Author Interview: Killswitch Protocol by M.J. Kuhn
Thank you so much for joining us for this Q&A! We’ll start off with one of our standard podcast opening questions–tell us something great that’s happened recently.
The greatest thing that’s happened lately for me is that I moved to a new city! I have always lived in Michigan, but I used to live quite far outside Detroit, which made it hard to get to fun things and events. Now, I’m a short bike ride away from dozens of bars and coffee spots and shops, and I absolutely adore it!
What are you currently reading or what’s up next on your TBR? What made you pick up this book?
Currently, I’m reading RELIQUARY by Hannah Whitten! I picked it up because I was shopping at my local indie bookstore (Love and Other Books) and got chatting with a bookseller, and she recommended it to me. Indie bookstores and booksellers for the win, because I’m really enjoying it so far!
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to start writing?
Hello! I’m M.J. Kuhn, a fantasy and sci-fi writer located in Detroit, Michigan! I have three published works so far: Among Thieves, Thick as Thieves, and my newest, Killswitch Protocol. I’ve been writing since I could hold a pen. I think the main thing that inspires me to write is straight up just my love of a great story. I love reading, I love chatting about books, and I love writing my own stories, too.
Who are your favorite current writers and who are your greatest influences?
This is such a tough question, because I feel like it’s always changing! Some of my personal auto-buy authors are Chuck Wendig, Nicholas Eames, Annalee Newitz, Joe Abercrombie, and C.L. Clark! My influences change for every project, I feel like. For Among Thieves, I was heavily inspired by Scott Lynch and The Lies of Locke Lamora. With Killswitch Protocol, I found inspiration in Altered Carbon and dystopian works like Lowry’s The Giver!
Like your main characters, we deal with a lot of algorithms in our daily lives (social media, news headlines, etc). How much inspiration did you get from reality? Did you set out to differentiate your world in a particular way?
In the world of Killswitch Protocol, every citizen has a chip implanted in their skull as a baby; then, every aspect of their life is ruled by an algorithm. The algorithm determines everything from what crops are grown to who gets to have children, and, as the title suggests, when each citizen dies. This world and technofascist system were definitely at least partly inspired by fears of what the future might bring when it comes to technology. I think a lot of the most impactful science fiction, particularly cyberpunk, takes our current technological and geopolitical systems and chases them forward to a logical (if “worst-case-scenario”) endgame, and I approached Killswitch with that same thought process!
Can you tell us a little bit about your characters? What are your favorite kinds of characters to write?
Killswitch Protocol has three points of view. Liv Spencer, an “everywoman” working a corporate job and living within the system without much questioning it (at least in the beginning), Signe Remy, a mercenary who is a part of the underground rebellion looking to bring the system down, and Reina Arthur, one of the CEOs who serves on the corporate board that controls the algorithm. Splitting the POVs this way allowed me to really dig into the different layers of the society in a way I couldn’t have explored without them, so I really enjoyed that aspect of writing this project! We also have our fiery rebellion leader, Torrin, and our lovable hacker, Emerson rounding out the main cast. I really enjoy writing all types of characters. My sweet spot is wise-cracking smart alecks who take a nonchalant approach to danger and are deadly with their weapon of choice. But I also really enjoyed the challenge of Reina’s character in this project. She’s a lot more withdrawn and calculating which was a fun archetype to explore!
“Algorithms” as a concept has an implication of impartiality, lack of emotion, decisions that run on math. In this book we see the concrete rebuttal that whoever controls the algorithm can directly manipulate the output. Was this concept always at the center of your plot progression?
The idea that the supposedly “perfect” system of the algorithm would be corrupted by greed and a desire for power on behalf of the “haves” over the “have nots” was always in the plans for this book! It’s something that has been very top-of-mind for me lately. When things are run by an algorithm, like social media or search results, etc., you always have to ask the question, “who is ultimately actually in charge of this algorithm?” I wanted this book to explore that idea, as well.
The reader is immediately introduced to a compelling gray area since the chip system that Liv is trying to dismantle does have genuine benefits for society. Can you talk about balancing that nuance?
