Across the Universe by Beth Revis

[Anna]

Greetings Space Opera Fans!

This one had me hooked at reading "...perfect for fans of Battlestar Gallactica and Prometheus!" 'Nuff said...



Across the Universe by Beth Revis

[*yeah ... it's got a new cover*]

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SURVIVE ABOARD A SPACESHIP FUELED BY LIES?

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead. Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

ARE YOU READING ACROSS THE UNIVERSE? Shout it out in the discussion thread below, find a Book Buddy, and discuss it as your read along. Just remember to be kind, please, and use the spoiler html so you don't ruin the fun for somebody who isn't quite so far along.

Be epic!

Anna Erishkigal
SOF Borg Queen

[Kirsten]

I've read the first two books of this series and loved it. Have you reached out to Beth Revis? She may be willing to answer some questions. She is very active on Goodreads and on her blog.

[Anna]

I could do that :-)

[Juliana]

This one is on my TBR for a long time, maybe this can be the extra push pick it up!

[Beth]

Hi guys! Thank you so much for inviting me to drop by! I've selected a few interview questions to answer, but I'm happy to answer anything else. I've been traveling and won't get home until the 9th, so if I'm a bit slow, that's why. <3 Thanks for reading!

---

Sci-fi fans love techno-porn! What real-life science (or pseudo-science) did you research for your book?

For AtU specifically, I did a lot of research that never made it into the book, mostly about the ship's engine, how much acreage the people would need to survive, etc. But my favorite bit of research actually applies to the third book, Shades of Earth. In it, a major character has to leave the spaceship without a suit.

It is remarkably difficult to find (accurate) information on not just what happens when you're in space without a suit, but also how it *feels*. NASA provided no good research, even when I went to the Houston space center and explored the ISS training lab and the underwater lab. What helped? The Russians. Because while NASA did tons of checks before risking an astronaut, the Russians were a little less concerned about their cosmonauts, and had some very accurate descriptions of what happens to a body when a spacesuit malfunctions! No wonder they need so much vodka!

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

It's a spoiler, so I won't say much, but my favorite part of the book was when a certain character dies (clue: hatch). That was not something I planned, and as I was writing, it just happened. It was tragic, and one of the few character deaths that really struck me, but it was something that had to happen.

Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp?

Nope. I hope you feel something, but I would never dictate what it is that you take from my book.

That said, I will add that while writing this book, I was teaching tenth grade literature, and specifically teaching Dante's Inferno. In that book, stars symbolize hope, so the only symbolism I consciously added to the book was that whenever the characters see stars, they feel hope.

What are your future project(s)?

I just announced my newest project. It's coming in July 2016, and is called A WORLD WITHOUT YOU. It's not a space opera, but I think people who like twisty tales with a sci fi bent will enjoy it. There's time travel (maybe) and mental twists and turns, and I really hope people love it.

I also have a companion novel to AtU out now called THE BODY ELECTRIC--it is about what's happening on Earth while Amy and Elder are in space.

[MorningLightMountain]

I have been slogging through footfall and have that almost wrapped up. I'll be starting on this Friday.

[Powder River Rose]

It's in the queue at the library, I'm next in line....YAY!

[Kirsten]

I'm halfway through book #3 and it's really good! I'm so glad.

[Whitney]

I picked this book up when it first came out. I remember thinking it was beautifully written. After finishing I read the about the author section and realized Beth lived in NC and that made me very happy. Always nice to have a author I like from my state.

I hope you all are enjoying the book. :)

Also The Body Electric sounds really good.

[Powder River Rose]

I'm at chapter 33 and like it so far. The dual narration is excellent, however,the suspense is beginning to drive me crazy. Elder and Amy just kissed in the garden......

[Kirsten]

Just finished reading Shades of Earth by Beth Revis the last book in the trilogy.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...