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I first came across Tara Campbell's writing when we both had stories in the Dear Robot anthology (see my "Story Behind the Story" post about that anthology here). Her epistolary Dear Robot story, "Nickerson Interstellar Student Exchange Behavioral Contract," is brilliant, so I'm sure her newly released novel, TreeVolution will be brilliant as well. It's about genetically modified trees who start attacking people in what the book's description calls "a little eco-payback."
In this week's interview, Tara Campbell talks with me about her path to publication, eco-sci-fi, and asking "what if?" questions. ![]()
Sarena Ulibarri: In a nutshell, what was the path from manuscript to publication for TreeVolution?
Tara Campbell: It was a little over three years between the initial idea for TreeVolution and having the book in my hands. I wrote for a year and edited for another year. I thought it was ready after that round of edits and started shopping it around to agents. Turns out it wasn't ready, so I did an additional round of edits the third year and widened the query net from just agents to small presses as well. Then Carrol Fix, my editor from Lillicat Publishers, got what I was doing and took the project on! SU: What advice do you have for young writers struggling through the first draft of a science fiction novel? TC: I started with short stories before I ever thought of writing a novel. I found that writing stories was a way to keep myself motivated with while slogging away on the longer-term project. With stories, you have a sense of accomplishment finishing them, and you can workshop a discrete project, which informs your writing on the larger project. And you have the relatively instant gratification of publishing stories in journals while you're still working on the novel. Additionally, taking a break from the longer work always helped me to go back and see it more objectively, to cut what I needed to cut and, more importantly, to show me that it wasn't really the disaster I thought it was when I got frustrated with it. SU: I know writers (especially those in the “literary” or “cross-genre” camp) don’t always like to put labels on their work, but how do you feel TreeVolution fits into recent ecologically-aware subgenres such as Solarpunk (i.e. the Sunvault anthology), Eco-Weird (i.e. Jeff Vandermeer’s Southern Reach trilogy) or Cli Fi (i.e. The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi)? TC: I tend to read across genres, and to be honest, have only recently come back to science fiction after a long hiatus. I didn't set out to write in a specific genre, I really just followed questions that intrigued me. In terms of TreeVolution, the impetus was a radio segment about a team of French scientists who had devised a way to listen in on the circulatory system of trees, and could detect when a tree was not getting enough water before any visible signs of distress appeared. I started wondering what else the trees would tell us if we could understand them, and the research into plants and trees was so fascinating, I had to write about it. I guess if one had to label it, one could call it near-future eco-sci-fi. The focus is not so much on the future, but on the point at which we decide what kind of future we're going to have. Will the environment be our antagonist or our ally? SU: You’ve published quite a lot of short fiction! How does the writing process differ for you when you’re writing short versus when you’re writing long? TC: I think short stories are more forgiving of my writing process, which is usually to start with a "what if?" and spin out all of the ways that thing could have happened, as well as the pros and cons now that it has happened. Like what if flowers could talk? Or what if humans found a way to get nutrients from chlorophyll instead of food? Or what if the last Gashlycrumb Tiny lived? Many writers start with an outline, especially with novels, but I'm more of a "pantser." I like to take that voice or phrase that pops into my mind, like "Death sure changes a person," and think about what that could actually mean. I can just let go and follow the breadcrumbs when I'm writing something short, but writing a novel requires a larger question and a lot more planning. SU: What books, authors, or films influenced you while writing TreeVolution? TC: You know, I actually looked for books that were similar to what I was doing, but many of them featured dystopian wastelands or were written from a scientist's point of view, or went into the fantasy realm of Tolkein's Ents. I wanted to imagine how a transformation in the way humans interact with the environment would impact every day people. Of course there are scientists in my book, because my characters are looking for fact-based answers, but they are discovering them along with the general public rather than being the experts with all the answers. I like the idea that a relative layperson is having to get up to speed on these complex issues in the face of a looming crisis, because we all are. In that spirit, I've included a list of resources in the back of the book, lists of some of the articles I used to try to get a handle on the topic of communication between plants and trees, genetic modification and other experimentation with plants and trees. It was sometimes hard to get out of the articles and keep writing! SU: Do you have any readings or signings coming up? Where can readers find you? TC: Yes, thank you for asking, I have a few appearances coming up in the Washington, DC area over the next few months. I have about one reading a month on the calendar, and I'm thrilled that TreeVolution has been selected as the featured novel for Barrelhouse's Conversations and Connections conference in April. In fact, I've finally gotten organized enough to list my appearances on my website. ![]()
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With a BA in English and an MA in German, Tara Campbell has a demonstrated aversion to money and power. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, she has also lived in Oregon, Ohio, New York, Germany and Austria. She currently lives in Washington, D.C. where she volunteers with 826DC and the Washington Writers Conference/Books Alive. She was the grateful recipient of two awards from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities in 2016: the 33rd Annual Larry Neal Writers' Award in Adult Fiction, and the 31st Annual Mayor's Arts Award for Outstanding New Artist.
