{"id":60,"date":"2016-01-01T04:33:45","date_gmt":"2016-01-01T04:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cheahkaiwai.wordpress.com\/?p=60"},"modified":"2016-01-01T04:33:45","modified_gmt":"2016-01-01T04:33:45","slug":"directions-for-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kitsuncheah.com\/?p=60","title":{"rendered":"Directions for 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2015, I broke in to the SFF market with War Crimes<\/em> and Flashpoint: Titan<\/em>. The response to these stories, and the anthologies they’ve been associated with, have been very encouraging. Come 2016, I aim to build up the Cheah Kai Wai brand — and that means writing.<\/p>\n

Last year, I submitted a novel titled No Gods, Only Daimons<\/em> to Castalia House. In the coming weeks and months, I will be working on bringing it to life.<\/p>\n

No Gods, Only Daimons<\/em> is a science fantasy thriller, the first in a long-running series. It follows the exploits of an atheist black ops agent who, during a mission, comes face-to-face with the physical manifestation of an archangel. Granted supernatural powers, he must prove his worth and fire the opening shots of a secret war. There will be high-intensity martial arts sequences, physics-based superpowers, elaborate mythology and counterfactual history. I’d like to think that this novel is what happens if you cross Brad Taylor with Roger Zelazny, throw in two divine elements, and with a dash of post-cyberpunk.<\/p>\n

In addition to editing the story, I’m working on what can only be described as a magnum opus. Light Between the Stars<\/em> is a hard military science fiction \/ space opera story, in the tradition of early 20th century sci fi — and with extensively researched physics. The story follows an interstellar war, and the love story at its heart. Think Hoshi no Koe<\/em>, but with far, far<\/em> harder science — and, alas, no mecha. With a target length of 400,000 words, it is also the longest manuscript I have ever worked on — though it would likely be split into two or four separate novels.<\/p>\n

I don’t like to talk about works in progress; they have an annoying tendency to change themselves before completion. I can say that it will feature ultra-high-powered lasers, fusion-powered starships, hypervelocity and relativistic munitions, space Marines, light speed lag, and a romance that spans light-years and star systems.<\/p>\n

Flashpoint: Titan<\/em> is set in the same universe, twelve years before Light Between the Stars<\/em> begins. Flashpoint: Titan<\/em> tells the story of an event that will come to influence the politics, strategies and mindsets that drive characters and nations in Light Between the Stars<\/em> — and, if I say so myself, is a perfectly serviceable story of space combat in its own right.<\/p>\n

Novels aside, I don’t have any plans to write shorter works. Simply put, novellas and short stories do not sell as well as series novels in the current market. I also need to focus my creative energies on one work at a time. However, if I’m invited to write for an anthology or magazine, or if a publishing call catches my eye and sparks my imagination, I might be willing to make an exception.<\/p>\n

In 2015, I established a toehold in the market. In 2016, I will<\/em> break out. Here’s to a productive year, and to many more to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2015, I broke in to the SFF market with War Crimes and Flashpoint: Titan. The response to these stories, and the anthologies they’ve been associated with, have been very encouraging. Come 2016, I aim to build up the Cheah Kai Wai brand — and that means writing. Last year, I submitted a novel titled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,37],"tags":[74,80,136,138,238,249,277,278,341],"class_list":["post-60","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-writing","tag-blogging","tag-castalia-house","tag-fantasy","tag-fiction","tag-plans","tag-publishing","tag-science-fantasy","tag-science-fiction","tag-writing"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t