A LAMPETER author has written a sci-fi novella loosely based on a recurring nightmare he used to have.

Dark System, by Thomas Cave, is about a government mission to explore an uncharted nebula.

The 17,000-word story is said to have a ‘retro’ feel, and although the story is not set in Wales one of the main characters, chief engineer Llwyd, is a sarcastic and rebellious Welshman.

“I’ve been attempting to write science fiction for many years - I even submitted a Star Wars story to a fan fiction website in 2000,” Thomas, 35, told the Cambrian News.

“However, I never managed to create anything that was really worth taking further.

“Then in late 2008 I entered an essay-writing competition to recreate the American Declaration of Independence for the modern world.

“I didn’t win, but out of thousands of entries my essay was runner-up along with five others, this gave me confidence.

“That was when I decided to write Dark System, which is loosely based on a recurring nightmare I use to have.

“After many years of working on it intermittently, I finished Dark System and sent it to friends and family.

“The feedback was good so I decided to do something with it. My research indicated that the best option was to publish on demand.

“Then all I needed was to find professional illustrating, typesetting and editing services, which took a lot of time, money and effort.

“Finally I was able to upload Dark System to Amazon’s CreateSpace and KDP self-publishing platforms late last year. Now I am trying to market my book.”