Brad Bussie Q&A

What if your escape from extinction… dropped you into the jaws of a forgotten evil?

Have you read The Band of Moonlit Waters by Brad Bussie? Maybe this is the first you’re hearing of it—in which case, where have you been?!—but more likely, you’re one of the many fans who’ve been pulled deep into the mysterious, high-stakes world of Spero’s Legacy and are eager for more.

Blending elements of science fiction and fantasy with a cinematic sense of scale, The Band of Moonlit Waters has been turning heads for its rich storytelling, layered characters, and the kind of immersive universe that feels lived-in from page one. And if you haven’t jumped in yet, don’t worry—this is the perfect time to get on board.

Now, we know you’re here because you want more insight into the world, the characters, and the mind behind it all—so let’s get to it. Settle in and enjoy our Q&A with Brad Bussie, where we talk writing process, inspirations, and the journey behind The Band of Moonlit Waters.

DSF: The world you’ve built is wild—alien, fractured, dangerous, and full of mystery. How did you approach building a brand-new universe from scratch, especially for your debut?

BB: I have always been a story teller. Playing dungeons and dragons as a youth and always taking on the role of the dungeon master helped me lay the foundation for creating a world. I look back on all the adventures I created on the fly and those I spent long hours dreaming up, creating characters, and drawing maps – all for the enjoyment of several close friends. When I sat down to build the Spero’s Legacy universe, I channeled a great deal of that D&D energy.

DSF: This story blends science fiction with strong fantasy elements. How do you balance technology and mysticism in your storytelling?

BB: I find magic and technology can often be the same thing. It is generally in the eye of the beholder. Think of modern day medicine if you introduced it to a culture three hundred years ago. While based in science, that culture could look at it as magic or even religion. In my storytelling, I am always looking for that kind of balance. Even the magic system in Spero’s Legacy is based on science. All of it is probable, but not always rooted in hard physics.

DSF: Tyler is a man without memory, thrust into a life-or-death situation. What was it like writing a protagonist who has to rediscover who he is along with the reader?

BB: Writing Tyler as a main character has been a worthy challenge. Traditionally, a main character is the one that the reader is cheering for. We yearn to watch them go through the hero’s journey. Starting with a character that is just trying to remember who he is and why he exists forced me onto a path where the supporting characters had to shine far more. A main character struggling with basic existence and chasing fragments of memory added a layer of mystery that readers tend to enjoy.

DSF: You’ve got a memorable cast: warriors, mystics, machines, and more. Any favorite characters to write—or ones who surprised you along the way?

BB: The character that has become my favorite to write and is also the surprise, is the antagonist – Shade. I have always been a “hero” guy, and I always figured Tyler/Tyrant would be my favorite. However, something about Shade has had me laughing, shocked at my own words as they spilled onto the page, and ultimately where he decided to go as a villain. I say where he decided to go as Shade has never been planned for me. I am an outliner when it comes to my stories. I know who, what, when, where, why, and how for everyone and everything. But Shade? No idea. I sit down to write whatever part that he is in and the next thing I know – I am staring at 3000-5000 words of pure “pantster” beauty. He has surprised me more than once.

DSF: Several reviews describe this as a “journey story.” What themes were you most interested in exploring through Tyler’s quest and the world around him?

BB: Some of the themes that I was most interested in exploring and continue to explore are good vs. evil, redemption, artificial intelligence, ancient civilizations, and genetic engineering. I love how all of the themes are coming together in Spero’s Legacy. None of them feel particularly “heavy” in this story. They each are an ingredient to something bigger.

DSF: Readers have compared your work to authors like Brandon Sanderson and James S.A. Corey. Were there any specific sci-fi or fantasy writers that inspired you during the writing of this book?

BB: First of all, I am flattered to be compared to legendary authors like Sanderson and Corey. While neither of them are writers I was inspired by, in subsequent reading of their work, I am a huge fan. I am willing to bet we had similar influences in our formative years. My biggest literary influences have been Issac Asimov, R.A Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, Anne McCaffrey, Robert Jordan, Kevin J. Anderson and J.R.R Tolkien. I also feel like I was shaped by Gene Roddenberry and his gift of world building, society building, and episodic story telling.

DSF: There's a touch of Alien-like tension in the atmosphere, mixed with high-stakes adventure. Are you influenced more by cinematic storytelling or literary traditions?

BB: Yes to both! I grew up reading as much as I could get my hands on. In between reading and writing there was always Star Trek on TV. I fell in love with Star Wars later in life, but if I had to look back towards the cinematic storytelling of my youth - it was dreamed up by Gene Roddenberry.

DSF: If you could describe The Band of Moonlit Waters in one sentence to fans of classic sci-fi and space fantasy, what would you say?

BB: Stranded on a world that was never meant to be home, a cryo-sleep soldier awakens to ancient tech, fractured memories, and a war still echoing through time – where magic and machine blur, and the enemy wears a familiar face.

DSF: You come from a cybersecurity background. How did that experience shape your approach to storytelling or worldbuilding in science fiction?

BB: I originally wanted to be a write when I grew up. If you look back in my high school year book, I was voted “Most likely to become a published author.” I got into cybersecurity after a fateful day my freshman year of college. I was in a lecture hall with three hundred journalism students, listening to the professor talk about writing. The professor said “Statistically speaking, only one of you in this room will ever make even a meager living as a working writer.” I pictured myself destitute and forgotten. Granted, if you were to tell me something like that now I would say “I am the one, and it won’t be meager!’ That said, I was 18 years old, impressionable, and scared at what life was really going to be like. My minor in college was in computer science as I had grown up helping my Dad with the family business which was an IBM business partner. I had a passion and love for computers, second only to writing. Needless to say after that journalism lecture, I changed my major from journalism to computer science and writing became a hobby. It took the pandemic to bring my writing back full steam ahead.

DSF: As a debut novelist planning a six-book series, what’s been the biggest challenge—and the biggest reward—so far?

BB: The biggest challenge so far as been keeping up with the demands of a full time life and finding time to write enough to produce 1-2 books a year. I have to be very disciplined to write enough each day to produce a quality story. The biggest reward has been fans writing in, requesting signed books, and sitting with friends as they ask me to divulge all the secrets of the universe I have created.

DSF: What does your writing process look like? Are you more of an outliner or do you dive in and let the story lead?

BB: I am an outliner that generally writes five hundred to one thousand words a day. I have a few characters that refuse to be outlined, and I will let them take me where they want to go. I can sit down anywhere and just start writing. I don’t need a special time, place, or chair – although I do love my chair in my home office. That said, I find most often the time I have availability to write is in the early morning. I still write everything by hand, which many find odd since I am huge technologist. I have an Ipad with an Apple Pencil, but I don’t use the handwriting to text feature. I prefer to type what I hand wrote later and then edit as I go. It actually saves me time in the long run.

DSF: If The Band of Moonlit Waters were adapted for the screen, who would you dream-cast as Tyler and the Lady Dark?

BB: I can see Tyler Tor being played by Henry Cavill. Adelaide Kane would play an amazing Lady Dark.

DSF: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to new sci-fi authors who want to build a world as rich and dangerous as yours?

BB: The first draft is just for you. It is supposed to be bad. Try something new, different, and exciting. Don’t be afraid to mix things up or revisit a well played theme or setting. Read widely and often. You have to read well, to write well.

DSF: Can you give us any hints about what’s coming next in the series?

BB: The series is turning towards the heavens with space as the next frontier. Part 2 of Spero’s Legacy (books 4-6) will take you aboard legendary starships, battle new enemies, and search in earnest for the remnants of humanity.

Check The Band of Moonlit Waters here.