How did “Primordial Soup and Salad” originate? What inspirations did you draw on?

Food replicators have always bothered me. I get that for us to enjoy watching a bunch of people who are actually on a soundstage pretend they’re traveling through space, we have to shorthand a few technological advances—artificial gravity and inertial dampeners come to mind—but instant food on demand is the only thing that nobody ever really tries to explain, and the one that most functions like magic. I decided I wanted to work out how a scientific explanation for the replicators would actually play out, and what the consequences of that might be. I ended up in an interesting place.

Did you get stuck at any point while writing this? How did you get past that?

I did, a couple of times. I initially included more than one point of view character, but it just didn’t work like I’d hoped, so I had to go back and rework it with just the captain’s POV. I also had a lot of trouble finding an ending I was happy with. I initially ended it at a much more drastic point before pulling back and coming up for a way for the crew to survive, albeit not particularly happily. I also wanted the story to come in a bit shorter, but I remain unable to control that as well as I’d like.

Where are you in this story?

I think I’m parts of all three of the main characters. I think I’m closest to the indignation of Dr. Kent and the pragmatism of Tandy McKinnon, but like the captain I also sometimes just really want a cheeseburger.

What are you working on lately? Where else can fans look for your work?

I’m currently working on a book to follow up The Spaceship Next Door and The Frequency of Aliens. It’s about three-fourths of the way finished (first draft) and I’m hoping to have something by the end of the year. I also wrote a spec film script called The Last Flight of Pelican Six which as I write this is just being brought to market by Gersh Agency. I have a few other Hollywood-adjacent things going on, but that’s the one I can talk about right now.