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The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend
Change—Restoration follows a woman who has survived enslavement on a swamp world and is ready to take on a corrupt corporation that is set to plunder the last of Earth’s resources for its own greed. What was the initial idea behind this story, and how did that transform you as you wrote the novel?
Back in the late 80’s I wrote my first and second novels out in full, on paper, over a period of 6 weeks. It just seemed to come out onto the paper as I wrote. Over the next 20 years I was a bit busy, but I kept on re-writing the first novel as and when I could. The story was originally going to be one book. But I realised if I didn’t publish the first part when I did – then I’d probably procrastinate for another decade and work on the second part of the story would never get done.
In the first book: CHANGE – the idea was, what would happen if two people from our world, were suddenly abducted and plunged into a sophisticated interstellar civilisation. A civilisation where off-world Corporations utilise the output of slave labour camps situated in inaccessible regions, much as ours do on our world – allegedly – today. That is what happens to Paul and Bernadette. In an instant, everything they knew and loved is gone.
All this happens against a backdrop of dynamic instability and insurrection within a vast interstellar Imperium, on the brink of civil war. Patricea Markiss and the Royal Party are forced to flee the usurper Emperor Ral Karjeck, as the hegemonic glue which binds civilisation in that region of space, unravels and falls apart.
The central plots of both novels remained the same throughout the writing process, but as the characters evolved, so did the situations taking place around them, up to and including the final, final re-write.
In the second book: CHANGE – RESTORATION, Paul and Bernadette, have been rescued from the slaver camp, by an interstellar NGO – The Carmine Heart [CH] Foundation. For the CH Foundation, Direct Action means just that. But interference has its costs. On Earth, the Interstellar DI-LAN Corporation liberated the planet from the grip of the slavers, and are now in the process of stripping the planet of its remaining resources. The CH Foundation equip and train the indigenous people they rescue, to return to Earth to challenge DI-LAN Corp. On Earth, mayhem ensues as the fates of the rescued humans, and the Royal Party converge.
Bernadette is a woman with strength. What do you think makes her a valuable and worthy heroine?
Bernadette is a strong woman, but there are times when she hasn’t got it together at all – as happens to us all. What makes her a valuable and worthy heroine is that she’s human, she’s capable and keeps on going through adversity, no matter who or what gets in her way. Surviving the horrors of the slaver planet Es-Ra, and her mission for the CH Foundation, has given her purpose. Accidentally obliterating a deserted city might make some of us pause to reflect on our life choices, momentarily – but that’s not Bernadette. Yes, she’s flawed, but in a good way. She’s loyal, driven, street wise and will do whatever she has to, to save the day.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
We are the dominant civilisation on the planet, but what would happen to our understanding of our place in the universe, if an alien civilisation actually arrived. And what if that alien civilisation was as flawed and exploitative as we are – their mission being to extract and export our remaining resources, all the while hiding behind a disarming smile? What could we do, unassisted, to take our planet back? Not a lot I expect. Which brings us to Bernadette’s involvement with the CH Foundation. She has doubts and questions about them. But after her ordeal on Es-Ra and the DI-Lan Corporation’s role in facilitating her abduction – she falls back on the old adage that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
All this takes place during a period of upheaval and insurrection within an interstellar Empire far from Earth. Where decades of order and stability are rapidly being overturned. What if the fate of that Empire was to be decided, not on the home battlefield, but on our primitive backwater world?
Where does the next book in the series take the characters?
The next book in the Change Odyssey takes us on a journey from the court of the exiled Old Emperor, to a battlefield on a strategic war-torn world. It takes us to Inferno – the New Emperor Ral Karjeck’s prison planet, and from there, to the Dark Mirror universe, from which Ral Karjeck initially emerged.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
The organisation follows a Prime Directive, to discourage and ameliorate cultural contamination caused by off-world incursions, affecting Class III cultures and below. The Foundation maintains a paramilitary wing. The activities of which, are not well documented and little is known.
Liberated by the Foundation from the slave planet of Es-Ra, Bernadette completes her paramilitary training, with her companions, on the ice planet of Medval. Things may not go according to plan… She leaves for Earth to challenge the newly arrived DI-LAN Corporation, which is intent on plundering the Planet’s remaining resources, no matter what the cost.
Meanwhile…
Forced to flee the usurper Emperor Ral Karjeck, following the assassination of the Imperial Heir designate, Major Patricea Markis and the Royal Party emerge from stasis, aboard their crippled hyperdrive vessel, within the Sol system.
At the behest of the DI-LAN Corporation, Dr Mendal embarks on a perilous project which may jeopardise civilisation as we know it, both on Earth, within the Greater Imperium and beyond.
