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Engineering New Worlds: How JH Gruger Fuses Science & Storytelling in His Sci-Fi Series
by Writing Workshops Staff
A week ago
In an era where science fiction often tiptoes around the fringes of fantasy, JH Gruger boldly reclaims the genre's roots with his debut novel, Gravity of Sol-3: The Sentinel Suppressions, Book One. A seasoned engineer and computer architect, Gruger fuses his technical expertise with imaginative storytelling, crafting a narrative that is as scientifically rigorous as it is compelling.
At the heart of his novel lies the enigmatic phenomenon of primordial black holes—a concept that not only anchors the plot but also showcases Gruger's commitment to hard science fiction. "I cringe when I see blatantly impossible pseudoscience in science fiction," he admits. His mission? To weave existing scientific research and theories into a tapestry that challenges readers without alienating them. Drawing inspiration from Stephen Hawking's approach to making complex ideas accessible, Gruger strives to "describe science in a way that is accessible by relating it to the average reader's experience."
But Gravity of Sol-3 is not just a cerebral exercise in physics and cosmology. It delves deep into the human condition, exploring themes of neurodivergence through the character of Robby—a young boy whose rare genetic trait makes him both a target and a beacon of hope. Gruger's portrayal is deeply personal, rooted in his own family experiences. "I worked to show the wonder and joy that can emerge from neurodivergence," he shares, aiming to shed light on the beauty that often lies beneath societal misunderstandings.
The novel also serves as a mirror to contemporary issues, particularly the manipulation of technology and information. By depicting alien Sentinels who control Earth's technological advancements and sow division through propaganda, Gruger holds up a lens to our own struggles with social media, misinformation, and ethical progress. "We are all manipulated by commercial, political, and subversive forces," he notes, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and overcoming these influences.
Gruger's journey to authorship was paved with learning and adaptation. Through courses at WritingWorkshops.com and mentorship from seasoned writers, he honed his craft, embracing critiques that would ultimately strengthen his work. The decision to self-publish was a strategic one, acknowledging the challenges that hard science fiction faces in traditional publishing. "Publishing is undergoing seismic changes toward independent publishing," he observes, encouraging aspiring authors to consider the wealth of resources available to independent creators.
Transitioning from a successful career in computer engineering to full-time writing, Gruger rediscovered the joy of individual creativity. "The creative process is different," he reflects. "There are no scientific constraints in writing fiction, but there are rules of structure and character development that the writer must follow for readers to enjoy the story."
As readers embark on the epic journey that is Gravity of Sol-3, they are invited to explore not just distant worlds and advanced technologies, but also the nuanced landscapes of humanity itself. We sat down with JH Gruger to delve deeper into his inspirations, challenges, and insights as he launches this exciting new series.
Writing Workshops: Your novel blends hard science with speculative fiction, especially using primordial black holes as a key plot device. How did your background in engineering and computer architecture influence the scientific aspects of Gravity of Sol-3: The Sentinel Suppressions, Book One, and how did you balance accuracy with storytelling?
JH Gruger: I cringe when I see blatantly impossible pseudoscience in science fiction. With fantasy, which I read a lot when I was younger, I could easily suspend connections to the real world and assume it's all magic. My goals in writing science fiction are to begin with existing science research and theory, extrapolate, and make it difficult for the reader to detect the magic. My writing is Hard Sci-Fi, and the science content will be challenging for many. My target readers will have some basic science or engineering background with a working knowledge of Newtonian mechanics (apple-falls-from-a-tree physics). I try to describe science in a way that is accessible by relating it to the average reader's experience and recalling the advice Stephen Hawking received for his classic book, A Brief History of Time. Hawking's editor said, "For each equation in the book, you will lose half of the remaining readers." A novel's science content should provide circumstances of tension and high stakes, but above all, the characters must drive the story.
Writing Workshops: In this novel, you explore neurodivergence through the character of Robby, who carries a rare genetic trait that makes him a target of the Sentinels. How did you approach writing about neurodivergence, and why was it essential to include this theme in the book?
JH Gruger: In Gravity of Sol-3, neurodivergent humans are the targets of alien Sentinels and human eugenicists. The aliens use propaganda to bring out the worst in humans to hate the "others" after the aliens recognize a potential threat from these neurodivergent humans. The eugenics movement is not something new-our history in the early twentieth century proved man is capable of horrific acts, ranging from mass sterilization to the attempted extermination of neurodivergent people. The aliens recognize that a unique neurodivergent skill could evolve into an existential threat to them.
In Gravity of Sol-3, neurodivergence is at the heart of the conflict and provides the ultimate answer to the human dilemma. I used my personal experience with neurodivergence in my family to create an accurate representation of an autistic boy and the community that supports him. I worked to show the wonder and joy that can emerge from neurodivergence. Stephen Hawking is a perfect example of one severely disabled man who became the most celebrated theoretical physicist of his time.
Writing Workshops: You studied with several writers at WritingWorkshops.com. How did those experiences impact your writing momentum, craft, and the overall development of this series? Are there specific lessons or moments that directly influenced the Gravity of Sol-3?
JH Gruger: I started my writing journey in science fiction five years ago. I began with introductory creative writing courses at Southern Methodist University, several courses with WritingWorkshops, and then attended Futurescapes Sci-Fi & Fantasy Workshops.
The disciplined written critiques used in the WritingWorkshops.com courses were often effective, and I still recall some early classmate critiques that I first rejected but later came to embrace.
In an Advanced Fiction class, Blake Kimzey assured me, "You will get this published," after critiquing a rough opening chapter of an early version of Gravity of Sol-3. Lynne Golodner coached me to move inciting events to the first pages that became the opening chapter (at the time, I cringed at the out-of-order storytelling). Holly Lyn Walrath's Writing Speculative Short Fiction class was pivotal for me and confirmed that the most valuable craft development comes from workshops specializing in my genre. I also hired Holly to do my first full-book developmental edit.
