3 . .. 2 . . . 1—BLAST OFF! Starganauts Interview with C.E. Stone
What inspired Starganauts?
A blend of sci-fi influences and one fantasy: Star
Trek, Star Wars, Titan A.E., Lord of the Rings, and
Starcraft. The Lord of the Rings in particular opened my
mind to the rich world-building of Tolkien, which led me to expand the Gorvan Galaxy into what
it is today. My faith also inspired the series. While most of the franchises that influenced me
were secular, I wanted to create something like them, but Christian. Starganauts has always
been unapologetically Christian, with the characters’ faith impacting even galactic events.
2. What’s your favorite Sci-fi book?
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. While I was a fan of Lewis’ Perelandra, I
rediscovered L’Engle’s classic a few years ago. I fell in love with her cosmos and characters, and
eventually read her entire Time series. What impressed me most about Wrinkle was L’Engle’s
ability to weave together mythological creatures, science, the supernatural, and Bible verses.
It’s also a supremely accessible book, fast paced, and contains concepts that blew my mind.
3. How old were you when you started Starganauts?
I always say 10, but really, I might have been as young as 8. I grew up playing Legos with my
brother and several friends, and I also watched a lot of sci-fi (as mentioned above). The first
Starganauts were just a team of three, whose greatest opponent was a skull in a glass jar.
Yeah…not random at all! Lol.
By the time I was 10, I’d created the name Starganauts. I had organized my play into a mock
TV show with “seasons,” and I played my first iteration of Book 1’s plot. I created about a dozen
seasons, with a huge cast of characters and increasingly complex plotlines. 14 years later, I
began actually writing these stories down…after encouragement from my best friend, M.H.
Elrich.
4. What’s your favorite food?
S’mores. It’s a legitimate food group! I used to eat regular s’mores, but health issues forced
me to eat a modified version. It’s still really good!
5. You don’t like Lord of the Rings, do you? ��
Nope, not one bit. ;) Joking aside, I absolutely adore The Lord of the Rings trilogy and
basically anything written by Tolkien! He was a master wordsmith, and you can see the
influence of his faith in his writings and world. Beyond that, he created very memorable
characters, and he really captured timeless themes, deep world-building, and the struggles we
all face in this broken world.
I can’t visualize much in my mind. I have mild aphantasia, but Tolkien’s descriptions evoke
more vivid mental images for me than most other prose. C.S. Lewis comes a close second.
6. What do you hope people will get from reading your stories?
It’s my prayer that Starganauts draws readers closer to Jesus. I also write to encourage and
edify believers. If a reader is going through a tough time, I hope they’ll find someone within the
team to identify with…and draw encouragement from. Of course, I also hope they’ll be
entertained and that my books get them to think about life and eternity.
7. How does your faith inspire your writing?
It’s the reason I write Starganauts. My goal is to glorify God and encourage believers. I
strive to write about relatable people of faith facing real-world problems in a fantastical setting.
Most of the team are Christians or those who think they are. I interweave things God has taught
me or issues I’ve been studying about in the Bible. Sunday sermons, musical worship, or the
Spirit’s leading often inspire my plot points. For example, there’s a moving scene in Book 1
where a non-believer has an encounter with God. That was 100% unplanned and Holy Spirit-
inspired.
8. When did you get into writing?
At the age of 10. Some friends lent me Redwall by Brian Jacques and I was hooked! I
devoured every book of his I could find, and this inspired me to begin writing fantasy stories
about goblins. While I’ve obviously switched genres, those early years hammering out stories
shaped me as a writer and prepared me to write, edit, and publish Starganauts.
9. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Just write, be realistic, and honor God with your words.
Just write. Oftentimes as writers, we struggle to finish our first draft. My friend M.H. did
until I gave her this advice. She stopped caring about a polished first draft and just wrote! Her
Daughters of Tamnarae series is the result.
Be realistic. Have an accurate view of your book. Most people think an inaccurate view
means a prideful one, yet it can work in the opposite direction. For 12 years, I believed I had no
writing talent whatsoever. It took 6 years in a writing group, plus having an academic paper
published, for me to develop a more balanced view of my writing. In other words, don’t think
too little or too highly of your talents.
Honor God with your words. Pray about your story. Invite the Lord into your writing
process. Some of my best scenes were inspired by the Holy Spirit. I literally did not write them
on my own, and I hadn’t planned on taking the story in that direction. As believers, I think the
Biblical passages about our words apply to those we write as well as those we speak.
10. Are any of your characters based off of people you know, or even yourself?
Yes to both! I could write an entire book just answering this, so I’ll summarize. Samantha Harris
is based off my good friend M.H. Elrich, who’s more confident and outspoken than me.
“Sharko” is a conglomerate of the significant men in my life: my husband, my dad, and my
brother. Aspects of Sharko are based off of me, too…especially his indecision and reluctance to
lead. Kaity is very much like me, though with a few key differences. James “Dudeman” Erskin
was inspired by a cousin I grew up with, though this cousin is a Christian in real life…unlike
Dudeman.