PHOTO: Christopher Coates, acclaimed author of speculative and action-driven novels, reflecting a life shaped by resilience, imagination, and storytelling.
Exploring Humanity Resilience And Time Travel In Fiction
Christopher Coates, retired firefighter turned novelist, blends realism, science fiction, and action in gripping stories of survival, resilience, and alternate timelines, captivating readers with authentic characters and imaginative worlds.
Christopher Coates has built a remarkable body of work that bridges the speculative and the human, where survival, resilience, and imagination intertwine. A retired firefighter and paramedic, now working in Information Systems, he brings both discipline and creativity to the page, drawing on a lifetime of experience that quietly shapes his storytelling. His novels—ranging from post-apocalyptic visions to time travel adventures—offer readers not only thrilling narratives but also meditations on how people adapt when the familiar world is swept away.
From The Ark and The Anvil to Shattered Time and Erased, Coates’s stories are charged with urgency, exploring what happens when ordinary individuals are thrust into extraordinary circumstances. He writes with an instinct for detail—technical when necessary, yet always tethered to the pulse of character and emotion. It is this balance between realism and imagination that makes his books so compelling.
Coates is also unafraid to step outside the speculative frame. With works such as The Assassin Awakens and A Brother’s Obsession, he has shown his versatility, crafting narratives rooted in action and suspense. Whether grounded in science fiction or not, his stories are united by a fascination with human choice under pressure—the way crisis reveals both fragility and strength.
As he continues to expand his universes, writing sequels and new series, Christopher Coates stands as a storyteller deeply attuned to the possibilities of change—whether in time, in history, or within the human heart itself.
What first drew you to writing science fiction and post-apocalyptic stories, and how did your career as a firefighter/paramedic influence your themes?
Post-apocalyptic and science fiction stories are my main areas of interest. However, The Assassin Awakens and A Brother’s Obsession are action-adventure with no Sci-Fi. I like being able to write in multiple genres to create stories that can appeal to any reader.
While my fire and EMS background has never been the subject of a story, my medical background tends to find its way into most stories at some point.
Many readers praise the realism and technical detail in your books — how do you balance scientific accuracy with storytelling?
This can be difficult. Technical detail keeps the story interesting, but excessive use of technical terms or use of words unfamiliar to a reader will turn them off quickly.
I like to keep technical descriptions simple and slowly increase the details as the storyline progresses.
This is part of why I like time travel stories; I can be as creative as I want in an altered reality.
Your novels often explore survival and human resilience. What fascinates you most about imagining humanity in extreme circumstances?
The struggle to survive has always drawn out the best and worst in people. This drama allows you to see sides of people that would otherwise stay hidden. For a writer, these conditions are a fantastic opportunity to further develop characters and enhance a story.
How do you approach developing characters who feel authentic and relatable, even in extraordinary situations?
I am very much a freeform writer. Initially, the characters are intentionally a bit flat, but as the story progresses, their personalities are developed and their backgrounds are enhanced. By the editing stage, they are fully formed and realistic. The more challenging the situations in the story, the easier it is to draw out their personalities.
Several of your works deal with time travel and alternate histories. What challenges do you find most rewarding when writing about timelines and consequences?
Time travel is fun to write. I have incredible freedom to change the world, and it allows an immense degree of creativity. When a character is stepping into a changed timeline, the scene is a blank canvas that I can take anywhere I want.
Now that I have multiple standalone time travel novels, the challenge isnot to get redundant in what they do, their motivations, or the outcomes.
Feedback shows readers become hooked quickly on your stories. Do you have a particular method for creating such engaging openings?
Hooking the reader in the first chapter is a basic rule of writing. Some of my books do that better than others. During the writing and development phases, I tend to rework the openings several times to have a greater impact. There are so many book options available that I need to capture a reader’s attention quickly, or they may not finish the book.
Out of your published novels, which one was the most challenging to write, and why?
My second novel, The Resurrection Wager,was the most challenging to write. It is the only book that is Christian Fiction.
It was difficult and at times a struggle to finish.
When I write, I never know where I may take a story. The freedom to change course on a whim makes writing fun. With Christian Fiction, I have to stay true to Christian doctrine. I found that to be constraining, and it took some of the fun out of writing. Fortunately, in the end, the story turned out great, and the reviews show that the readers enjoy it.
What advice would you give to other authors who wish to write compelling and believable science fiction?
Write about what you enjoy. Pick something you have been considering and just start writing. It will be ugly at first, but over time, you will refine it more and more until it shines.
Also, don’t write thinking you will make a lot of money. Write because you have a passion for it and because there is a story you need to share with others.
Most writers don’t make much money. I have 8 novels out and people like them a lot, but that doesn’t translate into significant income. I write because I enjoy it and want others to read my stories.
What are your future writing plans?
I have learned that readers like book series. I am currently writing a sequel to Alternate Purpose. There are also sequels to The Assassin Awakens, A Brother’s Obsession, and the third book in the series with the Ark and The Anvil being worked on. Those are in very early stages of planning.