The fate of our world and the Imperium will be decided by the actions of a few, as the battle for the Empire rages on.
CHANGE – RESTORATION
Change – Restoration throws readers headfirst into a galaxy teetering on the edge of chaos. This second installment of the Change Odyssey picks up in the aftermath of assassinations, betrayals, and shifting power structures. At the heart of it all is Bernadette Smith, a survivor of enslavement on the hellish swamp world of Es-Ra, and Major Patricea Markis, entangled in political machinations and the intoxicating mind-games of the enigmatic Lady Orphalia Darteane. The book is a fast-paced sci-fi epic, weaving together political intrigue, military operations, and personal vendettas in a universe brimming with corporate overlords, mysterious artifacts, and the ever-looming threat of war.
One thing that really struck me about N G Nelson’s writing is the rawness. The book doesn’t hold back on violence, addiction, and the psychological toll of surviving a brutal universe. Take Bernadette, for example—her escape from Es-Ra isn’t a triumphant, clean break. She carries that trauma with her, shaping every decision she makes. Her struggle to reclaim agency in a universe that sees her as expendable felt painfully real. There’s a particularly gut-punching moment when she reminisces about Es-Ra, the fog of captivity thick in her mind, as she stomps through the snow on an ice-covered world. The contrast between the suffocating swamp and the vast, frozen wasteland mirrors her emotional state, which is still trapped, just in a different kind of prison.
And then there’s Patricea. If you’re into morally grey characters, then you’ll like her. Her relationship with Orphalia Darteane is a tangled mess of power, seduction, and betrayal. The way Nelson writes their dynamic is electric. One minute, Patricea is under Orphalia’s spell, lost in the lingering effects of the mind-altering drug Sync; the next, she’s gunning her down in a dogfight. It’s this constant push and pull that makes their interactions so tense. Orphalia isn’t just an antagonist. She’s an addiction, a temptation, and a reflection of Patricea’s own divided loyalties.
Nelson also excels in world-building. The novel is packed with details. Whether it’s the Carmine Heart Foundation’s dubious peacekeeping efforts or the lost knowledge of Origin, every piece of lore feels meticulously thought out. But at times, there are moments where the sheer amount of exposition slows things down, especially when diving into the historical and political background. Still, the universe is so rich and textured that it’s worth pushing through the heavier sections. The tension is palpable when a mission goes south, and a small act of defiance—tampering with a reactor, despite being warned—spirals into a catastrophic chain reaction. When Bernadette and her team watch in horror as a fiery red half-bubble engulfs an entire city, you feel the weight of their recklessness.
Change – Restoration is an intense and gripping read that will appeal to fans of complex science fiction with a heavy dose of political maneuvering and deeply flawed characters. If you like your space operas messy, full of secrets, and teetering on the edge of disaster, this is a book worth picking up.
Pages: 293 | ASIN : B0DR2Y35RR
The virtual worlds of “Change”
CHANGE is a riveting space opera following Major Markis and her journey to protect a young prince amid warring factions. What was the inspiration for the idea behind this novel?
I wish I could take credit for it. I actually went into the future and stole it from myself. …or is that Bill & Ted?
The idea for the novel came from 2 short stories. One about an Empire torn apart by dynastic rivalry, on the brink of civil war. The other centered on the experiences of two humans, abducted and sold into a life of forced labour on a fog covered death trap of a world. Neither story seemed complete in itself so I intertwined the two, with the aim of bringing both worlds together in the next book of the series. The crux of both storylines is that most of us take the stability of our world for granted. Yet, as we’ve seen over the last year, that stability can soon be ripped away. Almost overnight things can “Change”, and not in a good way. It’s about how the characters adapt to their new reality, how they survive, deal with the challenges and push through to the end.
The characters in your novel were intriguing and well developed. Who was your favorite character to write for?
My main characters: Patricea, Paul and Bernadette, because they create the action and draw the reader into their world. We experience their struggle and view everything that’s happening to them through their eyes. But then there’s Hellia Vallion. She is narcissism personified. No regard for anyone else, she acts solely out of self-interest every time. Hopefully a character you’ll love to hate. I know I do. Last but not least, there’s the Lady Orphalia Darteane – a totally deep red haired wild card. Is she from somewhere else – or was she born here, and life just made her this way? Who knows? Definitely a woman who would attract and yet terrify me. Yeah – I know I have no hope. But still…
What were some sources that informed the development of the universe you were creating in this book?
