The Tatagonian Code follows a wisecracking ghostwriter whose bond with a memory-altering entity draws him into a mission across universes, forcing him to confront who controls his past and whom he can trust with the future. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

There’s been much discussion in recent years about the possibility that we are living within a computer simulation. The question that came to mind was: If true, who runs the simulation and why? Then I asked what would happen if the masters had conflicting goals. So, I created Tatagonians and divided them into two opposing factions: gold-plated Cybortics and swirling Energetics. So, as with all global (and interstellar) politics, humanity needed one of them to flip and take its side. I’m a big fan of John Scalzi, who tends to have sarcastic protagonists. So Daniel’s persona was developed along that vein.

How did Emma’s unequal memories of her relationship with Daniel shape your exploration of consent, responsibility, and the possibility of renewed intimacy?

At first, by remembering only bits and pieces of their previous relationships, Daniel felt betrayed by Emma—that she had used him to advance her project’s goals. But after he realized she actually HAD fallen in love with him twice, he knew there was something special between them. Rather than attempt to jump back into romance immediately, he allowed Emma to slowly regain her memories of their shared past. His love for her was the deciding factor in his participation in the war against the Cybortics. 

What shifts in Daniel and Gofer’s relationship were essential to making an intrusive, memory-altering voice become someone Daniel could trust?

At first, Daniel viewed Gofer as a violation of his private life. Having an alien share your body would be discomforting, especially when you discover the reason is to experience existence as a human rather than a form of energy. Gofer also represented danger—an entity that Daniel couldn’t understand. Their relationship pivoted when Daniel realized he could use it to his benefit. For example, he could reverse Sierra’s implication in the killing of a thug who wanted to kidnap him and the alien. Still, he feared that such power could corrupt whoever possessed it. But after he realized the need for such power to save humanity, they became close friends even after Gofer separated from Daniel’s body.

How does Sierra’s friendship with Daniel, built through shared danger and insults, complicate his understanding of protection, vulnerability, and loyalty?

When Daniel first meets Sierra as his personal trainer at the gym, he views her as a potential romantic partner. She vanquishes that notion when she saves from being kidnapped and displays her militaristic, kill-when-necessary attitude. Knowing that Daniel lacks the toughness to be part of the mission to save humanity, she takes verbal shots at him to toughen up his mental game. Daniel doesn’t understand her killer instincts, but he begins to appreciate it when he realizes she brings to the table—unrelenting commitment to destroying the Cybortics.

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