ISSUE #9 | An Interview with Austin P. Sheehan
Austin P. Sheehan is a writer of speculative fiction and a lover of language, literature and '90s T V. Armed with a psychology degree, he went out into the world to further study humanity, and now prefers the company of his wife and greyhounds. Although Austin wrote his debut novella while living in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, you'll often find mountains in his stories, whether they are science fiction, fantasy, alternate history or horror. Find him on twitter @AustinPSheehan, or at www.austinpsheehan.com.
PLANET SCUMM: What was your first favorite book?
AUSTIN P. SHEEHAN: It's a tie between Rendezvous With Rama and Nightfall. The gripping exploration of an unknown alien ship fascinated me in Clarke's story, and Asimov's tale of a planet not too dissimilar to our own still sends shivers down my spine.
PS: Why does our mascot, Scummy Scum, deserve to be YOUR comptroller of Earth?
APS: Because he's honest. Sure Scummy hypnotizes the masses with those slime-blue eyes and that constant jiggling, but he is upfront about it. And besides, he's the only candidate with experience bringing galaxies to the brink of collapse.
PS: Which science-fiction apocalypse scenario would you root for, if there definitely had to be a science-fiction style apocalypse?
APS: Call me old-fashioned, but I'd love an alien invasion. To me, the threat of imminent annihilation by an alien species is the one thing that could unite humanity. It might only last a matter of hours, but finally we would be working as one.
PS: Any advice for fledgling authors as they enter the revision process?
APS: Embrace it. Every revision, every edit, turns your dumpster-fire of a draft into something approaching the vision you had when you started. It may take a couple of rounds of edits to get there, but watching your story turn from something revolting and grotesque to something less horrid right in front of you is a genuinely good feeling.
