A marine sent to another world, and a slum boy. Both hope to save the victims of war.

Oshun was bribed to fight a war on a red-sun world. During VR war gaming in cryosleep, she was best. She wasn't prepared for the catastrophe on that spaceship.

Frankie didn't know what a decent mean was until a terrorist took him away from the slums. The man treated him like a son, but Frankie knew he did bad things. He saw the victims of war. With a hover and a gun, did Frankie have the guts to betray his guardian and save them?

INTERVIEW WITH RAYNER YE

How did you write the Cyborg Assassin Trilogy?

I didn't plan it. I dictated into the dark in the forest while walking and during school runs, walking to and from the kids’ school. It's also called pansting or discovery writing. But I spoke the trilogy. The writing was the editing. That took ages. All I knew was that a certain character had to become a cyborg and assassinate a certain person. If I told you, it would be a huge spoiler.

Why did you write this trilogy?

Because after writing YuFu’s Run 3 and 4, I became really intrigued with Oshun Musa, an Agent in Command. I wanted to write about her childhood and the Artheun War, which has been referred to in all of my series, including those where portals are used. I also wanted a bit more background behind the Dawn Republic and Major Dondor.

Did Ender's Game inspire your first chapter? The beginning of book 1 reminds me of Ender’s Game.

You’re right. I didn’t plan that, but I have read Ender’s Game, and Oshun’s story looks like that in her first few chapters.

But how about Frankie? Why did you include this character?

The words just came out of my mouth. I dictated into the dark. I didn’t plan it. I did want to use my nephews' names in this series, though, because I used my other naphew and neice's names in Maki the Superhero so didn't want them to feel jealous. But I followed my heart and emotions and wanted the readers to feel sorry for Frankie, the slum boy. This trilogy is about communism and capitalism. I wanted to show the light and shadows of both political systems. I don’t want to be the author that prefers this over that or that over this. Someone always loses out when others prosper. That’s what I wanted to show readers.

Did you get ideas from living and working in communist mainland China?

Not really. North Korea inspired the Dawn Republic in Vorta. When I lived in South Korea, my adult students taught me a lot about the history. It became a bit of an obsession of mine. I’ll never forget when the North Korea Won was devalued ten times, causing many already poor peasants to commit suicide rather than starve to death. I’m not even a political person, but I am an environmentalist and humanitarian. The dark side of society is what I like to show in my writing. Maybe, just maybe, one of my readers will do something about it. I like to face the shadows.

But what about the weird people who live in the mountain?

I wanted to mention Biluvians and Noirplasts because in my second series about Planet Artheus, they are key to the plot. Hidden City was written about extensively in Chairman’s Treason and Chairman’s Escape. Because I wrote into the dark, I didn't know where the different characters' storylines were going. I didn't plan to write so much about Urkul and the Five Sisters, but it just happened that way. I am a multi-character author. It's hard for me to just stick to one or two characters.

Why do you like writing multi-characters?

I think it's just the way my brain works. I get bored writing about one person. Maybe after my narrating projects, I'll dictate two or three series at a time.

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