Between Two Worlds: T.K. Toppin on Culture, Creativity, and Crafting Science Fiction
In the realm of science fiction, where imagination meets possibility, T.K. Toppin crafts universes with the precision of a watchmaker and the wild abandon of a dreamer. "I tell lies, write them down, and call it fiction," she declares, perfectly capturing the delightful paradox at the heart of her creative process. A Barbadian author whose cultural heritage spans two continents, Toppin weaves elements of science fiction, space opera, and speculative fiction into stories that pulse with mystery and adventure. Her work, from dystopian epics to vigilante tales, transforms the extraordinary into the profoundly personal, creating worlds where the impossible feels within reach and characters whose struggles resonate across the stars.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Toppin pulls back the curtain on her creative process, revealing how her self-proclaimed expertise in procrastination serves as fuel for her imagination rather than an obstacle. She discusses everything from the influence of her Barbadian-Japanese upbringing to her evolution as an indie author, offering insights into the careful balance of scientific accuracy and creative freedom that defines her work. Through it all, she maintains that the best stories must remain grounded in human truth, no matter how fantastic.
Jonathan Crain: You describe yourself as someone who “tells lies, writes them down, and calls it fiction.” Could you elaborate on how this philosophy shapes your approach to storytelling?
T.K. Toppin: Well, think about it. Creating fiction is basically lying. The bigger the lie, the more fantastic the tale. And fiction is actually a lie. The true talent is to make people believe your tall tales. I’m still working on that part. *grins*
Jonathan Crain: Barbados has such a rich cultural and natural backdrop. How has growing up there influenced your writing and the worlds you create?
T.K. Toppin: Where to start? For one, being Barbadian (Bajan, as we say) is a unique thing, and everything about it is home for me – the smells, sounds, ambience, the vibe. I’m also Japanese, and despite being born in Barbados, our household was very Japanese, right down to speaking the language at home (I’ve forgotten most now). So, I have two cultures influencing me. Throw in what we get leaching into our little island from abroad, from television, news and people in general, there’s an incredibly rich mélange to wade through. So, in my writing, I borrow a little bit of this, a little bit of that, mix them up and conjure lies!
But all this aside, being “different” in a small island setting, as a child, instead of actively participating, I tended to hang back and observe instead. People-watch. Being a sponge by watching and learning. Typical shy kid on the outside, but with a swirling, most times cluelessly chaotic imagination inside. I wonder if that’s why I had temper tantrums. Like, a lot. Anyway, the less attention I drew to myself, the better (never worked that way though, I still stood out). But through this, I guess I’ve drawn in a lot of good creative fodder to expel into the world.
Jonathan Crain: What drew you to focus on Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, and Space Opera as your primary genres?
T.K. Toppin: I love science fiction! The weird things, the anomalous things, the stretch-your-mind things. Oddly enough, sciences and scientific mysteries have always fascinated me…or rather, prompted questions, the infinite “what ifs” and “why nots”. While I like fantasy as well, sometimes, I find it trying to read and follow/grasp (and to suspend belief, but then magic is real so yeah, I get it!). Mind you, a good fantasy movie is fine as I’m more of a visual person, and retain things better that way. And of course, there’s Star Trek! Through that show, and subsequent shows, I saw how one could combine the dry science in a more personable way. And that’s how I approach my writing. Peopling it (hopefully) with memorable and charismatic characters who drive the story along. Set against a sci-fi background that doesn’t necessarily have to be futuristic, with the believable science, and the possible what ifs in science. I’m also a firm believer in the “write what you want to read” approach. And I will admit, I often re-read my own books, you know, for fun.
Jonathan Crain: Your books, such as The Lancaster Rule and Bengaria's War, are set in detailed, futuristic worlds. How do you balance scientific accuracy with creative freedom in your worldbuilding?
T.K. Toppin: I normally try to approach it in a realistic way. I mean, there was a time when tricorders were no way believable or real, yet here we are now, walking around with smart phones and tablets. So, I try not to go too way out there in my futuristic worlds. At the core, I’m desperately hoping, humans will still be humans. We need and crave familiar things, so, for example, the notion of taking a pill for food, while super-handy with no cooking involved, isn’t going to be a thing. People like the process of eating, tasting, savouring. The food in pill format might exist eventually, for convenience, but who would give up eating a nice fat, juicy steak? That’s how I try to approach the worlds I create. Have believable things, add a bit of wow-things, but keep it real, everyday, and practical.
Jonathan Crain: What does your research process look like, especially for crafting the intricate political and social systems in your books?
T.K. Toppin: I have the world at large to study, experiences to draw from, and also, history to relearn from. Everything is out there. These days, more so than a decade ago. And these days…wow, you can’t make that stuff up!
Jonathan Crain: Many of your characters face moral dilemmas and existential questions. How do you develop such complex, layered personalities?
T.K. Toppin: People are weird that way. Also, I resort to my people-watching and how different personalities deal with situations, then throw in some randomness and extreme scenarios and see how the words flow. In some instances, I can draw on personal experiences and simply expand on them.
