The inspiration behind "Relics of the Fallen"

Q&A with author Nick Nethery

Join us as our newest author, Nick Nethery, answers a few questions about his debut novel, Relics of the Fallen.

How did you come up with the concept behind Wormwood?

Wormwood was born from the combination of a love of archaeology and mythological artifacts, explosive ordnance disposal, and small units of specialized operators. Set in our world, it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel, or the beginning of a multi-book series.

When did you first come up with the idea behind Relics of the Fallen?

I’ve thought about dealing with ordnance originating from unknown sources since I started working in bomb disposal in 2007. I always enjoyed the “xeno-archaeology” subgenre that was perfected by Jack McDevitt, exploring ruins and artifacts left by long-gone races and galactic empires. As I gained more experience with explosive ordnance disposal, it occurred to me that if Earth were the site of a battle between two or more galaxy-spanning governments, there would be countless items they left behind. They might be weapons or equipment which was so advanced it would seem to defy what we know about the laws of the universe. After reading books like Roadside Picnic and playing games like STALKER, I believed there was ample material to mine.

Where is the series going to go?

The short answer is, all over the place. Imagine a world where the top leadership of governments, militaries and private industry knew about a class of seemingly magical items and weapons. They would want to find, secure, analyze and possibly exploit them for their own purposes, and keep them out of the hands of adversaries. The series will explore various implications of this situation.

What element of the story are you particularly proud of?

Dan is a poetry and music nerd, although not a poet or musician himself. I appreciate how poetry is not only something Dan reads for pleasure or aptly quotes when the situation allows, but also how he uses it to save the day at the end.

The team in Relics of the Fallen also functions very much like small special units that I have had the humble honor to be a part of during my Army career. Utmost professionals, but razor-smart and with keen senses of humor. I like how they communicate, because it reminds me of my old teams. I don’t miss the service very much, but I miss my teammates as if they were my own siblings, so I hope I paid them some small homage by accurately portraying some of the humor and human connection you find in top-level teams of highly trained professional warriors.

Who inspires you?

TH White, Neal Asher, Tim Powers, VS Naipaul, Victor Nabokov, Wallace Breem and John Steakley. Of course, my family inspires me as well. My primary goal as a writer is to create stories that my family will love.

You can find more about Nick and his work online here on Substack or at nicknethery.com, and buy his books (which you absolutely should do!) at Amazon,

Tags: Relics of the Fallen, Wormwood, Nick Nethery