John Tonks - An Interview

Children Of Amala is a SciFi tale where a damaged near-future earth crosses paths with the inhabitants of Titan, and they find they have more in common than they thought.

You can find Children Of Amala HERE.

Open Shelf caught up with author John Tonks to find out more. 

We always like to look at the origins of a story. What was the first spark behind Children of Amala - Titan, the Elysium, or the idea of Earth becoming myth?

I think the concept of the Elysium mother ship was the first spark – in fact Elysium was originally my working title. Titan was my choice as a mission destination as it underwent similar warming to the Earth from the swollen sun. Over time, this may liberate oxygen from the subsurface ocean.

Did you always envision this as a dual‑perspective narrative, or did that structure emerge during writing?

I always envisioned a dual-perspective narrative as essential to the theme. In fact multi-perspective may be more accurate.

How did the concept of “truth becoming heresy” shape the early development of the story?

Denial in its many guises was an early theme of the book, starting with climate change denial, then later with truth turning into myth during the Period of Obscurity, and finally Madelyn's quest for truth and her consequent heresy trial.

Whilst part of the story is set on Earth, much of it is about Titan, one of the moons of Saturn. Titan is described with such confidence and clarity. What inspired your vision of its methane oceans, nitrogen domes, and hybrid species?

Well, my inspiration came from the Huygens lander of 2005 when Titan's ice mountains and methane lakes and rivers were revealed for the first time. The terrain appeared so Earth-like in spite of the cryogenic temperatures.

How did you balance scientific plausibility with imaginative freedom when building Titan’s society?

I think it's important to base my fantasy ideas on a bedrock of plausible science. My physics training and astrophotography hobby certainly helped there.

The inversion of perspective - Earth as the dangerous world - is striking. What drew you to that idea?

I suppose the overall theme of Children of Amala is one of hope. Earth is now a barren wasteland, the survivors have regressed to their Neanderthal roots, while the Titan settlers have evolved and adapted and moved on. I suppose what drew me to that idea was the inevitable development of humanity over such a vast time scale.

Let's consider some of the characters. Colonel Vogost is both humorous and deeply alien. How did you craft a protagonist who feels exotic yet relatable?

I decided that Vogost needed a personality and an ego to go with it. After all, why shouldn't a methane breathing reptilian have an ego?

Silorian and Vogost have a warm, domestic dynamic. Why was it important to open with that tone?

As for Silorian, she's Vogost’s devoted partner. I think their mutual bonding pays off during their stressful transfiguration into their Luminari persona.

Major Hoffman’s sections feel gritty and human. What was the key to writing his quiet, tragic weight?

I think the plight of Major Hoffman neatly summed up the hopelessness of Earth during its death throes.

How did you approach writing two branches of humanity who have evolved apart for ten thousand years?

I was concerned about the novel covering such a vast time scale, although I thought it necessary to make things plausible. I'm hoping that by dividing the book into three parts it will help – The Mission, The Age of Obscurity and Enlightenment.

Let's takle a closer look at some of the tone and structure. The novel shifts from playful alien worldbuilding to tense, cinematic human drama. How did you manage those tonal transitions?

I found the tonal transitions relatively easy – in fact the transitions provided some relief. The variety helped me to spawn new ideas.

What challenges did you face in keeping the pacing tight across two very different settings?

As the story developed, I think I could sense the inevitable conflicts waiting on the horizon, so I looked forward to writing about them.

Did you write Titan and Earth sections separately or weave them together as you went?

I certainly didn't write the book chronologically. I prefer to write in self-contained scenes as they occur to me. In fact, I seem to remember writing the Dr Simon Fernandez scene on the same day as Madelyn Deschanel's heresy trial scene, even though they're supposed to be ten thousand years apart. 

There are some strong themes in the book so let's have a closer look at those now. The story explores mythmaking, scientific truth, and the danger of dogma. What thematic questions were you most interested in exploring?

I think most agree that Truth is a fundamental concept and any attempt to manipulate it should be resisted. In an age of fake news and the risk of AI misuse, the pursuit of truth is more important than ever.

When the two human lineages finally meet, what emotional or philosophical conflict did you most want to highlight?

When the Titan descendants finally met the Earth survivors, it was important that they were guided by their common human lineage. So I got Madelyn to take on this role. She took this to the next level of course...

Strangely, Madelyn's main difficulty was getting the elders of Titan on her side rather than the Neanderthal survivors on Earth.

I found the descriptions of Earth really strong. Those Earth sections - especially Alaska - are stark and cinematic. What inspired that visual style?

I think perhaps I likened the landscape to the surface of Mars as photographed by the Mars landers – completely barren, devoid of life, no sound other than the constant wind.

How do you decide when to lean into lush description versus clipped, military

precision?

It's vital to describe the setting as clearly as possible to give proper context for the characters and their state of mind. 

Now we can move to the part our author readers like, a little about writing craft. Which character or storyline was the hardest to write, and why?

Although she is my favourite character, Gaia, Madelyn's daughter, was the hardest to write about. She is a child of two worlds with the ability to connect with the universal consciousness.

Was there a scene that surprised you or took the story in an unexpected direction?

The scene in the Bastion where Madelyn first meets Major Strider. Her seduction is an important turning point, allowing Gaia to enter the story.

How did you approach writing dialogue that feels authentic across species, cultures, and eras?

For writing dialogue across species – namely between human and Luminari, I used the idea of a form of telepathy which uses both colour and emotion.

SciFi seems to be having a real resurgence. Were there any classic sci‑fi traditions that you were consciously engaging with?

Yes plenty – First Contact, Post apocalyptic survival, Cryosleep, Space colonisation, Space Opera, Science Fantasy

How do you balance the “retro” feel of classic science fiction with a modern narrative sensibility?

I think classic science fiction has formed the bedrock of our current fascination with technology and the ‘march of human progress’

As we draw to a close, let's look ahead. Do you see Children of Amala as a standalone story, or is there more to explore in this universe?  If you were to continue the series, which character or world would you want to expand first?

Good question. It is a stand-alone story – however, a sequel would need to follow Gaia and her descendants to somewhere beyond the 121st century – to an era beyond our imagination...

What do you hope readers carry with them after finishing the novel?

A sense of the resilience of the human race in the face of metaphysical evolution –  perhaps moving beyond basic biological processes.

Thanks to John for joining us to discuss Children Of Amala and more!

You can read more about John and his work HERE.