Monday movers: Local author Rebecca K. Rowe

Rebecca K. Rowe (photo by Beth Gwinn)

This week’s Colorado Space Industry "mover and shaker" is local author Rebecca K. Rowe.

Rebecca is a science fiction author residing in Colorado. Her novel, Forbidden Cargo, has received critical acclaim from newspapers such as The Washington Post, the Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post. In addition to writing novels and short stories, Rebecca is a freelance journalist and a technical writer.

With a Master's in Mass Communications/Journalism from the University of Denver and a Master's in International Relations from the University of Southern California, Rebecca effortlessly injects a hard social science dimension into her writing. She is the associate editor of the Speculative Literature Foundation newsletter, as well as a member of the National Space Society, the Mars Society and the Denver Woman's Press Club. Rebecca’s first novel was a finalist in the Colorado Book Awards for 2007.

I reviewed Rebecca’s Forbidden Cargo novel in 2007 and can highly recommend it. As you’ll discover when you meet her below, her writing reflects her passions in life. Through her words, readers feel a definite connection with something far greater than themselves. When I recently put together a group of top SF short story writers for a young-adult anthology project, I knew I had to ask Rebecca to contribute a story. She did, and she cranked out a gem titled Yo-Yo: The Gift.

Let’s meet Rebecca and discover what inspires this inspirational local author!

BLE: Rebecca, how is your writing most relevant to the Colorado Space Industry?

Basically, when I'm writing nonfiction, what I do is take highly technical concepts and distill them so they can be understood by everyone. Many scientists don't have time to sit around and think about how to put their discoveries into everyday English. When there are so many new discoveries to be made, who wants to spend their time explaining why the latest data were so important or how they relate to and impact our daily existence? Well, that's what I love to do.

Whether I'm writing fact or fiction (or a little of both speculating on the future), what I'd like to see is more people inspired about space exploration. Not simply because of the practical scientific discoveries it brings like Teflon and Velcro, but as our greatest challenge to understand and harness the mysteries of our solar system and our place in it. Space exploration is our future.

As a nation, only when we start looking at space as relevant to each of us will we achieve the political support and steady funding we need in order to maintain our place as the world's premier innovators in space technologies and discovery.

BLE: What is your outlook for the space industry in general and Colorado in particular?

First of all, it means jobs—exciting space-related careers for over 170,000 people in Colorado. That's today. C.U. and universities across the country are inspiring and educating our future space workers. For example, just last week CU-Boulder students won first place in the national nanosatellite competition. A lot more needs to be done at the college and high school level to get students interested in what the sciences and the space industry (in particular) offer. Mentoring like you do, Brian, is so important.

Economic troubles aside, it seems to me that Colorado is an excellent place for space startups. Of course, financing any startup is a huge challenge, and developing space technologies like launch vehicles isn't cheap. I look at that as a momentary glitch in our space industry. Call me an optimist, but we've got Spaceport America developing down in New Mexico. We have Dr. Zubrin's Pioneer Astronautics in Lakewood.

BLE: If you could do any one thing and knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do?

Fail or not, if I could do one thing, I'd be on the first manned mission to Mars. There's a long list of more likely candidates ahead of me.

BLE: What hobbies interest you most? How do you like to spend your personal time?

I'm a reader so when it's negative degrees outside, I like to curl up by the fire with old friends like Arthur C. Clarke or Asimov. Or more recent ones like Robert Charles Wilson or Kim Stanley Robinson. Otherwise, I'm out with the other Coloradoans hiking, cross country skiing and snow shoeing.

BLE: Where did you grow up? Do you have a spouse, children, or other close family members? Any pets?

I've lived lots of places, even overseas in France and Australia, but I always call Colorado home. I'm married, and we live with a crazed white cat, as well as a red mutt and keep a lint roller next to the backdoor.

BLE: How would your best friend describe you?

I guess the first adjective that comes to mind is "determination" (sometimes described by friends as obstinacy).

BLE: What qualities do you value most professionally?

I value:

• Passion. People who do what they do because they love it.
• Simplicity. Abstractions are wonderful, but there's nothing like simple, straightforward clarity when you need to get something done.
• Humanity. When it all comes down to it, we're all human....Right?

BLE: What final message would you like to give to people reading this article?

Let's reconvene in six months and see what changes the world's brought us. This is going to be an exciting year for space exploration.

BLE: Thank you for sharing your thoughts and dreams, Rebecca! Best wishes for continued success and happiness. I’m looking forward to reading the sequel to Forbidden Cargo when it’s released. And if you achieve your goal of being on the first manned mission to Mars, please smuggle me along in your suitcase!