Sci-Fi / Action Adventure
Date Published: 12-25-2024
Publisher: Freedom Thorn Press
When a corpse with webbed feet and other aquatic adaptations washes ashore during a hurricane, the county medical examiner calls in marine biologist Will Myers for assistance. The deceased’s mysterious sister, Andreia, claims the body and asks Will to help figure out how her brother died. Will and Andreia bond over shared tragedies and a yearning to heal a dying ocean as they seek to learn how her brother spent his final days.
Andreia brings Will to her undersea home, part of a hidden civilization inhabited by smugglers, hackers, treasure hunters, and traders—all members of a different species, driven to the edge of extinction by human diseases and climate change. As feelings between the two grow, the investigation into her brother’s death leads to a sinister plot by a fanatical cabal. Together, Will and Andreia must find a way to save both humanity and the ocean without imperiling the existence of her species.
Interview with T. C. Weber
What is your favorite part of the book?
The Others is a science fiction thriller with a strong romantic subplot. As an avid scuba diver, I especially enjoyed writing the undersea scenes (which comprise the majority of the book). The underwater combat scenes are particularly thrilling, since not only must the protagonists survive vicious attacks, they must worry about running out of oxygen and the effects of extreme water pressure.
Does your book have a lesson? Moral?
I didn’t set out with a lesson or moral in mind, but the characters and events do convey messages as the story progresses. We depend on the Earth for survival and prosperity, and abuse it at our peril. And humans are neither all bad nor all good, but have the capacity for both, and also have the capacity to overcome past mistakes.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
I never base my fictional characters off real people. Instead, I create characters whose desires, goals, background, and personality will drive the plot forward. That said, all fiction derives from the experiences and knowledge of the author, even if subliminally, and character traits and history are informed by the author’s own past and those they know or have observed.
Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?
I like both of the main characters of The Others, Will and Andreia. Will must overcome the death of his wife and his loss of hope for the future in order to save humanity and the ocean. Andreia must reconcile her subservience to her clan’s leaders and her streak of independence to solve the mystery of her brother’s death and save her people. Their evolving relationship brings out the best of each. Neither Will nor Andreia fully fit into the world they were born in, but together, they can create a world of their own.
Of my other books, the protagonists of my near-future cyberpunk trilogy (Sleep State Interrupt, The Wrath of Leviathan, and Zero-Day Rising) are my favorite. Not only do Waylee and Kiyoko have momentous character arcs, they have very unusual and interesting personalities.
What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?
The Others has several antagonists, some of whom qualify as villains. Xitaros, who is Andreia’s nemesis, is particularly obnoxious, and I am sure we would clash.
What would the main character in your book have to say about you?
I’m not sure what Andreia would say about me, but Will would want to discuss ecology with me and invite me to go diving or fishing.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
My cyberpunk trilogy (available as individual books or together as The War for Reality) is a unified whole, with an overall beginning, middle, and end. All my other books are stand-alones, but could easily have sequels. I have a sequel to The Others planned, if readers are interested.
About the Author
As an ecologist who grew up diving and fishing in the Florida Keys, Mr. Weber drew on his knowledge of the setting and relevant science to bring it to life. His cyberpunk novel Sleep State Interrupt (See Sharp Press) was a finalist for the 2017 Compton Crook award for best first speculative fiction novel. Two sequels, The Wrath of Leviathan and Zero-Day Rising, followed, as well as an alternate history novel, Born in Salt; a post-apocalyptic horror novella, The Survivors; and a satire of local government, The Council. He has also had numerous peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters published. Mr. Weber is a member of Poets & Writers, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association, the Horror Writers Association, and the Maryland Writers Association.
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