Ask the Author! (Please!)

[Jude Austin]

Or, you know, say, "Hi!" to the author. Or point and laugh at the author. Or send the author a virtual chocolate chip cookie 'cause they're the only kind she's allowed right now.

Ahem.

Hi! My name's Jude Austin, and I'm the author of Project Tau. I used to be a reviewer and editor for OBC before I decided to try things from the other side of the fence.

First of all, please know that I will definitely read everyone's comments in all the threads, but I think it spoils the nature of a discussion forum for the author to leap in with both feet and say, "Nope, that's not what it was meant to symbolize!" or "Actually, I was trying to say this," so I'll hold back on participating in the discussion as much as possible.

However, I really, really want to interact with my readers, which is why I made this thread. So please do come and talk to me, or ask me anything about Project Tau and the world of the book and its sequels, or my favorite food, or my favorite TV show...yep, basically anything's good

[Nerea]

Hey Jude. I've read your book and I must say it is enthralling. But what inspired you to focus on cloning and not any other scientific feature?

[Jude Austin]

Hey Jude. I've read your book and I must say it is enthralling. But what inspired you to focus on cloning and not any other scientific feature?

Hi Nerea

Thank you so much!

Honestly, there was no single moment when I sat down and said, "Okay, cloning's great! I want to write a novel about it." I do think that a lot of other sci-fi staples - huge space wars, rebellions, androids everywhere, colonization etc - have been done to death, which is one reason why I kept the tech levels in Project Tau deliberately low (that, and there are times when using a pen and paper makes far more sense than a computer The history of the worlds is explained a lot more fully in the sequels, but there are several valid, in-universe reasons why it's not as amazingly hi-tech as you might expect )

Anyway, I wanted to try and write a sci-fi story that was a little different, and which didn't rely on a lot of super, hi-tech CGI. These days, it's not such an issue, but Project Tau was written in the mid-2000s, when the effects were far more expensive and nowhere near as good as they are today. So I went with cloning as a way to accomplish this, as Tau could be portrayed by a normal human actor, and it built from there. It also made it much more plausible for Kata/Kalin to be accepted as another clone.

The part about Projects and their legal status under the law came about much later

[Ruba Abu Ali]

Hello Jude,
I've been saying in another thread that although science fiction is not my cup of tea, but I found your book hard to put down. Congratulations on such an engaging and well-written book.

[Jude Austin]

Hello Jude,
I've been saying in another thread that although science fiction is not my cup of tea, but I found your book hard to put down. Congratulations on such an engaging and well-written book.

Hi Ruba Abu Ali.
Thank you very much Hearing that someone enjoyed my work even though it's not their preferred genre is a huge compliment and makes me so happy

[Twylla]

Hello, Jude! I loved your book! So far cloning has been used in two different avenues: reproductive cloning, mainly to improve livestock breeding; and therapeutic cloning aimed at growing cells, not whole humans, that could be used to treat diseases. Do you think whole humans will actually be cloned at some point in the future? Or do you think the ethics of doing that will prevent that from ever occuring? Thanks!

[Jude Austin]

Hello, Jude! I loved your book! So far cloning has been used in two different avenues: reproductive cloning, mainly to improve livestock breeding; and therapeutic cloning aimed at growing cells, not whole humans, that could be used to treat diseases. Do you think whole humans will actually be cloned at some point in the future? Or do you think the ethics of doing that will prevent that from ever occuring? Thanks!

Hi, Twylla! Thank you so much!

I think yes, we will clone whole humans in the future, as there are always people out there who want to push the boundaries in the name of science. That's not necessarily a bad thing. As you say, therapeutic cloning can help cure disease, and in the book's universe, most of GenTech's financing comes from cloning things like bone marrow and organs for transplants; Projects are a very new development and Projects that can think and talk are even rarer. Tau is only the second such to be created, as most Projects have been incapable of speech and any real coherent thought (think Project Epsilon but without the crazy )

Unfortunately, I also think that clones will have no rights to begin with. I think the whole procedure will go something like: "Ha-HA! Success! Ladies and gentlemen, today we have successfully created the first human clone! Erm...what now? It's got no ID, no history...wait, which country does it belong to again? Because we're all Country A, but the clone was created from a Country B national and it was done in a lab that was funded by Country C." Then they'd want to check if it was a success (are allergies carried over in cloning? How does a clone react to being shown a spider or a snake? What's its learning capabilities? Let's test it! Let's see if we can mutate it, because if a clone can take the mutation, so can a normal human! No more tests? Okay, well, we got a few dozen diseases that we don't have cures for. Let's pick one, give it to the clone and get as much research from it as we can to save lives!)

On the other hand, I don't know how the future will pan out. The history of the human race in the book's universe is explained a little more in Book 2, but part of GenTech's rationale for creating Projects is that robots and AI are both a huge cultural and legal no-no on every single world and space station. And I do mean HUGE, as in even the worst of the worst or the brightest minds or most extreme zealot would never even consider trying to create one. Since our future might not pan out the same way, we might not have the same reasoning and, once we've created a clone just to prove we can do it, we'll turn our attention to refining robots and machinery.

