Ulysses Namon - Abducted by Humans. Trapped in Space

Born and raised in Washington State, Ulysses Namon holds a Bachelor of Science in Geology from Washington State University. He works as a soils engineer, monitoring construction sites to ensure that all buildings are founded on stable ground. A lifelong fan of science fiction, he eventually turned to writing his own books—an ironic twist, considering his strong dislike for writing during his school years. He chose the pen name "Ulysses Namon" inspired by the Kirk Douglas film Ulysses; “Namon” is “no man” spelled backwards. As our Author of the Day, he tells us all about his book, DeWulf's Twins.Please give us a short introduction to what DeWulf's Twins is about.They are models who want more than just glamor and a paycheck, they want to learn new things and experience adventure. Their abduction is an opportunity to have those things they want but there are sinister forces that have insidious plans for them.Twin models abducted by humans in space, not your everyday sci-fi premise. What inspired this unusual combination of fashion, mystery, and galactic adventure?Logan and Alex are the first characters I ever conceived. They were first mecha pilots then star rangers but I felt they deserved a story that is more interesting.What are the central themes you wanted to explore through DeWulf’s Twins—identity, displacement, survival, or something else?A little bit of displacement and a whole lot of survival. As the story progresses they are trying to get home while at the same time they are evading various factions that want them and not in a good way.The story kicks off with a moment of curiosity, Logan and Alex sneaking into the ship's restricted areas. How important is curiosity as a driving force for your characters and the plot?It is a part of their adventurous nature but also their intelligence. In the book they are described as being nerds trapped in hot chick bodies; they see things that seem out of place and naturally want to know why.Can you give us a sneak peek into the technology they discover and how it shapes the rest of the novel?The technology they encounter is a combination of high and low tech. Spaceships use sails to travel through space and land battles are fought with bladed weapons while riding robot steeds. They encounter both parahumans, humans who have been genetically modified as well as uplifted animals. A person can swap out body parts as easily a mechanic can change a tire on your car. Nanogel is the utilitarian tech that everyone sees every day, it is used to put people and animals into stasis, preserve food and to clean and sanitize just about anything. Finally, the dominant entity, the Hegemony use technology powered by their psionic abilities giving their ships almost magical abilities like teleportation.Writing identical twins as protagonists can be tricky. How did you differentiate Logan and Alex in terms of voice, personality, and development?Parents of twins are known to dress them the same. Logan and Alex intentionally dress differently so they appear to be individuals plus Logan wears her hair short while Alex’s hair is shoulder length.Did you base any part of their dynamic on real-life siblings or relationships you’ve observed?Yes, in my research I learned that twins can not only be very close but can exhibit intense rivalry. One of the ways they express this is when Logan calls Alex “little girl” and Alex calls her sister “old lady” even though there is only mere minutes difference in their age.Their careers as models might seem at odds with sci-fi survival, yet they become compelling heroines. Was that contrast intentional?Yes, it is a common belief that models live a glamourous and pampered life yet I found out that being a model can be a demanding occupation. Starting out it would seem that they would be the least prepared when forced into a ‘fish out of water’ situation.Is there a particular moment in the book where their bond is truly tested?They get separated during the story requiring that they work to reunite.The girls are taken aboard a spacecraft where nothing makes sense. Without spoilers, what can you tell us about the world they enter?It’s a world that has moved on, tens of thousands of years beyond the world they were taken from with a complex and stratified social structure. At the top is the Hegemony, an empire run by people with psychic powers who dominate everyone else.What were some of the challenges of crafting a believable yet mysterious sci-fi setting?The temptation is to info dump, to just start unloading a massive amount of information on the reader. The trick is finding the balance between giving enough information so that the reader can visualize the world but not so much it bogs down the story.Did you draw inspiration from any classic or contemporary sci-fi stories when building the world of DeWulf’s Twins?The Foundation series by Issac Asimov and the New Sun novels by Gene Wolf.What are you working on right now?I have three projects going. Harbinger’s War (about an alien who unintentionally starts a war with humanity) is currently being edited, I am rewriting my very first book Gehenna’s Children (a post-apocalyptic adventure) and finally I am working on the sequel to DeWulf’s Twins.