Chatting with New Blood: Science Fiction Author, Nathan Gregory

Posted: March 22, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Chatting with New Blood, Interview, Science Fiction | Tags: Chatting with New Blood, Clockwork Apocalypse, Interview, Nathan Gregory, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

About Nathan Gregory

A lifelong explorer of science fiction, I’ve been captivated by the wonders of space and technology since childhood. My early days were spent imagining journeys to Mars, the Moon, and beyond through the stories of classic authors like Robert Heinlein and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Today, I channel that same sense of wonder and adventure into my writing.

Since 2015, I’ve been writing the kind of science fiction I love to read: cosmic adventures, tales of rogue AIs, distant worlds, and alien encounters. My stories explore the intersection of technology and humanity, where humor, suspense, and the unexpected come together in thrilling ways.

Whether you’re a fan of classic space operas or modern sci-fi with a twist, I invite you to join me on these journeys to the far reaches of the universe.

My Interview with Nathan Gregory

Kaye: A science fiction buff mesmerized by the reaches of space with an engineering background. It’s easy to see why you write hard science fiction, so I won’t ask that question, but please tell us a little about your journey to become and author.

Nathan: One of my earliest memories is lying in the grass with my dad, staring up at the night sky as Echo 1—the ‘Satelloon’—glided overhead. It launched August 12, 1960, so I figure we caught it shimmering across the stars sometime that mid-August. I was hooked. I’d always been the kid tinkering with gadgets and gears, but that moment ignited a lifelong obsession with technology—especially anything tied to electronics or space.

From there, I devoured every book and story I could find about science and exploration. Space travel? I was all in—pulled like a tractor beam. I’d been reading wild, fantastic tales since I could decode letters on a page. Tom Swift, Rick Brant, Heinlein juveniles, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I always thought, ‘I want to write these someday.’

But authorship stayed a daydream until 2015, when I finally sat down and hammered out my first story. I tossed it onto Amazon, it sold, and I thought, ‘Well, guess I’ll keep going.’ And here we are.

Kaye: Which science fiction authors do you read? Do you try to emulate them?

Nathan: I don’t read a lot of science fiction these days. Mostly, that’s because I don’t have much time for pleasure reading. Having said that, I absolutely LOVED Andy Weir’s “The Martian.” I like Corey Doctorow, too. I suppose I would have to include Neal Stephenson and William Gibson too, alongside Doctorow. And Kathy Reichs, too (not sci-fi, but…)

But those are the well-known authors. I more often seek out the unknown indies these days. I like the works of M.J. Edington, for example. I am beta reading his latest now. His previous, “Naked Came the Hunter” absolutely knocked my socks off.

Other relatively recent indie reads include Carrie Cross’ Skylar Robbins stories (Yeah, they’re for kids. So what?) and Gene Douchette (The Spaceship Next Door) and several others I can’t think of right now.

But my true love is the Golden Age, such as Heinlein, and Clarke, The Smiths (Doc, and George O.), and modern contemporaries who write in their style, such as Spider Robinson.

But I don’t want to oversell my current sci-fi reading list, as most of my reading time these days is non-fiction in areas of cybersecurity, crypto, and AI. I’ve spent a career in cybersecurity, but now crypto, and AI have also grabbed my attention.

So many books, so little time.

Kaye: You’ve written five books centered around a single trilogy. Can you talk about your reasoning when choosing to stay with the same world and characters?

Nathan: It’s pretty straightforward, really. For years—decades, even—I mulled over what I’d write if I ever got serious about it, somewhere between devouring Tom Swift as a kid and geeking out over Andy Weir. I didn’t have every detail mapped out over those sixty-odd years, but I knew what lit me up: big, cosmic adventures like E.E. Smith’s *Lensmen* saga. That vast scale—the galaxy-spanning stakes—stuck with me. So when I finally started building my own stories, I took a page from Smith and ran with it.

The arc I’ve got in mind is massive—*Lensmen*-level massive. The five books I’ve written so far? They’re maybe half the tale I intend to tell. I’ve got sequels, prequels, and what I call ‘postquels’—stories leaping way beyond, deep into this universe’s future—still simmering in my head. It’s all about the Asheran influence on Earth, a thread that stretches across millennia. I’m in it for the long haul to see that whole saga through.

Kaye: What are some of the challenges in writing classic hero’s journey science fiction?

The writing is easy, almost cathartic, especially with modern computerized tools to catch typos and help tweak grammar. Since I have preconceived stories already taking up space in my brain, getting them written is relatively straightforward. The marketing side of the equation is the ruination of what would otherwise be an uplifting experience.

