We’re celebrating the launch of CROOKED V.3 by spotlighting the authors who have contributed stories!
K. Gorman is a Science Fiction and Fantasy addict from Western Canada who dabbles in different genres. In addition to being a fiction lover, she is also a history and culture nerd with a focus on China, Taiwan, and Japan. When she’s not writing, one can find her devouring other author’s stories, marathoning various sci-fi and fantasy franchises, or appeasing her ancient cat’s need for laptime.
Website: kgorman.ca
Tell us a bit about your story “Love of Mine”.
Soo-jin Dokgo was known as ‘the sweary engineer’ in the original series I wrote. She is also a crowd favorite. After the events in The Eurynome Code, she got her own ship and all the problems that came with it–many of which she just happens to wander into, and all of which she has some scathing opinion about. I just write the damage reports. This story is one of the more pivotal of those reports.
On a more technical, world-building note, the series takes place in a fictional version of the Sirius star system. In this universe, three star systems are inhabited (The Solar System, of course, then Alpha Centauri and Sirius), and they have Einstein-Rosin gates connecting them. A third system was supposed to be colonized, but its gate never connected, so everyone assumes that those colony ships met a bad time. FTL travel isn’t quite possible yet, but they can overcome the G-Forces of acceleration through the use of smart gravity drives.
Soo-jin flies a vintage military dropship and tends to hang out around the outer planets, using one of the larger space stations as her port of call.
What was the inspiration behind this story?
Well, one of the characters in this story gets name-dropped a few times in the main series. I think I had a one-sentence backstory, and I really wanted to flesh that out. Happily, Crooked came along with the perfect opportunity, and I had such fun writing it. The story ended up being much more fun and epic than I’d originally imagined!
What are some of your favorite sci-fi crime books or stories?
The Murderbot Diaries. I’m fairly rabid for them. Love Barry Hutchison’s Space Team, as well. Managed to luck out in a full series of Space Team paperbacks at a local fundraiser! Ilona Andrews’ Kinsmen Universe is also amazing. I keep going back and re-reading the stories! I’m afraid you’re right in that sci-fi crime is difficult to find or pin down. So many of the things I love to read (and watch!) aren’t so much specifically sci-fi crime, but sci-fi that happens to have a very large crime element in it.
What authors have inspired your writing?
Lois McMaster Bujold, Barry Hutchison, Charles de Lint, Lindsay Buroker, John Scalzi, Arkady Martine, Rachel Aukes… I better stop. There are quite a lot!
What are you working on next?
I am working on two things. First and foremost is launching the series that this story is connected to. I have three large books full of sweary Soo-jin misadventures getting ready to drop on the Amazon lists. I’m anticipating an early 2025 release for that, so stay tuned. It’s an epically awesome story.
The second thing is a trilogy set in the same universe. More of a direct sequel to the original series, it follows a cyborg who becomes Grand Regent for several territories in the Centauri System. Tons of politics, military action, cyberhacking, more politics, and a plot that hits the whole mess like a bomb. I lovingly refer to it as my “Lesbian Cyborg War Lord” series.
I also have a fantasy series involving a violent elf guard that I am working on in the background at the moment. “The Bladesworn Legacy” can be read for free on Royal Road.
CROOKED V.3
