Author to Author with Scott Cirakovac

I met Scott at OzComicCon Canberra in 2023, and we’ve been good mates ever since.

Even though he’s moved to warmer climes, we regularly catch up at conventions and other events.

I’ve read Scott’s Fermi Paradox trilogy (grab a copy if you’re keen on sci-fi), and so I thought I’d invite him along to chat about his story influences.

I only had one question: “What were the top 5 stories that most influenced you as a writer?”

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb

For my first pick, I have to go with the Farseer Trilogy.

Set in a land called the Six Duchies, this tale follows Fitzchivalry, the royal bastard as he grows from orphan boy, to trained assassin to reluctant hero.

Although the fantasy world-building of this story is powerful and detailed in a way that doesn’t overwhelm, it’s the characters that bring it to life.

Following Fitzchivalry as he grows showed me the power of character development as a storyteller, and showed me how personal growth and interactions with others are often more impactful than action.

Plus, awesome wolf sidekick… what’s not to love about that?

Suikoden 2

Time to go a little left-field now; my second pick is Suikoden 2, a JRPG video game released on the original Playstation way back in the dark ages. It was my introduction into the genre and something about it has always stuck in my heart.

It has classic storylines like betrayal of the best friend and loss of family. I think the reason this story stuck with me was the combination of storytelling, the aesthetic of the old-school graphics, and the perfect soundtrack.

Much later I realised the whole atmosphere of the game, of everything combining into an interactive story, captured me. It’s something I try to create within my own stories.

Conan the Barbarian

I can’t write this list without putting in a movie, and for that I have got to pick Conan the Barbarian. I love sword and sorcery, and there’s nothing more iconic than Conan. It wasn’t the story or Arnie’s portrayal of the larger than life hero that makes this movie stick with me. Rather, it’s the menacing presence of Thulsa Doom, played by the great James Earl Jones.

Here was a villain that didn’t need to run around chopping people apart to be a villain. He was calm, commanding, ominous, and left no doubt he was in control. Even when things were going wrong, he still pulled out a bow and calmly shot Valeria in the back.

When I think of villains, I think of Thulsa Doom, and even when the characters are completely different, I try to create someone just as villainous.

Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners

Alright, this is getting difficult, but I have to include some anime, which to me combines artwork and storytelling in amazing ways, and there has been no more impactful anime for me than Cyberpunk 2077: Edgerunners.

If you haven’t watched this yet, jump on Netflix and do it, but be warned, it will rip your heart out. I’m not going to say much more than that about the story.

It has beautiful visuals, near perfect character development, and an ending that is more brutal than even the scene with Artax in the Neverending Story (you know the one).

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

The final one on the list has to be another book (I am a writer after all).

I can’t go past The Forever War by Joe Haldeman.

Written by another military man like myself, this sci-fi story is excellent at using science theories like relativity in a realistic military story.

It’s not a large story, but it is impactful in how it made me think about what it means to be human and how we think about the future, or rather fail to.

This book had a large influence on my own published sci-fi trilogy.