Steve Bellinger
Chicago, Illinois
USA
Good morning, Steve, and welcome to Vision and Verse. Can you tell
us a little about what you've written?
I’ve written 5 science
fiction novels. The first
one, released in 2015: The
Chronocar – An Urban
Adventure in Time, is the
winner of three awards.
I’ve also written a
screenplay for The
Chronocar, which has
placed in a few
competitions. My
newestbook, Lines of Force – The End of the World as We Know It,
was released in August, 2024.
Back in the 1970’s I wrote and produced original radio drama. I’ve
also written newspaper articles, short stories, Sunday School lessons
and fan fiction. You can hear readings of some of my more recent
short stories on my website: https://stevebellinger.com/once-told/
What is your favorite genre to
write?
Science fiction, with as much real
science as possible. My stories are
written “for people who think they
don’t like science fiction”. Most
people associate science fiction
with space aliens, mystical creatures or superheroes. My definition:
“In science fiction, the science, whether real or imaginary, must be so
central to the story that without it the story would fall apart.”
By this definition, Star Wars is not science fiction. The same story
could be told with metal swords and wooden ships. The exotic
spacecraft and light sabers are just props to make the story exciting.
Star Wars is space opera. Not a put down. Just a different genre.
Favorite food.
Beef; almost any kind of steak.
Tea or coffee?
Iced tea.
Pizza or ice cream?
Both. In that order.
Wine, beer, or soda?
Soda, especially the cheap store brands.
Where would you like to visit?
The one thing I have not yet experienced is a rocket launch. I would be
happy to go anywhere where I can see a launch.
Favorite musical artist.
The Chicago Symphony
Orchestra
Favorite vacation.
A Caribbean cruise with
my wife. We had planned
to renew our wedding vows on a cruise, Star Trek style. I was going to
wear an Admiral’s dress uniform and she would wear a custom made
leather and lace Klingon wedding dress. Those plans were cut short by
COVID. Perhaps sometime in the future.
If you need a couple of Ferengi witnesses, let me know.
Do you listen to music when you write?
Yes.
What?
Classical music with no
vocals. A singer would be
distracting, even if they
were singing in a language
I don’t understand.
What makes you laugh?
Good old-fashioned comedy; Bob Newhart, Flip Wilson; Red Skelton,
the old masters of clean comedy.
Favorite work of art or
sculpture.
Painting; “Paris Street;
Rainy Day” by Gustave
Caillebotte, on display at
the Art Institute in
Chicago. It reminds me of
my first visit to Old Montreal in Quebec, Canada.
How old were you when you started writing?
Probably 12. My mom worked for a printing company and she would
bring books and magazines home for us to read. I fell in love with
reading and with science fiction stories and wanted to write my own. I
created my own little hand-made comic booksand hand-written
novellas.
Describe your perfect evening.
A warm summer evening, away from the lights of the city, under a
starlit sky. The Milky way would be visible along with an occasional
shooting star and maybe the aurora borealis.
Where do you get your inspiration?
In my dreams, literally. I often wake up with ideas.
What do you do when you get a writer's block?
I just don’t write, I’ll find something else to do. Sometimes I might
write a little fan fiction.
Who is your favorite
author?
Isaac Asimov.
Best book you ever read.
I, Robot.
Last book you read.
Semiosis by Sue Burke
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
My first love has always been radio. Either in front of or behind the
microphone.
Who is the one person who has influenced
your personal life the most and why?
That would be my wife, Donna. When I
showed her the first draft of The
Chronocar, she threatened to divorce me if
I did not submit it somewhere. The rest is
history.
I like her already. If you could sit down and
have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional,
who would it be and why?
That’s a tough one. Probably James Earl Jones. I would love to hear
how he worked with so many other great actors, directors and
conductors in his lifetime, and I think I would simply enjoy listening
his voice. I think I would resist the temptation to have him say “Luke,
I am your father…”
What advice would you
give someone who aspired
to be a writer?
Someone once asked
director Stanley Kubrick
how to become a great
film director. His answer
was “make a film.” My advice is similar. You want to be a writer?
Write. Just write. Don’t worry about how good it is or if anyone would
like it. Just write.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
LINKS:
