Lance Erlick is the author of several sci-fi thriller books including the Regina Shen series, the Rebel series, Xenogeneic and his latest series Android Chronicles.

On your website you describe your work as: “Action-packed, science fiction thrillers with strong female characters.”  Why female protagonists?

I’ve been drawn to writing strong female characters because I grew up with strong, clearly defined women. My mother moved to Chicago when she was 18 to work in early radio. After the start of World War II, she volunteered for the navy. She put herself through college to get her BS, masters, and PhD, as a single mom. My paternal grandmother got her bachelor’s degree in math in 1917 because she was told women couldn’t major in chemistry, her primary interest. I found myself in the care of quite a few women, most of whom were highly motivated, with well-defined personalities. I began writing from the female POV when a character in one of my stories dared me to write her story.

Your latest series is called Android Chronicles. What is your fascination with androids – robots that look like humans?

During my lifetime, I’ve watched robots and computers evolve from clunky, difficult to use playthings to sophisticated machines and the beginnings of artificial intelligence. I became fascinated by the implications of making them more capable and refined. In some regards, an android that can physically and verbally pass for human presents one ultimate direction in refining robots. Certainly, not the only path, but if an android can pass for human in every measurable way, would it deserve human rights? That’s a question my stories wrestle with. Continue reading →