AISFP 297 – Fonda Lee, Zeroboxer

Sports and speculative fiction: Why don’t we see more of it? Sports play such an integral role in our society so its perceived absence is particularly noted when a novel the likes of Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee hits the shelves:

A rising star in the weightless combat sport of zeroboxing, Carr “the Raptor” Luka dreams of winning the championship title. Recognizing his talent, the Zero Gravity Fighting Association assigns Risha, an ambitious and beautiful Martian colonist, to be his brandhelm––a personal marketing strategist. It isn’t long before she’s made Carr into a popular celebrity and stolen his heart along the way.

As his fame grows, Carr becomes an inspirational hero on Earth, a once-great planet that’s fallen into the shadow of its more prosperous colonies. But when Carr discovers a far-reaching criminal scheme, he becomes the keeper of a devastating secret. Not only will his choices put everything he cares about in jeopardy, but they may also spill the violence from the sports arena into the solar system.

Kristi Charish Owl and the Japanese CircusThis episode is brought to you by the OWL & THE JAPANESE CIRCUS series from Kristi Charish (and Kristi’s favorite craft beer, Old Yale Brewing Co.’s Sasquatch Stout).

Ex-archaeology grad student turned international antiquities thief … Alix—better known now as Owl—has one rule. No supernatural jobs. Ever. Until she crosses paths with Mr. Kurosawa … a red dragon who owns and runs the Japanese Circus Casino in Las Vegas.

He insists Owl retrieve an artifact stolen three thousand years ago … and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: he’ll get rid of a pack of vampires that want her dead. A dragon is about the only entity on the planet that can deliver on Owl’s vampire problem – and let’s face it … dragons are known to eat the odd thief.

Book 1 in the series, OWL & THE JAPANESE CIRCUS is currently available in the U.S. and internationally … and the follow-up … OWL AND THE CITY OF ANGELS is available for pre-order at select venues.

Make sure to follow Kristi on FacebookTwitter and Google+.

In our Zeroboxer interview with Fonda Lee:

Fonda Lee Zeroboxer

Fonda Lee’s Zeroboxer

Fonda Lee and Brent discuss a number of topics including why we don’t see more sports stories in speculative fiction and what stories she typically considers when thinking sports and genre.

Fonda Lee is no stranger to the world of sports, having worked in corporate strategy for one of the largest global sports marketing companies. She shares how her experiences there helped shaped the story of Carr Luka, a rising star in the weightless combat sport of zeroboxing.

In the novel, Fonda Lee explores the topic of performance enhancement and the moral and ethical questions that come from human evolution and exploration. The novel led her to some interesting research in not only creating the mechanics of the sport, but also the societal backdrop in which the sport represents more than just two mixed martial artists in a cube.

In fact, if you can name the real-life bad boy fighter that inspired one of her Martian zeroboxers, you could receive a Zeroboxer fight poster out of Fonda Lee’s personal supply.

Speaking of open combat, the ballot for the 2015 Hugo Awards is now available.

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