Aftermath by Tom Lewis Publisher: Self-Published on March 25, 2015
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult
Pages: 174
Format: eBook
Purchase: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads
The end of the world came fast. Between the time the warning had sounded on the TV, till when 16-year-old Paige O’Connor awakened sometime later, civilization had been crushed.
The attacks had come by “them” – those things in the ships in the sky that had appeared suddenly, and without warning.
And as Paige would soon discover, the attacks had only been the beginning.
Aftermath is the first book in the new After the Fall dystopian action series, which follows a young girl’s struggle for survival in the wake of civilization’s collapse, and humanity’s domination by an alien race of beings.
Author Interview
Tell us about your debut novel:
The book’s called “Aftermath”. It’s a fast-paced, dystopian sci fi actioner that follows a teenage girl’s struggles for survival in the increasingly hostile wake of civilization’s collapse, and humanity’s domination by an alien race of beings. I’m calling it a “Hunger Games” with aliens.
“Aftermath” is the first novel in the “After the Fall” dystopian series, which will follow my heroine, Paige, and the remnants of humanity in their efforts to both survive, and reclaim our world.
How did you get into writing?
I started writing screenplays in 1999, and had my first screenplay optioned that year. I followed that up with several other screenplays, a few of which were optioned by production companies and ended up getting me hired for writing assignments. Two of those scripts were made into movies which I produced and directed. The first of those movies was picked up by Lionsgate for distribution, and we’re in negotiations with distributors on the second film, a spooky ghost story called “The Chanel”. It’s about a teenage girl, who after surviving a near-death experience in a car crash, finds herself haunted by a shadowy figure she sees from the corner of her eye – something that followed her back from the other side of death.
You’re also an attorney?
Yes. I practice entertainment law from my office in Santa Monica. My clients are mainly producers, so that’s helped with getting my screenplays out there. Before that, I served in the Marines.
Where did your interest in post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction come from?
My first exposure to the dystopian genre came about 4 years ago, when I was negotiating movie rights to a best-selling novel for one of my clients. I read that novel, and then read the “Hunger Games” trilogy, and then I was hooked. Dystopian, YA, NA, sci fi action, survival, and post-apocalyptic stories are far and away my favorites.
Where did the inspiration for Aftermath come from?
I came up with the idea for Aftermath about a year ago. I was searching Amazon for something post-apocalyptic and dystopian, but with ordinary people thrown into that upside-down world. Most of the books I was finding had either elite commandos, or the threat wasn’t big enough, or there just wasn’t enough action, thrills, or scares. So basically I wrote Aftermath as the story I wanted to read. I originally started drafting it as a screenplay, but then I saw the potential of it as a series of novels. The story is epic in scope – it follows the survivors through the end of civilization, and its conquest by this alien race. And by doing it through novels, I wasn’t limited to budget considerations you have when writing screenplays. But I did have the fun of shooting the trailer I made for the book. You can see that trailer here: https://vimeo.com/124008432
What’s next for you?
I’m about halfway finished with the second installment in the series, and hope to publish it later this summer. The working title is “The Whisperers.”
About Tom Lewis
Tom Lewis served in the United States Marines, before attending college, and then law school. He currently practices entertainment law from his office in Santa Monica, California.
Mr. Lewis has written and sold several screenplays, and is currently in post-production on a motion picture he wrote, directed, and produced.
His novel, "Aftermath," is loosely based on one of his screenplays. In writing "Aftermath," his goal was to take his readers through a post-apocalyptic America, where civilization had been crushed in an alien attack. The reader is taken on this journey through the eyes of his protagonist, 16-year-old Paige O'Connor, and encounters this hostile new world as she does.
"Aftermath" is the first book in the "After the Fall Dystopian Series," which will continue to chronicle the adventures of Paige and the remnants of humanity in their struggle to survive, and ultimately reclaim our planet from the invaders.
Giveaway
Enter to win the ebook Aftermath. Open Internationally. Ends June 5th
Tour Wide Giveaway
Lekeisha
My question is, can the author deliver within those 174 pages? It looks like it could be a good read. Hope I’m right. Added to my TBR!
Jennifer Bielman
Short books always scary me but some authors can create art in few pages.
ailyn
aliens, better than angels and zombies…. at least you know for sure that they will dissect you instead of eat you alive
Jennifer Bielman
LOL, both fates seem pretty bad.
andrea heltsley
Looks very interesting! Hopefully it turns out to be a great sci-fi book! Thanks for posting!
Jennifer Bielman
I hope so too.
Matt
I do enjoy aliens and the whole idea of first contact being an invasion, but it also seems a bit short page wise. But I think it will be worth the read. to the tbr list.
Jennifer Bielman
I love being scared by alien stories!
kindlemom1
I’m not usually a big sci fi person but I like that this is dystopian too. It sounds super interesting!
Jennifer Bielman
Yeah, a cool mixture of both genres.
Christy
Sci-fi/dystopians/fantasy are my jams right now. What I crave. And I’ve noticed that authors with experience writing screenplays are usually really good at making the story feel so vivid.
Jennifer Bielman
I never noticed the screenplay and book goodness relation, but happy to know now. 🙂
Barbara Elness
I’ve always been fascinated with alien invasion stories, and Aftermath sounds like a great one.
Jennifer Bielman
I love alien stories so much!
kimbacaffeinate
This remind me of Fifth Wave and I enjoyed that. Dystopian and Post-apocalyptic are always a favorite for me
Jennifer Bielman
I still need to read The Fifth Wave.
bn100
nice interview
Jennifer Bielman
Thanks!