2018 Shore Leave EXCLUSIVE: Writer Michael Jan Friedman

New York City native & ten-time New York Times Best Selling writer, Michael Jan Friedman, has written over 66 novels and is one of the founders of Crazy 8’s Publishing. Born in 1955, Michael is best known for his Star Trek novels; most notably, his Stargazer series, which tells the early years of Jean-Luc Picard’s career. Additionally, Michael has written the Aztan series - a fantasy crime noir series set in a world in which the Aztec Empire never fell - as well as the Hammer and Horn novels - an adventure series that takes place after the fall of the Norse Gods. If that wasn't enough, Michael has also dipped his writing foot into network and cable television, radio, and over 150 comic books (most of them being with DC Comics).

His newest project, Empty Space, a graphic novel described as being a cross between Star Trek and Lost, tells the story of Robinson Dark, a spaceship captain who at one moment is fighting a hostile alien adversary, and at the next wakes up to discover that he is on a different ship, wearing a different uniform, and separated from his whole crew. Michael has been quoted in regards to describing Empty Space, " it's a twisty, turny, sometimes unsettling narrative set against the limitless backdrop of the stars, with the sort of bizarre alien species and against-all-odds derring-do that’s always characterized the best space adventure–along with a heaping dollop of the macabre."

At this past summer's Shore Leave, Michael sat down with me to answer some questions about his career path as well as his advice to other writers. Check it out in the video below….

Interview conducted by Josh Pritchett

Edited by Brandon Troy