A Dystopian Science Fiction Novel
Book 1 of the Duchy Wars
Science Fiction
Date Published: 03-25-2025
A rewarding travelogue through a richly drawn world and its cultures,
this arresting series-starter finds Atrium, a master of anthropological
science fiction, inviting in new readers with an enticing hook. Bybiis has the
talent of a beastmaster, enabling her to command a host of creatures. For
this, she is tortured and inked with magic-suppressing tattoos. Bybiis and
Ariseng, from the Siibabean forest, are warned by a mystic shopkeeper,
Ariseng’s aunt, that the two are “stronger together than either is
alone.”
Interview
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
The science fiction dystopian narratives are filled with magic but also deeply resonate with real-world themes, showcasing the untold stories of how women can survive in a crisis zone. THE MATRIX OPAL (available everywhere) opens a second 5-book series and is a good place to enter the Dolvia saga. We have a new protagonist and the return of familiar characters who are growing into adult roles.
THE HEART SCARAB is Book 2 of the second series and will be available for pre-order on Amazon in July 2025. An early review from Book Viral includes the Gold Quill designation.
“Atrium’s prose is lyrical and evocative, drawing readers into a story that is as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally charged. She has a gift for weaving narrative threads that span cultures, classes, and species, creating a mosaic of voices that together tell a powerful, unified story.” -- Book Viral
Is There a Message in Your Novels That You Want Readers to Grasp?
When I started writing – all those years ago – I was looking at how women can survive in a crisis zone. The men are off fighting in the militia. The women have no weapons, no training, no access to capital, no voice in the public square. Do they ban together to protect the children, or do they undercut each other?
For the genre, my effort was to break out of the princess-or-evil-queen mold and show women in all roles like street kids, ranchers, teachers, doctors, warriors, militia commanders, diplomats. How do they solve real world problems using the tools at hand? And I added a little magic for spice.
The male characters are not neglected, of course. Who is using the peace-keeping funds to provide medical care for the tribal kids? Who is courting the invasive corporations to line their own pockets?
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The story is presented through unique voices without an overview narrator. Developing character voices demands that the writer knows them well, spends time with them as more than agents of the plot. I tend to meander around in their personal lives until the novel grows to 160,000 words. I had to learn to cut the delicious personal moments, to sacrifice some of my best writing for the sake of word count.
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
The Tribal Wars has 5 books and starts the saga as we watch characters as women and children in a war zone. The second series The Duchy Wars will have 5 books (God wiling) to see how favorite characters as adults work for the community in times of crisis.
My favorite book is always the current one that needs editing. I just finished proof-reading THE HEART SCARAB. Bybiis and Ariseng carry the story, and Rufus el Arrivi emerges as a leader with a painful love story.
If you had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
Bybiis would have to be played by Jennifer Hudson, although she does no singing. Her range for acting is under-rated, in my opinion.
Rufus el Arrivi would have to be played by Riz Ahmed. He has the look and long Abydian nose, but he can bring a quiet strength to the role.
When did you begin writing?
When I was 12, I told my brothers that I would grow up to be a great American writer like Earnest Hemingway or F. Scott Fitzgerald. They all four fell to laughing.
How long did it take to complete your first book?
The first book is the most difficult in many ways. Not only must the writer find her voice, but also find those themes that she wants to explore over a lifetime. We sort of grow into being writers and advocates at the same time.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
In my genre, I have a sort of love-hate relation with Gene Wolfe, especially his Executioner series. For writing style, though, my learning tree was the short novels of Peter Handke, a little-known Austrian writer who won the Noble Prize for literature.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
I like to edit the chapters. It’s a delicious obsession, very time-consuming. My favorite past time.
Describe your latest book in 4 words. -- Dystopian sci-fi with magic
About the Author
Stella Atrium is a cynical septuagenarian who has spent a lifetime
exploring female characters for real world reactions to obstacles. Often
pushed into submissive and non-verbal roles, women really live in a world of
networking among aunties, cousins, wives of husbands, convenient friends and
neighbors. This rich world is largely unexplored.
“I grew up with all brothers, so I knew about women from stories and from school. What I found at school wasn’t anything like in the stories, so I set out to learn why.”
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