Sci-Fi / Action - Adventure
Date Published: 07-09-2025
Publisher: Severed Press
The world’s richest man just made a killer deal with an alien
species; he sold them the human race! Now four warriors from Earth’s
past must battle to save its future on… THE DOOMSDAY PLANET.
Interview
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
I always have interesting ideas for stories, characters, and unique locations. But the real acid test is creating the book’s second act, which is where most great ideas grind to a screeching halt. It’s a problem I’ve seen a lot in recent movies, where, after a thunderous first third, the film suddenly bogs down in endless exposition or mindless action scenes to pad out the running time. I have several book concepts that have hit that second-act brick wall. I’ve found that time is the best cure for this problem, so I set it aside and move on to other things. Eventually, I’ll revisit those projects with fresh eyes and solve that problem. Once I get past that second-act hump, everything flows smoothly.
What are your most played songs?
I’d break that down more in terms of the artists than a single song. The late Warren Zevon remains my go-to artist. He was a gifted songwriter and storyteller. Most people only know him for “Werewolves of London” and “Lawyers, Guns and Money,” but if you dive into his catalog, you’ll discover songs that speak to you personally. If you’ve never heard “Mr. Bad Example,” you’re really missing out. My favorite band is The Replacements, led by songwriter/vocalist Paul Westerberg. His song “Alex Chilton” is one of rock and roll’s all-time greats. Like Zevon, Westerberg is a storyteller. In terms of setting the mood, I played two songs by Blue Öyster Cult repeatedly while writing “Doomsday Planet,” "Astronomy" and "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" (cowritten by Sci-Fi legend Michael Moorcock!). Turning the lights down and listening to those songs to put you in the right frame of mind for “Doomsday Planet.” While writing, I tend to listen to an endless loop of Brian Eno, Emily L. Sprague, and God Is an Astronaut—all highly recommended.
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
Not really, although I mercilessly inflict my books on my sisters. I tend to spend a great deal of time creating insanely detailed timelines, then write the actual book very quickly. That approach works for me, but isn’t as conducive to working with partners.
What book are you reading now?
“The Big Empty” by Robert Crais, but that won’t last very long, as Crais’ books are impossible to put down. His 2013 novel “Suspect” is one of my all-time favorites; a detective novel partially written from a dog’s perspective. If that sounds silly, you don’t know Robert Crais; he’s a genius. After that, I’ll jump into Robert J. Sawyer’s “The Downloaded,” which deals with a few of the subjects in “Doomsday Planet,” though in an entirely different fashion. Sawyer is such a gifted writer that reading his books humbles me.
How did you start your writing career?
At one point in life, I was producing films for the Playboy Entertainment Group. Most were erotic thrillers designed for their cable channel and late-night airings on HBO. If you saw a movie on HBO at three AM about a female police detective going undercover as a lingerie model or an exotic dancer, I probably produced it… I freely admit that I am not a perfect person. Initially, my work on those was logistical, figuring out ways to shoot a good-looking feature film in only ten days. But as time went on, I delved more and more into analyzing and revising the scripts, which wavered between being either blatantly silly or overly ambitious. I enjoyed the process, which led me to create, write, and direct a paranormal television series that ran for three seasons. I also produced a spicy science fiction series for HBO entitled Forbidden Science, and wrote two scripts for the show. At the same time, being a huge horror and science fiction nerd, I was contributing articles to Fangoria Magazine and Horrornews.net. After Forbidden Science, I wasted a year developing projects that were only read by lower-level development executives who passed on all of them. I channeled my creative frustration into writing novels because I’d rather write for like-minded readers than some anonymous junior executive checking boxes on a form. That being said, if you are a network executive seeking the next great series, I encourage you to read “Doomsday Planet” and consider handing me a big sack of money. My hypocrisy knows no bounds.
Tell us about your next release.
I have several projects going at once, so it’s hard to say which will be my next release. I’m close to completing a novel titled “Carnivorous,” a combination of a western and a creature story. I’m very excited about it, though that doesn’t mean publishers will share that enthusiasm. I’m also writing “The Gorgon’s Nest” for Severed Press, but that’s still a few months out. It’s the tale of a resurrected Soviet era EMP weapon that rips a hole in the fabric of time. I’m also very excited about writing a follow-up to “Doomsday Planet,” but that’s dependent on how well the book does. So, dear reader, please buy a copy and then encourage ten thousand of your closest friends to do the same.
Huge thanks to A Life Through Books for this interview and to all my past and future readers. Of the books I’ve written, “Doomsday Planet” is my personal favorite, and I hope your readers will check it out.
About the Author
Doomsday Planet is William Burke’s fifth novel, following a long career in film and television. He was the creator and director of the Destination America paranormal series Hauntings and Horrors and the OLN series Creepy Canada, as well as producing the HBO productions Forbidden Science, Lingerie and Sin City Diaries. His work has garnered high praise from network executives and insomniacs watching Cinemax at 3 a.m.
During the 1990’s Burke was a staff producer for the Playboy Entertainment Group, producing eighteen feature films and multiple television series. He’s acted as Line Producer and Assistant Director on dozens of feature films—some great, some bad and some truly terrible.
Aside from novels Burke has written for Fangoria Magazine, Videoscope Magazine and is a regular contributor to Horrornews.net.
He also served in the United States Air Force, reaching the rank of sergeant.
He can be found at williamburkeauthor.com
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