Author Interview: Robert Kroese

Libertopia recently had the privilege of conducting an exclusive interview with Robert Kroese, a bestselling author who wrote his first novel, Mercury Falls, as recently as 2009! Since then, he has three more books in the Mercury series; a humorous epic fantasy, Disenchanted; and a quantum physics noir thriller, Schrodinger’s Gat. His latest book is Starship Grifters.

Hello Mr. Kroese! Thank you for taking the time to share with us some of the insights and experiences you’ve gained as an author! To start with, could you tell us a little bit about your books? 

Rob Kroese: I’d classify most of my books as “humorous science fiction/fantasy,” although they’re kind of all over the place. My first novel, Mercury Falls, is about a slacker angel who is supposed to be helping out with the apocalypse but gets distracted by beer and ping-pong. I’ve written humorous high fantasy (Disenchanted and Distopia), a comedic space opera (Starship Grifters) and a “quantum physics noir thriller” (Schrodinger’s Gat).

How did you get started in this area?

Rob Kroese: I’ve wanted to write a novel for about as long as I’ve known what a novel was. In second grade, I wrote a story that impressed my teacher so much that she told me just to keep working on it when the class was supposed to be working on math. So I suppose it’s Mrs. Price’s fault that I became a writer (and can’t balance my checkbook).

Do you have any favorite books or other media that you find inspiring?

Rob Kroese: The first sci-fi novel I read was Heinlein’s Red Planet. Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy really convinced me it was what I wanted to do, and Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat series made me believe I could do it.

Do you have any unique experiences as an author so far?

Rob Kroese: Probably the most surreal experience I’ve had is when Hugh Howey (the author of Wool) called Starship Grifters his favorite book of 2014.

What might your goal be for the future working in this area?

Rob Kroese: Write more books. Have more fun. Make more money.

Any advice, recommendations or libertarian thoughts on how people could get involved in their community as a positive influence?

Rob Kroese: I’m probably the worst possible person to ask about this, since I recently moved back to Michigan from California and haven’t had much of a chance to get involved in anything in my community. Generally speaking, I think the best thing you can do to promote liberty is to make government services less necessary by voluntarily providing help to those who need it.

Where can readers find out more about your work?

You can go to my website at sfauthor.net or directly to my Amazon page.

Are you an artist, author, or other creative minded individual who might like to be featured on Libertopia? If so, please let us know! Meanwhile, don’t forget to check out our graphics page and share Libertopia with a friend. You can also help donate if you appreciate what we’re doing! Until next time, have a great day!