Devon Eriksen - Theft of Fire | Episode 206

Devon Eriksen always wanted to be a writer. As a child, he was persuaded to abandon his aspirations in favor of a career in software engineering. Two decades later, he retired to finally fulfil his ambition to write imaginative hard-science fiction in the vein of authors like Asimov, Heinlein and Niven. He self-published his first novel, Theft of Fire, last year to an excellent reception.
Devon joins the show to discuss why his book incorporates alien technology, the role of patronage in the digital era, his unusual approach to obtaining feedback, and MUCH more!
Important Links:
- Theft of Fire - devoneriksen.com/theft-of-fire; by Devon Eriksen
- Devon’s Website - devoneriksen.com
- Devon’s Twitter - / devon_eriksen_
- Introducing: The Life of David Rhoiney - newsletter.osv.llc/p/introduc...
Show Notes:
0:00:00 Intro
0:00:44 Centralization & Institutional Corruption
0:17:45 The Evolving Nature of Resource Constraints
0:23:18 Why Theft of Fire Features Alien Technology
0:28:57 The Musk Dynasty
0:34:03 Architects vs Gardeners
0:42:50 Editing, Feedback & Beta-Readers
0:49:49 Audience Capture & Disagreeableness
0:55:25 “Money is a measure of fu*k*s given”
0:59:33 Patronage & Intellectual Property in the Digital Era
1:15:27 Permissionless Writing
1:20:18 How to Become a High-Agency Character
1:28:11 Devon as Emperor of the World
Books and Articles Mentioned:
- Theft of Fire; by Devon Eriksen
- The Ultimate Resource; by Julian Simon
- The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress; by Robert A. Heinlein
- The Population Bomb; by Paul R. Ehrlich
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance; by Robert M. Pirsig
- The Status Game: On Human Life and How to Play It; by Will Storr

[@sluggo3slug]

Fabulous intellectual. My new favorite!

[@dl5244]

well done interview! so glad I found this channel

[@gabehere]

He is not only a great writer but also really well-spoken. Loved his book and will love whatever he does next.

[@Edwardtonnn]

Very cool!

[@dameanvil]

00:01 🌟 Humanity's growth stems from overcoming challenges, requiring courage fueled by knowledge. 03:41 💬 Three categories of pessimists: programmable individuals, those mistaking cynicism for intellect, and power-driven traditionalists. 07:39 🌐 The internet challenges traditional narrative control, fostering diverse perspectives and reshaping power dynamics. 11:40 💡 Centralized media institutions incentivize corruption, whereas decentralized platforms like Twitter offer diverse news sources and empower individual judgment. 15:32 🔄 Humanity historically evolves by confronting and solving problems, with technology driving progress despite short-term challenges. 20:18 🌍 Technological advancement shifts focus from raw resources to human ingenuity, reshaping societal dynamics and resource utilization. 23:28 🛸 Incorporating alien technology in fiction introduces mystery and wonder, enhancing storytelling possibilities while adhering to logical extrapolations in hard science fiction. 26:00 🚀 Devon Eriksen discusses the importance of avoiding lazy writing in science fiction by creating believable technologies and societal structures. 29:01 🧠 Eriksen's use of AI derived from the consciousness of human children in his book reflects the fascinating aspects of childhood neurology. 30:29 💡 Eriksen's writing style emphasizes respect for the intelligence of readers, avoiding lecturing or hectoring, and reflecting common thoughts and experiences. 31:48 🪐 The character Miranda in Eriksen's book is loosely based on the idea of descendants of Elon Musk becoming prominent figures in a future solar society. 34:11 📝 Eriksen outlines his approach as an "Architect" writer, meticulously planning plot points and character arcs before writing, to ensure coherence and avoid inconsistencies. 40:39 🌍 Eriksen's extensive pre-writing process involves world-building, character development, and plot outlining, with thousands of words devoted to elements readers may never see. 42:31 📚 Eriksen acknowledges the strengths of both "gardeners" and "Architects" in writing, appreciating the narrative freedom of gardeners while emphasizing the importance of structured planning. 47:03 📣 Eriksen highlights the necessity of feedback for writers of all styles, emphasizing the value of diverse perspectives in beta readers to identify weaknesses and suggest improvements. 48:32 🔍 Eriksen's most valuable beta reader provides invaluable feedback due to her differences from the author and her blunt honesty, offering fresh insights and pushing for improvements. 51:37 🗣 Devon Eriksen discusses his highly disagreeable nature, which influences his approach to handling reader feedback. 54:08 📝 Devon values reader feedback, particularly focusing on what readers liked and how they felt about the narrative. 57:35 💱 Devon discusses the evolution of money and the potential of blockchain technology to reshape currency and value exchange. 01:00:09 🖼 Devon explores the concept of intellectual property rights, emphasizing the need for a nuanced approach that balances compensation for artists and access to artistic works. 01:07:00 💡 Devon delves into the challenges posed by new technologies like AI and the necessity of adapting copyright law to address emerging issues. 01:13:31 🏆 Devon highlights the importance of status seeking in influencing pro-social behavior and the need for a healthy model of rewarding behaviors that contribute to societal welfare. 01:17:39 🚀 Believe in yourself creatively; focus on creating something that resonates with your audience rather than seeking approval from experts. 01:20:13 🧠 Building agency is possible through knowledge and understanding that hard tasks can be overcome with effort. 01:23:28 🌱 Hope is essential; spreading hope through stories of overcoming challenges can inspire others. 01:29:02 🌍 Embrace decentralized thinking; nobody has a monopoly on good ideas, and society benefits from individuals pursuing their own ideas freely.

[@anandkapdi4822]

❤

[@FeydTheRonin]

The dude's an insufferable provocateur on twitter. Then when people predictably investigate his book (which he relentlessly shills alongside his political tweets) and review his work poorly, he and his wife report one and two star reviews to try and get them removed. It ultimately buries a lot of the legitimate criticism about his work, so he ends up getting a lot of free attention on top of the stuff looking better than it is (since legit low reviews are also reported). Win-win I guess, so long as you have zero qualms about executing actual agitprop to sell a few copies. Innumerable authors just put out good work and promote it purely on its merits rather than the stuff this guy does. I imagine he must feel justified - the dude seems to put more efforts into his tweets than his prose or characters.