I'd hope that the issue would be seriously discussed before any real attempt was made, and the results of that discussion presented to the world before the men and women in the labs even pick up a test tube. Success carries with it just as many consequences as failure, after all

On a less serious note, thank you even more for listing Project Tau as your favorite book Suffice it to say there was much squeeing when I first saw it

[Carolreads30]

My question to you would be- Where did the idea for this book originate? Is the plot based on an event that you took place in or just a thought that turned into a story?

[kdhutchinson]

Hey Jude!

First of all, I want to say your writing is enthralling; I'm very excited to follow your writing as you produce this series.

Second of all, I feel a lot of classic sci-fi mystique within your novel, though it is certainly a modernized idea and I love the way you set it up. My question is, do you find that you have a lot of influence from "classic" sci-fi authors? Where do you get your ideas from?

[Brenda Creech]

Hi Jude, I am in the process of reading this book now. I am not an avid sci-fi fan, but I am finding this one intriguing. It does give me pause, though. I think we are closer to cloning actual humans than we might think. Have you seen any of the newest robots? There is one in particular that gives me chills, and that is Sophie. Project Tau brought Sophie back to mind as he began to learn from Kata and started reasoning things out for himself. It is just my personal opinion, but sometimes science goes too far. However, I am enjoying the book! Congratulations on being BOTM!

[Jude Austin]

Hi everyone! So many questions! Let's start from the top...

My question to you would be- Where did the idea for this book originate? Is the plot based on an event that you took place in or just a thought that turned into a story?

It pretty much wrote itself. Part of it was that I wanted to try something new: I wanted to see if I could make the readers sympathize with the scientists at first, and hope they could regain control over Tau and Kata, or that someone would come to their rescue, and then twist things around so that by the end of the book they'd be clamoring for Dennison's blood This is the entire reason why the beginning of the book is actually closer to the end in terms of time.

The training part was personal, though. I was in a horse-riding accident when I was 12 and mashed up the muscles in my lower back and legs pretty badly. I was never taken to hospital, so it didn't heal properly and games at school became pretty tortuous for me (it didn't help that I had the epitome of a sadist teacher). It made me wonder just what it would be like if you weren't allowed to rest when you were tired or in pain and that gave rise to the intense training that Kata undergoes.

Hey Jude!

First of all, I want to say your writing is enthralling; I'm very excited to follow your writing as you produce this series.

Thank you so much It's going to be a pretty intense ride...I'm not sure how many books there will be in total, but there are some more planned out.

Second of all, I feel a lot of classic sci-fi mystique within your novel, though it is certainly a modernized idea and I love the way you set it up. My question is, do you find that you have a lot of influence from "classic" sci-fi authors? Where do you get your ideas from?

This is going to sound strange, but I actually don't read much sci-fi. It's hard to find a sci-fi book that doesn't feature super-AI, robots, spaceships, aliens (or the tough, grizzled captain who doesn't play by the rules leading his ship to victory against all odds) and/or space battles, yet the genre is so much wider. Basically, for a book to be legitimately classified as sci-fi, the plot has to be dependent on science that wasn't available when the book was written. So Star Wars and Predator are sci-fi, but so is The Stepford Wives

Anyway, AI and robots really irritate me, which is why I deliberately wrote cultural and historical reasons to avoid them in Project Tau. Failing that, they're all dystopian and that sub-genre irritates the shrimp outta me (Seriously, am I the only sci-fi writer who's actually optimistic about the future? Granted, what happens to poor Kalin isn't particularly nice, but that's a very extreme example; any normal GenTech lab would have had him arrested and he'd probably have been expelled from college. It was just his stupendously bad luck to run into the likes of Mason and Dennison )

I always say that I write 'reality.' My characters are never superheroes or long-lost princes; they're regular people thrust into very irregular situations. I do find ideas suggest themselves to me as I write though, and very often my characters derail the plot all by themselves. At that point, I'm just along for the ride It's like getting a group of actors together and saying, "Okay, let's improvise. I want it to be this kind of ending, one of you needs to hook up with another one and someone has to get betrayed. Other than that, the details are up to you."

Hi Jude, I am in the process of reading this book now. I am not an avid sci-fi fan, but I am finding this one intriguing. It does give me pause, though. I think we are closer to cloning actual humans than we might think. Have you seen any of the newest robots? There is one in particular that gives me chills, and that is Sophie. Project Tau brought Sophie back to mind as he began to learn from Kata and started reasoning things out for himself. It is just my personal opinion, but sometimes science goes too far. However, I am enjoying the book! Congratulations on being BOTM!

Hi there!
Thank you I'd heard of that robot but I didn't do a lot of research. Things like that freak me out a little, to tell you the truth. I think robots do have a place - I don't know where you are, but here in Japan there are robot pets, which offer companionship to people in nursing homes without any of the extra hassle and expenses that come with a real pet - but the thought of humanoid robots isn't one I want to dwell on.

[aacodreanu]

Hello Jude,
I have read and reviewed Project Tau and it has just wet my appetite for more. I hope Tau will end up well and have great adventures.
Congratulations on BOM.
I do not have a question yet but it's coming.

