Sample Questions and Answers
QUESTIONS
What was the initial ‘spark’ or image that started this story?
Good question! The first image that ever came to me about this story, back when it was the germ of an idea, was the mushroom shaped splashing tear from the prologue. It stayed with me for decades. Managed to put it in a film, not to the extent I would have like, then put it back in the novel when I finally got around to write it.
Share a specific image, event, or “what if” scenario that started the project.
Warriors of the Last Days was always meant to be a screenplay. I made a short film about it while I was at university and wanted to turn it into a feature film for years. It never happened, so I decided, quite late, to turn it into a novel. It then took on a life of its own, expanding in many different directions I had never even considered before.
Why did you choose this specific setting for your book?
Well, I lived a good part of my life in Montreal, I always loved to explore strange places, I am a big fan of Urbex, and I also go to visit and see places most people do not know they exist just because we were making movies and got to see really cool locations, under and above ground. So Montreal was an easy decision to start the story.
Explain the significance of the location and how it influences the story’s mood.
The mood of the story is influenced by where the action takes place. The real question is, why is that mood sometimes so dark? Dystopia, by definition, leads to that. That does not mean it cannot be eventually positive, but to get there, it needs to explore in depth the darkness first. I must say it has been tremendous fun to imagine dystopian, post-apocalyptic versions of Montreal, its landmarks, and the weird things that might happen if it all ended up being true…
Which character was the most difficult to write, and why?
Patch, from Volume IV The Spark, was at times the easiest character to write and at other times, the hardest. I feel so sorry for the little dude. He had an atrocious life, even by post-apocalyptic standards.
Which character do you relate to the most, or was anyone inspired by real life?
Though Question. So far, the closest for me is Una. But it will change as we add more novels.
What are the central themes you wanted to explore in this novel?
Systems of Control. Resistance. Ecology. Questions of politics, quantum physics, how far would we go for control and which tools would we use?
Mention deeper messages like forgiveness, survival, or love.
Love is difficult in that world. Even if you manage to pull it off, something else will get in your way. Ask poor Andy in The Exodus and the Spark…
What was the most challenging part of writing this book?
Definitely RESO. How do you describe a computer system that sees superposed states, chooses one and forces those outcomes? I struggled with this until it was time to release the book. Still not happy about it.
Discuss a specific scene or a hurdle in the plot that required many revisions.
Hard question. The first chapter of Book One. I thought it would never end. I disliek those questions.
Are you a “plotter” (detailed outliner) or a “pantser” (writer who flies by the seat of their pants)?
I think I hover between both but lean more towards pantser. In the sense that I have a fairly clear idea of the plot, how things fall together, the structure is my strong suit. However, I do not plan in every little details to let the door open for new directions. And I am often surprised when the characters bring me somewhere that was never intended or not even originally imagined. I never really question myself in regards to this.
Briefly describe your unique writing routine or quirks.
I never paid attention to whether I had any particular quirk, except for the fact that I prefer writing at night. I can wake up in the middle of the night, grab an energy drink (I do not drink coffee), and write until the birds start chirping and the sun slowly rises.
What do you hope readers take away from your story?
I hope they appreciate the world building, I worked very hard on that part. I hope they see what we tried to say about systems. About revolt. About remaining yourself in chaos. Above all, I hope they enjoy themselves at least as much as I did making the stories.
Identify the emotional or thought-provoking goal of the book.
Freedom is something that is very dear to me. And something we seem to have slowly let go over the years I have been alive. We let politician restrict it too much. I am not an anarchist, but fear is being used to control and restrict us more than a real crime policy should. The question is: why do we not do anything more about it?
Can you give us a “sneak peek” or teaser of what you’re working on next?
I am currently working on finishing editing the books on the first series, which is set in Montreal. Already wrote a novel set in a sueprmax prison in Ontario and another set in the French islands of St-Pierre and Miquelon, near Newfoundland. Coming up also are The Front, set in Saskatchewan and Cold Storage, a humorous adventure, that will happen in Yukon, Dawson City more precisely.
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Stéphane Roy is a lifelong reader and writer with a deep love for science fiction, apocalyptic worlds, and tightly constructed mysteries. This is his first novel. He lives in the Yukon with his dog and his aquarium, where long winters, silence, and wide, sometimes glowing, skies leave plenty of room for imagining the end of the world, and what might come after it. He is also waiting, with cautious optimism, for the aliens to finally reveal themselves and straighten us all out.