Just lately I’ve been asked questions along the lines of ‘what first attracted you to science fiction?’ I could always come out with sober answers about science and the future, Asimov, Arthur C Clarke yadayadayada. But the moment I fell in love with science fiction? Spaceships.
That moment at the movies when the Imperial Star Destroyer (ISD) is chasing the Rebel blockade runner – Princess Leia’s ship. Remember? In Star Wars: A New Hope? This ship scuds across the screen, the planet below. You’re above it as it hurtles past from top right. It’s past. You see the ship’s drives and the blasts as it fires at – something. And then – Holy Shit! What in hell is that? I ducked. And that ISD just kept on coming and coming and coming.
It’s true. Spaceships are sexy.
These Star Wars spaceships were angular, with bits and turrets sticking out, which was fine in vacuum, of course. The ISD was depicted as an assault ship – an aircraft carrier and a troop ship combined, a huge, movable assault platform. With guys in sexy uniforms. Mmm. I loved it.
If that wasn’t enough, think of the scene in ‘The Empire Strikes Back‘ when Darth Vader stands at the picture window on the bridge of his ship. The opening part of that sequence shows an ISD moving beneath the shadow of a monstrous ship. Ahhhhh. My fate was sealed.
Executor.
I purloined the picture (top ) from https://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Executor where you can find a few more facts about this seriously sexy spaceship.
You can see the influence of that ship in my space opera. Rest assured, these big capital ships aren’t the only things that make my heart throb. The admirals in charge can get me going, too.
Here’s an up close and personal view of Vidhvansaka as it prepares to capture Morgan Selwood’s little freighter, Curlew.
If you’d like to know what that image is all about read the first scenes of my book Morgan’s Choice.
And then there’s Admiral Nielsen’s Crusader. It’s featured in The Admiral and the Rebel
Then there’s Admiral Hudson’s Defender. That’s in Starheart.
Have you noticed a pattern here?
Do you have a favourite spaceship and/or a favourite admiral? Let’s hear it!