Jonathan Crain: What role does your self-professed “doctorate in Procrastination” play in your writing process? How do you overcome challenges like writer’s block?
T.K. Toppin: Ha! I see procrastination as a good thing. Refueling and restocking the creative well. By doing “nothing” it gives the mind a break. As for writer’s block? Hmm, I don’t think I’ve ever really experienced that. Or I don’t see it from that angle. I think you reach a point where the fuel runs low, so you need to pause, do other things. Hence the procrastinating. I recommend. But then, not everyone has the same writing process. What I do, works for me.
Jonathan Crain: Each of your books seems to tackle a different aspect of humanity, whether through dystopian regimes in The Lancaster Rule or interstellar politics in Bengaria’s War. What recurring themes do you find yourself returning to across your works?
T.K. Toppin: I usually like to have a totally random and unexpected twist. I’m a great reader of mystery books (and most every genre has some “mystery” to solve), and the ones that keep me riveted are the ones with twists. I think the only book that doesn’t have a twist, is Grosjean. That was a pretty straightforward, fun, action-adventure ride. Okay, it did a couple of meandering sidelines, but the story itself was pretty clear cut, and I hear, fun to read.
Jonathan Crain: Jax Marlin, a vigilante doling out justice, and Josie Bettencourt, a pod-survivor in a tyrannical future, are strong, resilient characters. How do you approach writing compelling female protagonists?
T.K. Toppin: Why not? Wait til you meet Bis Rose. *grins* I approach it because I see men and women being “basically” the same – at the core – we have the same wants and needs. Just because you’re one or the other, shouldn’t change the core and what drives a person or makes them tick. In the world’s I create, I steer away from gender inequalities, and write about people. Everyone’s an equal. And if it does exist (rarely), I don’t even draw attention to it by mentioning it. The worlds I create, there’s no place for inequalities. I write about good vs bad, what new poo the universe flings at you, and how and what one does to deal with it.
Jonathan Crain: With short story collections like Technicolour Sandbox, you’ve explored speculative and quirky tales. How does the short format differ from writing full-length novels for you?
T.K. Toppin: With short stories, you get to tell the story faster – get to the punch line quickly. Sometimes, a story doesn’t need to go any further, or have more details to it. I think it’s a little harder to write a short story, and resist the urge to embellish more, but it’s also a great way to hone your craft. I’m constantly trying to “get to the point” when I write shorts, and use the minimal amount words without losing the body of the story. Sometimes it’s hard, and sometimes, you don’t really need to get into the details. Trying to find the right balance is the key. For full-lengths, I get to relax a bit more, waffle a little, expand some bits, have more time to develop the character and embellish on the world-building. One day, I want to try my hand at flash fiction. Now, there’s a challenge!
Jonathan Crain: Indie publishing can be challenging, but it also offers creative control. How has your transition from traditional publishing to indie publishing shaped your career?
T.K. Toppin: When I first started out, I was lucky to get signed by a small press. Really small press. But it was great, as in showing this novice the ropes, and opening her eyes to the publishing world. There was a lot of hand-holding and explanations, and other authors signed on with them who’d give me advice and counsel. I learned a lot. But after a year and a bit, I also learned it could be limiting but I had no concept – yet – of indie publishing and what that entailed. There was this huge stigma of indie books, and their authors, as being crap. Anyway, despite my background in graphic/commercial art, and what I wanted and thought best for cover art, it got nixed and they used their own artist. While that was great, the results were…meh. Not what I’d pictured in my head, despite the detailed specs I’d given them. And then of course, there was the limited amount of changes/tweaks to the cover. I think you were only allowed two changes. So what I got was what I had to live with. Editing was another issue. While great that I didn’t have to pay for it, the results left me questioning their abilities sometimes. Now, here I am starting out, still learning the craft and thinking I’m lucky to have work professionally edited. Five years later, during the a reread, I wasn’t impressed. I’d learned much in the five or so years (2009-2014), with The Lancaster Trilogy complete and another new book (Jax Marlin) with another small press. In those years, I’d met some incredibly talented authors, all indie published. I got inspired.
When I left the small presses, I immediately changed the cover art for The Lancaster Rule, designing them myself, and how I wanted them to look in the first place. I’ve been full-fledged indie since 2016 and haven’t looked back since. While it’s tempting to try again to see if I can beguile the traditional publishers or agent, I can’t muster the effort right now. Because: Yes. I have better control. Yes. I picked and chose an editor who “got me” and my writing and also showed me how to improve my prose. Yes. I control the cover art and what I want it to look like. But the only thing I miss is the hardest part – marketing!
Jonathan Crain: What are you currently working on, and what can readers expect next?
T.K. Toppin: Currently working on a brand new Jax Marlin novel. I wasn’t going to at first, the story arc of Jax and her copper ended when I completed the short story collection. But a few lines popped into my head, so I wrote them down to “let it rest”. When I went back to it, thinking this would be something along the lines of a short story or new novel (that’s how I ended up with Bis Rose, but that’s another story), I ended up writing it the “style” or “vibe” of how I wrote Jax Marlin. Sort of visceral, graphic, a bit cheeky fun, and lots of back and forth snappy dialogue. Before I could stop myself, a new Jax novel was born. I’m hoping to finish in the first quarter of 2025, and maybe have a summer release.