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My company, World Weaver Press, is participating in Small Press Week, an initiative helmed by Upper Rubber Boot Books to promote small press publishing. However, it's release day for HE SEES YOU WHEN HE'S CREEPIN': TALES OF KRAMPUS, so I'm bringing today's Small Press Week post over to my personal blog because I want to stay on Krampus's good side and let him have the spotlight. The topic for today says this: "Every Tuesday is #newreleasetuesday, but this Tuesday is for featuring all of your 2016 releases, no matter when their release date." One mistake small presses sometimes make is they forget to be small. When you have an operation run by only a few people, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Originally, World Weaver Press was planning to release 16 titles in 2016. What we managed was 9 titles (plus one upcoming relaunch), and to be honest, I'm exhausted. It may not seem like a lot, but there are so many details that go into publication that it really adds up. (See our Small Press Week: Secrets post and my post on editing anthologies for more insight into what goes on behind the scenes in a small press.) I haven't always been able to give these books the attention and publicity I wish they could have, but I've always given them the best I could, and I'm so proud of what we've brought into the world this year. Beside each book, you'll find an excerpt. These excerpts are different from the ones available on the World Weaver Press website, so please give them a read. Maybe you'll even find a new favorite or a good holiday gift. Campaign 2100: Game of Scorpions by Larry Hodges A third party, and an alien, take on a corrupt world government.
Char by Kristina Wojtaszek An isolated fae must travel a century into the past to rewrite the book that will save her people.
Omega Rising by Anna Kyle Cass Nolan has been forced to avoid the burn of human touch for her whole life, until a sexy ranch hand changes everything.
Bite Somebody by Sara Dobie Bauer Celia thought becoming a vampire would make her perfect, but she's just as awkward as before, only now she has a craving for blood and a crush on her tasty neighbor.
Sirens, edited by Rhonda Parrish An anthology of fantasy and science fiction: 16 siren songs that will exemplify and defy your expectations.
Speculative Story Bites, edited by Sarena Ulibarri Fifteen bite-sized stories, offering a sampler platter of fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal horror.
Murder in the Generative Kitchen by Meg Pontecorvo Does your high-tech kitchen know you better than you know yourself?
The Meddlers of Moonshine by A.E. Decker Something is rotten in the town of Widget, and Rags-n-Bones knows it's all his fault. (Moonfall Mayhem #2)
He Sees You When He's Creepin': Tales of Krampus, edited by Kate Wolford Whether you want a dash of horror or a hint of joy and redemption, these 12 new tales of Krampus will help you gear up for the most “wonderful” time of the year.
Thank you for checking out all the books World Weaver Press published in 2016! Check the WWP blog for more of our Small Press Week posts, and follow the hashtag #SPWeek16 on Twitter to find more great small presses.
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In case you missed my post last week, Adventures in Zookeeping is the newest MileHiCon fundraiser anthology, edited by Sam Knight and published by Villainous Press. They were nice enough to include my story "The Fourth Lemur." I asked some of the other authors about their stories, their writing, and their favorite memory of the zoo. My answers are at the bottom!
C S Peterson, "The Jeweled Black Quaver"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
In "The Jeweled Black Quaver" Ranger Callie Orpheo walks a thin line between paradise and hellfire to preserve a creature that prefers a post apocalyptic habitat. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? When my daughter, Keziah, was six years old she climbed into a 'bubble' window in the beluga whales exhibit at Mystic Aquarium in CT and put her forehead against the glass. Aurora, one of the whales, swam over and pressed her head against the other side of the glass. They stayed like that for several minutes, then Keziah said good-bye, crawled out of the bubble and Aurora swam away. Sadly, Aurora the whale passed away quite suddenly a few months later from a ruptured aorta. We will never forget that moment they shared. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? Readers can find me at cspetersonauthor.com and as a contributor at fictionunbound.com, a speculative fiction blog. Right now I am working on a YA historical fantasy about a girl named Scralig who has one golden eye and one blue eye: Once, by her blue eye, she swore she saw the ravens laughing before they flew off to whisper into Odin's ear. Once, through her golden eye, she saw a thunder creature land in the upper pasture. Black smoke rolled off its wings and nets of lightning flickered along its arms. That was when she was small. Perhaps it was just her grandmother’s stories that put the visions in her head. Now Scralig is older and she knows better than to trust visions. Besides, in a Viking village, a dark-skinned girl with an evil eye has other things to worry about. Alicia Cay, "Monsters of Yesterday"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
"Monsters of Yesterday" takes you to where the monsters, creatures, and myths of imagination end up when they are no longer remembered. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? When I was much younger I got to visit the zoo on a school field trip. Two things about that trip remain memorable for me. I got to ride on an elephant, which by the way, is super uncomfortable. Seriously, those pachyderms have spines like butter knives. The second was having an animal toy made for me in one of those machines where you put in a dollar or two and get to watch a plastic animal molded right before your eyes. I had seen some girls use the machine on our way into the zoo, and I had to wait the entire day when we were leaving, to pass the same machine and have one of my own made. I wanted one of those things so badly! And in fact, I ended up keeping that plastic, yellow lion for years afterwards. But do I remember seeing the actual animals? No. It's hilarious the stuff that sticks with us. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? I continue to hone my abilities by writing short stories, then for fun I enter them in contests. All of my entered stories have 'placed', but none have yet won. Our legion of adoring fans can find me on my blogsite: aliciacay.com. Links to my Facebook, Twitter, and a few other places can be found there. Carolyn Kay, "The Corpse Flower"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
