The Joined Up Writing Podcast
Peter F. Hamilton: World-Building, Writing Epic Sci-Fi and Exodus
Bestselling science-fiction author Peter F. Hamilton joins me to talk about his latest novel, Exodus: The Helium Sea , the epic conclusion to the Archimedes Engine duology set within the universe of the forthcoming EXODUS video game. Peter explains how his unusual collaboration with Archetype Entertainment allowed him to help build the universe before writing his own story within it, and why seeing artists turn his written descriptions into fully realised worlds became part of the creative process itself. We also get into the nuts and bolts of writing huge speculative worlds: how Peter starts with an idea, builds the technology, economics and politics around it, and only then decides which characters should tell the story. He explains why he can spend six months making notes before beginning a major series, why continuity matters so much, and why he refuses to start a novel without knowing how it ends. Peter looks back at beginning his career with short stories and a manual typewriter, the lessons learned from early editors, and the painful writing mistake that permanently changed the way he plans his books. We also discuss how science fiction has evolved during his career, the challenge of future-proofing fictional technology and why, even after more than three decades as a published novelist, writing itself can still be a slog. Plus, Peter faces Their Darkest Hour , reveals the Book That Saved His Life , and shares the simple piece of writing advice he still believes matters most: Keep writing. Find Peter F. Hamilton Peter’s author page and books: Pan Macmillan Peter on Facebook: @PeterFHamilton Exodus: The Helium Sea : Pan Macmillan / Tor Check out my latest book - Real Writers Never Quit: what hundreds of authors reveal about not giving up