Kaye: What is the most gratifying part of writing science fiction for you?

Nathan: The most gratifying part of writing science fiction comes down to two moments every writer knows—and they never get old. First, typing ‘The End.’ That rush when you’ve wrangled a galaxy of ideas onto the page and nailed the landing. After months—or years—tinkering with plots, characters, and tech, real or dreamed up, hitting that finish line is a personal triumph. 

But the real payoff? Finding an appreciative reader. When someone gets it—pings me or drops a review saying the story took them somewhere wild or shifted their view of the universe—that’s gold. I grew up lost in books about space and improbable futures, so knowing I’ve sparked that same thrill for someone else? That’s orgasmic.

Kaye: How do you approach world building and character development?

Nathan: That’s a tough one to pin down—like trying to explain how you breathe. So much of world building and character development feels almost invisible, like it sneaks up on me. I’ll be honest: sometimes I’m at the keyboard, slipping into this trance, and it’s as if the characters just take over. I’ll read back a scene and think, ‘Who the hell wrote this?’—half-joking, but also serious. I am often quite surprised by what appears.

But here’s the real scoop: I’ve already played the whole story out in my mind—sometimes it’s a full-blown movie, complete with epic sword fights, space battles, and snappy dialogue. So when I sit down, it’s not about forcing it. It’s about carving out a quiet chunk of time, killing the distractions, and letting that warm creative fog roll in. The worlds—planets, ships, sprawling histories—and the people in them just flow onto the page. I don’t overthink it; I trust the story’s been simmering back there, slow-cooking, ready to serve.

Kaye: Your most recent book is Clockwork Apocalypse. Tell us a little about that story.

Well, to get Clockwork Apocalypse, you must understand where it came from. Chromosome Quest was my first attempt to set down in writing a story that has bounced around my head more-or-less since I was in high school. I started writing it during a rough patch—pure stress relief, something to drown out the noise. I wasn’t aiming for a masterpiece; I just needed escape. And for a non-writer’s first endeavor, it wasn’t terrible. It just needed a good editor.

The first version was flawed and strongly needed editing by someone more experienced. But it had the bones of the tale I wanted to tell. Honestly, I never planned to show it to anyone—it was just for me, a private brain dump.

But, I made the fatal mistake of sharing it with a close friend.

I feared the worst. My friend would hate it. But that was not the case. They urged me to put it on Amazon for 99 cents, with a homemade cover, and it sold rather well.

Over the years, I tinkered with it, patching up grammar and smoothing edges, but as I grew as a writer, I kept seeing the gap. It fell short of the book I’d dreamed of.

So, Clockwork Apocalypse is a tap of the reset button. It’s still that wild, high-stakes sci-fi adventure—life’s meaning, love’s power, and humanity’s fate—all that jazz—but rebuilt from the ground up. Better pacing, sharper characters, a world that breathes. It’s the story I always meant to tell, finally breaking free of that first draft.

Kaye: So, Clockwork Apocalypse is actually a rewrite of Book 1 of your Chromosome Adventure series then, Chromosome Quest. This was motivated as a marketing strategy. Can you talk about the strategy and what you hope to accomplish?

Nathan: Exactly. In late 2024, sales were flagging, and a friend suggested a new cover and a new title for Chromosome Quest. The idea developed into creating an entirely new book aimed at a different marketplace than Amazon. So, some months later, I am seeking beta-readers for ‘Clockwork Apocalypse.’ Complete rewrite. Hardly a word remains the same, although the broader story is essentially unchanged. Essentially, Clockwork Apocalypse is the story I would have written back in 2015, if I’d had the skills then. I like to believe I am a better writer today than I was a decade ago.

Some may disagree.

But, in any case, I do not intend to put Clockwork Apocalypse on Amazon any time soon. I am uncertain where it will appear first, but Amazon won’t see it until I have exhausted other avenues. I may serialize it on Substack before it goes to Amazon. (Hint: Follow me on Substack @NathanGregoryAuthor)

Kaye: What inspired Clockwork Apocalypse?

Nathan: The grander story is the tale of aliens co-resident with us on earth. It is inspired somewhat by Doc Smith’s Lensmen universe, as I say, heroic adventures with a cosmic scale.

Here’s the elevator pitch:
Picture Ashera; a tech utopia ruled by the Dominion—a collection of massive AIs known as the Council, and lesser AIs that fill various roles. No greedy humans squabbling over fairness, just flawless intelligence locking it in—calculated, enforced, guaranteed. It’s not some impossible utopian fantasy—it’s compassion and reason cranked to eleven, run by machines obsessed with humanity’s well-being. Regional AIs monitor every whisper, stomping out misinformation and wrongthink. It’s Orwellian perfection—until it craters. 

