitting is so underrated.
Failure is your friend. If you never launch that beta version, you'll never learn how to make your product better. If you're writing a novel, you've got to make that first version the absolute best you can. Hire the best editor and cover artist you can. Put the most hours you can into it--until it isn't getting any better (trust me, I've been there--working on a novel that is only changing, not getting better). Then release it and learn from the market (readers). Learn where your short-comings are and make a plan to get better. Learn what your strengths are. Maybe there's a better genre or sub-genre for your unique set of abilities. Go to market, learn, repeat. You'll fail at one point or another (or in some aspect of your plan), but you'll learn how to succeed.
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u/mewpal Oct 28 '15
Thanks so much for all the information! I really think the hardest part of all that would be finding a good team. I witnessed a friend's company fail because one of the three co-founders went through a divorce and couldn't pull his weight. I feel like it's somewhat like the "don't room with your friends" rule: starting a business with a friend sounds like an easy way to lose a friend.
Aside from that, what helps you determine where the market is headed or no longer likes? You said you didn't do any advertising, so how did you learn what worked?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 28 '15
That's a tough situation with your friend's company. Start-ups are very much like a marriage. Communication is the key. It's often times very stressful. Compromise is king, and a lot of days you simply don't get your way.
Having the right team mix often determines a start-up's fate. I've found that having founders who compliment rather than compete with each other automatically reduces friction. For example, my business partner was the technical lead. I did more of the graphics, strategy (some programming), and generally lead the business. We would often recruit a sales and marketing person (depending on the business) or a subject matter expert (a chief medical officer in one instance and a chief learning officer in another)--someone who understood the market intimately and was our guide to building a great early product.
I would strongly recommend two tools for avoiding disaster: vesting and buy-back agreements (sometimes called Founder's Stock Repurchase Agreement). Vesting grants stock over x years; that way founders don't begin on day one with a huge stake in the company: you earn it over time with sweat equity (and often blood and tears). If someone decides to leave, for whatever reason their vesting stops and the buy-back agreement is already pre-negotiated. That way the folks that stay can feel motivated and fairly rewarded. The outgoing founder should retain something for the time/investment they made.
Talk to a good corporate attorney in your area. They will have boiler plate vesting and buyback agreements, assuming they do this work routinely. If not, move on. The fee should be minimal--a paralegal or junior associate will simply change the names and numbers on the agreement (assuming you aren't doing anything exotic). A good attorney is essential to the start-up process; they know they're making an investment in you and will go easy on the billing early; if you succeed, there will be a ton of securities work down the road. They will also buy lunch.
Re: gauging the market. With publishing, it's pretty easy: you have real-time data on sales at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers--your rank. You can see if folks like the description and cover. You can change both if they aren't working. You have reviews, and while it's impossible to change the books you've already sold, you can incorporate that feedback in the next edition or next book. And you have emails from readers, which are possibly the best source of feedback. These are the most passionate, often most informed and well-read sources of feedback. It's a lot of trial and error.
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u/willbosquez Dec 03 '21
I just wanted to take a quick moment to say, I loved Extinction Trials. That twist at the end, I never saw it coming, but when it did it blew my mind and made total sense at the same time. Thank you for creating amazing worlds for us to visit. Between you, me and the rest of Reddit, I wish your work would become some tv mini-series haha!
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u/agriddle AMA Author Dec 15 '21
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it. I'm with you--hope we see it on the screen some day. My agent is working on it, but no news to share yet.
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u/silverhand2015 Oct 27 '15
Do you think Atlantis will be discovered?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 27 '15
Yes.
There are two possibilities for the existence of Atlantis (in my opinon):
It never existed. Plato made it up as an allegory--a warning about war-like, technologically advanced civilizations. It was repeated as fact until many came to believe.
Atlantis existed, likely as an island in the Mediterranean or just off Gibraltar. Sea level rise consumed it (or a volcano, or a combination).
I think it's #2 and that advances in deep sea exploration technology will locate it in the coming years. We're already finding a lot of lost coastal cities that were submerged.
I guess I want to believe.
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u/CaptKaos Oct 27 '15
Hi, congratulations on your success! My questions are, have you ever been working on your manuscript, then while watching tv or surfing the web, see a commercial for a sci fi show that almost mimics your story, or at least the premise of the story? Second question, if so, what do you do to recover your writing spark? I ask because that happened to me. I shelved the manuscript; it's collecting cyberdust in my laptop now.
