R.E. Stearns wrote her first story on an Apple IIe computer and still kind of misses green text on a black screen. She went on to annoy all of her teachers by reading books while they lectured. Eventually she read and wrote enough to earn a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Central Florida. She is hoping for an honorary doctorate. When not writing or working, R.E. Stearns reads, plays PC games, and references Internet memes in meatspace. She lives near Orlando, FL with her husband/computer engineer and a cat. Her debut novel is Barbary Station and she recently agreed to be interviewed by Daryl Maxwell for the Los Angeles Public Library.

What was your inspiration for Barbary Station?

I like to ask myself "Why don't more stories include this?" when I'm considering story ideas. In the case of Barbary Station, I asked "Why don't more stories star woman/woman couples, especially in an established relationship?" and also "Why don't more sci-fi stories use realistic gravity?" Since there was no good reason for excluding woman/woman couples, and the reason people don't write realistic gravity is that it's difficult to get right, those seemed like good elements to include. Then I got an idea for a scene with the protagonists, and it all came together from there.

I was wondering about the fact that you use your initials as opposed to your name. I'm wondering, and a bit concerned actually, that in 2017 a female author might feel she needed to camouflage her identity in association with a SF novel. Was this your decision? The publisher's??

There's nothing nefarious going on here, although I appreciate the concern! I try to separate my fiction from my day job, for a variety of reasons. A pen name keeps the search results from overlapping too much. Saga Press would've been happy to publish Barbary Station under my given name, if I'd asked them to.

How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters or scenes that were lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?

I plot meticulously, so the basic storyline didn't change much. I cut a few scenes, and even though there are already a lot of characters in this novel, I really did cut some of them out too! I miss a couple of the characters who got erased, but the rest are more useful dead than alive. My editor is wise, and I love the published version of the story.

Are Adda, Iridian or any of the pirates/NZs or fugees inspired by or based on specific individuals (or group of people)?

One of the fugees is based on a good friend of mine who ends up in all of my stories because she is awesome, has a very different personality from mine, and has a great name. The Captain got some of my favorite boss's leadership techniques, and Adda got some of my neuroses. I love Iridian, but I'm not sure where she came from! I did a lot of reading on potential psychological and sociological makeup of the various groups, but I'm not sure how much of that actually made it into the story.

Barbary Station is part adventure, but seems mostly “hard” SF. Especially in terms of the AIs, computer systems/interfaces and the drones. How familiar are you with current technologies to speculate about the future? Did you have to do a lot of research? If so, what is the most interesting thing you learned in the research you did?

I know a little about a lot of tech. The intersection of people and technology fascinates me, and I also love robotics and machine learning, so I would've been reading about those whether I was writing about them or not. Interesting fact: You know that debate about how people who manage their gargantuan sites with algorithms can't adjust what the algorithm is doing? That's mostly true! They should set more stringent criteria for the output, but that'd involve a lot of work and money (and Americans who have actually read the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution).

The end of Barbary Station seems open to additional stories. Will readers get to follow Adda and Iridian on subsequent pirating adventures with Captain Sloan?

Yes! The sequel, Mutiny at Vesta, is coming out next year.

What’s currently on your nightstand?

Everything, because that's where my e-reader charges. I'm currently reading Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys, and I adore it. Aside from the fantastic and empathetic submergence into Lovecraftian lore from a woman's perspective, it's delightfully quotable.

What was your favorite book when you were a child?

The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I used to read it annually, and I wish I still had that kind of time.

Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?

I can name the ones I hope were influential! James S. A. Corey (I'll count them as one), Nathan Lowell, Connie Willis, William Gibson, and Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire.

What is a book you've faked reading?

I skipped a lot of scenes in War and Peace, but I think I got the gist of it…

Can you name a book you've bought for the cover?

Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. It's about punctuation, so I would've been interested anyway, but the cover features a giant panda up a ladder, painting over the unwanted comma after "eats," while another panda walks away holding a revolver. Grammar puns and well-armed animals will get me every time.

Is there a book that changed your life?

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman has made me reevaluate every designed object and concept, and gave me a vocabulary to talk about design and technology. The world's looked different ever since, and I'd recommend it to any science fiction writer who wants to better understand how humans develop tools.

Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?

When people ask for sci fi book recommendations, I always talk about the Expanse series by James S. A. Corey and Nathan Lowell's Golden Age of the Solar Clipper series. They're both about what life in space would really be like, once technology advances such that anyone could work out there (and after we solve the FTL problem, of course). The Expanse series has more action and aliens, but the coffee- and biscuit-making tips in the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper actually worked in my kitchen, so that was fun. I don't know that either of those is the perfect series for everybody. The first books (Leviathan Wakes and Quarter Share) are worth a try.

Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?

I'd love to read Asimov's I, Robot without recalling the end to all of those stories.

What is your idea of THE perfect day (where you could go anywhere/meet with anyone)?

"Go anywhere" implies teleportation, I hope? On the perfect day, I would not meet or see a single soul. Maybe they could live in an alternate dimension, for the day? I could then mask up and wander through abandoned government buildings and tech corporation campuses with a thermos of coffee, to see what silly people print out these days, and who still uses guessable passwords. If I get tired of that, I'd visit some of the world's beautiful natural places, especially the ones furthest from home. This is all just for one day, though. I'm not setting up a Twilight Zone "Time Enough at Last" mistake here.

What are you working on now?

I've still got some revision to do on the sequel!