Children Of Orion
by Robert Ipcar

The Author

Robert Ipcar is a free lance Director Of Photography in Film and former Columnist and Contributing Editor for Film Crew Magazine. During the 1980's, he was co-author and photographer for Lothrop, Lee & Shepherd's Children's Book Series entitled What Can She Be which portrayed working women in what was then considered unconventional careers - like anchor person!

A native of Maine (his mother, Dahlov Ipcar, is a celebrated artist and author of Dark Horn Blowing,) he now resides in Park Slope, Brooklyn where he lives with his wife Jane, daughters Katie & Jenna and a Mastiff named Yuffie.

With Children of Orion Robert Ipcar, vividly sets the stage for an ultimate "Lost in Space" trilogy, where centuries of feudal intrigue and occult magic simmer in a cauldron of shifting time.

Author's Statement...

I've always believed that to be a successful story teller, one needs to have a good "yarn" in their system: a highly visual read, populated with believable characters not unlike the reader; characters who struggle for a sense of purpose as they are forced to hit the ground running when unforeseen events overtake them. Just to be sure there's never a dull moment, add a twist.

Author Ray Bradbury states in Zen And The Art Of Writing that one must first determine what the main character wants most in life, then throw at them their worst fear. Joseph Conrad's portrait of a young man's excitement at the prospect of navigating a lifeboat across an expanse of open sea while his appalled older comrades contemplate their slim chance of survival, provided the initial inspiration for Children Of Orion. Since I'm no Joseph Conrad nor a Ray Bradbury, my story quickly diverged in a direction all its own before it could be held up for comparison. Lucky for me you say? I'm really pleased with the way my unique world turned out.

My Characters...

Do I shortchange the men in my stories? Only if they deserve it. Children of Orion is blessed with women who are strong willed and capable, as opposed to most modern day media counterparts who are almost always portrayed as sobbing spectators waiting to be rescued.

Since childhood I've been surrounded by accomplished women from my author mother on down to my musician wife and two wonderfully talented individualist daughters. My son, Matthew travels the world in the company of a ciber-journalist wife while his older sister, Julie (a self-taught entrepreneur) is well on her way to becoming what Time Out Magazine calls the Beverage Tzar of Downtown Brooklyn.

Working with the women of What Can She Be all the more prepared me to appreciate the works of the late author, Marion Zimmer Bradley, who will always remain my personal inspiration. To have read Mists of Avelon is to forever alter the male perception of what really happened at Camelot.

Indeed I have Marion Zimmer Bradley to thank for the most gracious turndown I've ever received for a short story. Though she was unable to fit my submission into an upcoming anthology, she went to say that: "... You write very well." A form letter? Perhaps... but do you know what that sounds like to a mere mortal?

Print on Demand Publishing...

Children Of Orion is a novel published without benefit of a traditional Editor, a venture into the heretofore unknown world of Print on Demand Publishing—in my case, 1st Books Library. While it seems forthright and up front, just plunk down the money and they design your book, you as the author must take on full responsibility for the content and the proofing of galleys. 1st Books Library offer no editorial advice whatsoever. Beware that formatting between different versions of Word may prove a costly nightmare - and woe be to you out there who like myself prefer to work on the MacIntosh.

My Editors...

It's here that I must give credit to Julie Fallowfield & Louise Quayle, literary agents with McIntosh & Otis, who became my editors when they saw promise in my work. If nothing else remains of their advice, I'll always carry this one simple truth: as an author, you've got to write down all the detail that's in your head. It's obvious to no one else but yourself if your imagination is caught between the lines.

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