Christian Hurst’s Lily Starling books sit in a sweet spot that a lot of science fiction has forgotten how to hit: big adventure, real feelings, and a thread of hope that does not feel childish or naïve.
In this episode of Richardson’s Rubicon, Christian joins me to talk about Lily Starling and the Voyage of the Salamander, the opening book in a planned five-book series. The premise starts with a well-worn sci-fi device, the protagonist wakes up with amnesia, but Christian is clear about why he uses it. It is not a gimmick. It is a deliberate way to align reader and character, so the audience discovers the future at the same pace Lily does, with the same assumptions and the same shocks. Watch or listen, a summary is below and you can join a discussion here: https://richardsonsrubicon.com/community/season-5-speculative-fiction-where-worlds-meet/memory-loss-identity-and-character-continuity-in-speculative-fiction/
From there, the discussion turns to craft. Christian’s process is not “lore first, story later”. He starts with character and theme, then builds outward. Worldbuilding is treated like a curtain you pull back a little at a time. Enough texture to feel lived in, not so much explanation that the story stops to lecture you about how the spaceship plumbing works. The goal is consistency and richness, but delivered when it matters.
We also talk tone. Christian makes a pointed observation about modern sci-fi: a lot of it feels either relentlessly dark or loudly camp, with not much in between. His aim is closer to life: sometimes heavy, sometimes ridiculous, and often both in the same day. That balance matters because it gives the darker moments room to breathe, and it makes the hope feel earned rather than pasted on.
A big part of the conversation is identity and belonging. Christian describes growing up feeling like an outsider, and how stories, from classic literature to science fiction, became both lens and mirror. We get into absolutism, faith, doubt, and the comfort some people find in certainty. Christian’s version of comfort comes from admitting what you do not know, then building your own sense of self from there. That theme, personal agency versus expectations placed on you, runs through Lily’s journey.
We touch on belief systems, mythology, symbolism, and ritual as worldbuilding tools. Not as background decoration, but as the practical framework characters use to interpret reality and make decisions. Christian hints at how these differences show up in relationships inside the story, especially where cultures collide and values do not neatly align.
By the end, Christian lands on a message I am always happy to amplify: create. If you are waiting for permission, stop. Make the thing, put it out, make the next thing. Do not be precious. The work finds its audience through volume, honesty, and iteration.
If you like character-led space opera, thoughtful worldbuilding, and conversations that take the creative process seriously without becoming pretentious, you will enjoy this one.
Christian’s Website: https://www.churstpublishing.com/