Author Interview with Steve Bellinger of “The Chronocar”
Hello readers! I got the chance to interview author ,Steve Bellinger about his newest book The Chronocar, writing process, favorite authors, among other things! I hope you all enjoy the interview!
About The Book
Imagine being born the son of a slave with the mind of a genius. That was Simmie Johnson in the years following the Civil War. After a perilous escape from oppression, he manages to earn a PhD in physics at Tuskegee, and in his research, discovers the secret of time travel. He develops a design for a time machine, called a Chronocar, but the technology required to make it work does not yet exist.click for review
Fast forward a hundred and twenty-five years. A young African-American Illinois Tech student in Chicago finds Dr. Johnson’s plans and builds a Chronocar. He goes back to the year 1919 to meet the doctor and his beautiful daughter, Ollie, who live in Chicago’s Black Belt, now known as Bronzeville. But, he has chosen an unfortunate time in the past and becomes involved in the bloodiest race riot in Chicago’s history.
Q&A Time!
Tell us about yourself. How did you become a writer?
I was raised by a single mom who worked nights at a printing company. She would often bring home books and magazines for us to read. She understood the importance of reading and lead by example. When she brought home I, Robot by Isaac Asimov, I read it and fell in love with Science Fiction at the young age of 13. The more I read, the more I wanted to create. I began making homemade comic books and wrote my own science fiction novels in wire bound notebooks. Turns out I had a knack for writing. In high school and college, any course that required a term paper as a major part of the grade was a guaranteed “A.”
As an adult, I wrote everything from newspaper articles and computer training manuals to Sunday School lessons. I even wrote some well-received fan fiction. In the late 1970’s I wrote and produced original radio drama.
It was much later in life that I got my first bit of fiction published, a short story entitled “A Silly Millimeter,” now part of an anthology. Then, 8 or 9 years ago, I got the idea for a time travel novel. And the rest, I suppose, is history.
Have you ever experienced “Writer’s Block”? How long do it usually last?
Unlike most writers, I only write when it hits me. Sometimes I’ll get stuck on a story. I have to “walk away” from it and let it “stew” in my mind. It could be days or weeks. But I know that until the answer and the muse hits me, whatever I try to write won’t be any good. When I wrote on assignment, like the newspaper articles, I could sit and crank something out in no time. For something creative, it takes longer, and I have learned that it is worth the wait.
What do you love most about the writing process?
When I am writing and the words are flowing, it’s like a natural high. Watching the story unfold, almost as if I were just an observer, is a mesmerizing experience.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
No. I am far from professional in my approach. I write when the muse hits me. I may think and dream about a story or a chapter for days or weeks. Once it comes together in my head, I’ll know that I have something. Then a can write for hours.
Your debut novel, The Chronocar, is an African-American time travel novel. What inspired you to write this type of story?
I wanted to write a science fiction story that was “down to earth,” dealing with some element of life on this planet; no space aliens, intergalactic conflicts or anything like that. I also wanted it to be diverse. I wanted black characters who were more than just people with dark skins. I wanted the story to reflect the “black experience.” I’ve always been fascinated by time travel, but nothing I had seen or read really made sense; I wanted to write a time travel story that had some serious logic to it.
I think I achieved all of this with The Chronocar. The characters are indeed diverse (a genius who happens to be the son of a slave, and a modern-day black college student), and the approach to time travel is different than anything I’ve ever seen.
What would the main character in your book have to say about you?
Clearly here I cheated. Tony Carpenter, the African-American college student who builds the Chronocar, is basically me at that age. He was a student at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, also my Alma mater. As I confronted Tony with obstacles in the story, I simply asked myself what I might have done in the same situation.
On your website you talk about your love of science fiction such as Orson Wells and Star Trek. What is it about the genre that fascinates you?
My love of science fiction is an offshoot of my love of science. Some of the best science fiction is based on or at least starts out with some real science, something I tried to do in The Chronocar. On my website, I differentiate between real science fiction and other genres that get confused with science fiction.
Who are your favorite authors? Any book recommendations you’d like to share?
I still love the old masters, like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Harlan Ellison. I enjoyed the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. Most recently I’ve read some great stories by a local author, Seth Chambers and I just finished a marvelous novel entitled Semiosis by Sue Burke.
About The Author 
I was born and raised on the West Side of Chicago by a single mom who worked nights for a printing company. She would bring home books and magazines to encourage us to read. This is how I discovered Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke and the other masters of classic science fiction. It didn’t take long for me to get the itch to write. Over the years I’ve written everything from newspaper articles, comic strips and radio drama to short stories and fan fiction.
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Thanks again to Steve for an fun Q&A session! Check out The Chronocar if you’re looking for a fun Sci-Fi adventure!
