Interview With Science Fiction Author Giancarlo Roversi

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?

First, thank you so much for this opportunity to talk about my work.

 

A single event can change us forever.

 

When I was ten, I suffered an accident on a small train. I couldn’t walk for a year and almost lost a foot. During

these months, I wolfed down science fiction novels, thrillers, and horror books.

 

Then, when I was a teenager, a guest at my sister’s birthday party began discussing a mysterious concept that captured my attention. This conversation stayed with me, and I felt compelled to explore it deeper. That was the inception of the Pulstarverse.

 

Years later, the project became deeply personal. What began as creative curiosity engulfed me, turning into a long-term passion and obsession. I became fascinated by the conflicts we humans endure as a species and our unbreakable connection to the universe. 

 

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

In short, the Pulstar trilogy is a philosophical dystopian science fiction series for adults set on an alternate Earth, in an imaginary country called Astralvia. There, three strangers confront a mystifying enemy who’s thirsty for vengeance that they don’t remember and spawned when their bodies weren’t human—a menace that could change life on Earth forever.

 

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

More than anything, I hope readers finish the trilogy feeling that it has subtly shifted their way of understanding the world. I created Pulstar to entertain and provoke curiosity, reflection, and debate.  Beneath the suspense and adventure lies an invitation to wrestle with larger questions: political, social, philosophical, and deeply personal, even when the answers are unsettling. The trilogy’s principal theme is how little we know about ourselves, about what is out there, about the meaning of our existence, or if there is any real meaning at all. The characters are driven by forces they barely comprehend, shaped by actions they don’t remember and identities they struggle to reconcile. That tension mirrors something profoundly human: the realization that memory, perception, and self-understanding are far more fragile than we assume.

 

Ultimately, if there is one message that I’d like readers to carry with them, it is this: certainty is often an illusion. Questioning who we are, what we believe, and how our past defines us can be uncomfortable, but it is also where growth begins.

 

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

Oh, I've changed so many covers. Since it's a three-part work, I wanted each cover to feature a specific color and to look more like chapters of the series. I always tried to avoid traditional elements like spaceships, outer space with planets, and so on. Uh, the name Pulstar and its subtitles refer to the essence of the entire saga, which you begin to discover on the first page of the first book.

 

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

Hehe. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to do what I did. I cut myself off from the world for over a decade and a half. I lost so much. Now, discipline, passion, patience, and perseverance are vital, no matter the field. In my case, I’ve always forced my way into the zone, even when the dreaded writer’s block is lurking close by. It’s always better to edit, improve, or rewrite something that already exists than to spend weeks searching for the perfect inspiration. I don’t know, that’s just me, but I’d like to know your take on it.  

 

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

Oh, what a tough question. It seems that self-publishing is finally gaining the respect and recognition it has always deserved. Perhaps a hybrid publishing model will become the norm in the near future, and traditional publishers will have to adapt. That said, the biggest impact on the world of literature comes from Kindle Unlimited and similar services, where a customer pays a small monthly fee for access to millions of books. That model changed everything; in my opinion, the cons outweigh the pros.

 

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

Yes, many. All of my books contain experiences of mine reimagined as fiction. Although perhaps the prequels Nerve, Marlenh, and Pulstar III are the ones that most closely reflect the situations I was going through at the time I wrote them.

 

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

My writing style? Hmm, another tough question. Cinematic yet emotional? A bit old-school, with a lot of intensity and existential and philosophical analysis? My favorite books are 1984 by Orwell and The End of Eternity by Asimov. Could I say my style is along those lines? Wow, that would be utterly arrogant of me.

 

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

Phew, translating these books has probably been one of the most demanding things I’ve ever done. It’s been so hard that sometimes I wonder if I made the right decision. The key problem was this. When I translated the first books (Marlenh – Nerve – Pulstar I), the Spanish texts weren’t ready, so these translations were useless. I had to rewrite over half of each book and almost seventy percent of Pulstar I. Then, I went back to translate them, and two excellent editors improved the English versions. Based on that, I rewrote the Spanish versions, synchronizing the text with its professionally edited English version. That is, analyzing sentence by sentence in English and Spanish simultaneously.

 

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

My project is quite different from many others you might come across. I developed it over the course of nearly 15 years, drawing on deep reflection on existence and heart-wrenching grief, as it is a promise to my wife, who passed away when I had been working on this for two years. It features original music, makes you think, and isn’t bound by current trends. It also includes political sections inspired by events in my home country (Venezuela) and explores concepts about our place in the cosmos and the meaning of our existence—concepts I believe offer possible answers. If you dare to enter the Pulstarverse and give it a chance, the experience won’t leave you indifferent, and I hope you’ll want to discuss and comment on the saga’s ending with others.

 

About The Author: Author Giancarlo Roversi is also a musician. When his band Fractaler broke up, he gave up his personal life and wrote the Pulstar trilogy in Spanish, plus two prequels, then translated them into English. He also composed the soundtrack for each book. He loves astronomy, animals, and philosophical discussions. Please check out https://giancarloroversi.com.

 

 

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 10, 500,000 page views. With over 5,700+ posts over the past 15 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 2026, 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

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) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). 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, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, 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