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The Survivors Continue On
Galacticide follows a man who thought he had stopped an alien race only to discover the Brood Mother survived and now wants to erase reality. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Through most of history, women had to deal with the effects of war on the home-front, many times seeing their normalcy destroyed just as much as the fighting men. Striving to expand the scope and up the stakes one last time for the final book of the series, I wanted to start out with a classic revenge story. But I needed an antagonist who was so deeply wounded that this character’s wrath would know no limits. This character should not shy away from even the most drastic of measures, pledging to commit fundamental acts of destruction: tearing spacetime itself. I choose an alien mother as the chief antagonist, someone who lost their children to a war that wasn’t hers. The alien species in my novels has few females, but their offsprings count in the billions. What would the level of grief be for someone who lost 10 billion children on a single day?
What is one pivotal moment in the story that you think best defines Kel Chaada?
A direct answer here would contain heavy spoilers. Let me say that the pivotal moment makes clear why Kel Chaada, a man with many flaws, someone who is controversial even in his own fictional universe, is the hero of this story. I believe classic heroes exist, including in our present day. I also believe that those heroes are not heroic at every moment of their lives, and neither is Kel Chaada. But, unlike so many other characters, he is the only one who genuinely cares about the galaxy, its inhabitants and saving the sapient species, including humans. While he starts out doing things out of questionable motives, his character develops to doing the right thing for the sake of it being right. The pivotal moment in Galacticide will give his character the opportunity to tie many loose ends together.
Were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the characters in this series?
I believe so. While Kel Chaada’s adventures are the thread tying the narratives together, the trilogy can be split into ‘the Father’ (Kel Chaada in book 1), ‘the Mother’ (Sya Omga in book 2) and ‘the Child’ in book 3. Each of these characters has major developments in their arc in the respective books/chapters of the trilogy. The story is told from many points of view, including different alien species and intelligent machines, but the three main human characters keep even the more esoteric concepts relatable.
Where do you see your characters after the book ends?
The universe keeps evolving after the story ends, and this is true for the real thing as much as for fictional ones. There is much armed conflict in the story, and not everybody makes it, but the survivors will continue on. Some might follow interesting paths, warranting a sequel trilogy. Oh, who am I kidding? I am working on a sequel trilogy right now!
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No cause. No effect. Causality stops and reality shatters.
Kel Chaada believed to have beaten the extra-galactic menace when rigged AI cores blew the Võmémééř’s galactic realm apart. Sheltered from the explosions, the alien Brood Mother survived, mourning billions of her children, burning with vengeance.
One breeding couple is all it takes to re-build an army, but the Brood Mother’s target is neither Kel, nor space fleets: It is reality itself. No universe hostile to the Mother’s children shall remain.
Imprisoned for old crimes, his only child gone missing in a military coup at home, Kel Chaada witnesses his world crumble, the very fabric of existence tearing. Even if he escaped, how could he fight a raging alien mother capable of destroying the multiverse?
Galacticide
In Galacticide, author Bert-Oliver Boehmer crafts a space opera of epic proportions, where the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. The protagonist, Kel Chaada, initially believes he has vanquished the alien threat to all life. Yet, the survival of the Brood Mother casts a shadow of impending doom, her ambitions now escalating to the annihilation of reality itself. Kel, trapped and sidelined from the cosmic battlefield, faces a dire situation. The narrative explores whether he can escape and confront the Brood Mother in a climactic struggle, with the existence of reality itself at stake.
Boehmer’s narrative skillfully weaves elements reminiscent of science fiction luminaries such as Frank Herbert and Isaac Asimov while introducing unique concepts distinguishing Galacticide within the genre. While Galacticide is the third installment in a trilogy, Boehmer skillfully navigates the narrative to welcome new readers, effectively acquainting them with the story’s rich and expansive universe. Familiar science fiction themes, such as humanity’s hubris and alien hostility, are present, drawing parallels with recent developments in Marvel’s cinematic universe, notably the multiverse exploration. These elements provide a backdrop to the novel’s standout feature: the protagonist, Kel Chaada. He is portrayed as a world-weary anti-hero, grappling with the weight of his mission against moments of existential doubt. This character depth adds a compelling layer to the narrative, resonating with readers who might empathize with his internal struggles.
Galacticide is a testament to Boehmer’s ability to balance classic sci-fi elements with innovative ideas, creating a story that is both familiar and fresh. The novel invites readers into a vast, imaginative universe, posing profound questions about duty, destiny, and the choices that define us.
Pages: 331 | ASIN : B0CL7C291M
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