Announcing My New LitRPG Space Opera Project (But Without Spoilers - I think)
I’ve been quietly working on something new for the past year, and I’m finally ready to talk about it at a high level — without giving away characters, plot points, twists, or worldbuilding secrets.
What I can tell you is this:
I’ve finished the first draft of my next novel, and it is my most ambitious project yet. It’s a LitRPG-inspired space opera that blends science fiction, cosmic exploration, emotional character work, and progression-based storytelling — all without the heavy stat-block interruptions that sometimes slow the genre down.
More details (title, characters, plot) will come later. For now, this is a look at the creative direction behind the book.
Why LitRPG? Why Space Opera?
I’ve always loved games — especially strategy games, RPGs, space sims, and 4X empire builders. LitRPG appeals to me because it mirrors the emotional reality of storytelling: you grow, you level up, you struggle, you choose, you evolve.
This new project mixes inspirations from things I love:
Mass Effect (squad dynamics & moral choices)
Stellaris / Endless Space (vast galactic scope)
EVE Online / Homeworld (fleet combat & tension)
Classic LitRPG (progression, systems, skills, upgrades)
But at its core, this is a character-driven space opera about growth, transformation, responsibility, and what happens when an ordinary person is thrust into something unimaginably larger than themselves.
No spoilers yet — but trust me, I can’t wait to introduce you to this world.
A Narrative-First Approach to LitRPG
One thing I wanted to avoid was what I call “stat-sheet fatigue.” You know the kind:
“Strength +1. Agility +2. Intelligence +1,”
every ten seconds.
These have their place, but for audiobook listeners (and I’m one of them), it can be overwhelming.
So I approached this book differently:
The systems matter.
The upgrades matter.
The progression matters.
But the story comes first.
The characters come first.
And the game mechanics support—not interrupt—the emotional arc.
A Word About AI Art (and Why I’m Cautious)
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I have strong opinions about AI art and the ethical mess surrounding how these models are trained.
Despite that, part of my professional role requires me to understand emerging tools. So I experimented with some AI models using my own line-art sketches from the new project.
Some images came out surprisingly well.
Some were uncanny and unsettling.
None will appear in the book.
They’re useful as reference, not art.
Even when AI gets something “right,” it gets it right by sampling from thousands of unlicensed human artists who deserve far more credit (and compensation) than the current system allows.
So again:
AI did not create this book, its characters, or its story.
Humans did.
Still, with all my testing for work… behold the highest quality slop of the day.
The unnamed, flawed main character of the forthcoming LitRPG.
Our main character on the precipice of an interesting evening with a drinking buddy of his.
Interdimentional entity making contact.
Starfighter flying over a planet.
Where AI Is Useful for Writing
While AI shouldn’t replace human creativity, I do use it for tasks that don’t require creative intuition:
Compiling market and convention research
Scraping or summarizing data into spreadsheets
Fact-checking social media claims
Organizing genre or comparative titles
Acting like a very fast research intern
But the story?
The characters?
The worldbuilding?
The emotional weight?
That’s all human.
More to Come (Without Spoilers)
This is just the beginning. I’ll be sharing:
the title (soon!)
the themes
the structure of the series
how LitRPG blends with cosmic space opera
the inspirations behind the world
the emotional heart of the book
I won’t be revealing characters or plot just yet — but what I can say is that this project has been one of the most creatively energizing experiences of my writing life.
A beta round will open soon.
Stay tuned, Cosmic Travelers.
PS: If you’re looking for more spoilerish content or the rest of newsletters/blogs of mine, register for my email list. In order to make these blogs searchable by Google, I am utilizing AI tools to make it into a clear schema. All my content, but yeah… the 100% human version comes via email in my lovable ramblings.