LovettSome science fiction writers start as scientists. Not Alec Nevala-Lee. He always planned to be a writer, even going picking his college major with a literary career in mind. “I chose classical studies [at Harvard],” he says, though he admits he's now forgotten most of his Latin and Greek. “I always knew I would be a writer, so [I asked] what field would provide the most interesting toolkit for writing fiction: history, archaeology, linguistics, philosophy."Growing up in Castro Valley, California, Nevala-Lee encountered The X-Files in middle school. “I was a huge fan,” he says. “It came out when I was just the right age."He immediately began writing fanfic, and while his stories have since become very much his own, they still pay homage to his favorite TV show. “I enjoy stories set in the present day, on this planet, with fairly recognizable characters,” he says. “Most begin with unexplained events that seem almost paranormal. Then gradually an explanation appears.