Writing Workshops: The Sentinels' control over technological advancement on Earth mirrors real-world debates about the ethics of scientific progress. What inspired you to weave this element into your plot, and how do you see it resonating with contemporary issues?
JH Gruger: Human culture struggles to adapt to social media technology, and we drift deep into divisive political arguments. We are all manipulated by commercial, political, and subversive forces, and resulting social hostilities can prevent us from rising above the manipulation. In Gravity of Sol-3, I took this to an extreme in which the social networking manipulators are alien Sentinels sponsoring the reemergence of human eugenics. The fictional alien manipulators of horrific beliefs and behaviors provide a distance and abstraction so readers might consider their vulnerability to our present-day social media manipulation.
The book also shows what can happen when an infinitely more powerful and dangerous energy source makes nuclear power seem trivial by comparison. Space Opera Sci-Fi assumes this event happened out-of-scene in a distant past, and the transition to an extreme power source is rarely explored (the real-world "Oppenheimer" and the "Star Trek" prequels are exceptions). My novel does not debate the ethics of scientific progress but shows it as an inevitable antagonist of the human condition. An obvious question arises: "You fools, why didn't you simply stop inventing to avoid the situation?" Man will adapt and manage the risks. Dystopian sci-fi often examines humankind giving up technology and regressing to a pastoral past, but (so far) my writing does not.
Writing Workshops: Crafting a series opener is a daunting task-introducing complex worlds, characters, and conflicts while keeping readers eager for more. What was your approach to plotting Book One to ensure it stood alone while setting up a larger series?
JH Gruger: It's a complex balancing process to write a satisfying first book yet raise unanswered possibilities that motivate the reader to want to read book two. Gravity of Sol-3 has a dual-POV of protagonist brothers that follow a classic hero's journey structure. A near-future setting in familiar American places made my world-building task relatively easy for these characters. It was a simple extrapolation from today and a lighter lift (for me and the reader) than creating entire worlds, sentient inhabitants, and cultures.
Book one concludes the hero's journey for the brothers with a satisfying denouement while unanswered future possibilities remain. The Sentinel antagonist POV is shown in brief chapters, mainly limited to their suppression tasks, and the alien world-building is limited to this scope. The tricky part was to hint about the alien's world but reserve detailed world-building for later books in the series.
Writing Workshops: As a debut author of a science fiction series, what have you learned about the business side of writing, from working with editors to navigating the world of publishing? What advice would you give aspiring authors, particularly those interested in writing a series?
JH Gruger: The most crucial business advice I received was from a Futurescapes workshop leader, Heather Cashman, who represents authors in a traditional literary agency. Heather critiqued my first two chapters and was very supportive. However, she also said with a sigh, "Hard science fiction is a hard sell." My chosen genre is challenging to sell through traditional publishing channels, and two years of queries to agents were unproductive. Recent blow-out successes in hard science fiction have started as self-published works from authors like Andy Weir and Hugh Howey. Traditional agents and publishers only engaged after these authors achieved independent success.
I also noted that half of my science fiction reading list consists of contemporary authors who began by self-publishing. I reconsidered my whole approach. Publishing is undergoing seismic changes toward independent publishing with thriving ecosystems of editors, artists, and marketing partners. Extensively vetted contractors are listed with the Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi, and Reedsy. Although I did get publication offers from two small presses, I proved to myself that I could create a superior book by staying independent. The small presses had editors that did not have deep experience in my genre and provided minimal, if any, marketing and promotion support.
With a small press, I would be on my own after publication-the same as for an independent author. Via ALLi and Reedsy, I hired a cover artist and editors with decades of experience (including with traditional publishers) in science fiction's unique tropes, styles, and reader expectations. I use KDP and Ingram for distribution and printing. The partners I hired were superior to those I interviewed at the small presses-who lacked deep experience and specialization in science fiction. I believe aspiring fiction authors should study how the emerging authors in their genre succeed. Watch the movie "American Fiction" and laugh.
Traditional publishing may make sense if you write Romance or Fantasy, especially if you already have a platform with thousands of followers. If you have money to hire your editors and a cover artist, investigate the independent publishing options starting with the ALLi website. The organization has extensive guides for how to attack publishing as an independent. After a low membership fee, all the information is free. I am now a confirmed independent author.
Writing Workshops: You've shifted from a successful career in computer engineering to full-time writing. How has this transition affected your creative process, and what advice would you offer to others looking to make a similar leap into the world of fiction?
JH Gruger: In the last decades of my computer engineering career, I managed teams of engineers doing creative design work. I drove the development of products using teams, and opportunities for my creative engagement were rare. I missed the individual creative process of designing products in my early years.I left that design engineering career behind; writing is my new creative outlet. This leap into writing fiction was possible because I reached a level of financial independence that allowed me to invest years into learning the art of writing. The creative process is different. Physics and the available technology constrain the creativity of design engineering. There are no scientific constraints in writing fiction, but there are rules of structure and character development that the writer must follow for readers to enjoy the story.
Purchase your copy of Gravity of Sol-3: The Sentinel Suppressions, Book One.
JH Gruger has degrees in engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University and Southern Methodist University. He has decades of experience in computer architecture and design, managing international engineering teams in North America, Asia, and Europe. After raising a family in Austin and Dallas, Texas, JH left behind his career in computer engineering to devote himself to writing science fiction.JH Gruger roams with his wife and family between Dallas and Santa Fe, writing stories while accompanied by three telepathic Italian Greyhound therapists.
