The Zone: A Cyberpunk Thriller received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Stu Jones.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The Zone: A Cyberpunk Thriller. Published 7/11/23
What’s the book’s first line?
The rusted auto-junker buckled as NTPD officer Chance Griffin slammed against it and slid low behind cover.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
In a tech-addicted dystopia, a young cop struggling to survive is forced into a high-octane gladiatorial grudge match, where sinister corporate overlords pull the strings and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
A dream actually inspired The Zone. A crazy dream that felt like a fusion of Blade Runner, Judge Dredd, and The Running Man. I woke up in a sweat, thrilled and terrified by what I’d experienced. I knew it had to be novelized. It took me seven years to get around to starting it.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
This story is great escapist fiction. Yet, like all good science-fiction, it speaks to humanity’s growing addiction to technology. A practice that actually can snare and enslave a person. That socially relevant question, among others, rests at the heart of The Zone.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
The main character is like a lot of the good cops I’ve known over the years. Idealistic and noble-hearted at the outset, yet increasingly tired and a bit jaded from a constant exposure to the ugliness of the world. That evolution is reflected in Chance Griffin.
When did you first decide to become an author?
It was an accident. I had a post-apocalyptic story inside me. I needed to get out, or it was going to drive me mad. That was around 2005, and it took six years to get that first novel down.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
This is my eighth novel.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
Almost twenty years in law enforcement special operations.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
About an hour a day. I get up early before my shift and grind out a few words. My philosophy is “you can’t eat an elephant in one bite.”
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The freedom to do things your way is hard to beat, but not having the marketing engine of a big publishing house behind you often feels like ice skating up hill. It’s a constant grind.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
The world is full of indie’s who just want to make a buck, and some do, but if you really want to call yourself a “writer” devote yourself to perfecting the craft. Make every book better than your last.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I’m a hybrid author already, so yes. If the offer is right, it’s worth investigating.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
Pure passion. It might sound cheesy, but I just love telling stories. Fame and fortune haven’t ever really been on my radar.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Richard Matheson—a true legend.