Today I am honoured to host the amazing LE Fitzpatrick as part of her release tour for ‘The Running Game’. She has written this amazing, geeky, heart-warming article about the importance of passing your passion for sci-fi and fantasy to the next generation. Read on – it’ll bring a tear to your eye!

SCI-FI THE NEXT GENERATION: A brief word about raising a Sci-fi fan by L E FITZPATRICK

When I became a mum there were several things I was desperate to pass on to my son: good manners, a love of food, and an unhealthy obsession with Sci-fi and fantasy. The latter has become a sort of competition with my son’s father – a die hard LOTR enthusiast. Unfortunately, despite my avid efforts to push Pirates of the Caribbean forward as a suitable alternative, I lost and for a brief while our living room became a homage to Helms Deep (the Lego version anyway).

But all was not lost. Having kept all of our old Star Wars toys (you remember the vintage ones that for the briefest moment were worth millions), I was able to coax the boy over to the dark side and, before he was three, he was able to quote, word for word, Episodes IV, V, and VI… we don’t bother with the prequels. It was a proud moment – if only I could have found a baby book that documented movie quotes and epic battle sequences instead of first steps.

Our excitement was heightened last year with the new Star Wars film and we booked a family day out to watch it. Although to be honest I didn’t watch the film. I watched my son’s face as the title screen came on. I saw his eyes light up as the theme music sounded, stirring all kinds of memories in us. As we watched Rey and BB8, I saw how a new role model was making herself into my son’s life. As old faces returned, I saw his brain compensate for the aging actors he wasn’t familiar with, become the faces he remembered from the earlier films. He squeezed my hand when he was excited, hid behind me when he was afraid, and I held him when he cried his heart out at… well you know what if you’ve seen it.

As we left that cinema, sniffling and trying to be brave, we went home and the first thing we did was put on some Stargate to “chill out” from our recent bereavement. We’re in season 6 now, and my son might be the only 7 year old in Wales that role plays Stargate in the playground with his friends.

Next on my list is my favourite – Firefly – he’s had his taste of the first episode and for the rest of the afternoon I had a mini Captain Reynolds shooting reavers in my kitchen, so I think we’re in for a win with that one too. Then maybe Farscape, a bit of Red Dwarf, Battlestar Galatica…. The list is endless.

But why is it so important I pass these cancelled shows on to my son, aside from them being awesome and better than watching whining vampires on TV? It’s because he gets to see team work in Stargate. It’s because he sees courage in Luke Skywalker. He sees strong female role models in Firefly. He sees the horror of evil and the power of good. Right and wrong and the grey areas in between. And he picks up the best one liners in history.

The geeky generation is drifting, albeit reluctantly, into adult life, and space ships are no longer just for kids. They’re for adults and families. They’re for parents to share with their children, like our ancestors used to share their mythology and legends. Now we can sit and recount life lessons in the tales of Jedi and lost Earthmen. And why do we do this? Well, because nothing in the world can be better than putting your son to bed, saying, “I love you.” And hear him say, “I know.”

About ‘The Running Game’

Title: The Running Game

Author: L.E. Fitzpatrick

Genre: Dystopian

Rachel’s father called it the running game. Count the exits, calculate the routes. Always be ready to run because they’ll always be coming for you. Whatever happens, they’ll always be coming for you.

On the surface, Rachel is just an ordinary doctor, trying to stay alive in war-torn London, but she has a secret. Rachel is a Reacher – wanted by the government and by the criminal underworld – for her telekinetic powers.

Charlie and his brother John had a reputation for doing the impossible. But after losing his family, Charlie is a broken mess and John is barely keeping him afloat. In desperation, they take a job from a ruthless ganglord only to discover the girl they are hunting is a Reacher – one of their own kind.

James Roxton, a conman and thief, is searching for the man who tried to kill his mother. Suddenly embroiled into the plan to kidnap Rachel, he decides he can turn things to his own advantage.

Even with the help of dangerous and dubious allies, can Rachel turn the game around and save herself?

Author Bio

L E Fitzpatrick is a writer of dark adventure stories and thrillers. Under the watchful eye of her beloved rescue Staffordshire Bull Terrier, she leaps from trains and climbs down buildings, all from the front room of a tiny cottage in the middle of the Welsh countryside.

Inspired by cult film and TV, L E Fitzpatrick’s fiction is a collection of twisted worlds and realities, broken characters, and high action. She enjoys pushing the boundaries of her imagination and creating hugely entertaining stories.

The Running Game, her latest book and the first instalment of her dystopian Reacher series, is due for re-release in October 2015 under the Booktrope label.

LE Fitzpatrick’s blog

Buy The Running Game at Amazon