Daniel Arenson
Daniel Arenson is a bookworm, proud geek, and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction. His novels have sold over a million copies. The Huffington Post has called his writing "full of soul." He's written over forty novels, most of them in five series.
Arenson gained widespread recognition with his "Song of Dragons" trilogy, which captivated readers with its epic tales of war, magic, and dragonkind. His "Earthrise" series further cemented his reputation, blending military sci-fi with rich character development and intricate plotting. Over the years, Arenson has published numerous bestselling series, including "Requiem" and "Moth," each known for their immersive worlds and compelling narratives.
The Interview
Why did you choose Tom Edwards Design to create your cover?
I first hired Tom in 2015 to create the cover for my first science fiction novel, Alien Hunters. A few months prior, Tom painted the cover for Nick Webb’s bestselling novel Constitution. The cover for Constitution really impressed me (and all who saw it). At the time, I had already written several fantasy novels, but I was new to science fiction. I contacted Tom and was very lucky that he agreed to create the cover for Alien Hunters. Since then, I’ve written 44 science fiction novels, and Tom created the covers for every one.
What was the best part of working with Tom to design your cover?
Tom is a real pro. He always communicates promptly, works to understand what I want, shows me drafts, updates me on the progress, and will make any necessary changed until the work is perfect. I think he creates some of the best covers in the industry.
You’ve written over 80 novels! With so many different themes, characters and settings, how do you describe your writing career?
I've written 87 novels. 89 if you include two unpublished books. How would I describe my writing career? I’m an indie author who loves fantasy and science fiction and writes a lot. That’s about all there is to it. I was five or six when I read my first book by myself. I was thirteen when I started writing my own stories. I just kept going with it, and it’s an honor to share my stories with other people. For me, it’s all about the joy of storytelling and literature.
Are there any books you’ve written that you’ve never published, or ideas for novels you’ve shelved?
I have two very old, very unpublished books. I wrote one when I was 20 (back in the year 2000), another when I was 23. They are my second and third novels. This was from before the days of Kindles and indie publishing. My first novel, which I wrote when I was 19, was published by a small press. But I couldn’t find a publisher to take on my second and third books, so they never saw the light of day. At some point, Kindles and Amazon became popular, and I began indie publishing. Those old unpublished novels are probably still sitting somewhere on a dusty hard drive somewhere.
In the Moth series and others, you share maps, music, artwork and an encyclopedia specific for each world you create. This is quite unusual so I’m interested in hearing how these different facets come about and the importance of them in your broader writing.
One reason I love fantasy is the worldbuilding. Universes like Middle Earth, Realm of the Elderlings, The Cosmere—they all have such lush, beautiful worldbuilding. Moth is a much smaller universe (there are only six novels in the series), but I wanted to delve into the worldbuilding and make the experience immersive.
Are there particular real-world mythologies or histories that influence your fantasy worlds?
I'm often inspired by ancient Semitic mythology and history. You can see that most clearly in my series Kingdoms of Sand, which is set in a fictionalized ancient Middle East. But there are also many influences of Hebrew mythology in my latest series, A Prayer for Earthrise. One exception is my series Soldiers of Earthrise, which was influenced by the Philippine–American War. Many elements in that series were inspired by Filipino culture and folklore.
How do you define the difference between sci-fi and fantasy?
I don’t think you can come up with one definition for each genre that captures every work perfectly. The two genres are related. Star Trek is clearly science fiction. Lord of the Rings is clearly fantasy. Star Wars? Not so clear. It includes elements from science fiction, obviously, such as starships. But it also includes traditional fantasy tropes, such as knights, princesses, wizards, monsters, and magic. I think the two genres often meet and intersect.
Are there particular themes or messages you like to explore in your writing?
No, not really. I don’t intentionally set out to include themes or messages, though maybe some themes – loyalty, honor, the value of friendship – naturally make their way into my works.
How do you keep track of all the details in your world-building to ensure consistency throughout your series?
Spreadsheets. Lots of spreadsheets that keep track of characters, locations, and alien species. And Word documents that include timelines and details on weapons, starships, organizations, and so on. I still end up forgetting a lot, and sometimes I must go back over old novels to remember.
Have there been any unexpected developments in your stories or characters that even surprised you as the author?
