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

Zilla: Social media can be a wonderful place to meet strange new people, and Mattie Bukowski, who I met on Tumblr, certainly qualifies as wonderful! He and I bonded over our shared love of deep, queer science fiction, so I am delighted to announce that he’s published a novel that promises to be as introspective and engaging as he is. Expect a review from me soon, but til then, Mattie, can you tell us about your novel Up the Entropic Hill?

Mattie: Up the Entropic Hill—my debut novel—is a queer, existential space adventure.

In the distant future, humans live in a utopia where even death is not the end—for everyone except Amber’s parents. At 25, she is a cynical, aloof Ph.D. in history who resents her sheltered life at home and yearns to find her place in the world. Then, an exciting job offer comes her way—the chance to uncover the mystery of a civilization that disappeared thousands of years ago. Teaming up with the archeologist Lullaby, Amber embarks on a hitchhiking quest to find the fabled Aquamarine Moon and, perhaps, some much-needed meaning in her life.

Zilla: What inspired you to write this book?

Mattie: A few things! First is a biophysics lecture I attended while in undergrad—it was about the laws of thermodynamics, and entropy, and information, and how those concepts are connected. This lecture was somehow quite philosophical, for me at least. It made me think about existentialism and the nature of reality and human purpose. That’s where I got the main themes of the book. Another major inspiration is Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy—I love the series and it was constantly in the background of my mind as I was writing. That’s why the novel is mostly one long space hitchhike. Lastly, I was inspired by some other philosophical questions that were tumbling around my brain at the time, especially questions about free will and anti-natalism. So this book is quite philosophy heavy, though hopefully not in an academic sense.

Zilla: If your characters met you, what would they say to you?

Mattie: I think Amber, the protagonist of the novel, would hate my guts for all I put her through! Especially because of the ending (spoilers…). Amber is not a people person to begin with, she hates almost everyone she meets. I think the idea of having an author in control of her narrative would infuriate her, even though I feel like Amber was more in charge of this book when I was writing it than I ever was. 

Zilla: You’ve told us about plot, and about characters…so is your book more plot-driven or character-driven? Or a secret, third thing?

Mattie: It might actually be the secret third thing! My first instinct is to say it is character-driven because of how much it focuses on Amber and her experiences and reflections and character development, but based on some of the feedback I’ve gotten, it’s a mix of both. The book is quite fast-paced and adventurous too, there’s something happening every chapter, so I think typical space opera readers wouldn’t be bored with it.

Zilla: Once I finish reading this, what do I have to look forward to next? What’s your next writing project?

Mattie: I’m working on a dark academia horror with a M/M romance! Here’s the pitch:

When two researchers discover a horrifying truth about consciousness and death, their obsessive devotion to each other pushes them to do the unthinkable.

Zilla: Okay, I’m sold on both of these books now! Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Mattie: You can find me on Tumblr.  The novel is available on publisher’s website and Amazon.