An excerpt from Nova in a Bottle

It had been a long time since the Soldier had last felt surprise, but he felt it now. Where, he wondered, were the rest of the troops? Surely one lone Mech, and an engineer at that, couldn't have caused the devastation that littered the canyon floor. The Soldier had an intimate knowledge of what it took to survive this deep in Enemy territory and he knew a Mech didn't have it. It would need at least a class two Controller. But then, how could a Controller . . . ? Too many questions without enough data. Wait, he told himself.

Still as the rocks about him, the Soldier watched the old Mech loot the Enemy dead.

"After reading Starship Troopers , I decided to be a mercenary soldier. For that reason, I joined the ROTC (it also allowed me to avoid gym class). At 17, I became disillusioned with the military and decided to become a science fiction writer." John Kennedy

An exclusive interview with John Kennedy

John Kennedy was born and grew up in Colorado, east of the Rocky Mountains, in an area once known as the Sundance Sea. This former sea bottom is now a high-plains desert. Since he was born a couple of days after the U.S. military A-bombed New Mexico, he was able to avoid the genetic mutations that affect all those born since late 1945.

After reading Starship Troopers , he decided to be a mercenary soldier. For that reason, he joined the ROTC (it also allowed me to avoid gym class). At 17, he became disillusioned with the military and decided to become a science fiction writer. He acquired an ancient typewriter and wrote a story that was strongly influenced by a John Wayne movie named Hatari , and the novels of Andre Norton. When he finished it, he put it in a drawer and forgot about it. About the age of 29.5 he started writing my second story, which he sold to Galaxy Magazine. Every five years, or so, he writes another story.