Interview With Award-Winning Sci-Fi Author and Molecular Biologist Richard M. Anderson

  

1.      What inspired you to write this book?

It was a natural progression from my first book the non-fiction The Evolution of Life: Big Bang to Space Colonies. That book was inspired by my frustration with the public emergence of the anti-science, anti-knowledge movement brought to the fore in the first Trump administration. I wanted to collect my thoughts to express the progression and continuity of life, and evolution in all its forms; biological, social, technological and scientific. I wanted to stress the value and importance of our planet and its environments to human life and society. And I wanted to look to the future to seek a possible redemption of the human species. This first book was the inspiration for the Outbound series. My most recent book, Outbound: Meta Mars examines the possibilities and pitfalls of developing a permanent society on Mars.  

2.      What exactly is it about – and who is it written for?

It’s for those concerned about our current self-destructive path. How might we find political, economic and environmental solutions for Earth by developing societies in space. It’s also meant to be an engaging story with believable scenes based on science and engineering. I believe it also to be a fun read. I would be thrilled if all readers found it relevant.  

3.      What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

Better insight on the essential value of our planet. Space will be a much more difficult place to live, and we can only be successful there by creating Earth-like environments. Earth is the only place we can presently live. There is no Earth 2 that we can move to. If we find such a planet it will not be reachable for probably hundreds of thousands of years, or longer. In essence, we have nowhere else to go.  

4.      How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

Meta Mars is the Mars beyond the present Mars. I don’t believe we can terraform Mars. If we did so it would only be temporary and at huge effort. So, Meta doesn’t mean it would be Earth-like. But we could cover and seal the vast Vales Marineris rift and add Earth atmosphere and Earth ecosystems. We would need to overcome the difficulty in landing heavy payloads on Mars, thus the Palonis Space Ladder on the cover. We would need to provide long term residents with Earth equivalent gravity. Thus, the Rehab Orbiter and the Twirl Towers. This book title expresses my vision of our future presence on Mars.  

5.      What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

Running is always a stress relieving tactic. When you stop running, take a breath and write your passion. Have one eye on your potential reader, but both eyes on your own exploration. Sound impossible? It nearly is. My point is; if your writing expresses something you are passionate about, the intensity it brings to your thinking adds clarity to your own life. It is an effort that is most valuable to yourself.  

6.      What trends in the book world do you see – and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?

Prose depicting unfamiliar landscapes invites readers to imagine and complete the scenes in their minds.  The neural pathways in our brains grow. Our minds expand. The emphasis today is on sloganized sound bites. This is driven by our technology which helps create these bits of information and the needs of our fast-paced life that consume our time. We are beginning to see the ill effects of this lifestyle to our health and our mental acuity. I believe a rebound is beginning. Some people are recognizing the pleasure and health benefits of spending quiet time reading and reflecting each day. For our own well-being, let’s hope so.  

7.      Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?

My entire career in the Clinical Laboratory required me to continuously search for better methods, better practices and more current knowledge. But in that role, I wasn’t focused on the larger issues of society --- until retirement. When I first retired my wife and I spent our time traveling. COVID hit while we were in Australia and New Zealand. We came home to a COVID lockdown in March of 2020. It was then that I began research and seriously writing my first book. The anti-science, anti-vaccine movements at the time were catalysts for that beginning.  

8.      How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

I am new to writing, but do not want to emulate anyone’s style. I’m not sure what my style is as I am still learning the craft. As such I haven’t read many fiction books recently. I find inspiration in reading scientific books, articles and science news. There are plenty of exciting discoveries that create inspiration for story lines.  

9.      What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

Objects at rest tend to stay at rest. Inertia was a big obstacle, but physics can work for you as well because objects in motion tend to stay in motion. Physics is so clever! But here’s a twist; it was the inertia of the COVID lockdown that allowed my desire to write gain momentum.

On a more practical mode, my publishers team guided me through the process, changed my direction when I went astray.  

10.  If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

This book, and my others are for readers who want to expand their awareness into places outside their normal experience. Our lives are mostly directed toward our present needs. Our thinking is to resolve problems and challenges to ourselves and our family’s well-being. This and my other books take you away from that world while at the same time offering a different, or higher altitude view of it. I hope it is the cause of thought and reflection --- and fun.  

About The Author: Richard M. Anderson is an alumnus of San Jose State University, with a
Master of Arts degree in microbiology. Throughout his career, Anderson's first book, The Evolution of Life: Big Bang to Space Colonies, has been a dream of his that finally came to fruition. It is backed by years of research to supplement and verify its content. His second book, Outbound: Islands in the Void, is the first in a sci-fi series. His first two books are award-winning. His third book, the second of the Outbound series, Outbound: Meta Mars, was just published. Anderson and his wife live in the San Francisco Bay area, close to their three children and their families.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,400,000 page views. With 5,500+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum