Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Rachel: Today we’re joined by author—and my long-time Star Trek Adventures RPG buddy—Lyda Morehouse, whose science fiction and fantasy series AngeLINK is back in paper–including, for the first time ever: hardback. Lyda, can you tell our readers about the series?

Lyda: AngeLINK begins with Archangel Protocol, a novel originally published by Penguin in 2001. It eerily echoes the current US political climate–including a joke/proto-fascist candidate who, nonetheless, gains ground on the internet, or “the LINK.” Angels claiming to support this fascist appear online. Our heroine, Deirdre McMannus, is ex-communicated, cut off from all social media–a fate worse than death. Into her life, like a reverse femme fatale, walks a handsome man claiming to be the archangel Michael. Michael often speaks of God in the nonbinary, as “Them,” which rocks the Catholic heroine’s worldview.

Rachel: That sounds eerily and disturbingly prescient. You wrote this well before a certain tangerine authoritarian waddled onto the scene, so what was the inspiration?

Lyda: The X-Files. Specifically, Season 2, Episode 14, ‘Die Hand Die Verletzt. It’s the episode where you think that the School Board is upset that the local high school is staging Jesus Christ: Superstar because they’re uber Christians. But, as they begin to pray for guidance, you see that they’re clearly Satanic! I spent the whole time watching, waiting for Scully, the more religious one, to turn to the skeptic Mulder and say, ‘You know what this means! If there is a devil, then angels exist.’ But it never happened. I figured you could do it subtly, right? Saint Michael is the patron saint of police officers. All you need is some help from a cop named Mike and it’s a clever little nod. So I started writing that and then because I wasn’t raised Christian and my writers’ group wouldn’t allow fanfic, things got very weird.

Rachel: As a X-Phile back in the day myself, I totally get wanting to correct that show’s shortcomings. And it’s definitely something that, at least for me, reads quite differently—to its detriment—in today’s world. Do you think, over two decades later, that AngeLINK will resonate with modern readers?

Lyda: One warning to modern readers who may not have read these books previously: when I wrote these, different words were used to describe trans folks. Likewise, a trans archangel, Ariel, gets misgendered often. In the forward there is an explanation why this wasn’t changed for the new editions. I’m an out lesbian myself. I need to stay aware and to acknowledge my past mistakes, not ignore the historical record, but to stand up, face those I’ve injured, and apologize.

Rachel: I really respect that approach. What are you working on these days, and where can readers find more of your work?

Lyda: I’m putting the finishing touches on Welcome to Boy.net, due out from Wizard’s Tower Press later this year. It’s a fun lesbian romance adventure romp in a ‘Wet Venus’-retro universe, but which also touches on the intersections of cybernetic enhancements and transness. You can find my equally retro, although up-to-date website at: lydamorehouse.com. I’m also on the socials either as Lyda or in my paranormal romance guise, Tate Hallaway.