I wanted to write a story about how messy rebellion against an unjust system can be. I have called this book my “feral scream into the void” because I used it to explore the horrible feeling of impotence that comes with being a lone actor struggling against systemic issues. The chip system makes the world of Killswitch Protocol an incredibly high-control society, allowing the ruling body to track, monitor, and even kill its citizens at will. It’s also allowed for incredible medical advancements and created a ton of convenience in citizens’ lives. How do we separate the good from the bad, and if the good is built on a foundation that is, ultimately, bad, can it even be separated out? That’s all something I wanted to explore in the text!
We were surprised with how Reina, one of the board members, was developed over the course of the book. Can you tell us about your choice to include a character that’s part of the oppressor class in our main ensemble?
Reina’s character was a really challenging one to write. I added her to my cast of POV characters because I wanted to be able to peek behind some curtains that only the ruling body of this society would be allowed to see. It’s through Reina’s chapters that we see just how tangled the systems that run this society have become, which I think was critical to demonstrating how much of a Goliath our rebel characters are actually up against.
This book also explores the fallacy that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” in that Torrin isn’t necessarily a good guy just because he opposes the current corrupt system. How did you walk the line between hero and villain in your characterizations?
I wanted characters on every side of this conflict to be a bit messy. I mean, I love a story where it’s black and white and the good guys are good and always fight for what’s right and the bad guys are bad and align with evil, but in real life, things aren’t like that. Having a just cause doesn’t necessarily make a person inherently good, especially if they’re willing to do bad or evil things to support that cause. I wanted to write something that explored the whole “desperate times call for desperate measures” question fully rather than giving my “good guys” carte blanche to cause violence and destruction simply because they’re doing it in the name of a worthy cause.
What was your favorite part of writing Killswitch Protocol?
Killswitch Protocol is my first sci-fi project and I really enjoyed the new challenges and opportunities I got to explore. It is far from hard sci-fi, to be clear, but I still got to do a ton of research on everything from climate change to light rail systems in order to craft a (hopefully) believable near-future society.
How different is the final version of this book from the first draft?
The final version of this book is, plot-wise, quite similar to the first draft. It is a lot angrier, though, haha. In my final edit on this book, I explored a lot of thematic elements I hadn’t really fleshed out in earlier drafts, like bodily autonomy, the impact of AI and other addictive technology on society, and the rise of technofascism.
What would you like readers to take away from this book?
I mean, I cover a lot of heavy themes in the book, but it is also meant to be an enjoyable read! I hope, more than anything, that readers have a good time with Killswitch Protocol… and also maybe it sparks some thoughts and conversations around what it means to rebel in a complex society.
Is there anything you can tell us about any current projects you’re working on?
I have a few irons in the fire right now! Currently, I’m in final edits on a fantasy adventure story that I call my love letter to Tolkien. My other projects are all horror, which has been a really fun genre to explore.
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for us! Do you have any parting thoughts or comments you’d like to leave for our readers?
Thanks so much for checking out this interview! Check out Killswitch Protocol if you want a fast-paced cyberpunk romp on your TBR!
And finally, where can you be found on the internet if our readers want to hear more from you?
You can find me at www.mjkuhn.com or on social media (mostly just Instagram) @mjkuhnbooks!
About the book:
In New Avarita, every person is born with a purpose. Once fulfilled, they are eligible for Ascent, a peaceful passing and assumed rebirth on the next plane of existence, celebrated for having left their perfect mark upon the world.
At least, that's what the powers that be want them to believe.
When Liv Spencer's husband reaches Ascent under more than suspicious circumstances, she doesn't feel like celebrating-she wants revenge. Her path takes her deep into the neon-drenched streets of New Avarita's seedy underbelly, a world filled with black-market cybernetics, synthetic drugs, and people who see Ascent for what it truly is: a killswitch.
Liv is soon embroiled in an anarchist plot to overthrow the ruling body of New Avarita, but the further she sinks into this world, the blurrier the line between "righteous rebellion" and "terrorism" begins to grow. With hundreds of thousands of innocent lives on the line, Liv must find a way to strike back against the fascist rule of the shadowy figures controlling New Avarita without getting flagged for Ascent herself.
