Why do you have two pen names?
Part of the reason has to do with branding. I use "Carl Martin" for writing fiction and astronomical science.
Growing up in a household with two people identified by the same name poses a special set of problems. My late father and I were both "Rod" or "Rodney." Sometimes, I was "Little Rodney."
After the family moved from West Texas to the D.C. area, I decided to use my middle name to help make things easier at home. I was starting at a new school, had new friends—the timing was right.
For the next forty-five years, I went by "Carl." My first science fiction novel used "Carl Martin." My 3D astronomy software, "Stars in the NeighborHood," used the same name.
In 2009, when I decided to get serious about a writing career, I decided to dust off my first name and to put it to use as my non-fiction pen name. I wrote blog articles and, from the feedback, developed some book ideas.
So, I use "Rod Martin, Jr." for most non-fiction.
Why do you write about so many different topics?
Throughout my life, I've been interested in many things—art, mathematics, archaeology, history, physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, climate science, mythology, anthropology, genetics, linguistics, spirituality, comparative religion, movies, literature and much more.
Through it all, I've been interested in the big stories behind civilization and knowledge. These fed my storytelling interests. Each field gave me ideas for new fiction drama.
But within the learning, I found that I could see patterns that few others—if any—had noticed. I felt like an Indiana Jones or Thomas Edison making discoveries.
Read more of this interview.