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Devastation Class
We were dating when we started writing the book, but were broken up by the time we were done. Don’t worry — we’re cool.
We met online on a site that no longer exists (nerve.com) and were a couple for eight years. We actually continued to work on the book and sold it to our publisher after the breakup. And now we’re writing Book 2 together.
We first connected over our love of science fiction.
On our first date we bonded over our mutual love of all things genre, and quickly determined we were massive fans of sci-fi, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Blade Runner, and Mad Max.
We’re big Battlestar Gallactica fans.
So much so that the first date turned into an overnight binge-watch of Battlestar Gallactica (the Ron Moore reboot version). How’s that for nerd-tastic?
Devastation Class started as an idea for a TV series, was written as a novel, and will probably end up as a film. Go figure.
Not too long after we started dating, we began talking about collaborating on a writing project together, with our core element being teenagers fending for themselves aboard a starship, a sort of Lord of the Flies in space.
We wrote three episodes of the TV version as well as a series bible. When we sent the material to a sci-fi nerd friend of ours who was working in publishing designing jackets for YA books, he suggested that we should write it as a novel. The story felt too big and too exciting to keep to ourselves, so we did just that.
We dedicated our debut novel Devastation Class to our dog, Anthony.
Sadly, Anthony passed away last December, but his qualities— foremost amongst them strength and fierce loyalty — were imbued in some respect into every one of the book’s protagonists. There’s even a character named after him — Anatoly — so he may be the most direct representation of Anthony, but Anthony’s pixie dust is sprinkled just about on every page of the book in some way, shape or form. Which is why we dedicated the book to him.
We were both film and TV producers before transitioning to writing.
Glen: I got my start in film and television as an executive at a company that made documentaries. The Academy Award-winning Undefeated was the first film that I produced when I went out on my own. From there I went on to produce projects like The Panama Papers, What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali, The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, Showbiz Kids, the series Dogs, and most recently, Challenger: The Final Flight, both for Netflix.
Elaine: My film and television career began as an assistant. One of my first jobs months out of college was working in Nakatomi Plaza (for all you Die Hard fans!) for the producer that won the Academy Award for Platoon. Quite surreal! I went on to work on The West Wing and then for nine years worked with the Steven Soderbergh and Greg Jacobs team on movies like Contagion and Behind the Candelabra, ultimately becoming an associate producer on Magic Mike XXL and Red Oaks.
We’re both still actively working in the film and TV industry while simultaneously writing Book 2 of the Devastation Class series.
We live in Los Angeles, but we both grew up on the east coast.
Elaine: I was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island and lived there full time until age twelve, when I moved to Nantucket Island. After graduating from Nantucket High School, I went to Boston University.
Glen: I grew up in Fort Lee, New Jersey, right over the George Washington Bridge from Manhattan. College took me to Madison, Wisconsin, but law school brought me back east to Brooklyn, New York.
We collaborated on a short horror film called “Swiped to Death” for Hulu and the Sundance Institute’s Huluween Film Fest.
It won the grand prize, and you can watch it on YouTube for free.
We both ride motorcycles.
Elaine: Glen’s first motorcycle was a surprise birthday present from his brother, and I got to help his brother choose it.
Glen: Elaine used to be a precision rider for Kawasaki.
We both love a cocktail called the Fujian Cure.
Lukshon, a restaurant in Culver City, CA, created this incredible cocktail with Isle of Skye scotch, Lapsang Souchon tea, black tea liqueur, galangal syrup, lemon juice, and a candied ginger garnish. We loved it so much we reverse engineered the recipe.
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