I’m also working on a few shorts for a “Secret Project”. *wink-wink*
And aside for all that, I’m always scribbling down sentences, paragraphs and ideas that expand into stories.
Jonathan Crain: If you had an unlimited budget to adapt one of your books into a film or series, which would you choose and why?
T.K. Toppin: Oh, wow! All of them? I don’t even know if I can pick one over the other. I could give you the six best ones though: The Lancaster Trilogy – because it’s a rollercoaster ride. Raq – for the diversity and uniqueness of surviving a first contact moment. The Dark Without – because who doesn’t like a good revenge story. Jax Marlin – because FUN and vigilante justice. Bengaria’s War – because it’s epic and space battles! And finally, my latest novel, Bis Rose – a snarky, seasoned official bounty hunter traipsing about space trying to catch her foe. It’s fun!
Jonathan Crain: With technology and the virtual world rapidly evolving, how do you see the landscape of science fiction changing in the coming years, and how might it influence your future stories?
T.K. Toppin: We’re on the brink of intuitive tech going mainstream, it will definitely change the landscape, or become more fine-tuned from when people first started telling stories about robots and tech-stuff. Already, there are countless, amazing works out there about cyber-tech, artificial intelligence, whether good or bad. The presence has seeped into the books, the story arc, the characters, and will continue to do so because people find it fascinating to speculate. Who doesn’t like a good robot story? Or an all-to-real virtual world?
For my part, I’ve already had some stories with robots and virtual realities (my shorts especially). I prefer to keep the techie stuff more as aides to humans. An everyday thing, you know, where the robot are mostly benign and does the cooking or runs the errands. Or the intelligence interface helps to make life easier by doing the equations or navigating through space. But you won’t be finding me use AI to write for me. Storytelling is a unique human identity and gift. And last time I checked, I’m still human. *grins* But I can’t stop it, and it’s going to be used and appreciated my many. That’s a choice. All I can do is continue to write amazing, original stories.
Jonathan Crain: From tackling themes of humanity’s survival in The Dark Without to exploring virtual realms in Technicolour Sandbox, your works seem to oscillate between dark, thought-provoking narratives and lighter, whimsical tales. How do you decide the tone and style for each project?
T.K. Toppin: It all depends, really, and what is needed from the story. The Dark Without was always supposed to be a raw-nerve kind of story. A young girl flung into a designed apocalypse was never going to be a light-hearted read. Subconsciously, I suppose I darkened it, made it morose, depressing, provoking. With most of my books, it’s like life itself. There are dark moments, meaningful times, and humorous highlights. Most of my works have some form of humour in it, to break up the heavy, visceral stuff. Since I write character driven tales, I like to keep it as real and relatable as possible. But of course, with every good piece of fiction, you need to have those “oh-no!” moments and have them escalate ten notches higher than usual.
Jonathan Crain: What advice would you give to aspiring writers who are drawn to the genres of speculative and science fiction?
T.K. Toppin: Read, and read lots, within the genre and without. (I mean, I’ve even caught myself reading science magazines and journals). Read to see how the genre is handled. Read the old classics from the stalwarts, read new ones – read indie! Then just use your imagination and start conjuring tales! You won’t know until you try it, and you won’t know how to until you’ve done it and made many mistakes. And if you’re the chatty, people type, find and seek like-minded authors and interact with them – they’re everywhere on socials. Watch and learn and just keep writing. And also watch lots of TV. It helps, especially ones with a great story flow/arc and characters. Visually intaking the story helps with the “show-don’t-tell” part of writing. See how tension and suspense are handled. Everything is out there to learn from.
Looking ahead, T.K. Toppin's future burns bright with possibility. Her upcoming work, including a new Jax Marlin novel slated for 2025, promises to expand her already rich universe of characters and stories. As artificial intelligence and virtual reality reshape our world, Toppin firmly believes that storytelling remains an inherently human art form that she continues to master with each new work.
Her journey from a traditionally published author to an independent voice exemplifies the changing landscape of modern publishing, where creative freedom and authentic storytelling often flourish outside conventional paths. What sets Toppin apart isn't just her ability to craft compelling science fiction—it's her gift for finding the human heart beating at the center of even her most fantastic tales. Whether she's writing about interstellar warfare, vigilante justice, or post-apocalyptic survival, her stories remind us that even in the vastness of space or the depths of dystopia, our shared humanity makes any story worth telling.
As she continues to "tell lies" and transform them into fiction, Toppin remains committed to pushing boundaries while staying true to her core belief: that the best science fiction, no matter how far-reaching, must always come back to the fundamental truths of human experience. With multiple projects in development and her characteristic blend of humor, heart, and imagination, T.K. Toppin's voice in speculative fiction grows stronger with each new tale she spins.
Explore and purchase all of T.K. Toppin's books via the links provided here.