The following is an interview with science fiction and fantasy author John E. Stith regarding the recent release of the collected edition of the Tiny Time Machine series. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Stith about his experience in revisiting the series, whether he would create new stories in the Tiny Time Machine world, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Your critically acclaimed series, Tiny Time Machine, was recently released as a collected edition containing all three volumes. What has been your experience in revisiting the original story?
John E. Stith: I’ve gained more appreciation for series writers who have to keep a long list of details consistent from book to book. Even with just the three sections of my own, I caught a few inconsistencies and was grateful to be able to make slight edits to books one and two for the combined edition.
BD: Why might this collected edition appeal to both readers who may be new to the story, as well as fans of the original trilogy?
JES: Each book is self-contained, with a beginning, middle, and end, but the combined edition works that way, too. The characters grow through all three books and arrive at a place some of the readers will have been hoping for all along. That, I hope, makes the combined book better than the sum of its parts.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Meg and Josh’s story may connect with and impact readers?
JES: One general appeal is to readers with a social conscience who want to leave the world a better place than the one given to them. In TTM, the threat is not just diminished quality of life, but the end of most life. I think readers engage more fully with intelligent, humorous characters who are working toward goals that make sense to the readers. I would love for TTM to be seen as a successor to the Back to the Future trilogy.
BD: If given the opportunity, would you consider revisiting the world and characters of Tiny Time Machine for new stories?
JES: Definitely. I’ve got great affection for the two main characters. Armed with a time machine and the will to set things right, there’s no end to the fun they could have and the dangers they could encounter.
BD: Are there any other projects on which you are working that you would like to share with readers?
JES: My novel, Disavowed, is due in December. A doctor aboard a starship sent to the wrong destination survives the loss of his ship and an escape-pod landing on a hostile alien planet, but even if he can find his way home, his troubles will be far from over.
The other thing that’s happening right now is that a team is working on creating a TV pilot based on my novel, Manhattan Transfer. In it, Manhattan is kidnapped by aliens and placed under a dome aboard a giant starship, in the middle of a collection of alien cities.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Tiny Time Machine and your other work?
JES: People can learn more about my work at my site, www.neverend.com. An occasional newsletter tells people of new developments and offers occasional freebies. My main interactive presence is on Facebook.