In "The Corpse Flower", a rare African flower breaks out of its enclosure, causing mayhem at the Steam City Zoo, and it's only a matter of time before it eats someone. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? I got to see Shamu at Sea World when I was 7. It started me on the path to a science career. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? I'm currently working on a steampunk/fantasy novella that should be out in early 2017. People can find me at www.bewitchinghips.com Ashley Vasquez, "Bound by Death"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
In "Bound by Death", havoc ensues when the newest attraction in a zoo in the afterlife realizes that she's dead, and the rules of the zoo (like enclosures) don't apply. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? My favorite zoo trip was in Belize, where the zoo is made up of local animals from the country. Because it's a small country, and a lot of the animals are hunted for food, I spent part of my time horrifying tourists by talking loudly about the creatures in the zoo that I had eaten during my time there, such as deer, picary, gibnut, and iguana. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? I'm currently working on a Steampunk Noir novel set in the 1940's. People can find me at facebook.com/ashleyvasquezauthor Susan Adams, "Sanctuary"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
"Sanctuary" is a safe haven to outcasts from all walks of life, but that safety is threatened when some one starts sabotaging the sanctuary's protective spells. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? My Uncle Denny, to whom this story dedicated, was an enthusiastic conservationist and had a small, private zoo, specializing in large cats. He obtained a Siberian tiger, named Boomer, when Boomer was just a cub and trained him to accept commands. In spite of Boomer's obedience, he was not my uncle's pet. Uncle Denny kept Boomer in an enclosure surrounded by a double fence. When I was about fifteen, Uncle Denny let my younger sisters and me into the outer fence; Boomer laid down against the inner one. And that's how I got to pet a tiger. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? My current work in progress is a mainstream fiction novel, much of which takes place in a zoo. I can be found on Facebook at: Facebook.com/Scadamsauthor and on Twitter at: @adams226sc. Sarena Ulibarri, "The Fourth Lemur"
Describe your Adventures in Zookeeping story in one sentence.
A disgruntled zookeeper thinks she's turning into a were-lemur, but the truth is even weirder than that. What's your favorite zoo-related memory? During the 2014 Clarion Workshop, several of us took a break from the non-stop writing and critiquing to go explore the labyrinthine San Diego Zoo. We wandered until our feet were sore, and then it took us another hour to actually find our way out. I was sure all the workshop stories for the coming week would be about being lost in a Gothic menagerie. My friend Vida Cruz blogged about this zoo trip in much more depth here. What are you working on now? Where can readers find you? You've found me! I hope you'll poke around, read some other blog entries, and, of course, grab your copy of ADVENTURES IN ZOOKEEPING from the link below!
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Last weekend was MileHiCon, one of my favorite local SFF conventions. I was on a couple of panels this year, but the real highlight of the convention was the release party and reading for ADVENTURES IN ZOOKEEPING, an anthology that includes my story "The Fourth Lemur." This is the second of the charity anthologies (all proceeds go back to MileHiCon) put together by Sam Knight that I was lucky enough to be included in. In fact, last year after releasing SIDEKICKS, Sam Knight asked for suggestions for the next anthology, and I was the one who suggested the title/theme "Adventures in Zookeeping."
On Saturday, we gathered in the ConSuite for a dual release party along with the contributors of another anthology, DOMESTICATED VELOCIRAPTORS, and then we ventured downstairs to one of the panel rooms where we had the chance to read our stories to the room. For many of the authors, this was their first time doing a public reading, but everyone did a fantastic job. I tried to break the tension a little bit by standing up on my chair to read, rather than going up to the front like everyone else. Ever wonder how much fun it would be to be a zoo keeper if your wards included the strange, the supernatural, the not-of-this-earth? This collection of speculative fiction ranges from were-lemurs to a breeding program for a Lovecraftian horror. Edited by Sam Knight. This anthology evolved from a panel at MileHiCon in Denver, Colorado, titled "So You Want To Be in an Anthology?" The stories contained within were contributed by attendees of that panel. All net proceeds are donated to support MileHiCon.
So those "were-lemurs" mentioned in the book description? Yeah, that's my story. Except, maybe it's not that simple. Maybe there's more to that weird, somewhat human-looking lemur that shows up in the zoo, maybe that bite the zookeeper got isn't doing exactly what she fears it's doing.
Next week I plan to interview some of the other authors from this fun anthology, so please stop by to learn more about their stories, and pick up a copy of ADVENTURES IN ZOOKEEPING when you have the chance. It has some very fun stories in it, and it helps support an excellent science fiction and fantasy convention that has always made me feel at home.
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