Collin Irish is the author of the Violet Sky science fiction series. His first novel, “Messenger,” and short stories, “Subversive” and “Inventor,” are available through Amazon and M4L Publishing. He lives in Lakewood with his wife and two children.

SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory – what’s it about and what inspired you to write it? 

Collin Irish: I volunteered with a youth mentoring organization for a number of years and started using fairy tales as a way to help teens with emotional development. For fresh material, I started writing my own stories, which eventually evolved into this book.

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SunLit: Place the excerpt you selected in context. How does it fit into the book as a whole and why did you select it?

Irish: The excerpt is the first part of chapter 2. It introduces the two main characters as they compete against each other for a coveted award. For a long time, this section started the manuscript. But the content leaned heavily into the fantasy aspect of this science fantasy. For the book, I added chapter 1 because it has a more science fiction feel, which is more accurate to the greater story. However, I’ve always been fond of this story opening. 

SunLit: What influences and/or experiences informed the project before you sat down to write? 

Irish: The adventurous coming of age part of the story is inspired by my work with young people. I explore the male main character’s arc from impulsive to responsible and the female main character’s struggle with PTSD.

For the overall worldbuilding, “Dune” has a strong influence. Where Frank Herbert underpins the world with mystical psychology, I lean on advanced cybernetics. There are elements inspired by “Westworld,” except that the robots are the keepers of the humans.

“Messenger”

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SunLit: What did the process of writing this book add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft and/or the subject matter?

Irish: I learned how to write a novel with this book. It went through numerous revisions as I learned the craft.

SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing this book?

Irish: The investment of time it takes to write well. I’m humbled by how much editorial help I need to move the story from my imagination onto the page. I started out thinking of writing as an individual achievement and discovered it’s really a team effort.

SunLit: What do you want readers to take from this book?

Irish: This book has swashbuckling adventure, political intrigue, and technology so advanced it seems like magic. But I hope the love story between the two main characters is what people remember and keep coming back to. 

SunLit: Who is your target audience?

Irish: I started writing for youth in mentoring circles. As my children grew up, I thought of them as the audience. Now, I’m realizing how much I get out of it. This series is for anyone interested in an epic fantasy in a science fiction world. The technology spans from swords and flintlocks to anti-gravity. From castles to space stations. There are battles and betrayals. There are ballroom dances and assassination plots. 

Long-lived galactics lurk among the primitives with mysterious agendas. Clockwork creatures struggle against cybernetic automatons. And throughout it’s a love story between a young man thrust from obscurity into dangerous notoriety and a young woman just trying to do her job.

SunLit: Tell us about your next project.

Irish: “Rebel,” book 2 of the Violet Sky series, is with the publisher. I’m working on book 3, “Aviator,” now. Both are coming out in 2026.

A few more quick items

Currently on your nightstand for recreational reading: “George: A Magpie Memoir” by Frieda Hughes

First book you remember really making an impression on you as a kid: “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis

Best writing advice you’ve ever received: Persistence is everything. Never stop writing. 

Favorite fictional literary character: Frodo Baggins, Miles Vorkosigan

Literary guilty pleasure (title or genre): Romantic comedies

Digital, print or audio – favorite medium to consume literature: Print

One book you’ve read multiple times: “The Vorkosigan Saga” by Lois McMaster Bujold

Other than writing utensils, one thing you must have within reach when you write: Thesaurus 

Best antidote for writer’s block: Hot shower

Most valuable beta reader: Pat Pierce

Type of Story: Q&A

An interview to provide a relevant perspective, edited for clarity and not fully fact-checked.

This byline is used for articles and guides written collaboratively by The Colorado Sun reporters, editors and producers.