Christopher Swiedler Books In Order

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Christopher Swiedler is a software engineer and children’s and science fiction author from California, where he lives with his wife and three children.
As a science fiction and fantasy author, he likes to think that they are under constant threat from tsunamis, earthquakes and the occasional Martian dust storm.

He made his writing debut with the publishing of “In the Red” in 2020, which went on to become a bestselling title. He now hopes that he will one day come to win the Newbery character.

Swiedler works with JABberwocky’s Literary Agency’s Bridget and publishes his novels under HarperCollins.

Swiedler’s love affair science fiction began when he was still a preteeen that was gifted the Robert Heinlein stories for his birthday. He loved it so much and went on a rampage reading every Heinlein book he could lay his hands on, from “Podkayne of Mars” to “Space Cadet.”

Heinlen wrote his works before the term middle grade came into everyday usage but the works perfectly fit into the genre. All the stories had a lot of danger and conflict but always had the basic trustworthy structure of society.

Many of the younger characters had positive and competent role models while the setting was just where a young reader dreamed of living.
Long before his teachers explained Newton’s laws and he was taught the principle of opposite and equal reaction by Isaac Asimov in “Marooned Off Vesta,” he developed a love for engineering and science.

As such, he grew up wanting to emulate the scientifically minded, intelligent and logical protagonists from the best scientific minds such as Arthur C Clark among many others.

Christopher Swiedler has a lot in common with Lucas Adebayo, the protagonist in his novel “The Orpheus Plot.”

He had a lot of challenges going to a new school as a third grader but looking back, he thinks this is the experience of most children. But as a kid then, the differences between him and the other kids were so magnified that he never believed he could have ever made friends with anyone.

Despite his difficulties making friends, he loved computers and was very good at mathematics. He has always strongly believed that most problems in human relations come from people not empathizing with other points of view.

People who have held a certain belief for a long period of time usually come to believe that it is a truth worth fighting over. As such, he always tries to see things from the perspectives of others.

While he is optimistic about technology and the future of humanity, he worries about human interactions. He believes that the growth of technologies may be reducing human interactions and cutting down on discussions about opinions we may not necessarily agree with.

In a recent interview Christopher Swiedler has said that the stories that have always had a huge influence on him are either one that makes him cry or think, or even better, both.

He loves “Watership Down” for its believable, detailed and almost totally foreign world. He has said that he loves when science fiction elements complement and support amazing characters such as in the movie E.T. He also loves the positivity and genuineness of middle grade novels.

As for young adult works, he believes they are great since they help us focus on moments when the overly optimistic perspectives of our world begin to collapse and are replaced by something that is more nuanced.

Nonetheless, Swiedler always finds himself drawn to stores that see the world as innately positive once the conflicts are reconciled.

Out of recent science fiction works, he is a huge fan of the author Lois McMaster Bujold. He finds the settings of the “World of Five Gods” and the “Vorkosigan Saga” to be particularly engaging and authentic. Even more important is the fact that the author writes characters that are very authentic.

Christopher Swiedler’s novel “In the Red” tells of Michael Prasad who lives on a terraformed Mars, inside a biodome, in what is deemed a very ordinary life for the times. He is exceptional in science and mathematics but due to a panic attack he had failed the suit certification test.

The result of this was that he had been forbidden from going out on the surface of the planet ever since. When Lilith, his best friend, shows him how to get out through a secretive airlock, he takes the opportunity. Together they manage to get their hands on a rover and head to the magnetic field station to surprise Michael’s father.

Things get thick when an artificial magnetic shield that provides protection to Mars is wrecked by a solar storm. This causes them to lose satellite radio and navigation and they crash their rover.

They need to escape on foot and go far away from the solar radiation. They have to navigate mechanical disasters, harsh terrain and a worsening storm even as their supplies are running out.

It is an exciting and clever read whose lead is a supportive friend and intrepid explorer. But when it comes to science Lilith is portrayed as an ignorant girl as compared to the genius of the boy, who believes girls act confusing on purpose and happens to be emotionally illiterate.

“The Orpheus Plot” by Christopher Swiedler opens to a huge rebellion in space. The uprising pitts one boy’s future against his past in a thrilling adventure that will have its readers on the edge of their seats. It is a brilliant story about believing in yourself, chasing your dreams and what’s right.

The lead in the novel is Lucas Adebayo who was brought up in the asteroid belt aboard a small mining ship. At the opening of the story, he intends to join the Navy as he is determined to become the galaxy’s best pilot. The problem is that he is a Belter cadet and the Navy has never admitted one before.

But he has exceptional skills that get him a place on Orpheus the training ship. But life in the Navy is so different from his previous life and Lucas is having a hard time finding his place. As a Belter, he does not feel a sense of belonging in the cadet class but he cannot go home.

He finds himself between his future and past worlds but when there’s a rebellion that amps up the risk, he is the only one who can lead the world towards peace.