All the time. My characters tend to lead the way. I usually have a general pathway for them to follow, but they take detours on their own. Many big things that happened to my characters – deaths, weddings, characters who get together, who divorce, who have children, who lose limbs, who discover new powers – those were never planned in advance.
The fantasy genre often deals with good vs. evil. How do you navigate these themes in your work?
In this century, there’s been a trend toward morally ambiguous characters and conflicts that don’t necessarily involve good vs. evil. Examples are works like A Song of Ice and Fire or The Stormlight Archive, where it’s not always clear which side is “good” and which is “evil.” Those works can offer complexity and, arguably, a more realistic view of how our own world works. Personally, I think that classic good vs. evil – which can sometimes be seen as naïve or simplistic -- has an important place in our genre. Through good vs. evil stories, we can explore the nature of morality and sacrifice. Tolkien understood this. I think stories of good vs. evil resonate with people through the generations. They might sometimes go out of style but they’ll always keep making comebacks. As humans living in a world full of evil, we crave stories that can show us the heroism of good people.
Can you provide any insights into your upcoming projects? Are there specific themes or ideas that you're excited to explore in your future works?
I'm currently working on the last two novels in A Prayer for Earthrise. After that, I’ll be writing a series titled Freedom Fleet, a spinoff to the Starship Freedom series. You can learn all about my works on my website: DanielArenson.com
What initially sparked your interest in writing, and how did you discover your passion for storytelling?
I was born in Israel in 1980. Back then and there, we only had one TV channel, which broadcast in black and white, and only for a few hours in the afternoon. There wasn’t much to watch. And I didn’t yet have a computer or game system. And I was no good at sports. But I did have a local library. So much of my childhood was spent reading. I kept returning to the library for more. In 1991, I stumbled across a book called Dragons of Winter’s Night. It was the second novel in Dragonlance Chronicles. I loved the cover and picked up the book, not even realizing it’s a sequel, and read it. I was blown away. It was my first time reading fantasy. Since then, fantasy and science fiction became my favorite genres, and I’d grab everything I could find from those genres. I started writing my own stories when I was thirteen. When I was fourteen, I wrote a novella – it was about 50 pages long – about a post-apocalyptic world, in which the last human survivors battle against robots (the robots were basically ripped off from the Terminator franchise). When I was fifteen, I began to write a fantasy novel. I reached about 400 pages, then ran out of steam and stopped. I was nineteen when I wrote my first “real” novel, titled Firefly Island. Now I’m 44 and still going.
Can you share a bit about your writing process? Do you outline meticulously or let the story unfold as you write?
I create basic outlines divided into the main acts, with bullet points for the big plot events I want to happen in each act. I want to have some roadmap, but I leave enough room for the writing to flow and the characters to have some control.
How do you approach creating and developing characters? Are they inspired by real people, purely imagined, or a mix of both?
For me, creating the characters is the most important part. That’s my top priority. Before plot, before worldbuilding, before anything else—I want to make sure I get the characters right. I think the greatest stories, the ones that stay with you forever, have great characters. Years later, we might not remember the plot of Lord of the Rings, but we’ll remember Gandalf. We might not remember what happened in Dragonlance, but we’ll remember Raistlin and Caramon. I want to create characters that resonate like that. I don’t always succeed. But it’s something that’s always on my mind.
How do you feel your writing has evolved over time? Are there specific elements or themes that you find yourself consistently drawn to, or have you noticed a significant shift in your style?
I think my work has gotten less “dark.” In the early 2010s, I was inspired by grimdark works, for example A Game of Thrones. And I tried to write grim, dark fantasy, full of violence and despair (though always with some hope shining through). About fifteen years ago, I went through a phase where I wanted my fantasy works – trilogies like Dragonlore and The Dragon War – to basically feel like a death metal album. Just intense and brutal and unrelenting. I think my current science fiction works, such as A Prayer for Earthrise, are less grim. While they still depict loss and violence, they tend to include more humor and moments of levity.
You’ve got a very generous section on your website for advice for other authors. What would you say is the most important of these?
Love reading and love books. Writing is a career. But books are also a hobby and a passion. Understand the business of writing—how to market, how to make money. But never forget that writing is about the love of books.
"Thank you for interviewing me, Tom. And thank you for all the great covers!"
You can download three of Daniel's books for FREE on his website: DanielArenson.com
*The title and text design for Daniel's covers was done by Rebekah Haskell of Vivid Design.
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