…and a quiet thank-you to the storytellers who inspired it
Before I ever wrote a word of Galaxy’s Child, I was a fan. A dreamer. A kid glued to the screen, watching crews fly through space, wrestle with alien threats, or quietly ponder the future of humanity.
Those stories lit the spark that eventually became Galaxy’s Child. And while I’ve put my own voice into the narrative, it’s only fair to acknowledge the voices that helped shape my imagination.
This is my tribute to a few of them.
🖖 Star Trek (especially The Next Generation)
Gene Roddenberry imagined a future that wasn’t defined by destruction, it was defined by hope. The Next Generation, in particular, taught me that science fiction could be smart, structured, philosophical and even quiet. Captain Picard didn’t shout to be heard. He reasoned. And in doing so, he left a lasting impression on what leadership, and storytelling, could look like. Without TNG, there would be no Philip Anders.
🔫 Stargate SG-1
Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner took a brilliant concept, an ancient wormhole network, and turned it into one of the most grounded, military-minded, yet heartfelt sci-fi adventures out there. Stargate SG-1 gave me a template for how to blend action, humor, character development, and world-building without ever losing the thread. It’s one of the reasons why Galaxy’s Child features a strong military structure, ranks, and protocols… and yes, a few rule-benders, too.
🛰 Battlestar Galactica (2004)
Ronald D. Moore’s reimagining of Battlestar Galactica showed me what happens when sci-fi gets personal. This wasn’t just about ships and Cylon threats. It was about grief, politics, leadership under pressure, and the limits of survival. It gave me the motivation to let Galaxy’s Child have emotional weight, to let characters make hard choices, carry guilt, and evolve.
✈️ Top Gun (and Top Gun: Maverick)
Okay, not technically sci-fi, but Top Gun gave me the blueprint for how to write a pilot.
The camaraderie, the confidence, the swagger and the crashes back to earth, figurative or otherwise, these elements helped shape the dynamic between Philip and the other test pilots. And yes, call signs are definitely part of the fun.
🛸 A Little Bit of Everything Else
Of course, influences come from all over. A shot of Interstellar’s emotion. A hint of The Expanse’s political realism. A dash of Transformers nostalgia. They all left their fingerprints on my imagination, and by extension, on the pages of Galaxy’s Child.
Why It Matters
Every writer starts as a reader, a viewer, a fan. And while I’ve created something original in Galaxy’s Child, I’m proud to say it carries echoes of the stories that shaped me. So to Gene Roddenberry, Ronald D. Moore, Brad Wright, Jonathan Glassner, Jerry Bruckheimer, and all the brilliant creatives behind these worlds: thank you. You reminded us that the stars aren’t just a backdrop. They’re a mirror, and a mystery worth chasing.
If Galaxy’s Child resonates with any part of that legacy, I hope you’ll take the leap:
📖 Available now in ebook, paperback, and hardcover: http://www.davidplloyd.com
David P. Lloyd 