Behind the Scenes of Obsidian Dream — A Q&A (Brought to You by… Almost-Spam?)
Sometimes, spam marketers accidentally stumble into doing something useful.
One recently slid into my inbox with a string of questions. At first, I was ready to hit Mark as Spam and move on — but I paused. The questions were actually good. So instead of deleting them, I decided to answer them — and share the responses here with you, in case you’re curious about the world of Obsidian Dream and what’s coming next.
When Shari “took over” parts of the story, was there a moment or scene where you felt surprised by her choices?
Definitely. There’s a moment when Shari spirals into a dark, emotional space — and then finds herself in a scene with TICS that came out raw and unscripted. Later in the book, there’s an emotional callback that caught me off guard in how much it highlighted the bond the crew had formed. It’s one of those scenes that felt like it wrote itself.
Your universe sounds rich and expansive — do you see this book becoming a series, or maybe branching into other storylines or characters?
Yes! Obsidian Dream is book one in a planned five-book series. Probably an overly ambitious move for my first novel, but the world just kept expanding in my head. There’s no way I could fit everything into one book. There’s more to tell — more to discover.
Since you want readers to feel like part of a family or crew… which character do you feel the closest bond with?
Honestly? The ship. It’s learning, evolving, watching over the crew — trying to be heard and to hold them all safely. It became this quiet emotional anchor for me. There’s something about that presence that feels deeply personal.
If you could adapt your book into a film or series, which modern director or studio do you think would capture your vision best?
From day one, I saw this as something with cinematic potential. The scale, the ensemble cast, the emotional arcs — it feels like it could live on screen. I think it would work best as an animated series, both for budget and for maintaining the integrity of the story. Amazon would be a dream partner. Is it likely? No. But that doesn’t stop me from dreaming.
That’s it for now. If you’re curious, want to chat about the world of Obsidian Dream, or just want to tell me which character you’d trust to fly your ship — my inbox is open.
Thanks for being here.
Steven D. Jackson