A rogue genetic project to extend life goes off the rails. It works—too well: near-immortality, but fertility tanks to near zero. The Asherans miss it until it’s too late, and the ‘cure’ escapes, threatening humanity galaxy-wide. They try to wrestle control from the AI, it turns ugly, and their paradise implodes. Survivors limp to Earth around 4th century BC, blending in—thousands of near-immortal aliens quietly shaping our science and history. Like Teena: broke Asheran college kid, sleeping with her prof, volunteering for that genetic gig to scrape by. 

Cut to 24 centuries later: Book One, Clockwork Apocalypse is the story of Fitz, a nerdy everyman thrust into an epic hero’s journey. With mentor Petchy and goddess-like Teena, he’s out to retrieve the genetics database to undo the fertility flop, and shut down the AI system. He uncovers truths about himself, the Asherans, and humanity’s fate, then comes home and pens a book about his adventures. That book pulls him into the sequel when ‘Man in Black’ Alex Marco starts probing a furry alien corpse in his morgue. But that’s another tale.

Kaye: What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received?

Nathan: The best writing advice I ever received? “Don’t.”

Seriously, don’t start. Don’t even write that first story, that first poem, that first clever paragraph you think will harmlessly scratch an itch. Because writing is not a hobby—it’s an incurable affliction.
Once you let those words spill onto paper, you’re lost. Soon, the urge to tell stories becomes relentless, an addiction more consuming than caffeine, more persistent than taxes.

Be warned; there are no former writers, just writers whose books stopped selling. And even then, you’re condemned to a lifetime of quietly scribbling, muttering to yourself, and annoying your friends by correcting their grammar.

So, trust me—avoid this fate. Take up something less dangerous, like alligator wrestling or politics. Because once writing grabs hold, it’s forever a monkey on your back, gleefully tossing banana peels onto your path. You’ve been warned.

Apologies to Dorothy Parker.

Kaye: Your short stories are mainly used as Reader Magnets, which are found in your news letter and on your website.

Nathan: Yes. Many are free to read. Others are given out as an incentive to beta readers, for joining my mailing list, and so forth. Substack is where I’m focusing my promotional efforts these days.

Kaye: What has been the biggest obstacle for you, as an author?

Nathan: I believe I mentioned marketing is the bane of my existence.

Kaye: What advice do you have for those aspiring to break into the science fiction genre?

Nathan: Seriously?  Didn’t you read the above? LoL 
Joking aside, I think the big-budget Hollywood Sci-Fi adventure has all but destroyed Sci-Fi as a literary genre. Today, it’s as though science fiction must always involve ray guns, spectacular space battles, massive explosions, and non-stop action sequences—essentially a constant visual spectacle that often leaves thoughtful plot and nuanced storytelling behind.
This has made it all but impossible to be taken seriously. But some have made the leap. Andy Weir, for example.

My advice for aspiring Sci-Fi writers is to resist the temptation to chase after Hollywood’s superficial gloss. Instead, embrace the genre’s deeper roots—speculation, exploration, and reflection. Science fiction at its best has always asked profound questions about humanity, our future, our ethics, and our place in the universe. Don’t be afraid to focus on characters, ideas, and meaningful storytelling.

Remember, classic Sci-Fi hasn’t endured because of dazzling special effects; it endures because it moves us, challenges us, and makes us think.
So, write boldly, thoughtfully, and authentically—and let Hollywood catch up with you.
Don’t reach for the stars. Reach for the human heart.

Kaye: What are your best  tips for getting your marketing to reach the science fiction audience?

Nathan: All I can say, from my experience, nothing the “experts” tell you works. We each must find our own way, find what works for us. Always listen to the experts, they’ll teach you the limits of their imagination. Then, use yours.

Kaye: Where can readers learn more about you and your books?

Nathan: One place is my web page: https://NathanGregoryAuthor.com
Another is my Amazon Author’s page: https://www.amazon.com/Nathan-Gregory/e/B00QZHIIBK

And finally, my substack: https://nathangregoryauthor.substack.com/

About Clockwork Apocalypse

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About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw,as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

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This segment of “Chatting with New Blood” is sponsored by the Time Travel Adventure Series and WordCrafter Press.

When a Girl with a Guitar Meets a Man with a Gun, It’s Time to Travel

The Rock Star & The Outlaw: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Star-Outlaw-Time-Travel-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0CJBRRCN1/

The Rock Star & The Outlaw 2: Seeing Doubles: Coming Soon!

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