Randall Sharpe - Spirituality, Parapsychology, the Paranormal and Pseudoscience

Randall Sharpe began to write in the Astral Alignment universe at the age of eighteen, drawing inspiration from ufology and New Age spirituality to inform his science fiction, horror and fantasy. He is an avid tabletop and online roleplayer, holds a black belt in Uechi-ryu karate, and has begun to publish regularly after obtaining his degree. Randall can occasionally be found posting on various imageboards, sinking hours into Terraria or Starbound, and taking online certification courses to diversify his skillset.

Please give us a short introduction to what Astral Alignment is about.

Astral Alignment is the first book in a long-running series of science fiction and fantasy novels, set in a universe based off of new age spirituality, parapsychology, the paranormal and pseudoscience in general. It contains a lot of horror elements and takes heavy inspiration from online genres like analog horror and greentext stories, as well as older pulp fiction, lovecraftian horror, and the works of authors like Jim Butcher, Joe Hill and Guillermo Del Toro. Astral Alignment includes two main stories plus a smaller interlude, all set in the same universe but starring different characters. This particular novel contains some foul language but little to no sexual content, and the series in general features a diverse cast of characters. Astral Alignment is written in the third person limited perspective using a laconic, descriptive style that allows for short chapters, owing to the fact that each part was originally a collection of short stories. Core themes of the book include self-discovery, confronting the unknown and how leadership can be thrust upon an ordinary person.

What inspired you to create the universe of Astral Alignment?

I am prone to fantastical thinking and while still quite young was taken advantage of by what was essentially a cult and ended up believing in things that were very harmful. Now though, I use the sort of ideas they got me believing in and apply it to my writing, getting it out of my head and onto the page. That's why my books include so many elements of real-world pseudoscience, occultism, and conspiracy theories.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I am a black belt in three forms of traditional karate and kenpo.

The book combines elements of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. What drew you to these genres and how do you balance these in your storytelling?

I was raised on greentext stories, free-form roleplay and online writing projects that end up dwarfing Moby Dick, plus the sort of horrible fanfiction that physically hurts to read. Additionally, I love the old pulp sci-fi and weird tales as well as lovecraftian horror.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together. Astral Alignment is a passion project that has gotten me through some very hard times.

What challenges did you face in portraying a diverse cast of characters across a ten-thousand-year timeline?

The main issue is always making sure that I keep up with details so that I don’t create plot flaws, especially as I jump around through the timeline. I enjoy the idea of zooming in on individuals in this universe at various times and telling their story in that specific moment regardless of whether it is significant to the timeline of the universe or not.

The book features an autistic character with latent powers. How did you approach writing this character, and what kind of research did you do?

I have a great deal of personal experience with individuals as well as family members on this spectrum. For me it is no different than writing about any character and doing my best to see things from their perspective.

Did you work according to a plot or did a lot of it just "happen" while you were writing?

I have a rough outline of how I am planning for things to go, but my characters frequently surprise me and behave differently than I was intending!

How do you integrate real-world pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and spiritual beliefs into your writing without overwhelming the reader?

Many of the topics I work with are not overtly harmful or dangerous when treated with care. For example, numerology or astrology are extremely interesting and complex belief systems that many people find useful or comforting. I treat these ideas as scientific reality in whichever world or society I am writing about and write from that perspective. For the most part, I relegate the conspiracies and beliefs that are truly harmful to the villains of the story.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of self-publishing your work?

Freedom.

Astral Alignment is part of a larger series, including the spinoff series Alignment Archive. What can readers expect from the next installment?

Addendum offers an expanded viewpoint of Earth in its final days, introducing new characters and revealing the secret histories of a few that you’ll recognize from book one.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently creating a visual novel featuring one of the characters from the Astral Alignment Universe. This is a huge project and is most likely still a couple of years from release. In addition, I have the next three books in the series pretty fleshed out and those will be released more quickly.

Where can our readers discover more of your work and interact with you?

All of my works are currently published on Amazon. They are available in paperback, on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. You can reach me through my website www.randallsharpe.com or through my Goodreads profile.