Scifipulse recently had the pleasure of interviewing C. T. Phipps. He is a lifelong student of horror; science fiction and fantasy. In like manner Phipps’ passion for gaming led him to write; and he is author of The Supervillany Saga, the Agent G series and the Bright Falls Mysteries. In the same way, Phipps is also author of Cthulhu Armageddon and Dark Destiny. Phipps has also written Daughter of the Cyber Dragons, Lords of Dragon Keep, Lucifer’s Star and Moon Cop on the Moon. Correspondingly, Phipps has written Morgan Detective Agency, Psycho Killers in Love, the Red Room series and the Space Academy series. Furthermore, Phipps is a regular reviewer at the United Federation of Charles. Over the course of this interview, he discusses how to write villains that the audience can get behind as well as his dream of writing in the Fallout universe.
SFP: What made you want to be a writer?
C. T. Phipps: I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was a calling but the love of writing was always there from my childhood onward. If you can do something you love, you should try. It isn’t always practical but it worked out for me.
SFP: I see that some of your influences are from tabletop roleplaying games. Would you ever write a DND tie-in novel?
C. T. Phipps: I actually made a couple of pitches for VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE with a Lucita de Aragorn and a Theo Bell novel. Sadly, they weren’t picked up. I’d argue that LORDS OF DRAGON KEEP are D&D novels, though. They’re just 3rd Edition Open Gaming License ones (sort of). Ultimately, I love my freedom too much and I’d prefer to write my own universe versus in someone else’s like with Supervillainy Saga being my take on Marvel/DC.
SFP: Following on from that question, would you ever write dialogue for a game?
C. T. Phipps: Absolutely. I would love to write for a video game. I think they’re just as an important an artistic medium as any other.
SFP: Which authors are you inspired by?
C. T. Phipps: I have a huge number of influences as a voracious reader. The Supervillainy Saga is inspired by my love of Jim Butcher and Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s’ Dragonlance plus every comic book I’ve ever read. Lords of Dragon Keep is something of a parody of George R.R. Martin and Andrzej Sapkowski’s dark fantasy works. I’m a huge fan of Brian Lumley, especially his Titus Crow novels.
SFP: What are your top 5 SF novels and why?
C. T. Phipps: Tough call. 1. Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn 2. Neuromancer by William Gibson 3. Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams 4. The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell 5. Artemis by Andy Weir.
SFP: What is the secret to writing a villain protagonist that readers will root for?
C. T. Phipps: Every villain is the hero of their own story. This isn’t to say that we’re meant to agree with their actions but also to believe that they have an internal logic to their actions. They’re just willing to go the extra mile in their methods to do what they need to in order to get what they want. A lot of us secretly wish we could do that.
SFP: What do you think the future of ND representation in sci-fi looks like?
C. T. Phipps: I think it’s becoming more normalized and we’re moving away from the stereotype that they’re not already probably someone we know. I think destigmatizing the people who just think differently is important and there’s much to be admired about having the condition. I am me and would not be different if I had the chance. I think fiction will reflect that and several of my characters already do.
SFP: And finally, if you could write for any major science fiction franchise, what story would you tell in that universe and why?
C. T. Phipps: Weirdly enough, I’d love to write a novel set in the Fallout universe.
Scifipulse would like to extend our most heartfelt thanks and warmest best wishes to C. T. Phipps for so graciously taking the time to answer our questions.
Check out our Robbie Sheerin interview here
Check out our Jen DeLuca interview here
