Okay. So who’s ready for a trippy new space opera?

Us too!

Now available through Crazy 8 Press is Crossline, from author Russ Colchamiro. As announced a few weeks back, Russ has been welcomed as Crazy 8’s first outside author. We’ve been so excited about his first offering that we’re already reserving a spot on the 2014 schedule for the sequel, which is currently being written.

Crossline pilot Marcus Powell is just supposed to test the new warp thrusters, which, if successful, will revolutionize space travel as we know it.

But while out in the cosmos, Powell takes an unauthorized joyride among the stars … and you know that’s never good. Especially when the corporation backing the space program has about $500 billion invested in the project.

Yet before Powell can haul himself back to Earth, he is ultimately forced through a wormhole and into a parallel Universe, where he is dropped smack in the middle of a civil war, with his name written all over it. (You gotta hate when that happens) Continue reading

With the debut of Crossline this week, we thought it a good chance for readers to further get to know Russ Colchamiro. Over the last week, Russ and I exchanged ideas and witticisms, the results of which follow.

C8: Why do you write?

Russ: Starting off with an easy one, I see. I write because I’m compelled to write. I’m energized, focused, and optimistic about the future when I’m writing, and if I go even a few days without clacking the keys, I get noticeably grumpier and unhappy. Some may call it an addiction — or even possibly a neurosis! — but I like to think of it as a calling. I simply have to do it. It’s not a hobby. It’s not just for funzies. It’s fundamental to who I am. Whether I’m the descendant of some Frankenstein experimentation, alien abduction, or other cosmic intervention, I seem to have the authordude chip permanently fused with my DNA.

C8: What is the appeal of science fiction?

Russ: Science fiction is fun because you can plausibly create almost any ‘universe’ you want, with any rules you want, just as long as you are consistent with them. Dogs talk? Right on. The Universe is overseen by a flamboyant talk show host from Eternity? Coolio. I also tend to write big. And by big, I don’t necessarily mean long, but expansive. I naturally trend toward multi-layered storytelling with a far reach. And science fiction gives me the opportunity to explore the big questions — science vs. gods, fate vs. randomness, multiple universes vs. self-delusion. I also like to juxtapose the big vs. the small. ‘My girlfriend might dump me. How do I win her back? But, wait. Hang on a second. The universe might explode if I don’t act now, so let me get back to you on the whole boo-hoo-hoo lovelife thing.’ Continue reading

By Russ Colchamiro

As with all great stories, Crossline was inspired by — what else — a girl.

I’ll explain.

Crossline is actually the melding of two completely disparate ideas I developed a dozen years apart. Back in the late ‘90s, I had an idea for a sci-fi comic book mini-series. A buddy of mine helped me see how big Crossline could really be, so I upped the action and then we put the very beginning of Crossline into layout. But the comic book never took off, so to speak.

Yeah. Okay, great. But … what’s this about a girl?

Well … back in high school I had a crush on a redhead, who was a tried and true American Irish lass who also happened to be fiery and passionate about all things Ireland and the IRA. So of course I had to write about it, because who better to capture ‘the troubles’ then a 16-year-old Jewish kid from Long Island who knew absolutely nothing about Ireland?

And so a trilogy of short stories came to be. They were lumpy and unpolished, but there was a real cross-border love story set within political action and intrigue, and each story was an improvement over the last. The framework for something special was in place. Continue reading