Local author pens sci-fi novel

Marketing man straddles line between reality and fantasy

Sussex — While he’s sitting at his desk, talking about the great evil that is threatening the known universe and the great rifts in space-time that can unlock supernatural abilities, Tom Tate’s phone rings. He excuses himself and takes the call — it’s a billing issue, something’s wrong with a business invoice. It’s a small problem that he’ll handle later.

“That’s why I don’t write before work,” he says, going on to explain that it’s hard to switch modes from writing about galaxy-saving heroes back to the part of his brain that deals with the regular, day-to-day issues of reality. Tate is the marketing manager for Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative, a small electric utility that provides power to parts of Sussex County and Orange County, N.Y. On the weekend, though, Tate salvages what time he can from the universe the rest of the world lives in to live in his own universe and spin tales of heroes and villains that span multiple worlds.

The product of these weekend sojourns is his first novel, "Rift Weavers." Ten years in the making, the book was completed late last year after Tate says he'd promised himself that he’d finish his story no matter what. Despite the time in between, Tate says that the finished product is true to the initial vision he had when "Rift Weavers" was born.

Early influences
“Reading was something my mom and dad really emphasized,” says Tate. “They’d always encourage us and read to us.” He recalls that his earliest reading memories are of the Uncle Wiggily stories by Howard R, Garis, in which an elderly rabbit outwits the other inhabitants of the forest who try to trick or eat him. As he grew older, Tate moved on to the masters of classic science fiction: H.G. Wells and Jules Verne, before moving on to the contemporary giants like Robert Heinlein and Arthur C. Clark.

"Rift Weavers" is science fantasy, sharing similarities with both the science fiction and fantasy genres. The book's protagonist, Finn Stockton, develops extraordinary powers because of his proximity to a connection, or a rift, between two worlds. It’s this scientific explanation for fantastic happenings that places it firmly in its category, which it shares with other stories like those in Star Wars and Flash Gordon.

Time to write
Tate began "Rift Weavers" during a period when he was looking for work and had time on his hands for creative endeavors. When he found work in his field, he found that his time for writing was vanishing. Between increased demands at work and balancing a family life that included two attention-seeking Irish Wolfhounds, Tate found that his novel was languishing.

It was his wife, Nancy, who originally suggested that Tate dedicate Saturday mornings to writing. This arrangement worked until the book neared completion and the story’s inertia made Tate’s writing time spill over into the other parts of his life. Now that the first installment is completed, Tate plans to keep writing of its sequel (now standing at 90 pages) firmly in its Saturday morning home.

Publication and conservation
"Rift Weavers" was published through the self-publishing service of Amazon.com. When a customer orders a copy, the book is printed on demand. This means that no books are printed before they are ordered, which eliminates wasted printings that might otherwise sit in a warehouse. Energy and resources are saved, as well as the physical space that those books would have occupied, which is in line with Tate’s personal philosophy on conservation.

“I like to save, and I like to recycle...very little leaves our house that isn’t composted or recycled.” He points to a wall hanging in his office that he’s fashioned out of recycled computer motherboards.

The book is also available on Amazon’s popular Kindle reader, which uses only the energy required to transfer the book from Amazon’s servers to the customer’s Kindle. This method, coupled with the printing on-demand, appeals to Tate’s sensibilities as a “steward of the resources.”

Life and fantasy
Tate says it was his creativity and personable nature that drew him to marketing. And there's the connection between his work at the power company and what it takes to be a sci-fi writer. Of marketing, he says: “It’s a lot of writing.”

Tate writes commercials and radio spots for the company, as well as the company newsletter.

Now that he’s published his book, he finding the fantasy he’s created working its way into his daily life. At a recent visit to his doctor’s office, a nurse stopped him and asked, “What are you going to do about Finn?” referring to the protagonist of "Rift Weavers," whose story will be continued in the next book.

To prospective readers, Tate has this to say: “Give it a try. If you like Tolkien or Asimov, I think you’ll like this book.”

"Rift Weavers' is available in paperback or Kindle format through Amazon.com.

Comments