Editor’s note: Joan Zahm, the author of a recently published novel, “TRANSPORT,” explains in this article how she came to write the book.
What should I do during a pandemic lockdown when pastimes have been explored and exhausted and new interests call? Chain smoking and drinking whiskey seemed like bad ideas, so I allowed a long dormant seed of writing to sprout
At my computer a story emerged about Mara, a young woman who awakened on a deep space transport with no memory of her past. When an officer aboard the ship helps her to adjust to her new life, he becomes intrigued with her keen willingness to learn and adjust, and a relationship soon develops.
I wanted to avoid the common plots of science fiction novels which often revolve around monstrous space creatures or embattled alien warriors from other galaxies. Instead, the story evolved into a more thoughtful, imaginative journey on a future spacecraft which travels to a newly terraformed planet.
The struggle for survival in a distant world highlights the importance of relationships, friendships and innovative work. New technologies become intertwined with current knowledge to build small communities in an inhospitable world as citizens seek to find a balance between their own humanity and the increasing use of technology.
I wanted the reader to be entertained, but also to also think about the many challenges of future space exploration and the continued development of augmented and artificial intelligence.
The unfathomable time and distances of space travel have been captivating. How does one adjust to years on a spaceship or traveling on a one-way trip to a new planet where one will never again see Earthbound family and friends? These thoughts are haunting and need to be addressed as we continue to explore space.
Interests and questions were first stirred in me with a revival of the film 2001, A Space Odyssey and a disturbing essay by Bill Joy, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, entitled, Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us. I explored the aspects of space travel in articles, film and books.
Once the novel was completed, a vast array of self-publishing choices swept over me like a torrential flood. The assortment of self-publishers offered glitzy promises of amazing book packages. In the dizzying, confusing variety, the popular shopping site, Amazon, was chosen.
The process of self-publishing unlocked an entire new world of learning. Research, combined with trial and error, taught me the ins and outs of formatting a novel for publication in paperback and on Kindle. The decisions to be made were numerous—what size will the book be, which paper will be used, which font, design covers, copyrights, details, finding a price to cover the print cost, the list seemed longer than the fine print on a legal document.
Those thoughts of whiskey drinking, chain smoking or tossing the whole file in the trash began ricocheting in my brain. But persistently surfacing throughout the process was the enjoyment of the entire project. It was a time of looking forward to the characters to see where they wanted to go on their journey, of new learning about the publication methods and the satisfied feeling of accomplishment when it was finished.
Any reader who enjoys science fiction with descriptive narratives, some food for thought and a little love story should take a ride on TRANSPORT. I’ve been very grateful for the positive reviews the book has received, and I enjoy hearing from readers at joan.zahm@gmail.com. The book can be found by searching for TRANSPORT by Joan Zahm on Amazon.com.
