CROOKED V.2 Author Spotlight: E. L. Strife
We’re celebrating the launch of CROOKED V.2 by spotlighting the authors who have contributed stories!
Strife enjoys crafting science fiction novels in various subgenres including space opera, cyberpunk, and fantasy. Sometimes she writes about aliens and colonization, other times she sticks to genetic engineering, the supernatural, and corrupt futuristic societies. Strife’s Sci-Fi is often crude and graphic, features strong women, and typically includes people who like to blow s— up.
E. L. isn’t always in front of her laptop. She enjoys taking the four-wheelers to the coast with her husband and doing donuts in the sand. Strife most enjoys camping in the mountains and soaking in hot springs in the snow, but you’re most likely to find her in the gym.
Strife craves learning new things like that crazy stuff called astrophysics and how to work on her 1981 Corvette and her Jeep. She hopes, someday, to add to her list of apocalyptic survival skills by learning to weld.
E. L. has traveled the US and Europe served in the military and completed two Bachelor’s Degrees in Public Health and Human Sciences. She’s toured lava tubes, the NASA center in Houston, castles, concentration camps, the Shelby center in Las Vegas, and many natural wonders. She’s even learned to race BMWs at the track in southern California.
Strife enjoys connecting with readers and welcomes all feedback and questions. If you’d like to know when Strife’s next books will be out, and to ensure you hear about her giveaways, visit her website: elstrife.com and subscribe via the links on her homepage.
You can also connect with her on BookBub and Goodreads. Strife’s next upcoming book is available for pre-order on Amazon.
Tell us a bit about your story and the story world.
“Ion Hunter” is the first story of the Mega-City Crimes series, completely written on a whim for this anthology. I developed a world in which most of the land has been taken over and barricaded into expansive cities so that almost no farming or rural land is left. I wondered what this kind of life could push a person to do to survive and thrive. It was a concept I’d started on with another title coming out this year, but I hadn’t intended for it to become a series until this anthology opportunity came along. Each character in the series lives in their own city, so readers can experience a new place each time they pick up a new book.
What was the inspiration behind this story?
The basis of each Mega-City story was to explore the possible ill-effects of humanity’s “better options” for the future. I’m working in the speculative cyberpunk realm, which isn’t something I’ve directly done before. I usually include some aspects of crime and speculation with cyberpunk elements, but generally I write sci-fi subgenres of military, genetic engineering, fantasy, and colonization.
My closest relatable series is Hybrid Genesis, in which I explore to some extent the effects of living a natural life versus a synthetic one and the consequences of each. I’ve always wanted to take that concept to a higher level and really dive into more speculative work, but I needed a kick in the backside to pull the trigger. Code Reaper’s concept came first. What happens to your online presence when you die? How do you stop hackers, then? You hire a code reaper.
Then this story, “Ion Hunter,” came to mind as the rush to buy electric cars became popular. I’ve read many articles on the toxic processes involved in making batteries and thought perhaps it was worth exploring a world where batteries were outlawed. How would we survive? I might dive into this deeper with another story later because I feel there’s more to the hunter’s city that would be neat to open up.
If you could travel to any science fictional world, where would you go and what would you do?
It’s way too hard to pick just one because I want to visit them all. I’ll take any story with a starship that I can lurk on just to see new places and species. If ever there was a way to be outside of the multiverse so I could watch it in action, count me in.
What are some of your favorite sci-fi crime books or stories?
I have really enjoyed all of Frasier Armitage’s books. He is a new author with unique stories that always involve mind-melting concepts like controlling time. New Yesterday has to be one of my favorites. I had the luck of reading an early copy. Rememory is another title of his I admire where memory is currency. Armitage is the one who inspired me to challenge myself with something new, to write in more twists (especially head-game style), and work on new sci-fi crime books. I’m so excited (and a bit in shock) to be in this anthology with him!
What are you working on next?
Code Reaper publishes in December, so that’s next on my list to complete. Mind Breaker will, at this time, complete the Mega-City Crimes series. Both of these books feature characters from “Ion Hunter.” If the series does well, I might add books. I’m also working my way through my Dead Cell series (colonization) and planning book three of Hybrid Genesis (genetic engineering) and book five of Infinite Spark (military fantasy). I like variety in my subgenres and stories, but they all feature kick-butt and self-sacrificing characters, battles, new tech and weaponry, and the bad guys eating dust in the end.
To stay up-to-date on my latest titles and get two free books, sign up for my newsletter, Science Fiction Fantasy Fleet, here: https://elstrife.com/join-sff-fleet.
CROOKED V.2