[Jude Austin]

Hello Jude,
I have read and reviewed Project Tau and it has just wet my appetite for more. I hope Tau will end up well and have great adventures.
Congratulations on BOM.
I do not have a question yet but it's coming.

Hi aacodreanu!
Yes, I read your review Thank you so much for doing it! (OBC rules forbid authors and publishers from posting anything, either replies or new topics, in any of the review boards, but I really do read and appreciate all reviewers )
And no worries I'm not going anywhere, so if you do think of something you want to ask, you can always check back in on this thread

[Carolreads30]

Hi everyone! So many questions! Let's start from the top...

My question to you would be- Where did the idea for this book originate? Is the plot based on an event that you took place in or just a thought that turned into a story?

It pretty much wrote itself. Part of it was that I wanted to try something new: I wanted to see if I could make the readers sympathize with the scientists at first, and hope they could regain control over Tau and Kata, or that someone would come to their rescue, and then twist things around so that by the end of the book they'd be clamoring for Dennison's blood This is the entire reason why the beginning of the book is actually closer to the end in terms of time.

The training part was personal, though. I was in a horse-riding accident when I was 12 and mashed up the muscles in my lower back and legs pretty badly. I was never taken to hospital, so it didn't heal properly and games at school became pretty tortuous for me (it didn't help that I had the epitome of a sadist teacher). It made me wonder just what it would be like if you weren't allowed to rest when you were tired or in pain and that gave rise to the intense training that Kata undergoes.

Hey Jude!

First of all, I want to say your writing is enthralling; I'm very excited to follow your writing as you produce this series.

Thank you so much It's going to be a pretty intense ride...I'm not sure how many books there will be in total, but there are some more planned out.

Second of all, I feel a lot of classic sci-fi mystique within your novel, though it is certainly a modernized idea and I love the way you set it up. My question is, do you find that you have a lot of influence from "classic" sci-fi authors? Where do you get your ideas from?

This is going to sound strange, but I actually don't read much sci-fi. It's hard to find a sci-fi book that doesn't feature super-AI, robots, spaceships, aliens (or the tough, grizzled captain who doesn't play by the rules leading his ship to victory against all odds) and/or space battles, yet the genre is so much wider. Basically, for a book to be legitimately classified as sci-fi, the plot has to be dependent on science that wasn't available when the book was written. So Star Wars and Predator are sci-fi, but so is The Stepford Wives

Anyway, AI and robots really irritate me, which is why I deliberately wrote cultural and historical reasons to avoid them in Project Tau. Failing that, they're all dystopian and that sub-genre irritates the shrimp outta me (Seriously, am I the only sci-fi writer who's actually optimistic about the future? Granted, what happens to poor Kalin isn't particularly nice, but that's a very extreme example; any normal GenTech lab would have had him arrested and he'd probably have been expelled from college. It was just his stupendously bad luck to run into the likes of Mason and Dennison )

I always say that I write 'reality.' My characters are never superheroes or long-lost princes; they're regular people thrust into very irregular situations. I do find ideas suggest themselves to me as I write though, and very often my characters derail the plot all by themselves. At that point, I'm just along for the ride It's like getting a group of actors together and saying, "Okay, let's improvise. I want it to be this kind of ending, one of you needs to hook up with another one and someone has to get betrayed. Other than that, the details are up to you."

Hi Jude, I am in the process of reading this book now. I am not an avid sci-fi fan, but I am finding this one intriguing. It does give me pause, though. I think we are closer to cloning actual humans than we might think. Have you seen any of the newest robots? There is one in particular that gives me chills, and that is Sophie. Project Tau brought Sophie back to mind as he began to learn from Kata and started reasoning things out for himself. It is just my personal opinion, but sometimes science goes too far. However, I am enjoying the book! Congratulations on being BOTM!

Hi there!
Thank you I'd heard of that robot but I didn't do a lot of research. Things like that freak me out a little, to tell you the truth. I think robots do have a place - I don't know where you are, but here in Japan there are robot pets, which offer companionship to people in nursing homes without any of the extra hassle and expenses that come with a real pet - but the thought of humanoid robots isn't one I want to dwell on.

Sorry to hear of your horse riding accident, but it looks as though it was an essential piece of your life to add to your book.

[kdhutchinson]

Anyway, AI and robots really irritate me, which is why I deliberately wrote cultural and historical reasons to avoid them in Project Tau. Failing that, they're all dystopian and that sub-genre irritates the shrimp outta me

I love this because its so true. While I do enjoy those tropes of the genre, I could see how it could not be everyone's cup of tea so to speak. So... let me get this right, you decided to invent your own subgenre?

I always say that I write 'reality.' My characters are never superheroes or long-lost princes; they're regular people thrust into very irregular situations. I do find ideas suggest themselves to me as I write though, and very often my characters derail the plot all by themselves.

One of the reasons I'm so excited for this series of yours. Character driven plot is the kind that always keeps you having to turn the page to see what they do next, and I'm eager to see where your characters take us. Thanks for taking the time to respond!