Jack Campbell: On Creating a New Species in Science Fiction

Jack Campbell is the pen name of John G. Hemry, a retired naval officer who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis before serving with the surface fleet and in a variety of other assignments. He is the New York Times bestselling author of the Lost Fleet, the Lost Stars, and the Genesis Fleet series, as well as the Stark’s War, Paul Sinclair, and Pillars of Reality series. He lives with his indomitable wife and three children in Maryland. Follow him on Facebook.

Jack Campbell

Photo by S. Hemry

In this interview, Jack discusses the process of writing his new science fiction novel, In Our Stars, his advice for other writers, and more!

Name: Jack Campbell
Literary agent: Jabberwocky Literary Agency
Book title: In Our Stars
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Release date: May 24, 2024
Genre/category: Science fiction
Previous titles: Lost Fleet series, Lost Stars series, Genesis Fleet series, and many others
Elevator pitch: After witnessing Earth being destroyed in 2180, part-alien Lieutenant Selene Genji has a chance to change the fate of the planet, if she can avoid being killed by those who distrust anything alien, and if she can fix the mistakes of the past without knowing what they all were.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I was thinking about an old Andre Norton book (Secret of the Lost Race), and how different it would be if written today. So, I decided to write that book. It felt like a timely idea, and I wanted to write something fast-moving. I also wanted to explore from different angles some of the concepts (and problems) that time travel would create in practice. And I felt like creating a new, different sort of alien species. Mainly, I thought this would be a story people would enjoy.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

This one went pretty fast. There are times when stories seem to come out as if they’re being told to me, and this was one of those times. The first draft went quickly. Checking through and revising and fixing took longer, of course. The basic idea didn’t change, though. My editor liked that from the start, and we stuck with it. (I have a really good editor.)

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I was pleasantly surprised how quickly this one has moved along. It shows a real commitment and enthusiasm for the book by the publisher. And the cover art has been a pleasant surprise as well, eye-catching and reflecting the story inside.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I was surprised to discover that Selene Genji leans heavily on Marcus Aurelius for moral and life guidance. She turns to his Meditations for comfort and insight. And, really, the Meditations do offer a lot. That made the sayings of Aurelius sort of like signposts that help her decide what to do at certain points. And the universality of the Meditations contrasts with the arguments of others that want to rule out “alien” ideas.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

An enjoyable story that might also give some thought to how we judge and decide things. And as Gene Luen Yang (author of American Born Chinese) pointed out, how universal the feeling of being an outsider is.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Before you begin writing, know about where you’re starting, and know about where the story is going. What will the end be? If you don’t know where the story is headed, there is no way to keep it on track. Characters and plot will wander into dead ends. Give them a goal and they’ll reach it (though the characters might surprise you with what they do along the way).

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