When fans first heard about an upcoming Aliens novel set in a world of shields and spears last year, message boards and Facebook groups lit up. What would it read like? Was this a straight-up fantasy novel? Was it just a wacky experiment?

Luckily for us, we were in good hands all along. Scott Sigler's intricate story takes us places unexpected, different, and thrilling—and though it turns out to be (at least in some ways) a "fantasy" novel, it's Aliens through and through.

In this interview, Scott joins Jaime and Patrick for a wide-ranging discussion on inspiration, creativity, story, and much more. He also took time to answer listener questions submitted via Building Better Worlds, so stick around all the way to the end!

iTunes: bit.ly/shoulderoforionitunes // Google Play: bit.ly/shoulderoforiongoogleplay