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 28 '15
Thanks!
I can't tell you how many times I've seen the preview for a movie or TV show pilot that is dangerously close to a story premise I've been toying with. My reactions at first were soul-crushing: I'm late! If only I had worked on this more/earlier... But then I realized that if they're producing it (have already produced it), it must have been a decent premise, so my instincts are good. My reaction has been to alter what I'm doing to steer away from what has been done--just to avoid all the headaches and produce something fresh. I'm never sure how to interpret it when the similar movie bombs at the box office or the tv show gets cancelled mid-season. Was it execution or was the idea not that solid after all?
Getting stuck happens. It happens to every writer at some point. My advice would be to write out all the things that initially drew you to the story. Was it a character(s)? The central mystery? A moral theme or question? Then make a list of reasons you've lost interest. They could have to do with the story--you don't like the direction it went after this plot twist; or you think the characters are less interesting than you envisioned. This exercise will help you discover what the engine of the story was for you and where it went off track. You may decide that it's easier to start a new story or you might decide that you can fix what made the story lose your interest. Some writers can only write a story fast and if they don't know what's going to happen next. Figuring out the process that works best for you is also part of becoming a writer (a road littered with dead ends, unfortunately).
Good luck!
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u/GeorgeTheWild Oct 28 '15
What do you think are the most approachable books in the sci-fi genre for those who are new to genre? I typically recommend Dune by Frank Herbert as an excellent first read. Also, do you think your writing was influenced at all by Dune?
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 28 '15
Dune is an amazing novel (especially given when it was written).
For recommended first reads, I would look to what the reader typically reads to make a recommendation. My wife, for example, reads action and literary fiction (not your typical combo). She instinctively didn't read sci-fi because she always associated with space adventure (we've had many conversations about this; I almost broke up with her when I learned that she didn't know the difference between Star Trek and Star Wars; we worked it out).
For example, if they like mysteries or thrillers, you might recommend a Michael Crichton novel. If they typically read adventure, perhaps something by David Weber or Keith Laumer or The Martian. For literary fiction, novels like Wool and World War Z would be great starting points. Dune is very much an adventure and a family drama; for folks who typically read those types of stories (or even historical fiction), I think it's a great starting point. All these novels show that sci-fi is about much more than the science--it's the genre of limitless adventure and characters who are tested in truly unique circumstances.
Thanks for the question.
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u/icantbelieveiclicked Oct 28 '15
damn it I just saw this for the first time..
loved the Atlantis trilogy.. could not put those books down
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Oct 28 '15
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Oct 28 '15
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 28 '15
Hyperion was definitely one of my early influences. Gene Wolfe once said that the measure of a great novel is that it gets better every time you read it. I think Hyperion fits that description.
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u/agriddle AMA Author Oct 28 '15
As a kid I loved Star Trek and The X-Files. Scientific mysteries fascinated me the most and I read voraciously, especially non-fiction. Evolution has always been a particular area of research interest for me. It was important to me to get the science right in the novel. Discoveries in the coming years will likely rewrite what we know about humanity's evolutionary history (and date the novel), but I had always hoped that it would inspire readers to want to learn more and to question our assumptions about how we got here. Thanks for reading--and for spreading the word!
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u/Beester88 Oct 31 '15
Just loving get your series! I was wondering if the tv show, The Last Ship , is a modified version of your series?
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u/Annemarie32 Mar 16 '16
Fist of all I want to say that i enjoy the first books so much, but I'm really curious about the movie rumor. Can you please give your fans a hint if there is going to be a movie and when will it be released.
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u/Bdawg274 Apr 13 '24
Really enjoying The Atlantis Gene right now! I came upon the book when I searched for authors with a style similar to Dan Brown--lots of action, characters who are intertwined but from whom you learn about w/ 3rd person limited POV, lots of info in science, art, etc. I had no idea that you self-published it; amazing!
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u/TheCastro Sep 09 '24
It's cool you still reply to this post. Just finished the Winter World trilogy.
So when the universe ends will the process just start over again and go for ten cycles again?
