There are two things Dave Duggins wants readers to know about his new book, Romae Futurum: Invaders. First, it’s not a horror novel.
Duggins, better known for his short horror fiction appearances in magazines like Cemetery Dance and his two novels through Silvern Press, has something a little different in store this time around. A lot different, really.
“I’ve always loved pulp fiction in general,” Duggins says. “Regardless of genre. For every Lovecraft story, there was a Harry Harrison, or one of Howard’s Conan stories. I’ve always loved escapist action and adventure.”
As the editor of Spacesuits and Sixguns magazine, Duggins chose a blend of SF, horror, and noir stories for each issue. Eventually, he realized he’d never written anything like that himself.
“I also love comics and big summer movies,” Duggins says. “So I wanted to bring those elements in as well. The Marvel movies are great—epic stories, big themes, but with lots of great character moments.”
Duggins worked on background for Romae Futurum: Invaders for over two years before beginning to write. “It was the first book I’d written that required that kind of commitment to research,” he says. “It was bigger than anything else I’d done, and pretty intimidating. It took some time for me to feel comfortable enough with the universe to start writing.”
While Duggins’ concept of a Roman Empire 10,000 years in the future is not, strictly speaking, an alternative history, or even rooted in actual history, critical story and setting elements from various historical periods grounded the book’s reality.
Which brings us to the second thing Duggins wants you to know: While you may see some familiar names from history, and a smattering of details and events based in history, the book quickly establishes its own reality, and leaves real history behind.
“There’s probably just enough real history in there to annoy history buffs,” Duggins says. While armchair historians may take issue with coexisting influences from Rome, circa 63 B.C., China’s Eastern Zhou period, and contemporary Sudanese conflicts, Duggins hopes that most readers will just have fun with the story.
“It’s big, loud, and melodramatic,” he says. “There’s some darkness—I can never leave it completely behind after so many years publishing horror. But there’s hope, too. A sense of unity, and a greater good.”
The emphasis is on fun, rapid-fire storytelling, with plenty of action. “Stuff blows up,” he says. “A lot of stuff blows up in this book. Which made it a lot of fun to write.”
Romae Futurum: Invaders will be available July 4 in eBook format through the Kindle Store, with a paperback release in August.