The Jovian Madrigals follows four characters promised immortality on Jupiter’s moon Callisto, only to discover that the utopian dream sold by an authoritarian global power comes with sinister costs. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?  

I worked in the tech industry for several years, and continue to work on the edges of it. The narrative of “tech will save us” or of each development being a step forward has dominated much of my professional career outside writing. This experience has also made me very aware of the costs of technology at every level, and what the end user sacrifices in exchange for that technology. I see the nanobots and the concept of Callisto as an extension of that tech-as-saviour myth, and as an extension of what we’re already giving up in the name of convenience. Setting it in a future dystopia let me extend the ideas and crises we’re already seeing into a world that could be. I got to play with possibility, and enjoyed it every step of the way.

The concept of immortality intertwined with nanotechnology raises fascinating ethical questions. What drew you to explore this theme, and did any real-world scientific advancements shape your approach?

One question I kept asking myself while writing “The Jovian Madrigals” was whether I would ever enter the Lottery. While the Lottery itself is a distant, fantasy idea, the more general idea of technological immortality is becoming more and more of a reality. Technology like Neuralink, our vast digital footprints, and the rapid modernisation of medicine and artificial body parts are blending the distinction between humans and machines in ways that will define what it means to be human. We’re each making decisions about how much of this “technological immortality” we want to engage with, even as the ability to choose diminishes more and more. Much of what I explore throughout the Jovian Symphony explores that question of what humanity means when there is no true death. For the Callistans, the definition of humanity may have been narrowed to exclude them, and they’re left to deal with the consequences of that new reality.

Did any particular historical or contemporary political events influence the creation of this dystopian society?​

While it plays a quiet, background role in “The Jovian Madrigals,” much of the world of 2193 is shaped by the realities of climate change and the influence of capitalism on humanity’s response to the climate crisis. Many of the chapter introductions throughout the book reference war and destruction; I imagined these being the direct result of resource shortages and climate-driven conflicts. The world of 2193 is a dystopian one, but closer to a post-dystopia than the true dystopia of its past, at least depending on who you ask. I suspect Padraig and Cassandra would have very different answers to the question of whether theirs is a dystopian world.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?

The sequel to “The Jovian Madrigals” is currently in the final stages of editing. “Dream Sweet in a Minor Sea” will be available in late March/early April of 2025, and I’m excited to share it with everyone! I am also currently working on the third book of the series – tentatively called “A Blue Moon Waltz” – which will be available in October 2025. Keep an eye on my socials for more news on exact dates and where you can pick them up!

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