All about the Seven Stars Saga

Who is Angela Super?

AJ Super is the author of the Seven Stars Saga, a trilogy published by Aethon Books and Blackstone Audio. Writing full time, they devour fantasy and science fiction in every medium, and even experiment with writing and reading other speculative fiction now and again.

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They earned two Bachelors’ degrees from the University of Idaho in the Creative Writing and Theater programs, and they have been an author since they were old enough to write (and illustrate) a stapled-together ABC book, which is still packed away in a box of childhood memorabilia.

AJ is inspired by Ursula K. LeGuin, Anne McCaffery, Octavia Butler, Mercedes Lackey, and other amazing female science fiction and fantasy authors.

They are active in several different writing communities and an SFWA member. They currently live in Idaho with their fuzz-brained kitties, supportive spouse, and a ridiculous collection of slippers.

What is the Seven Stars Saga about?

hose who can destroy a world can control the universe.

Everyone wants the Star of Erebus. Space-pirate Nyx Marcus is no exception. With it, she can prove to her father that she is worthy of his legacy.

But she’s come up empty-handed aboard the space-ship Thanatos and now Malcam, her father’s First Officer, is mutinying. As Nyx flees with a loyal skeleton crew, she discovers that the planet-killing weapon, named after one of the seven gods, is more than what it seems.

Erebus isn’t a simple weapon. It’s an ancient AI and a technological god.

With the oppressive Queen of the Protectorate and new pirate captain Malcam searching for the Thanatos and Erebus, the AI god has more surprises for Nyx. Waking dormant AI code in Nyx’s blood, Erebus reveals they are family and Nyx is the head of the Seven Stars pantheon. Now Nyx must learn to control her power without sacrificing her own humanity or give her enemies a new way to oppress the known universe and lose the family she holds dear.

Interview

What drew you to writing?

I’ve been writing since I was knee-high-to-a-grasshopper. It started with an illustrated and stapled-together ABC book and fantasy plays that my cousins and sister would perform for family. As I got older, I started writing more thriller-style stories like RL Stine. Eventually, I even wrote some Star Wars fan fiction in college. It wasn’t until 2014 that I started writing my first full science fiction novel. It was so much fun, and despite a lot of setbacks, I my love of writing has persisted.

What was your inspiration for the Seven Stars Saga?

I had several. I grew up reading a wide variety of science fiction and fantasy, but the books I loved the best were from my grandmother’s collection. They all dealt with different themes and had different ways of presenting their thoughts, but the one book that has stuck with me through the years, Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Dispossessed, was the first where I made the connection that authors could have a voice beyond merely being entertaining.

When I started the Seven Stars Saga, I wanted to have something to say as well. I loved the modern Battlestar Galactica and its themes, especially questioning the definition of humanity. So, I decided that I would write an over-powered main character and see what she would protect with all that power and how it would affect her choices. In many cases, like the Cylons in BSG, the AI Gods in the Seven Stars Saga are much more human than the main character.

How did you choose which character to centre the story around?

Nyx Marcus, the main character of the series, just kind of came to me. I wanted to create a character who had something she wanted to protect and the power to do it. The trial of writing such a character was mostly in her ability to meter her choices and follow a path that didn’t destroy everything… As a character who eventually turns into a tyrant, she was very difficult to write.

What was your process for writing Erebus Dawning?

At the time, I was more of a discovery writer, so I didn’t have a plan for Erebus Dawning or the other books in the trilogy. In essence, I just wrote the “and then” of the story, trying to follow the logical progression of Nyx’s terrible choices.

What is your approach to world and character building?

This is an interesting question, one that I have actually never been asked. For this project, I just wrote what my imagination built as I built it. Then, in edits, I added details and personality to characters, setting, and the world as a whole. I wanted the universe of the Protectorate to include interesting planets and exist in a time where living in space was the norm. I just kind of built on that premise and the idea that the Protectorate was a Queendom and matriarchy. I also added in French as a major language because I wanted to flip the usual non-European universal dominance trope and see what happened if I used a historically colonization-oriented culture. Big surprise that my main character ends up being a villain who wants to take over the universe!

How would you describe Erebus Dawning in five words?

“Welcome to the new world.”

Did you have a favourite moment in the book to write?

I really enjoyed the bits where Nyx is doing extravehicular activities, EVA. I love that she feels free of all the pressures and enjoys floating in space. Even if bad things eventually happen, it added a layer of humanity to an otherwise difficult character.

What was your favourite book growing up?

The last book that my grandma gave me was Ursula K. LeGuin’s The Dispossessed. I still have it. The book holds a very special place in my heart. But I read a lot as a kiddo, so there are a metric ton of novels, poems, and plays that I love—classic authors from Shakespeare and Poe to Dickenson and Shelley and genre authors like Anne McCaffrey, Octavia Butler, Mercedes Lackey… and many more. I will likely always say that The Dispossessed is my favourite from childhood because I learned so much from it, but there were just so many authors and books that I can’t truly pick just one.

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

I love reading just about any type of fiction. I do spend an inordinate amount of my reading time on fantasy and science fiction for comparable titles and inspiration, but honestly, I just love reading books that have voice and heart. If they have something to say, some tidbit that I can learn and create a better me, I read it. Different worlds, different people, different lives all bring something to the table.