Author's Interview with Sambit Daspatnaik.

First, before we move forward with our Authors Interview, I would like to start with an introduction. 

1. Could you please introduce yourself to us?

First of all, thank you so much for providing this platform to share my work. I belong to Orissa, India and hail from the town of Baripada. I have done my graduation in Electronics Engineering and completed my Post Graduate in Business Management from Symbiosis, Pune. I am an IT software professional currently residing in Hyderabad, India. I love writing science fictions. My writing interests are in ancient aliens, mythology and space travel. I started writing from a young age. 

2. Congratulations on your book. So what inspired you to write this book?

Thank you so much. "The Last War & Other Stories" is my first science fiction book. The main story is a mythological science fiction which very few authors have ventured into and is a niche segment. I grew up listening to mythological stories from my grandmother Bishnupriya, my mother Alaka and my father Santanu. At the same time, my inclination has always been towards science and future technologies. I received inspiration from my sister Sunya and my paternal uncle Mr. Chinmoy. I always remember the incident when my first science fiction story was published in the Durga Puja souvenir in Nagpur by my uncle Mr. Hazra way back when I was in school. My wife Ishita always stood by me to make my book a success. I thank them all who have played a role in my becoming an author today.

3. What is the book all about?

The main story “The Last War” reflects on a scientific touch to the mythological background that my story has. It dates back to around 2000 BCE, centuries after the great Mahabharata war, where the descendants of Pandavas face a mammoth invasion from a neighbouring kingdom. Old secrets and mysteries are revealed. The background of the fiction revolves around the spiritual and technological advancement in the ancient civilizations in different parts of the world. The story “The Holy Temple of Eula” has a deep spiritual message and takes the readers to the future where a team of researchers travel to a remote inhabited planet and face an unknown virus that spreads like an epidemic. When the team was looking for a cure, they undergo a deep spiritual learning from the native aliens. The story “Blink” is again futuristic where my story's main character Anna had to undergo a surgery and transplanted by feline eyes of an alien. How she overcomes her fears and hatred for her eyes forms the rest of the story. There are a couple of short stories too. "Resurrection" is a story of rejuvenating our dying sun and "Genesis" is a story where I explore a scenario as to what if we had unlimited free energy in this world.

4. Why did you choose this genre for your book?

I love writing science fiction and have lot of interest in mythology. So, my main story "The Last War" is a mythological science fiction story that refers to ancient civilizations that were spiritually and technologically advanced. 

5. How much time did it take to complete this book?

Since I am a working professional, I would normally write whenever I would get some time after taking care of my priorities at work. So I ended up writing in phases. Each of the stories in my book was written by me at different times. By the time I was ready to publish the book, I had spent nearly four to five years completing this wonderful collection of stories.

6. What makes your Book Special?

This book stood out in terms of a niche segment of mythological science fiction. Also, what I attempted in my book is to write on science fiction using simple lucid English language. The compliment I got from many of my readers is that they enjoyed reading science fiction though they were never a sci-fi fan. They enjoyed the representation of technical and mythological science fiction subjects in a simple way. 

7. When is your second book coming?

I am working on my next book focused on mythological science fiction where I explore a time more ancient and historic. It would be out soon. Till then stay tuned. :)

8. While writing did you get any writer's block? What is the Tip that you will give others who are facing a writer's block?

To me, writing is very sacred. This is a communication channel where an author gets a chance to communicate his ideas through creative writing. I wouldn't really call it a writing block, but there were times when I had to refer and research a lot of non-fiction stuff to create the right background and context around my fictional work. Both mythology and science fiction needs a lot of research. For those looking forward to venture in this area, I would advise them to do a lot of research work.

9. Apart from being a talented author, what are your other hobbies?

Apart from writing, I am also a painter and won many prizes in painting competitions since childhood. I never lose an opportunity to capture moments in my daily life with a camera. I love music (both Indian and Western).

10. Last but not the least, How did you feel, while giving this interview?

It is always a wonderful experience to use this medium to interact and communicate with the readers. The pleasure is all mine.

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