Writers Read: Michael Moreci

Monday, April 22, 2019

Michael Moreci

Michael Moreci is the creator of numerous original comics series and has written and collaborated on multiple established properties.

His debut novel, Black Star Renegades, draws inspiration from the space operatics of Star Wars and the swagger of Guardians of the Galaxy. It is a galaxy-hopping adventure that blasts its way from seedy spacer bars to sacred temples guarded by strange creatures--all with a cast of misfit characters charged with saving the world.

Moreci's new book is We Are Mayhem (Black Star Renegades, Volume 2).

Recently I asked the author about what he was reading. His reply:

Oftentimes, I find myself reading for research and inspiration purposes. Don't get me wrong, I'm reading stuff I love because I'm writing--for the most part--stuff I love. But it's still connected to work; I love fully immersing myself in my writing projects, and that means reading books that correspond.

That said, my current bookshelf, as always, is a mix of novels and comics. I just finished reading The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson, which was terrific. Just--outstanding. I love Wilson in general (Spin is out of this world), but this book was especially remarkable. It hit a chord with me because it dealt with ideas that I'm always wrestling with--of free will, destiny, and existence in general. My comic series, Wasted Space, touches on this a bit, but it'll be getting more into it in coming issues. The book itself follows a set of characters whose lives are impacted by a strange global phenomenon: the appearances of monolithic structures across the world--they appear seemingly out of nowhere--that all, in one way or another, memorialize a future event or a mysterious future leader. The story essentially asks the question "Are we the agents of our own futures, or are we heading to a predetermined destination?" It's a very challenging question to ask, but Wilson, as always, handles it with remarkable intelligence and humanity.

I'm also reading Descender, by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nyguen, which is sort of like Spielberg's/Kubrick's A.I. blended with an Amblin heart. It's a story of a young android boy and how he may--or may not--be the key to unlocking an apocalyptic event and a robot uprising. It deals heavily in humanity and why we are who we are, and it's executed wonderfully. I also recently read Tim Daniel's Fissure, which was great, as well as The Few, from Sean Lewis and Hayden Sherman. Oh! And Copra from Michel Fiffe was out of this world--it's like Suicide Squad on LSD.

I'm about to switch gears a bit, away from writing sci-fi and into writing horror, and for that, I'm starting to read Michael Talbot's The Bog (and for anyone who wants the best paperback horror, you must subscribe to Valancourt's Paperbacks From Hell series; trust me), as well as a reread of Joe Hill's Locke and Key, which is a favorite of mine.

I'm certain I'll be starting something new soon enough! Always writing, always reading...