Atom & Go: Genesis
Published: July 9, 2020
Genre: Science
Fiction
Blurb:
Atom
Ulvan, Left Fist of the Emperor, lived a life of power until a rival
family destroyed the Meriwether Clan. Now, on the run across the
galaxy, Atom must flee the death behind him and use his unique
skill-set to survive.
Intent
on hunting down his enemies, his two-year-old daughter Margo might be
the only one to stop him. Without her, nothing exists to keep Atom
from an all-out war on his betrayers.
Genesis
is a space-western odyssey across the galaxy that forces a
gun-slinging rogue to balance his life between trying to stay alive
and coping with fatherhood on the fly. Hop aboard the One
Way Ticket with Atom and Margo as
they fly the black in search of redemption, revenge, and a little
peace and quiet.
Buy
Links:
Interview with Zach Winderl
For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your
book, where should they start?
I would have to say that Atom & Go has a very
Firefly-esque theme. It takes place away from the civilized parts of
the galaxy and so has a rougher, more cobbled together feel than
other science-fiction. There is also the theme of family. The
protagonist is a father and the central story is about the lengths he
will go to protect his daughter.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your
book?
The story definitely has a space-western flair, but there are quite a
few other influences as well. I lived in Japan for a year as a kid,
so I spent a lot of time watching anime and chanbara. I think
the whole samurai trope mirrors our westerns. I love the concept of
the lone gunslinger who is forced to make their way in a rough and
tumble universe. I came across an older samurai series called Lone
Wolf and Cub in which a samurai travels feudal Japan with his
young son and I thought to myself, how much fun would that be if it
could happen in a science-fiction setting.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do
you feel you achieved them?
My goal in writing Atom & Go was to write a rip-roaring
story that anyone could read, no matter what age. I wanted to be able
to give a copy to my dad and my twelve-year-old daughter and not feel
any embarrassment. Well, I gave them both copies, so I’d say I hit
the nail on the head.
Anything
you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I would tell them to keep on reading. The more you read, the more you
support your indie authors.
What
did you enjoy most about writing this book?
My favorite part of writing the book, beyond the satisfaction of
completing a manuscript, was seeing where the story ended up. I had
an outline, but that continually evolved as different characters
found their way into the story and grew to be an influential part of
that story. I also love the feeling of writing something and then
realizing that the character was telling me how the scene should play
out.
Can
you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have
planned for the future?
I am currently lined up to publish book two of Atom & Go
with Three Furies Press next April. I’m excited to continue the
tale of Atom and Margo. The second installment is a little less of a
straight forward adventure and a little more of a treasure hunt.
How
long have you been writing?
I have been writing off and on for most of my life. For a long while
it was just a creative outlet. But in the past decade that shifted to
be more focused on turning that passion into a career. I
self-published Atom & Go: Genesis a couple years ago and then had
the fortune to be picked up by Three Furies Press to follow the more
traditional publication route. Now, I’m about to finish Atom &
Go 2 and I can’t wait to see what the next step holds.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Atom &
Go: Genesis?
Atom Ulvan and his two-year-old daughter Margo are the main
characters. He was the Left Fist of the emperor until he was betrayed
and his entire clan destroyed. Needless to say, he has a bit of a
chip on his shoulder, but he has to temper that anger with the need
to protect his lone surviving daughter.
The crew of his ship round out the main characters. I won’t get to
into who they are at the moment, as the first half of the book is
composed of Atom’s building that crew into a tight-knit family. A
surrogate family for Margo, if you will.
If
you could spend the day with one of the characters from Atom &
Go: Genesis who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this
particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
This might be the toughest question here. I’m pretty sure there are
different days that would bring about a different answer. If I had to
step back it would be Margo. She is a composite of my three children
and as a father I really miss their two-year-old versions.
If I had a day with Margo, I would probably take her to the zoo. It’s
simple, but I remember the innocent joy and amazement at all the
animals that my children had.
We might have to cap the day with some ice cream. I mean, toddler and
ice cream. It’s just a story that writes itself.
My Review:
Upon the death of his wife
Atom Ulvan and his two-year-old daughter Margo board his ship the
One Way Ticket hoping to escape his enemies. Atom
& Go: Genesis was a fun read while flying around with a man and
his two-year-old daughter attached to his back whenever he is faced
with fighting his enemy.
We also get the experience of
seeing how he found and hired his crew. One of which is a young boy
Byron who could fix anything another was Daisy, the best pilot around
next is Shi, a gunslinger, hired on as security and then there is
Kuzue an AI, the ship's voice.
Atom & Go: Genesis is
filled with action and adventure from the first page and never lets
up until the last page is turned. I really enjoyed reading about Atom
and Margo and following along on all their adventures as there was
always somebody chasing or attacking them.
I could picture each and every
scene in my head like a movie. Atom & Go: Genesis kind of
reminded me of a couple of movies I have seen like Lost in Space and
Prospect. Speaking of movies I would like to see Atom & Go:
Genesis on the big screen.
I highly recommend Atom &
Go: Genesis to all fans of sci-fi. One click your copy today to begin
this space adventure.
Author Bio:
Zach
is a stay at home dad who has graduated from writing during naptime
to using school hours as creation central. He lives in Western NY
with his wife, a mermaid, a cheetah, and stormtrooper.
When
not playing board games with his children or game group, Zach Winderl
can most often be found expanding the tales of Atom & Go or
people watching for literary inspiration. He draws inspiration for
his character Margo from a mash-up of his three children and while he
can’t claim to be a gun-slinger, many of Margo’s experiences have
actually happened.
Growing
up in a widely traveled family, Zach was able to capture the variety
of landscapes our world has to offer and push beyond the boundaries
of our own planet. Zach has always loved the freedom afforded by
Science-Fiction. Whether an exotic locale or a tongue-in-cheek view
on what the world has to offer, he believes science-fiction is the
best canvas for painting for an audience.
Connect
with Zach Winderl:
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