An Extra Post Today: Welcome, Alex Cavanaugh!

inja Captain Alex is visiting today!

Welcome, Alex!


Finding Movie Inspirations for CassaDark
 

Most know that I am a big movie buff, especially science fiction and fantasy films. I find them inspiring, fueling my imagination, and they spark ideas for stories.

The main character in my book is coaxed into answering a call for help on a distant planet. He and two others sneak about a garbage ship and are dumped in a hostile world with few chances for escape. I drew upon my memory of several movies when creating CassaDark, particularly the setting of the desert planet of Ugar.

Screamers, 1996
Starring Peter Weller and based on a short story by Philip K. Dick

A military commander stationed off planet during an interplanetary war travels through the devastated landscape to negotiate a peace treaty, but discovers that the primitive robots they built to kill enemy combatants have gained sentience.

The desert setting and piles of refuge definitely inspired Ugar's setting, with garbage strewn in places where it had been dumped. No killer robots in my story, but there are things that will get you!

Soldier, 1998
Staring Kurt Russell

A soldier trained from birth is deemed obsolete and dumped on a waste planet where he is reluctantly taken in by a community of defenseless, stranded wayfarers.

This one probably influenced my story the most since Ugar is also a waste planet where garbage is dumped. The idea of a person being dumped with the garbage sparked the idea of a prisoner planet where both garbage and people were disposed of in a casual and final manner.

No Escape, 1994
Starring Ray Liotta

A soldier convicted for murdering his commanding officer is dumped and left to die on a prison island inhabited by two camps of convicts.

Another prison where people are dumped, I liked the idea that those people would split off and form communities. Of course, not all settlements would get along with the others...

The 13th Warrior, 1999
Starring Antonio Banderas

 

A man, having fallen in love with the wrong woman, is sent by the sultan himself on a diplomatic mission to a distant land as an ambassador. Stopping at a Viking village port to restock on supplies, he finds himself unwittingly embroiled in a quest to banish a mysterious threat in a distant Viking land.

Finally, like the man in the film, Bassan is thrown in with a group, completely out of his element, and expected to deal with a threat. How would he prove himself and manage to succeed?


Hopefully you’ll be tempted to check out a couple of those movies. At the very least, hopefully I’ve enticed you to check out CassaDark!


Alex J. Cavanaugh works in web design and graphics, and he plays guitar in a Christian band. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is known as Ninja Captain Alex and he’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Alex Cavanaugh
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CassaDark
By Alex J. Cavanaugh

"Cavanaugh returns to the world of his Cassa Series…for a fourth inventive space opera." - Publisher's Weekly

His world is unraveling...

Bassan's father is stepping down from command. His best friend almost dies when Bassan freezes. Now, he's being sent across the galaxy to speak at an important conference. Despite saving the eleven races years ago, he's paralyzed by doubt. Could things get any worse?

Once there, new acquaintance Zendar convinces Bassan to visit his planet for a humanitarian mission. Bassan's special connection to ancient technology is the key to saving Zendar's people. One problem though—it's a prisoner planet.

On Ugar, he discovers things aren't so straightforward. As each truth reveals itself, the situation grows more desperate. If he can't find the right answers, he might die along with Zendar's people. Can Bassan summon the courage to be a hero again?

Print - 9781939844842
EBook – 9781939844859
Science Fiction – Adventure/Space Opera/Space Exploration

Links:
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Thank you for visiting, Alex! This makes me even more impatient to read CassaDark!

Which movies have inspired you?