Interview with Michael Woudenberg, Author of Paradox

by grant

in Author Interviews, eBook, Fantasy & Science Fiction, News

04 Oct 2023

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Paradox?

It started about five years ago when I was part of an online group called Mixed Mental Arts. The idea was to grapple with the complex problems of life and that meant starting with the most complex problem; what it means to be human. It blended psychology, biology, sociology, and more in a way that was focused on becoming better humans. My goal was to take these concepts and make them more interesting and accessible to everyone. A favorite genre of mine, Science Fiction, provided a wonderful canvas to begin and AI made a great literary foil to explore.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Paradox, what would they be?

Me First And The Gimme Gimmes ~ Somewhere Over the Rainbow

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I like SciFi and I like Fantasy. Books 3 and 4 of The Singularity Chronicles will be closer to Fantasy than Sci Fi though Paradox and Book 2 are fully Sci Fi

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I’ve been chewing through a web serial titled The Wandering Inn for a while and I’ve got a pile of psychology and sociology books in queue.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I think the one where they actually animate the AI and who was accidentally involved.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I’m a binge writer. I’m pretty straight forward but sometimes I’ll write a paragraph and sometimes I’ll write four chapters.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Good writing should surprise the author.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I’d want to know more about what makes humans unique from AI and cause them to wonder which side they’d pick in the conflict.