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28Mar2012: MilSciFi.com interviews Allan Burd, author of the military
science fiction novel, THE ROSWELL PROTOCOLS.
MilSciFi: "Welcome. Please tell us a little
something about your novel."
Burd: "It's an all-out sci-fi action adventure thriller. It's
about a spaceship that crash lands on Earth, but unlike the 1947 Roswell
Incident, this one crashes outside the borders of the United States. We go after it, but
this time it's not going to be so easy. Russia, Canada, and Japan all get a bead on it
and they want it just as bad as we do. The race is on. The covert battle begins.
But somewhere, on the crashed alien vessel, deadly extra-terrestrials have
survived."
MilSciFi: "What inspired you to write this story?"
Burd: "I've always been a fan of UFO stories, and I like to
view things through the most realistic prism as possible. I always thought that
if a spaceship ever crash landed, it would be so valuable to whoever claimed it
just in terms of the technology alone, that we would go to war over it. And
since I hadn't seen a story quite like that anywhere, I wrote one."
MilSciFi: "Is this part of a series or universe?"
Burd: "It's a self-contained story, but there's room for a
sequel."
MilSciFi: "Does science and technology play an
important role in this story, or is it secondary to the story telling and
characterization?"
Burd: "Science and technology is very important. As I
mentioned earlier, I tried to make this book as realistic as possible. I did a
ton of research on aliens, astronomy, the science behind the possibility of
extra-terrestrial life and our military capabilities, which I believe comes
across nicely in the story. I tried to be as accurate as possible because that
makes the story all the more believable. One reviewer called it a cross between
Tom Clancy and the X-files which
was nice to read. But in the end, my main goal was to write a fun, fast paced
story, so that was my number one priority."
MilSciFi: "Do you have plans to expand upon, or
write other works based on this novel?"
Burd: "I was approached by someone who wanted to turn the
book into a movie but didn't have the resources to pull it off. If there is
someone else out there who thinks they can take this story to a new medium then
I would absolutely expand the universe as the idea for a sequel is already in
place and I can also think of a lot of other directions to go with it."
MilSciFi: "What advice would you give the aspiring
military science fiction writer?"
Burd: "Have fun. Seriously, if you can fully enjoy what you're
working on then that love will show through in the writing. I would also add to
bring your own voice to the genre, make sure your readers can identify with
your characters, and always look for ways to brush up on the craft of writing."
MilSciFi: "Who is the single-most influence in
science fiction and what impact have they had on your own work?"
Burd: "If I had to pick one specific person it would be Michael Crichton. As a kid I read Jurassic Park and I was hooked. But I
took away three important things that he always did as a writer. He always made
his science believable to the point where you were learning while being
entertained. His stories grabbed your attention right from the get go and then
never let you go. And his writing style, in my opinion, was second to none."
MilSciFi: "Is military science fiction the only
thing you write, or is there something else out there we should be looking for?"
Burd: "I wrote a children's book titled, The Adventures of
Little Al – THE LIE. It's about an eight-year old boy that goes on an adventure
with his dog Zach and learns the real reason you should never
tell lies. It's great for teaching children a real life lesson while they are
being entertained. It even has a glossary in the back to help improve the child's
vocabulary."
MilSciFi: "Do you have any other projects in the
works?"
Burd: "I'm currently working on a Young Adult thriller that
mixes a little horror in with the sci-fi. I should be able to complete by June
2012 and hopefully it will see print shortly after that."
MilSciFi: "Do you have a website?"
Burd: "You can
check out my books at Tydylforce.com and of course, Amazon.com and other
retailers."
MilSciFi: "Thank you for your time."
Burd: "You're welcome. I very much appreciate you guys
taking me on! Thanks to you as well."
A word from the author:
First off, I'll just say I believe in life
elsewhere in the universe. Werner Von Braun said it best, "Our sun
is one of 100 billion stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is one of billions of
galaxies populating the universe. It would be the height of presumption to
think that we are the only living things in that enormous immensity." Now
whether they have made it to Earth or not is another matter entirely.
Personally, I believe they have on many occasions and, if you have picked up
this book, my guess is you believe the same.
When I wrote this book my ultimate goal was to
write the most fun, action-packed, and thrillingly fast paced novel I could,
but I also wanted to make it as realistic as possible. The lecture about the
possibility of extraterrestrial life and their technology that Dr. Blaze gives to Logan Grey on
the plane is all based on real science. The explanation of events Colonel Chase gives to Major David Gaines is mostly based on
actual UFO mythology, with some minor elements tweaked to fit the story. For
the military buffs out there, I researched our weapon systems and aircraft
capabilities as best I could and I hope I accurately detailed all of our human
technology as well.
I hope you enjoyed the book. As an added bonus
to you, here's a cartoon I drew over fifteen years ago that will give you a
better feel for my sense of humor.
Be
well. Have fun. Enjoy life to the fullest. And hopefully I’ll see you all for
another story.
Best
Regards, Allan Burd
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