Ten Questions About No Return, By Zachary Jernigan

And now here, mighty Mister Jernigan would like to talk about his new novel, No Return, which features ghosts and gods and space magic. Behold: ten answers to ten questions…

TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF: WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?

The hell who I am is Zachary Jernigan! I’m the author of the aggressively science-fantastical novel, No Return, and some dozen or so published short stories that all fall within the sff genre.

I live in Arizona, which is a wonderful place to be weather-wise and a horrible place to be if you’re a greenie and a socialist, which I am. I’m also an outspoken critic of religion—a fact that causes a degree of tension in my life, as many of the people I most love and admire in life are religious folk.

I use a lot of exclamation points in my personal correspondence, but very few in my fiction.

GIVE US THE 140-CHARACTER STORY PITCH:

No Return is a violent, erotic novel of religious war featuring metal men, fighters in skintight battle suits, and alchemical astronauts.

WHERE DOES THIS STORY COME FROM?

A decade and a half of reading—and being obsessed with—authors such as Roger Zelazny, Cordwainer Smith, Alice Sheldon, Samuel Delany, Sean Stewart, Phyllis Gotlieb, Steven Brust, Iain M. Banks, and Joanna Russ.

Oh, and a greasy heap of jealousy sprinkled with depression and spite!

HOW IS THIS A STORY ONLY YOU COULD’VE WRITTEN?

Ooh, that’s good question, difficult to answer.

I think the reason this story could’ve only come from me is that only I’m obsessed with this kind of stuff, in this particular way, in the first place.

A little explanation might be required.

You see, I was raised Mormon. Though I decided I was no longer a member at around the age of 20, I still have these conflicted feelings as a result of my upbringing (which, by the way, was very enjoyable, full of love and support). Mostly, I feel guilty about relatively small things reason says I shouldn’t feel guilty about. My character, Vedas, has similarly conflicted feelings about the way he’s conducted himself, though I’d like to think his guilt is a little more justified. Other characters struggle with such feelings, too. Moral quandaries are a big part of No Return.

Also, thanks to years of religious conditioning, I’m rather obsessed with the idea of immortality and perfection. I feel sad that I won’t live forever or reach a state of physical perfection and changelessness. I long for such a state, though I know it’d be healthier not to. Adrash, the character in whose perspective the book opens and closes, basically represents this longing.

I’ve told people before that No Return was kind of an exorcism for me, and this continues to ring true.

WHAT WAS THE HARDEST THING ABOUT WRITING NO RETURN?

Oh, good grief. My standard answer is everything, but that seems like a copout, so…

The first draft.

No, seriously. The editing was cake compared to that first go. Every day of writing was torture that I avoided like, well, torture.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN WRITING NO RETURN?

I’m not as weak or as unmotivated as I thought I was.

Honestly, I never thought I could write a novel. When I first started reading sff literature in my teens, I remember thinking that if someone destroyed the second half of whatever book I was reading and asked me to write the rest, it would be literally impossible to even approach an ending that made sense.

Even after I wrote an outline and told everyone I was going to write No Return (some 15 years later), I still had no confidence I’d actually do it. In fact, I tried to justify quitting every day for the first month or so, and then at least weekly for the next couple months. Only when I reached the halfway point did I really think I might finish it.

I’m glad I’m not as weak or as unmotivated as I feared. Still, the most important fact for me to understand about accomplishment is this: it’s never just me. I wouldn’t have completed anything without the support of others—family and friends who understood this cantankerous guy and wouldn’t let him fall into (too much) despair.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT NO RETURN?

The fact that it’s basically a collection of (hopefully mature) character studies that still manages to include all the spacey, super-powered, violent, sexy stuff that originally drew me into the genre.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME?

I’d hire a ghostwriter. John Scalzi, maybe.

GIVE US YOUR FAVORITE PARAGRAPH FROM THE STORY:

It was said a man could stand at the edge of the highest step and stare down at the glass-smooth face of the cliff, counting the geological layers of the world. It was also said a man must be careful at the edge, for sudden gusts could take hold of him and carry him far out over the ocean. Capricious, the demon winds sometimes returned him unharmed, but most often spun him in the sky, toying with him as a child does a rag doll. Bored, eventually the wind dropped him into the ocean or dashed his body against the wall.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AS A STORYTELLER?

Well, one of these days I’d like to get started on the sequel to No Return. A second volume isn’t strictly necessary—the first is a pretty self-enclosed narrative, I think—but it would do a lot to answer questions I hope readers are curious enough to ask.

I also have another novel in the works, an intensely violent, post-steampunk, Joanna-Russ-on-steroids story. (Y’know, one of those.)

Anyway, thanks so much, Chuck! I appreciate you hosting me on terribleminds!

Zachary Jernigan: Website

No Return: Amazon / B&N / Indiebound

@JerniganZachary