Tanks, Ships, and Crayon Eaters | FantaSci 2023 full panel

USMC veteran and Baen author Patrick Chiles, on panel alongside fellow authors and veterans Gregory Gagnon (USMC/Army), Rich Hailey (Navy), Mike Morton (Air Force/Space Force), and Kal Spriggs (Army), chat about the differences between the service branches and how it shaped their writing. What are some of the possibilities of the Space Force, in the real world and on page? The parts of military service all the stories gloss over? Which brand of crayons do 4 out of 5 Marines prefer? All these answers and more!

About Patrick Chiles:

Patrick Chiles began his writing career with the self-published novels PERIGEE and FARSIDE, which were acquired by Baen Books in 2016. His subsequent novels, 2020’s FROZEN ORBIT and 2021’s FRONTIER, have established him as a rising talent in the realm of realistic, near-future science fiction. Having a fascination with practical space travel and a love for Cold War technothrillers, his novels feature plausible technology while leveraging his military and airline experience to create stories with engaging, relatable characters on astonishing adventures: “Ordinary people, doing extraordinary things.”

Chiles graduated from The Citadel in 1986 and went on to serve in the Marine Corps until 1993. After a career in managing airline and business aviation operations, he now works as an aviation safety auditor when he is not writing novels. He currently resides in central Ohio with his wife and two lethargic dachshunds.

About Escape Orbit:

A RACE AGAINST TIME AND A GATEWAY TO THE UNKNOWN AWAITS

Thrilling space adventure from a Marine vet.

Five years ago, astronaut Jack Templeton took the spacecraft Magellan to the farthest reaches of our solar system, never to be heard from again.

Until now.

When the Magellan suddenly reappears where an undiscovered planet was suspected to be, it poses more questions than answers. How did Jack survive all this time? Can he be rescued before his life support runs out? And what is the object long thought to be the elusive “Planet Nine?”

In a race against time, Jack’s former crewmate Traci Keene spearheads a desperate effort to outfit a rescue mission. But she has competition. Agencies of both American and foreign governments have their own agendas, and rescuing rogue astronauts isn’t among them.

And at the edge of all that is known, a gateway to the unknown awaits...

https://www.baen.com/escape-orbit-earc.html

About Baen Books:

Baen Books is known for its New York Times bestselling science fiction and fantasy, including David Weber’s Honor Harrington series, Eric Flint’s Ring of Fire alternate histories, Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter International urban fantasies, and Lois McMaster Bujold’s Vorkosigan Saga. Baen’s physical books are distributed by Simon & Schuster, while their eBooks are sold via numerous venues, including the Baen website.

https://www.baen.com/