Which one was the first piece you wrote?
The first piece of any consequence I wrote was a “Hard” science fiction novella called Night Music, which I self-published (and which thus has remained admirably Invisible!).
It’s a tale of an expedition to Mars, to investigate the ominous, months-long silence from the outpost already on-site…
Can you describe your book in a couple of lines?
New Eyes is a sequel to the Post-Cyberpunk detective novella, “Mechanical Error” (though I wrote it so that it could stand alone).
New Eyes (my first novel) follows a group of quirky, intelligent characters on a journey to Mars, seeking answers, closure, and redemption, one which takes them all the way to Mars. Along the way they find connections, friendship, and even love.
The Sci/Tech is faithful, the descriptions are vivid, the dialogue quippy and engaging (think Joss Whedon).
There are reflections on consciousness and humanity, coded references to social justice (using androids as stand-ins for assorted marginalized groups), and a whole lot of humor (because what’s the point if you can’t have a laugh along the way?).
What is the book you always keep close, and why?
I can never be too far from Dune. If I had to pick a Desert Island Book, that would be it. It comprises SUCH a profound accumulation of Wisdom, I NEVER stop finding new things in it to enlighten my journey through life!
Do you have an inspiration source?
I am constantly inspired by the rapidly-evolving landscape of private spaceflight endeavours which are sprouting like mushrooms after a rain, as we speak. SpaceX, Blue Origin, Rocket Labs, Bigelow Aerospace, Virgin Galactic, etc., remind me that the era of Earthbound humanity is coming to an end…And the Adventures which await us cannot currently be fathomed!
What are your current projects?
Right now, I am LASER-Focused on getting the word out on New Eyes: it is –by a WIDE margin– my Favorite of all the things I’ve written!
But I’ve also been compiling voluminous notes on another novel-length sequel, as well as a host of associated side-stories.
Which kind of music do you listen to?
Oh, my musical tastes’ eclecticism border on the bizarre! Chopin and Celtic tunes (often accompanied by m’self on one of my pennywhistles), Deltron 3030, Peter Gabriel, Rush, Bob Marley, various Punk bands, and movie soundtracks….Alexa must think me QUITE Daft!
What kind of reader is your book for?
Real danger of perceived snobbery there! I write for people who want to see a scene before them, who want to hear the voices of believable people in their heads, who want to be in new places. I’m writing for people who want to feel what others feel, who hunger for experiences they might not otherwise have.
I suppose I’m writing for folks who do not shy away from vivid descriptions, who love language: its precision, its music.
How would you describe your style?
Well, it’s NOT like Hemingway! I write the sorts of things I most love to read: vivid, adjective-rich depictions of a scene, psychologically and philosophically-Searching prose that sweats the science, does the maths, and still delivers enough of the Funny to keep it all engaging.
I mean, I’m not H.P Lovecraft! But “Spare” would not be an applicable description of my style!
What’s your writing process?
Truth be told, it’s not all that Erudite: I sit in my Fortress of Solitude, mutter my thoughts into Google Docs’ Voice-To-Text feature, accumulate a critical mass of sundry ideas, then proceed to stitch them together into a narrative which can (hopefully!) support them.
Then I read, and re-read, and re-re-read, and edit, and tweak, till it starts to Flow.
How would you define your evolution as a writer?
I’ve been striving to move away from trying to be too benevolent a god to my characters. Sparing them from suffering, if it’s at the expense of the story has been a Journey for me.
I still have a ways to go on that…but I’ve NO wish to become like a George R.R. Martin, whose conspicuous lack of empathy for his characters will always strike me as off-putting!
What would be your advice to new authors?
At the risk of being trite: “WRITE!”
Waiting for the Perfect Story to hatch is a perfect recipe for getting nothing done.
One can always edit and cull, downstream. But it is vital to accumulate a critical mass of material, and to maintain an actively-nurtured relationship with one’s Muse!
Which one is the mistake you would avoid now, looking back in time?
I would not have waited nearly so long (and accumulated quite so long a list of rejection letters) before self-publishing “Night Music” (or the unrelated short story, “A Night’s Work”) before availing myself of Amazon’s Kindle self-publishing options.
It’s LOVELY to have one’s work published by someone else, of course.
But the implicit Intent of writing is to communicate. Waiting for the Right Gatekeepers can be a fool’s errand, if a venue exists for getting one’s words out.
What’s your favourite quote?
“Nothing in the wicked world is permanent, not even our troubles.” –Charlie Chaplin.
Do you have a favourite artist?
Wow! That’s a WAY-Ambitious question! If I had a really big gun to my head, I would have to say Claude Monet.
Where can you readers find you?
Here’s my Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Tobias-Cabral/e/B00C91WUVK?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000
And here’s the link to New Eyes:
What is the best time of the day for you to write?
I am arguably-unhealthily nocturnal by nature: it’s the Wee Hours that hold the most consistent access to my fickle stable of Muses.
Can you tell us something about your next book?
After a series of short side-stories, the sequel to New Eyes will take some of my characters back to Earth (VERY different from Mars), to explore the dimensions of the Learnings which occurred, regarding Artificial (etc.) Intelligence, and the importance of defending interpersonal connections against impersonal forces which act to drive them apart. I’m also looking into ways to make the Action even more heart-stopping/page-turning than it is in New Eyes…. 😉
Thank you!
Synopsis
Just six months ago the rogue android, BopLpops’ grisly killing spree came to an end.
Gaspar Núñez’s conscience can find no relief for his part in unknowingly helping the horribly-abused ‘Synth’ wreak his terrible vengeance…even though it cost him his eyes.
But now a desperate, dangerous path has opened up for him to seek atonement, one that will carry him all the way to Mars.
Jenna Graham never saw the Darkness in BopLpops until that terrible summer night, half a year ago.
She’d worshiped him every time he performed for his adoring fans, the monster within him wholly hidden from her eyes.
Now chance has brought her an opportunity to confront the trauma that’s haunted her all this time.
Meanwhile, operatives of a shadowy anti-technological religious group have vowed to thwart their plans at any cost.
NEW EYES continues the story of the critically-acclaimed Cyberpunk detective novella, MECHANICAL ERROR.
A thrilling, thoughtful science fiction adventure, it crosses the space between worlds while exploring what it means to be human.
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I am an author of horror/supernatural fiction as S P Oldham. I have a website, So Lost in Words, where I welcome constructive comments and questions should you want to pay me a visit: 