Libertycon
libertycon
It's not every day a writer gets to talk to a former NASA flight controller turned mystery writer, and Stephanie Osborn is one fine paranormal mystery writer. She’s brought Sherlock Holmes back to our modern day realm and turned him into a modern investigator with a cellphone. This time, he’s back in The Case of the Cosmological Killer: Rendlesham Incident.
Osborn, who hails from Clarksville, is, to say the least, an over achiever. As a youngster, her love of science fiction came from books by Madeline L’Engle, Ray Bradbury, H. G. Wells, and of course, Sir Author Conan Doyle. During college at Austin Peay State University, she earned a degree triple majoring in physics, chemistry and mathematics, with a minor in geology. For her master’s, she majored in astronomy at Vanderbilt University. Osborn is even a licensed minister.
For the duration of her 20-year stint at NASA in Huntsville, Ala., she worked as a payload flight controller, trained several astronauts, and worked with famous novelist Homer Hickam, who inspired many through the hit movie “October Sky.” Osborn has also been a police officer on an Indian reservation, a certified storm spotter, spearheaded a study of sand particles on Mars, and she’s a former polo player who’s on a first name basis with Tommy Lee Jones.
Now, you can meet her at LibertyCon, the annual science fiction convention held this weekend at the Choo Choo. Last year at LibertyCon, Osborn was the Science Guest of Honor. This year, she is celebrating the release of her new book. “I’m very excited about it,” she said. “People from all over show up.”
In Osborn’s series, Holmes is inadvertently brought to our present day world where he teams up with Detective Skye Chadwick, a character that Osborn said is loosely based on her younger self. The Scotland Yard detective must assimilate into the modern world. “He’s a little polite, a real Victorian gentleman,” she said.
Osborn’s first two novels in the series, The Case of The Displaced Detective: The Arrival and At Speed, have received critical acclaim and her latest will likely thrill fans.
“If you like the BBC series, you’ll like my books,” she said.
—Chris Kelly
LibertyCon
July 20-22
Chattanooga Choo Choo
1400 Market St.