As part of the Geek & Sundry Hard Science Fiction contest, InkShares have invited the top 10 authors to answer a few questions about their work. We are proud to report that Eric is in a solid position within the Top 10 Hard Sci-Fi authors participating, and have reproduced his answers below.

This is what Eric had to say to the questions: What is your personal inspiration for writing this story? What is the real scientific theory that inspires or forms the basis of the hard science fiction in your story?

This story started from a rather vivid dream I had that was almost exactly the first, second, and fourth chapters. The rest was fleshed out as I discussed it with my scientific advisory team, friends, and family. Plus I have added some personal travel experiences to add color and to keep it real – but the personal stories are some of the most far-fetched ones in the book. I wanted my story to be about people, while showing how science and technology affect people’s lives.

It is sort of Gulliver’s Travels as if it were written by Doc Smith and Heinlein.

There is no single scientific theory behind this book. Instead I have extrapolated multiple discoveries, theories, and experiments into the not-too-distant future. I combine what we know about the makeup of our Solar System, developments in propulsion, ways to safely farm on Mars and Luna with a view towards why places were colonized and how they are surviving.

I have an eclectic science advisory team: my wife, an immunologist with 2 degrees in physics and a PhD in mathematical biology; a physicist who has 2 degrees in mathematics and a PhD in physics (string theory); and an ecologist.

We’d be stoked if you followed this link to show your support. Inkshares count reads as well as pre-orders, so just head over to The One: A Cruise Through the Solar System and start delving into one of the most promising sci-fi novels of 2016!