Welcome to Authors & Allies: A Mind on Fire Summer Series – Where Stories Meet Strategy! Today, we’re diving into the world of sci-fi noir with Daniel Smallegange. He is the creative force behind 24th Century Dick—a genre-blending ride that mixes detective grit, intergalactic antics, and razor-sharp humor.
Daniel’s journey from journalism to sci-fi storytelling is anything but conventional. From arts writing to crafting cosmic mysteries, he’s carved out a style that’s equal parts witty, cinematic, and unapologetically original. If you love Bogart films, Chandler-esque detectives, or just the absurdity of green space prostitutes, this one’s for you.
Grab a coffee—or maybe a whiskey, since that feels more in Molloy’s wheelhouse—and let’s jump in!
Interview with Daniel Smallegange
Willy: You’ve got a journalism degree from Carleton University and a history of arts writing. How did you leap from chasing real-world scoops to crafting tales of intergalactic gumshoes? Did your reporter instincts shape your fiction, or was it more like hitting the eject button on reality?
Daniel: To be honest, when I was in grade 10, I completed a writing project for my English teacher. The assignment asked us to envision ourselves in 50 years and write an essay about our lives. As a shy and risk-averse kid, I chose to write a bleak fiction piece about a man living in an Orwellian Canada. In my story, the US had taken over Canada, creating a police state. Authorities banned any kind of Canadian symbolism, reminiscent of the Soviet Union, and everything felt bleak and gray. Dead trees filled the landscape due to environmental collapse. Unlike most of my classmates, who dreamed of becoming movie stars or astronauts with families, my story focused on a grim reality.
Anyhoo, was a bit influenced by 1984, Brave New World, Clockwork Orange, which I was reading voraciously in my spare time at the time. I got my first ever A+, and I never got As before. The teacher said he loved it and I should think of being a writer. Thus, at the age of 15, Dan the writer was born. I decided to get a J degree as it was a writing degree. Since I wanted to be a writer, any kind of writer, but really a fiction writer in my heart…. so it kind of went opposite to the question….
Willy: What’s the spark that lit up 24th Century Dick? Was it a single “Eureka!” moment—maybe a late-night epiphany involving aliens and fedoras—or did it creep up on you like a sneaky suspect in a dimly lit spaceport?
Daniel: The idea for 24th Century Dick came as for years I have been writing scifi comedy and horror comedy scripts. (None sadly ever got bought/optioned.) But I also love old noir Bogart movies and was watching them a lot. I decided to combine the two to make scifi comedy detective noir and had a great deal of fun writing it. It’s my favourite work I have done I think for sure.
Willy: Your book tosses sci-fi, comedy, and noir into a cosmic cocktail shaker. How do you mix these flavors without it all turning to mush? Did you ever hit a snag where the laughs drowned out the mystery, or the shadows dimmed the fun?
Daniel: No, I just create the world as I write and things fall into place. But I also tweak and edit things a lot as I work. I actually re-wrote the entire book a year ago to get it where it is today. The idea of making something really original was something I tried to do from the beginning. Hopefully the blending of genres work and people think it’s funny, but also there are a few scenes, like the fight scenes, where I hope people really have some anxiety and love for my characters.
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Exploring Sci-Fi Noir: An Interview with Daniel Smallegange continued
Willy: Molloy feels like he could trade quips with Sam Spade, but he’s kicking around in the 24th century. How did you dream him up? Did you channel classic noir icons, or was he more of a “what if Philip Marlowe had a jetpack” kind of vibe?
Daniel: As I mentioned above, I found inspiration in Bogart and the great noir movies from the 30s and 40s. I adore these films and based Molloy on Humphrey Bogart. Interestingly, I intentionally avoided reading Raymond Chandler until after I finished this work to prevent outside influence. However, people say my work resembles his, which I find gratifying. Now, I’ve read all his work, including the short fiction, and I love his writing. Those old black and white movies, especially The Maltese Falcon, influenced me significantly, and the plot is loosely based on or serves as an homage to it. I chose the name Molloy from a book by Samuel Beckett simply because I liked it and thought it fit well. Everyone refers to him as Molloy, even though that is his last name.
Willy: Comedy’s a tough gig—especially when your audience might be floating in space. How do you weave humor into your writing? Do you workshop your zingers, or just fling them out there and pray they land like a well-timed punchline?
Daniel: I just try and write what I think is funny. I don’t workshop stuff except in my own head, but I used to keep a journal of great lines/ideas. Whenever I had them would jot them down. Usually, it happens organically as I write, or edit, which i do a lot of.
Willy: Crafting a sci-fi universe that’s hilarious yet holds together is no small feat. How did you construct the world of 24th Century Dick? Did you sketch out every detail—planets, tech, shady bars—or let the absurdity lead the way?
Daniel: Well, it unfolds as I go, but early on I built the world which is basically a three star system. That in the 24th Century has been colonized by earth and that is where people travel to.… Other things get thrown in the mix and might be a tad unexplained, like the green prostitues. But I kind of like leaving a few things up in the air.
Willy: With your film industry chops—props buyer, actor, you name it—how does that big-screen lens shape your storytelling? Do you write with a director’s eye, maybe picturing Molloy’s close-ups or the perfect comedic cutaway?
Daniel: Not really, but I do think it would make a great movie. Or tv series, if you know anyone 😉 But I also have written a lot of scripts. I like writing punchy witty dialogue, and sometimes that molds the scene… if that makes sense.
Willy: Every writer hits a wall now and then—like a spaceship stuck in a tractor beam. How do you blast through creative slumps? Got a secret weapon, like caffeine-fueled rants or pacing with a prop ray gun in hand?
Daniel: I find a long walk can be inspiring for ideas. Sometimes, like with many writers, it pours out. Others it’s a long squeeze…. I find if I am tenacious it comes out. But I also need time off to write, so if I have a few months off, like when I re-wrote 24 CD last year, I can really get things done. Not so much if I am working 50-60 hours weeks on a movie.
Willy: How do you vibe with your readers? Any standout moments—like a fan letter that nailed your vision, or maybe one that left you scratching your head wondering, “Did we read the same book?”?
Daniel: I am just happy if a reader or fan says they thought it was funny and liked. It. I have had a few nice messages and conversations like that that make me happy. No stalkers yet, but a fellow can dream… (jokes)
Willy: What’s cooking in your writerly brain for the future? Are you doubling down on sci-fi hijinks, or branching into new territory—maybe something grim, bizarre, or totally unexpected? How do you see your craft leveling up from here?
Daniel: Well, if this book gets interest it is set up for a sequel. I would love to get into that. In the meantime, I write poetry and smaller pieces. I have a horror scifi novel that needs to be re-written called The Nexus Place. I may dive into it when I have time off. Oh, my blog Evidence From the Car Crash is there where I put my poems, and dorky comics and short fic fyi. Thanks, I enjoyed this interview Willy, DS
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