Bestselling author Nicholas Sansbury Smith has built a devoted fanbase with his adrenaline-charged, post-apocalyptic fiction – and he’s not done yet. Known for the acclaimed Hell Divers series, Smith returns to that ravaged world with RHINO: The Rise of a Warrior, a standalone novel that dives deep into the world of Hell Divers.
In this exclusive interview, Smith discusses what draws him to end-of-the-world scenarios, how his background in Homeland Security fuels his storytelling, and what it takes to survive in the brutal universes he creates. From outlining his novels to choosing an ally in the apocalypse, Smith gives us a glimpse into the mind behind the mayhem.
You’ve written multiple series in the post-apocalyptic genre — what draws you to these end-of-the-world scenarios?
I think the most compelling part of the genre is the question what if? I ask myself how I would respond to these scenarios and what I would do to survive. A lot of people probably wonder this exact thing, which is what makes the genre so frightening, and exciting.
How much does your background in Homeland Security and Emergency Management inform your stories?
Working at HSEMD really opened my eyes to threats I never realized existed. Most of these threats are natural disasters, things that have been happening for millions of years. Super volcanoes, solar flares, severe weather, earthquakes, etc.
With the global community more connected now than ever, and economies interlinked, major events like these can have a much deeper effect on humanity, threatening not just lives, but food supplies, resources, and economies. I didn’t realize how many threats there are to our civilization with more every year.
Of all these threats, I believe AI is the most concerning for our generation. It has the ability to reshape the world for the better, but also doom our species if left unchecked and unregulated.
RelatedRhino: The Rise Of A Warrior Offers an Unforgettable Blend of Action and Emotion
Did writing RHINO change how you see the character of X in the earlier books?
Not really, no. This story was so much about Rhino and the Cazadors that I focused on their empire and new civilizations like the Horse Lords. It was actually a lot of fun to come up with some new players in the Hell Divers universe. For a story I feared would be so limited in terms of plot options due to being on airships, I had no idea how big this world would really get!
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletterDo you outline heavily, or are you more of a discovery writer?
I am a very heavy outliner, indeed. I start with a beginning, middle, and end. Then I break those out into a chapter-by-chapter outline. I call this my map. After that, I make sure everything makes sense before I start writing. Typically, I update my outlines every day to make sure my ‘map’ is still heading in the right direction.
Who would you take as your ally if you had to survive in one of your apocalyptic worlds?
Good question. I would say it’s a toss-up between Rhino and Raven from Trackers. They are both highly skilled fighters. X and Beckham from Extinction Cycle would be runners-ups.
Huge thanks to Nicholas Sansbury Smith for taking the time to share his insights with us. Whether you’re a longtime Hell Divers fan or new to his pulse-pounding worlds, RHINO: The Rise of a Warrior is a must-read. It is an action-packed, character-driven story that stands tall on its own. Don’t miss your chance to dive back into the Hell Divers universe! RHINO is available now wherever books are sold.
