An interview with techno-romantic thriller author Denise Robbins on the fusion of technology and fiction
Denise Robbins, a software engineering manager by day, integrates her knowledge of computers and technology into all of her techno-romantic thrillers. Her published works include It Happens in Threes and Killer Bunny Hill with Connect the Dots and Never Tempt Danger scheduled for release in 2010.
I met up with Denise and asked her about the unique combination of technology and fiction.
Your computer background has obviously been a major factor in the plots of your books. How did you get interested in technology?
It all started when I was a child. In elementary school we went on a field trip to an electronics store. There we saw all kinds of cool gadgets like little calculators, electronic games and then… a computer. Holy Cow! I could play chess on the computer.
Around the same time, my dad brought home a modem. I’m not talking about the modems you pick up today that fit in the palm of your hand, we’re talking about a gigantic machine that looked like a typewriter with a telephone coupler attached.
Some readers may not understand the importance of computers in fighting crime. Explain how important understanding of new technologies can be in staying ahead of the bad guys.
Computers are used much more than people think when it comes to fighting crime. A simple example is the FBI website which provides public information on some of the criminals they are looking for. This website not only informs the public, but there are now a large number of people looking for the ‘bad guys’.
Local police departments have computers in each squad car, which can be used in different scenarios. Do you remember the last time you were arrested? The police officer can enter your license plate into the computer and check if the car was stolen, your driving record, or even your car registration. A police officer making a routine stop may not seem like much of a use for computer technology, but what you may not realize is that the same computer that told the officer the car was stolen can also provide information. about arrest and warrant. The information obtained through the computer by the officer makes him better able to make the right decision on how to approach the situation.
Computers also provide law enforcement with the resources and technology to keep up with modern criminals in the cyber world. Some criminals steal people’s identities or buy goods with someone else’s credit cards over the Internet. Internet criminals commit all kinds of crimes, such as downloading child pornography, and even trying to convince minors to meet them somewhere, which could result in kidnapping. Without computers, it would be nearly impossible to catch criminals of this nature. Through computers, law enforcement agencies can observe these actions and make the web more secure.
Due to computers and instant access to vast amounts of information, law enforcement officers have the power to turn a potentially dangerous situation into a much safer one sooner rather than later.
Explain a little about nanotechnology and its current uses.
Nanotechnology is a technology based on the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules to build structures with complex atomic specifications. The nanoscale is about a thousand times smaller than the micro, that is, about 1/80,000 the diameter of a human hair.
Items already available on the market include: dressings for burns and wounds, water filtration, dental bonding agent, coatings to facilitate cleaning of glass, bumpers and catalytic converters in automobiles, protective and glare-reducing coatings for glasses and automobiles , sunscreens and cosmetics, dye-free clothes and mattresses, ink, more durable tennis balls and lighter and stronger tennis rackets.
A ski jacket produced by Franz Ziener GmbH&Co is based on nanotechnology. The windproof and waterproof properties are not obtained by a surface coating of the jacket but by the use of nanofibres.
The InMat company makes long-lasting tennis balls by coating the inner core with polymer clay nanocomposites. These tennis balls have twice the life of conventional balls.
What do you think will happen to nanotechnology in the future?
Today, we have just scratched the surface of what nanotechnology will do for us. There are many applications of nanotechnology in research and development. In medicine, there will be Qdots that pinpoint the location of cancer cells in the body and nanoparticles that deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells to minimize damage to healthy cells. Can you imagine not having to expose the whole body to chemotherapy but only the part that requires treatment?
Nanotechnology is also huge in the area of science and technology, in particular man-made diamonds. In recent years, there has been research into the production of man-made diamonds, no, not cubic zirconia, but “real” diamonds grown in a laboratory and not in nature. Man-made diamonds are a breakthrough that will only get bigger. Diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of any material. With every improvement in computer chip technology, machines get faster and hotter. At some point, the chips and insides of the computer will melt. Diamonds are the answer for faster computers without the heat factor. For the same reason of thermal conductivity, man-made diamonds could help make extremely powerful lasers. The material could allow a cell phone to fit into a watch and iPods to store 10,000 movies, not just 10,000 songs.
