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

Zilla: Clara Ward is back and they’re here with another of their amazing ecofiction adventures. We’re delighted to bring the author of Be the Sea back to tell us about their latest novel, Dream the Deep. Clara, can you introduce us to your story?

Clara: Robbed of their green-energy aspirations by military-backed billionaires who misled the whole planet, Ryn embraces new dreams—fighting deep sea threats alongside unexpected allies and a giant cephalopod.  It’s 2139 in the Cali-Coastal Corporate Zone, and Ryn struggles with their own body and brain as they fight to survive five days locked up with academic rivals and the military-backed billionaires who’ve misled them all since their teenage years.

Ryn needs an exit strategy but doesn’t know whether to trust Akira, the hacker-spy who may have saved their life, or Jay, the geeky military rebel with a secret stash of hot chocolate. Not to mention, Jay keeps falling asleep in their bed, and Ryn’s not sure if either of them is interested in more—but at least they like the same shows!

Zilla: What inspired this book?

Clara: Let’s just say my first book, Be the Sea, was a bit chunky (over 180,000 words).  My friend, Betsy Miller (with Thinking Ink Press, check them out!), challenged me to write a novella (under 40,000 words).  The idea rattled around in my head for weeks until it became a deep-sea mining robot clumsily ploughing its way through my brain. Beyond the obvious threats such robots might pose to marine ecosystems and the entire ocean (as our largest carbon sink), could there be unforeseen risks to the robots among the ninety percent of ocean species not yet identified?  

I’d already written about humans dreaming themselves into the bodies of sea creatures.  It seemed entirely natural (to me!) that if real cephalopods have distributed brains controlling their limbs, some unknown giant cephalopod might have different human dreamers inhabiting each limb, and possibly teaming up to stop a pesky robot!

Fair warning, that’s only a small part of what’s happening in this book—from the human perspective.

Zilla: If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?

Clara: Fandom friends are amazing.  

If you agree a shapeshifter is the best character ever on Star Trek, you’re probably pretty adaptable.

No one should have to sleep in a bucket, but when sleeping in a strange place, it helps to have a friend.

Zilla: What tropes are you subverting?

Clara: Only one bed—Make it ace!

Zilla: What’s your next writing project?

Clara: While I wrote Dream the Deep to stand alone (and it does!), I barely lasted two weeks before I missed the characters and needed to write more.  It’s hard to explain without spoilers, but if you end up wanting more, Dream the Light comes on in February 2027!

Zilla: 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?

Clara: You can find me (and eclectic bonus material for my book!) on my website. Dream the Deep is available directly from my publisher, Atthis Arts, or at your favorite online or brick-and-mortar bookseller. And check out Betsy Miller on Bluesky or with Thinking Ink Press.