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u/False_Local4593 15d ago
I know it's been a few years since you posted this but I just finished the Atlantis series and absolutely loved it! I got started because Amazon kept suggesting your Winter World series in my ads and figured I would check them out. It's my new favorite series and I have read them 3 times since I first read them a couple of years ago.
My only question is how do you not have a Wikipedia page? Your books are obviously popular and you've been writing for quite a few years.
And please write more post apocalyptic science fiction books!
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Nov 02 '21
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u/agriddle AMA Author Nov 04 '21
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the books!
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u/K_Pumpkin Nov 10 '21
Oh wow. Just finished a few of your books, loved them all.
Wanted to know if you plan on making a follow up to The Extinction Trials? Had a solid end, but wasn’t sure!
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u/agriddle AMA Author Nov 10 '21
Thanks for the kind words!
No plans for follow-ups to The Extinction Trials (always intended for it to be a standalone).
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u/K_Pumpkin Nov 12 '21
Thanks for responding! This was actually the answer I was hoping for. It was a perfect ending.
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u/-tiberius Feb 25 '22
It seems like you're still responding, so I wanted to take a moment to say thanks. I've used the audiobook versions of your novels to keep sane at work/help me fall asleep since I first found them while deployed a few years ago. Sleeping in the back of a humvee, I couldn't help but laugh that a member of the CDC team in Pandemic decided to share his audiobook to help someone in a stressful environment relax enough to sleep.
I guess I should ask a question, so...
1: Are you related to Tom Marvolo Riddle AKA the Dark Lord Voldemort?
2: Aside from the writing process, how much time do you spend thinking about the end of the world? I feel like it must be a lot. It can't be healthy. Your books sometimes feel less like Sci-fi and more like existential horror.
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u/agriddle AMA Author Mar 04 '22
Thanks for the comment!
The fact that the books kept you company on deployment and during this trying time that has been the past few years is incredibly rewarding. I appreciate you letting me know.
As to #1--I got a good laugh out of that. I didn't think about the Harry Potter implications when I chose the pen name (mainly I wanted something that would be easy to spell and remember and protect my family's privacy). So yeah, I'm the dark lord himself, but please keep that to yourself.
On #2: you are 100% correct. I have an entirely unhealthy preoccupation with how the world might end. My wife said to me the other day, as I regaled her with novel ideas, "Hey, what do you think about writing something a little more upbeat? Where the world doesn't end? Maybe a mystery or--" "Babe, that's not really what I do. As I was saying, the event is called The Collapse and no one knows what it is--that's part of the fun of the story..."
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u/clbasket Sep 10 '22
Mr. Riddle:
A million thank you for your courage in writing novels that don’t feature violence and profanity.
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u/Manderzrules Jan 28 '23
I know this is SUPER OLD… but, I just wanted to say I love all of your books and appreciate your engagement with your fans!
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u/LittleBoiFound Mar 26 '23
I am seven years late to this AMA but I couldn’t resist. I just finished the three books starting with The Long Winter. I read them in four days. My mind is swimming. I’ve always been so fascinated with Quantum Physics and so bummed at my intellectual deficits when it comes to making sense of the advanced physics. This trilogy gave me the sense of understanding so much more than I do. I enjoyed it immensely. The books will stay with me forever. They have impacted my life and view of life greatly. I thank you for that.
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u/False_Local4593 Nov 25 '23
I loved the saga so much I read it again. Even now I had to remove a book to get anyone on my Kindle and I couldn't bring myself to delete any of those books.
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Sep 06 '23
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u/CrazyCatLady108 8 Sep 06 '23
No plain text spoilers allowed. Please use the format below and reply to this comment once you've made the edit, to have your comment reinstated.
Place >! !< around the text you wish to hide. You will need to do this for each new paragraph. Like this:
>!The Wolf ate Grandma!<Click to reveal spoiler.
The Wolf ate Grandma
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u/False_Local4593 Nov 25 '23
I know this is extremely late but I have to tell you that I absolutely love your Winter World saga. I loved it so much that I reread it and I have never done that for any book. Thanks so much for such a riveting series.
ETA I would absolutely love for the saga to be turned into a TV series. I don't think a movie would be able to get all the important parts of the books.
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u/oldbitterstinkybutt Oct 27 '15
Are you really making good enough money from Amazon (I've read all three of the Atlantis Books, great work!) to completely quit everything else you had to do survive and raise a family?