I could go on, but you get the idea. Nanotechnology is the next big wave and I hope it will come soon.
What are some of the challenges in combining high technology with fiction?
The challenge in creating techno-fiction is knowing how to keep the story moving while providing enough of a visual image of the technology for the reader to understand without throwing boring information at their head.
It seems that the field of technology is more of a man’s world. How did you end up in the field and why do you think there are not more women involved?
I think because my dad was into technology, not the same thing I’m into today, he was destined for computers.
Getting a job with a government contractor for the Department of Defense got me hooked on technology. I was part of a team that created software for use in military medical facilities. It was when I was teaching computer programs and programming to adults that I discovered my love for all that ‘geeky’ computer stuff. There’s nothing like seeing the sparkle in someone’s eyes when the lightbulb goes on inside their head after they’ve learned to write code and see the result.
Why there are not more women in science and technology is a question that has been asked a lot in recent years. A simple answer is how parents and teachers introduce information technology careers and other occupations to their daughters and students. It is about encouraging and providing role models.
Another explanation for the lack of women in information technology careers is misconception and preference. Why do I say that as if they were mixed? Many people think that working in IT is lonely. They imagine someone sitting in front of a computer eight hours or more a day with no one to talk to. Ask any of the engineers who work for and with me and they will tell you that it is not.
In general, women prefer to work with people, while men prefer to work with things. With the lonely misconception out there, many women are choosing other careers.
Do you have many male readers because of your interesting plots? How do you attract them?
To be honest, I’m not sure I have too many male readers yet, but I do have some and I want more. I think once guys know that my novels are based on real and interesting technology, have suspense and mystery interwoven with action and adventure, they’ll want to read them. All it takes is a few good men… to spread the word.
Even though my novels are fiction, when my hero or heroine is shooting a gun, all readers should know that I have researched and had the experience many times. The first time I shot anything except a shotgun at clay (which I’m a pretty good shot at), was when I wrote It Happens in Threes. He had to know what it felt like. I got in touch with a friend who walked me through all the do’s and don’ts and enjoyed watching me struggle to fill a clip and always forgetting to take the safety off.
Right now, my attempt to “lure them in” is to give a guy I see a copy of the book, ask him to read it, and tell me what he thinks. So far, the response has been positive. The other little fact that helps attract men is that I have other men reviewing and editing my novels from the male perspective. It always helps when Steve or David say, “No man would say that.” Then they wrinkle their noses and cut my work. I am very grateful. I also have friends who are ex-military and they also correct some of my ideas.
How do you manage the fine line between giving too much technological information and making the story flow?
This is an excelent question. Computer stuff can be very dry and boring, believe me. What I do is take the technology and present it to readers in little pieces, like breadcrumbs of information, so that the technology is either part of the mystery or part of the solution in the puzzle. I take technology and break it down so that my characters show you just enough for you to understand while also being curious. Wait until you find out about nanotech in Killer Bunny Hill. I’ll give you a hint: diamonds aren’t just a girl’s best friend.
Where do you get your ideas for the story?
My story ideas come from various places and most of the time it’s just a matter of sitting down with a pen and paper and wondering about the particular characters I just identified in my mind. Sometimes, as in the case of my second novel Killer Bunny Hill, the seed of the novel hits me while flying across the country on a plane. In the case of my fourth novel Never Tempt Danger, the idea came from a dream. Those are just the beginnings, now I have to build a plot line and that takes a bit more effort.
Sometimes I draw from my own experiences with technology, but that is still limited in scope. Then what do I do? Well here is my answer.
I did some research once for work when I accidentally came across an article about ‘man-made diamonds’ and using them as computer chips. As I continued to read the story, I came across an organization known as DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. This agency is the central research and development office of the Department of Defense. They fund all kinds of technological research to keep our military technologically superior, and in turn keep us and military personnel safe. interesting stuff!
Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today, Denise!