Volume 1: From the Depths of the Stars
Publisher: Self published
Jordan Blue, a mechanic struggling to survive from day to day, barely survives a potentially fatal accident, rescued by the enigmatic Cosmari space mermaid, Kuvett. Secretive and clandestine, the Cosmari desire to reclaim Shoar, one way or another.
While Jordan attempts to process their chance meeting, Kuvett sees the mysteries of the closed off Meritopolis, a massive and towering symbol of X-TRACT’s control over the planet, unaware of the tensions brewing underneath the surface between the Citizens of Meritopolis and the populace of the decrepit Outskirts, where the remaining population of Shoar live.
Interview with C.D. Clark
Author of Codex of the Cosmari
Could you tell us about any research trips you took for this story?
-It mostly took place reading about the fears and realities of corporate overreach starting from the origins of the cyberpunk genre and the guilded age to involvement with workers’ unions and resistance against corporate totalitarianism.
Which places did you visit, and what made them essential to your writing?
-Nowhere, sadly. Don’t got much time or money to travel these days.
What's the strangest thing you've ever had to research online for your book?
-Stories from union workers while they organized under the threats of intimidation, harassment, and violence from corporate backed thugs to gain the rights we have today. It’s not strange, but I found it of great interest.
What research (history, mythology, science) goes into your world-building?
-A mixture of all of them, since I have the leeway to present the more fantastical elements as part of each subject that is currently outside of our understanding, but hopefully looked at with a lens of curiosity, critical thinking, and fun. Giving just enough story for the readers to fill in the blank spots themselves.
Have any of the people you've known, past or present, left a lasting impression on your writing journey? If so, we'd love to hear about a memorable experience that stands out to you.
-Yes. I have a friend that I have known for ten years that I met when we used to work at the same place. And even though we both left there and different times, we always kept in touch and our friendship is still going to this day. They’ve been supportive and have been always willing to ask me questions that make me reconsider a stance that I had not considered before.
Do you write in the same genre all the time?
-Yes. Science fantasy is fun.
If so, have you ever consider writing in another one?
-Yes. Though, if I ever do, it’ll most likely be standalone since I only have so much headspace to work with at one time.
Which character, supernatural or human, do you enjoy writing the most and why?
-I have an antagonist that is not really evil, just an antagonist with goals of their own. It’s a lot of fun to write them in parallel to my protagonists and make me reconsider how to make my protagonists as fun to write as they are. Whether it’s used to contrast or just with their own plot line, it gives me a lot of flexibility to see what works where and how.
C.D. Clark, when not perpetually stuck in mentally rewriting earlier works, takes care of his cat, Ninja as they both struggle just to make it.
