PA Vasey is the award-winning, best-selling author of creative works of science fiction. He published his first novel, ‘Trinity’s Legacy’, to critical acclaim in 2019. The sequels, ‘Trinity’s Fall’ and ‘Trinity Evolution’, were multiple award-winning, #1 Amazon bestsellers. ‘Harbinger’ is his fourth and most ambitious novel yet.
In his day job, PA Vasey is a full-time Cancer Physician. His professional writing credits include over 200 publications including peer-reviewed research papers, journals, book chapters, conference contributions and electronic outputs in the field of Cancer Research.
Born in Newcastle, UK, PA Vasey now lives in Brisbane with his wife, Andrea, and their chocolate spoodle, Luna. An avid cyclist, he can often be found on the roads and gravel tracks of Australia and Europe, when he’s not working or writing.
This one-on-one interview shares PA Vasey’s background and experience in writing Harbinger.
Tell us about Harbinger.
Harbinger brings together themes of alien invasion, A.I. and future technologies, all tied together in a love story, road trip, and a race against time.
In 2017, astronomers observed a mysterious interstellar object moving through the Solar System. By the time it was noticed, it had already passed Earth and buzzed the inner worlds, bound for deep space. It was soon forgotten, dismissed as a comet or planetary fragment, as Earth’s scientists turned to more pressing matters.
But this was no mere rock. An alien spaceship looking for habitable planets, it sent a machine probe to Earth, containing a sentient quantum computer. After crash landing in South America, the probe was found by an eccentric Silicon Valley billionaire who used its computational power to give himself groundbreaking technology, and unlimited wealth … until something goes wrong.
War veteran Will Logan is kidnapped and brought to a top secret research campus. It seems certain that Will and his missing wife, Alex, are the saboteurs. But nothing is what it seems!
What inspired you to write Harbinger?
When I first read about the kilometer-sized rock ‘Oumuamua, it immediately reminded me of Arthur C. Clarke’s novel, Rendezvous with Rama, which was one of my favorite books as a young adult.
In writing Harbinger, my goal was to present a different spin on the alien invasion genre, while including the development of sentient A.I. and its implications for humanity.
Significant inspiration in this regard came from reading Yuval Noah Harari, in particular his book, Homo Deus, in which old myths are coupled with new godlike technologies, such as artificial intelligence and genetic engineering. Other themes and concepts in the novel were influenced by ideas developed and proposed by the physicist Max Tegmark in his 2018 book, Life 3.0.
How did your background and experience influence your writing?
I’ve always loved science fiction and dreamed about being an author in this genre for as long as I can remember. My favorite authors include old school legends such as Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Dan Simmons and Frank Herbert, but I devour almost everything by Alastair Reynolds, Neal Stephenson and Kim Stanley Robinson. It may be a cliché, but I am also a big Star Wars, Marvel and Tolkien tragic. Like many kids of that era, I waited in line to watch Star Wars in 1977 and snuck in underage to see many other great sci-fi movies. I loved TV sci-fi classics such as Star Trek, Dr Who, Blakes 7, and many more.
As a doctor and scientist, my research background helps me dip into other fields such as physics, cosmology and astronomy, and pull out what I hope is necessary to make my science fiction works feel and sound realistic.
What is one message you would like readers to remember?
In these times of unprecedented change, many existential threats are emerging—from sentient A.I. to nuclear war to pandemics [accidental, or manufactured], and more. If humanity is to continue to flourish, we must find a way to navigate these uncertain waters. Although it is frightening to think about, we are definitely approaching a bottleneck in our survival, and the next decade or two could either define us…or finish us.
Purchasing the Book
A story that both entertains and enlightens, Harbinger serves as a harrowing reminder of what the future may hold for our society. Available for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores, fans of science fiction are encouraged to purchase their copy today: https://www.amazon.com/Harbinger-PA-Vasey-ebook/dp/B0CK8B37ZD
Connect with PA Vasey
https://www.facebook.com/PAVaseyauthor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-vasey-70803669
Media Contact
Company Name: Author News Network
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: authornewsnetwork.com