BookView Review

Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.

Recently, we interviewed R. F. Vincent about his writing and his recently released novel, Life at the Precipice, a fascinating novel about one man’s journey to redemption. (Read the review here.) Vincent is a professor of Physics and Space Science at the Royal Military College of Canada.

Tell us some more about your book.

Life at the Precipice is about redemption and how we handle traumatic experiences. Travis Sivart travels to The Segway, a seemingly impossible town on the edge of an abyss, and ultimately confronts his inner demons. Travis has a PhD in Physics, so he approaches the mysteries of the region in a scientific fashion. There is a host of colourful characters living at The Segway, each with their own fascinating tale of how they came to the town. The novel is a record of Travis’s week-long stay and his interactions with the townsfolk, which uncovers a disturbing connection between the source of his trauma and an earthquake that killed sixteen townsfolk forty-five years earlier. Ultimately, Travis realizes that he must confront his personal monsters if he has any hope of saving himself. The novel features a blend of fact, fiction, popular science, humour, and magical realism that propels the story to a compelling denouement.

What inspired the premise of your book?

I am currently a professor of Physics and Space Science at the Royal Military College of Canada, but in a previous career I was an Air Navigator with the Royal Canadian Air Force. I flew a few thousand hours on the CP-140 Aurora long-range maritime patrol aircraft. Without giving too much away, the source of Travis’s PTSD involves an incident onboard the CP-140. The premise came to me while flying on the Aurora . . . “What if this happened during a mission?” In the book it does happen. I leave that for the reader to discover. With my flying experience and science background, I am probably singularly qualified to write this tale. The beauty of Vancouver Island also inspired me to write the book. As an Air Navigator

I flew out of Comox, British Columbia and loved my time there. I placed The Segway on Vancouver Island because of my fond memories of the area.

How many rewrites did you do for this book?

The story takes place in 2003, the same year I first conceived the novel. I wrote a detailed outline and sent it to a large Canadian publisher. (You could do that without an agent in 2003.) An editor thought the concept was fascinating and asked to see the entire novel! I was working on my PhD at the time, so my six-month prediction for completing the book was not realistic. When I finished the novel a few years later, the editor was no longer at the publishing house. The book sat on the shelf for quite a few years as I pursued my academic career, but eventually I blew the proverbial dust off the manuscript and decided to rediscover The Segway. It took three re-writes to get the right blend of science, intrigue, character development and humour. Whenever I sat down to write, the town took on a life of its own and I felt I was there with its eclectic inhabitants.

How did your academic background influence the book?

I have a BSc in Geology, an MSc in Oceanography and a PhD specializing in satellite remote sensing. All these disciplines come into play in Life at the Precipice. Throughout the book there are references to popular science, including astronomy, theoretical physics, oceanography, and satellite remote sensing. Part of the re-writing process was ensuring the science remained accessible, interesting, and integral to the story.

Are any of your characters based on real people you know?

No, not at all. The thirty residents of The Segway are truly a unique group, all with their quirks, all with a compelling reason for being in The Segway. Every person in the town is broken in some way, but together they form a strong and caring community.

Which scene or chapter in the book is your favorite?

I think my favourite scenes are ones in which there is humour. The subject matter is serious, but the eccentricities of the local population create a natural springboard for funny situations. It’s impossible for me to write fiction without some humour woven into the fabric of the story, which is far removed from the dry scientific writing of my academic papers.

How did you decide on the title?

The novel was initially called Monsters of The Segway. My publisher strongly recommended that I change the title for marketing purposes. It was difficult for me to think of the book being called anything else and I struggled with a new title. And then it came to me: Life at the Precipice. My wife Jo Anne, who has been incredibly supportive and helpful throughout my literary journey, immediately said, “That’s it!” The Segway is physically on a precipice, mirroring the emotional precipice that Travis and other characters in the novel struggle with every day.

What’s next for you?

My next novel, The Girl on the Bridge, is completed and will be published next year. Whimsical, witty, and wildly imaginative, it is a love story for the ages. This book really makes me smile.

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