Brian D. Hinson is joining us today to talk about his novel, Skies of Fire and Smoke. Here’s the publisher’s description:
When Germania revolts against the dragons that rule Europe, Lt. Johann Fischer joins the attack on the Citadel in his Fokker. The fierce war begins on that day, but the dragons and their allied Papal States wield an overwhelming power. Johann battles for his life, his secret lover, Emil, and the freedom of his people.
Kendensei, a Scale Guard of the Citadel, is sent to Germania as a spy, where she infiltrates Johann’s family as Gretchen, their live-in maid and cook.
As the inept Pope pressures the Kaiser of Germania to abandon his vainglorious war, Cardinal Lanzo Cellucci seeks the throne of Saint Peter for himself, by whatever means at his disposal.
Skies of Fire and Smoke is an alternate historical fantasy of brutal warfare and savage aerial battles, which criticizes predatory and hypocritical religious power, threading broad emotional arcs of its characters consumed in war and resistance.
What’s Brian’s favorite bit?
For my historical fantasy novel Skies of Fire and Smoke, I altered Germanic folklore, quotes from historical and scientific texts, and even the Bible, to include dragons in epitaphs that begin most chapters. In this world humans have shared space with dragons—a powerful, intelligent species—since their evolutionary beginnings.
So, all of history had to change. The London fire of 1666 was dragon-caused. The Reformation was stopped before it got off the ground, and dragons played a nefarious part. So, the Catholic Church remained mostly unchanged since the early Middle Ages. Columbus made it to Hispaniola…and that was about it. No colonization transpired, because dragons.
Most of my short stories are science fiction, tinkering with the future. This was a major departure for me, tinkering with the past on a grand scale across all the pages that comprise a novel. Most alternate histories deal with a split from what had actually happened with something that could have happened, and the timeline departs from the known to the imagined consequences of this event. In Skies of Fire and Smoke, our known history had split before anyone had written any history at all. This daunting challenge eventually became my favorite bit.
Religion is woven tightly into the quilt of history. This story takes place in Europe, therefore Christianity had to be changed. Of course, I could have invented an entirely new religion, but I prefer most things be familiar to the reader in an alternate history. The changes I made with the Bible were the most fun. It was a dragon in the Garden of Eden that tempted Eve. A dragon carried Elijah into heaven. A dragon blinded Saul on his way to Damascus. Most importantly, Jesus had a twin dragon brother, Ignis, born of the Virgin Mary as a larva. The Holy Trinity became God the Father, His Twin Sons Jesus and Ignis, and the Holy Dragon.
One thing that I didn’t change was the cruelty and hypocrisy of religious authority. History is filled with stories of religion used as a justification for horrible deeds, or employed as a cover for them. Power corrupts, and religious power works the same. One might think I’m being negatively critical of Catholics or of Christians, but that is not true. This book is critical of power structures, of people who abuse their authority, no matter what hat they wear.
All of this historical tinkering that I had so much fun with is “just” background, the world. But often, a solid background makes a novel feel just as alive as complex, relatable characters, as believable plot. The world is where everything plays out, and fashioning this one brought me great joy.
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BIO:
Brian D. Hinson abandoned an unfulfilling corporate career in 1999 to take up part-time work and visit forty-five countries in the backpacker fashion. He slowed life even further to settle in rural New Mexico, USA with his wife and three pit bulls to write science fiction. Short story “Disposable Gabriel,” in December 2023 Cast of Wonders, made Nerds of a Feather’s longlist for the 2024 Hugo. Two short stories are featured in Amazing Stories’ Best of 2024 and 2025. He has published nearly thirty short stories in various spec fic magazines. SKIES OF FIRE AND SMOKE is his debut novel.
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