Behind the Scenes of Nathan Hystad’s latest R. C. Bray Narrated Audiobook

If you’ve been a sci-fi fan for a while, we have no doubt that the names Nathan Hystad and R. C. Bray will be familiar to you.

Bray, for his award winning, knock-out performances of some of the most popular sci-fi audiobooks produced in the last decade; and Hystad for his cinematic style sci-fi thrillers, which are characterized by their tight, well paced narratives, immersive settings, and rich characters.

Can you imagine what kind of magic these two could work together? Well, we have some news…

The Other Place—the first book in Nathan Hystad’s new series, The Glass—was released just this month and is narrated by R. C. Bray. It’s everything we want in a book and we are excited to share more about it with the Discover Sci-Fi community!

To do that, we recently sat down with Nathan Hystad to hear more about the book, about the series, and about working with Bray as a narrator.

DSF: Stories of first contact and interactions with aliens are a large part of your catalogue. What makes The Other Place unique?

NH: There’s something special about the concept of making contact with aliens. It’s a genre I keep going back to because there are countless ways to tell it. The Other Place is probably my most refreshing take on it yet. Mysterious invisible sheets appear across the globe, which leaves a whole lot of unanswered questions. Throw in a varied cast as they try to survive what’s coming, and figure out the puzzle they’re faced with, and we have a new take on a classic trope. It’s really more of a post-apocalyptic adventure than a space opera, and I think that specific genre leans well toward aliens and what would happen should they arrive in the midst of such chaos.

DSF: How many books will be in The Glass series?

NH: There will be three books in total. The Other Place, The Hidden Space, and The Secret Base.

DSF: Did you write this series specifically with Bray’s narration in mind, or did his coming onto the project happen after the writing was complete?

NH: I had the idea already, but not the characters and the voice of the series until I signed with Podium Audio. I was thrilled to have R. C. Bray narrate the series, and couldn’t be more pleased with how The Other Place turned out. He is such a professional, and I definitely did think of his voice as I wrote the series.

DSF: How do you come up with character names having so many books and characters in your stories at this point? Do you ever re-use names, or always come up with new ones?

NH: Names are one of my favorite parts of the pre-writing process. I enjoy the process of deciding the names of the people you’re going to be writing for the next few months, and the moment they are chosen, the character takes shape in my mind. For me, I love giving my hero’s unique names, like Atlas, Ransom, Colton, Arlo, and Rexford. If I do reuse a side character name, it’s generally not on purpose, but I’m certain I have a few Mark’s or Lisa’s throughout my books.

DSF: The Other Place is the 9th book you’ve published in 2022, with at least 4 more this year on pre-order. How do you keep up such an incredible pace with your writing? And, will 2023 look the same?

NH: I rarely have a day where I do zero writing, and that helps with the number of releases I have. This year had more than last, and that’s partly to do with saving them up for audio release. For example, The Other Place was finished and edited about 6 months ago. Next year might see fewer, but I’m already working on a book set to be released in February. It's going to be a lot of fun.

DSF: What’s the best way for a reader to support an author’s writing?

NH: There are so many ways ranging from buying a book, borrowing it, listening to it, and leaving ratings and reviews. I love it when readers join my Newsletter and follow me on Amazon or Audible so they know when my books are out. But it can be as simple as telling someone they know about a particular read they really enjoyed. Any support is appreciated.

DSF: Do you think you’ll experience real first contact in your lifetime?

NH: Who says I haven’t already? Thanks for the interview, and I hope everyone enjoys The Other Place!