Kevin Clemens
Kevin Clemens is a scientist, engineer, and writer whose career has unfolded at the sharp edge of technological change. He has spent decades designing, testing, and explaining advanced machines in the real world. His work ranges from experimental electric vehicles and cutting edge energy systems to explorations of how artificial intelligence is transforming materials discovery, infrastructure, and the future of power itself. As a longtime technology journalist and editor, Clemens has built a reputation for making complex science both gripping and accessible, blending hard technical insight with a storyteller’s eye for human stakes. In this novel, he brings that same rigor and imagination to a near future where AI, energy, and engineered systems collide in ways that could reshape civilization. Kevin is an expat from the U.S. and lives in New Zealand.
What is it about your chosen genre that you love?
Hard science fiction gives me an opportunity to think about how far we have come, where we are, and where we are going as a species. My engineering and science background gives me a good understanding of technology, and I have built a career as a journalist by writing about complex topics.
How do you select the names of your characters?
I have no good answer to this except to say when a character pops into my head they already have a name and it is rare that I ever end up changing those names. It’s a mystery!
What was the first book that made you cry?
“The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
Start writing sooner.
Are there any secrets in your books that only a few people will find? Can you tell us one? Or give us any hints?
I frequently get asked if some aspect or other in my books or writing are “Easter Eggs. Well, yes. I am a huge fan of old movies (30s and 40s) and sometimes I slip in a word or bit of dialog from one of those films.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym? Why?
Not yet. I am pretty proud of my prose and guess I want the credit for it!
How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
Two or three– but I promise I will finish them!
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
Yes, I read them, but only the good ones! That’s not true, of course, I feel bad if someone didn’t enjoy the book.