It is over thirteen years since I finished writing Kings of Infinite Space, or: The Quest for Alina Meridon (hereafter called KOIS), a grand sci-fi / fantasy epic that took three years to write. It is over two years since I dusted it off and self-published it for Kindle. And now, finally, and I am happy to be able to say that someone (other than my mother and I) has read it.
Anneque G. Malchien has a bi-weekly podcast where she discusses indie and self-published novels, and another bi-weekly podcast where she interviews authors. Her latest podcast includes a six-minute review of KOIS.
‘I first came across Frank when trawling science fiction and fantasy blogs looking for new stories to read. Frank didn’t have a story posted, but he did have an eye-catching article about lesbian vampires.’
Anneque was the 100th follower of my blog and to celebrate this I decided to buy and review her short story Our Cosmonauts Are Dying, which I enjoyed thoroughly. While I was reading that, she decided to read KOIS – which, given the length of that novel, is a huge decision. I am both very surprised and deeply grateful.
And the review is fantastic – not five stars, but four stars is more than enough to make me bounce with happiness. (Remember, unsolicited reviews are like gold dust.)
‘Kings of Infinite Space is not about lesbian vampires, although it does have that too. The story is set in the ring world of OhLo. …
‘I suspect when it comes to Frank that he knows every single detail of his world, right down to what the MPCs are having for breakfast, and the depth to which he has explored OhLo adds so much colour (and culture and character) to the story that any other fantasy world I can think of is bland by comparison. That diversity creates a massive appeal.
‘While Hrana wasn’t the vampire lesbian I was expecting, she was so much richer in personality and so much better for it. Hrana is an awesome character, both powerful and feminine, sensual and relentless. Her eternal quest is one of never-ending appeasement for her monstrous vampiric side.’
If you’re a fan of science fiction and fantasy, I really recommend tuning into Anneque’s podcasts. They’re intelligent, detailed and often humorous. I leave you with one last snippet from her review of KOIS.
The women definitely have preference for lead roles. I loved this. Just breaking that stigma that women can only behave in certain ways in stories is fantastic.
Thanks Anneque!
Francis James Franklin (Alina Meridon) 