1592: Grounded science fiction and faith-driven storytelling with Barry J. Spaulding

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Many people don’t lose their love for reading and deep thinking; they just get buried under responsibilities, distractions, and endless screens until their imagination quietly slips into the background. Today’s guest, Barry J. “BJ” Spaulding, a former federal law enforcement officer and military veteran turned science fiction author, shows how stories can pull us back into wonder, responsibility, and faith. After 32 years of service, a divorce, retirement, and the pandemic, Barry finally returned to his teenage dream of writing, and the result is a growing catalog of books, including Dark Star, The Fight for Survival, and Who’s to Blame.

In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Barry shares how his background in the Army, law enforcement, and Dungeons & Dragons helped him build believable universes, flawed heroes, and grounded military sci‑fi. He explains why Dark Star took 15 years to fully come together, how he weaves real-world tactics, emotional trauma, and survival decisions into epic space battles, and why he refuses to write “perfect” heroes. His stories blend science fact, combat experience, and speculative fiction in a way that still feels human and uncomfortably honest about what people do when the stakes are life and death. Barry also dives into the deeply personal inspiration behind Who’s to Blame, a story about a man named George who spends his life blaming God for every tragedy, until God finally brings him to heaven for a direct, no-excuses conversation. Through that lens, Barry explores blame, loss, faith, and personal responsibility, asking hard questions like: What part did I play in what happened? and Do we create our own heaven and hell? If you’ve ever wondered how modern faith, free will, and suffering could be explored through a compelling story instead of a dry debate, this episode lays out a powerful blueprint.

Along the way, Barry and Robert talk about why reading and writing are more important than ever in a tech-saturated world, how books slow your mind down, force you to visualize, and create a private dialogue between the words and your soul in a way movies and social media can’t match. Barry shares practical insights into his writing process, why he often writes without an outline, how reader feedback sharpened his character development, and what’s coming next (including a twist-filled vampire novel, a heartfelt story for his daughter, and a Dark Star prequel and sequel). If you love science fiction, military thrillers, faith-driven stories, or need a nudge to pick up a book, and maybe a pen. Again, this conversation will rekindle your imagination and remind you why stories matter.