Well, when it comes to dynastic rivalry on an interstellar scale – Frank Herbert is the master. Of course, “Change” doesn’t come close to that – but “Dune” did inspire me. So much so, I had to set the first chapter on a desert planet, to pay homage and set the tone. I explore other worlds in the novel after that. The Phylean capital, and the fog shrouded swamps of Es-Ra, are nothing like Arrakis. Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation” trilogy was an inspiration too
Technology: I’ve read and I watch a lot of science fiction. One of the things I wanted to do was examine the availability of access to technology, depending on where you lived and where you were ranked in society. The rich, the military, think nothing of using teleportation. If you can afford it, you travel across tremendous distances instantly via Trans-spatial barge. If you’re less well off, you travel via Jump Drive, or Hyperdrive Transport. If you get abducted into forced labour, you just get put into stasis and travel to who knows where, via who knows how.
Speech marks: the editions of the books I have, written by Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov and Arthur C Clarke, all use single speech marks. I liked the look of punctuation lite, it felt smoother – so I used that when writing “Change”.
The virtual worlds of “Change”: The 1990 version of “Total Recall” was my inspiration when creating the virtual worlds of “Change”. Rather than having to be plugged into a rather large machine, I decided that total sensory immersion via bio-technical implants was the way to go. When someone transitions into the Network – I wanted the virtual environment to be indistinguishable from the real. Like “The Matrix” when you go virtual, there is no scent, no sound out of place, nothing out of the ordinary to tell you where you actually are. ‘Do you think that’s air you’re breathing…?’
I’ve mentioned some of my on-screen influences and favourite authors above, and I’m really grateful to them. There is no doubt the style and ideas influenced me when I was writing “Change”.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on the next book now. It will be a sequel to “Change – but I don’t have a title yet. All I can say at this point is that It won’t be “Change 2” – I can tell you that. My publicity team is comprised of me, so I’ve been busy obtaining reviews and advertising via BookBub. So far I’ve finished 10 chapters of the first draft of the new novel. I have a skeleton outline for each chapter – and touch wood, the writing is going fine. I hope to be able to publish it next year.
Author Links: GoodReads | Bookbub
This multi-layered story takes place across many worlds. You will be drawn in to the Machiavellian realms of royal court intrigue, double-agents, seduction, assassination, abduction & slavery, in an Empire on the brink of Civil war. Embedded neural tech connects citizens with the Network. TransGalactic News is the premier rolling news feed – keeping the Imperial populace up to date with “The Facts”, virtually and in the real. Of course, Truth is relative. With TransGalactic News – even more so.
Follow the flight of Major Patricea Markis as she attempts to evade the forces of the New Imperium, with her charge, the young Prince Kal Jerran. Immerse yourself in the nightmare world of Paul and Bernadette, abducted from Earth for a life of forced labour in the fog covered swamps of the planet Es-Ra. Life on Es-Ra for the majority, is nasty, poor, brutish and short.
CHANGE
![CHANGE: Science Fiction: Abduction, Action, Dynastic Intrigue - an Empire on the brink of Civil War. by [N G Nelson]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41KQTC13kzL.jpg)
Change by NG Nelson is the first book in a riveting science fiction saga. This fast-paced story takes place over many worlds. The novel follows Major Patricea Markis and her journey to protect the young prince, Kal Jerran. This is a captivating story of warring dynasties, there are themes of myths, legends, loyalty and deception. Allegiances are tested and questioned, and betrayal is frequent. Change is rife with action to keep the reader hooked, including violence, seduction and assassination. The continuous action ensures Change is an energetic read.
Change has numerous characters that narrate each chapter but overall the story follows the path of Major Patriciea Markis who is charged with the difficult task of protecting the young prince Kal Jerran and evading the forces of the New Imperium. However, there are also many other important characters, such as Paul and Bernadette from Earth, Hellia, a journalist, Vel Toyan, Ral Dannan and Martial Varian. Nelson’s clever use of vocabulary and dialogue help to distinguish between the many characters and their worlds. The characters are further defined by the outfits and descriptions of body language and physical characteristics, ensuring each character is fully developed and easily distinguishable. The rich descriptions of the setting throughout the story appeal to the reader’s sense of sound and sight. The worlds are like characters in their own right. This is an epic space opera with a universe that feels large and intriguing, reminiscent of the Frank Herbert’s Dune series.
Like any good science fiction tale, the story is filled science fiction trappings: teleportation, inter galactic travel, and holograms. Coupled with this and interwoven into the story are the trappings of royal life; servants, military protection and ladies in waiting. These are further juxtaposed with the description and narration of Paul and Bernadette and their everyday life on Earth. These stark contrasts between lives add to the multifaceted story being told.
Change is an enthralling space adventure novel that will appeal to fantasy and science fiction fans alike. Thoughtful world building, intriguing characters, and high stakes ensure readers are consistently entertained.
Pages: 232 | ASIN: B08PTFP27D
LITERARY TITAN 