The Lazarus Taxa by Lindsey Kinsella
Back of the Book
68 million years in the past. Deep time; the true final frontier. But all is not as it seems. Which should be feared most? The dinosaurs… or the people?
The Lazarus Taxa follows the first scientific expedition through time to the Late Cretaceous, where a dark conspiracy soon begins to unravel.
Interview with Lindsey Kinsella
“Lindsey Kinsella is a Scottish writer and author of the science fiction novel “The Lazarus Taxa”.
While a qualified and experienced naval architect and an avid car enthusiast, he always reserved a space in his life for a deep fascination with palaeontology. This drove his writing process as he strove to write tales of the rich and complex history of life on Earth.”
Questions
1. Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey, please?
My first foray into writing was borne out of a combination of the need for a creative outlet and COVID lockdown boredom. I had long considered writing as something I’d like to do but never gave it any serious consideration until faced with the endless free time offered by a national quarantine.
From there were two years of drafting and redrafting before finally submitting to publishers. Ultimately, I think I was a victim of my own impatience and only really searched for a traditional publishing deal for a month or so before deciding to publish independently. I do love the freedom that indy-publishing allows, though I would love a traditional deal for the next one purely to see my book in actual stores!
2. How do you decide who to dedicate your books to?
I didn’t do a dedication for The Lazarus Taxa, and I’m not sure I will in future either. Ultimately, there are just too many people deserving of it to narrow it down to one, and I’d also be terrified that said person might not like the book!
I did instead choose a quote from palaeontologist Robert Bakker in my opening pages. I felt it captured the spirit of the story while also paying some tribute to a man I have idolized since childhood.
3. What was the inspiration behind your latest release?
My primary inspiration stemmed from my love of natural history and palaeontology. I felt there was a lack of diversity in how dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals are portrayed in popular media, and I wanted to bring a different, more up-to-date perspective to the world.
4. Do you find it hard to let your characters go when you finish writing the book?
I do, the hardest are usually side characters who I wished I’d had more time to fully explore. I have quite a number of plans to write follow-ups and even short side stories with some of the characters who didn’t get as much of the limelight as I’d have liked.
5. What was your favourite read of 2022?
I read a book titled “Of Ants and Dinosaurs” by Cuixin Lui last year—because, apparently, I’ll buy anything with a dinosaur on the cover. Now, it probably wasn’t the best-written book ever—the usual measures of a great book like character development were broadly absent—but it was refreshingly original. The first half read like a bizarre history book and spanned thousands of years, telling tales of progress, war, and the rise and fall of entire civilizations. It’s well worth a read purely on the basis that there’s nothing else quite like it.
6. Who is your favourite author?
I have a very eclectic taste in authors, from Stephen King to Philip Pullman to Robert Matheson, but the author whose books I will consistently pick up, again and again, is Douglas Adams. I love the surrealist humour and the bizarre worlds he created. The famous whale bursting into existence and falling from the sky is my single favourite scene from any book ever.
7. Was there a point in your life that a book helped you get through, and which one?
The Bartimaeus Sequence series by Jonathan Shroud is one which helped me through school and childhood in general. It was nice to read a story about a kid who was somewhat of an outcast.
8. Is there anyone that you would like to mention and thank for their support of your writing?
My fiancée (also called Lindsay, just confuse everyone!) has been hugely supportive and given me the confidence to really embrace being a writer.
Also, a shout-out to my editor Donna Marie West for turning my dumpster fire of semi-colons into a marketable book!
9. If you had the power to give everyone in the world one book, what would it be and why?
I am Legend by Richard Matheson because if enough of us demand a book-accurate movie, Hollywood must surely listen!
10. What are you working on now?
My next book is quite the departure from my first—hopping genres from sci-fi to fantasy. The Heart of Pangaea follows a young girl on a quest through a world within her subconscious to find a cure for her sick mother. This is an emotional story, but it’s also quirky and fun—I’ve really tried to inject a good dose of humour to balance things out.
11. Lastly, do you have any questions for your readers?
Since The Lazarus Taxa is a tale of time travel; if you could travel to any time and place, where would you go?
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