Interview with Sci-Fi Author Lyle Stiles

Interview with Sci-Fi Author Lyle Stiles

Welcome Lyle! For readers just discovering your work, could you please give a little introduction of yourself? 

Hi, I'm Lyle Stiles, a Brooklyn-born science communicator and author. My writing journey started around 2018 when I wrote a poem ( titled "Tourists") which was published a year later. Since then, I've moved to sci-fi short stories, of which I am currently the author of three.

Author Lyle Stiles

Generally, the focus of my pieces is on larger societal or cultural issues, with a pinch of science thrown in for flavor.

I'm also an exercise- and board game-enthusiast who resides in Maryland.

Your website (https://lylestiles.com/) mentions you are a “recovering neuroscience researcher.” Could you tell readers a bit about your science background and how that influences your writing?

 I got my neuroscience Ph.D. studying the brains of mice and the memory-boosting effects of aerobic exercise. The overall goal was to better understand how this memory enhancement works in people. 

Because it's such a relatable topic that could be useful to many others, I spoke about my work in plain language during several science communication events with the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. To reach an even wider audience, I participated in and won a NASA- and National Geographic-led science communication competition (FameLab) where researchers have 3 minutes to talk about their work to panel of judges and the public (like American Idol but for scientists). These experiences made me want to discuss other research topics in ways that would help remove the jargon-filled veil of science so more people could see it as I do–a beautiful way to understand the world.

As a result, I usually try to drop an interesting research fact or scientific development into my stories. For example, my first published story was based on recent work where scientists created xenobots–tiny programmable "lifeforms" created from frog stem cells. Although they are made up of living things (stem cells) and can walk, heal, and work together in groups, are they themselves alive? It's still a matter of debate, so I wrote a time travel story (The Xenobot Paradox) to highlight this advancement and explore philosophical quandries about "life" and agency if this technology became more advanced.

(Note: If you're interested in seeing the xenobots in action, you can find a video of them at my website)

When did you first develop a love for the sci-fi genre?

 To be honest, I was always kind of sci-fi adjacent. As a child, I gravitated to books, movies, and franchises like Star Wars.

However, as a teen growing up in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn in the 00's many of the deeper human issues felt absent or seemed like they lacked depth.

When chapters of history books are filled with people like you being disenfranchised, when alll your immediate family members have personal anecdotes in dealing with prejudice, and when you start experiencing your own similar issues, some sci-fi narratives (like those about people treating aliens differently or vice versa) feel like they barely scratch the surface.

I didn't end up loving sci-fi until later, close to the end of my Ph.D. training, when I discovered N.K. Jemisin and Octavia Butler. Their works showed me the great depths of the human condition that you could infuse into original sci-fi concepts. Their works provided a lot of inspiration for my eearliest attempts at writing sci-fi stories (many of which I hope will never see the light of day).

Congrats on the publication of your short story “The Pox Party” featured in Black Sci-Fi Short Stories (Gothic Fantasy) published by Flame Tree Press! Can you tell us the premise of “The Pox Party” and what inspired it?

 In a dystopian future where certain neighborhoods experience climate-related apocalypses (or "pox"es), a teenage girl from one of these low-income areas steals an expensive holo-watch from a rich poverty-vouyèr searching for a theme for their upcoming party. As the teen journeys to a prosperous, pox-free neighborhood to return the watch, she struggles with thoughts of keeping it knowing the item probably means more to her–now that it holds precious recordings of her recently deceased mother.

"The Pox Party" was inspired by the growing disparities in not only housing and income, but also access to technologies that make life easier. I wanted to explore how morality (or at least acceptable behavior) might change or shift in hyper-disparate conditions.

Your dark sci-fi short story “Mephisto and Me” was published in Assemble Artifacts (Summer 2022 Issue no. 2) and they purchased the tv/film rights. Could you please tell readers about this story? Who would you like to play the characters if this gets picked up for tv/film?

 After a police officer murders his father, Jerod, a high school junior deals with trauma, resentment, and the sudden appearance of Mephisto--a demon-possesed robot who promises "justice". But what Jerod decides to do (or not do) about the bot could either end his life or everyone else's, as Mephisto's ultimate goal is Armageddon.

If "Mephisto and Me" gets made into a movie, I'd like John Boyega (Finn from Star Wars) or Shameik Moore (voice of Miles Morales in Into the Spiderverse) to play Jerod. For Mephisto, I think Adam Driver (Kylo Ren from Star Wars) would serve as a great voice acting talent for the maniacal bot.

Let’s say you can pick any author, alive or dead, to team up with and co-write a novel. Who are you picking and why?

 Hands down, Octavia Butler.

I would've loved to have co-written (or even just assist in the process of creating) a novel with her before she passed away.

She had this impressive skill of "doing more with less" when it came to using words to paint a vibrant picture of futuristic sci-fi or dystopian settings.

More importantly, she managed to instill depth into her works by accessibly reflecting the trying situations and impossible choices her characters have to make being at the intersection of multiple identities (e.g., Dana in "Kindred" being black, modern, and a woman during  the era of slavery and Anyanwu in "Wild Seed" being black, immortal, and a powerful woman –throughout time–in a never ending coercive/abusive  relationship).

Working with her would've greatly improved my ability to vividly showcase the joys and struggles of my own characters through concise storytelling.

What are you currently working on?

 My work in progress (WIP) is a departure from my usual sci-fi short stories (which generally focus on cultural and societal issues). The WIP is a middle grade fantasy novel (called "Terraseeker Academy") that is a project of pure escapism. It features a diverse group of kids who go to a specialized school to learn how to become explorers within the very strange world they live in.

I decided to write it because I felt like I could use a break from the world's heavier heavier issues. Sometimes it's just as rewarding to read a light-hearted book and have a laugh. I hope this fun adventure novel will one day make its way to store shelves where it can engage children and others in the same ways I used to get excited about Animorphs or Goosebumps (neither of which are light-hearted, but both series brought me tons of joy).

Where do you hope to be in ten years, in terms of your writing career?

 At that point, I hope to be a published author with several more short stories and at least one series under my belt. I'd love it if at least one of those pieces had a sizeable fan base, but if not, I would still be happy with the act of making publishable quality work. 

In addition, a personal goal of mine is to publish in different genres. Currently, I have my eyes on romance and horror, so in ten years it would be nice to have some written pieces within those categories.

Where can readers learn more about you? (social media, website, ect)

Readers can learn more about me at my website Lylestiles.com or follow me on X (formerly twitter) @thewritestiles. 

As I am currently recovering from a fairly severe bout of long covid that affected me for much of last year, some info may be outdated. Luckily, I've been regaining much of my health in the last few weeks, so expect to see more activity in the coming months.

Thanks for the great interview, Nico!