How University life provided inspiration for author’s debut science fiction thriller

Rachel Munro, who graduated with a BA Hons in English at the University in 2009 under her maiden name of Rachel Cookson, has had her science fiction thriller Ephemeral Power published by Olympia Publishers.

The new book is a gripping tale of family secrets, hidden abilities and the struggle for control. As paramedics rush to the scene of a shocking incident, a young man’s extraordinary powers are unleashed in a moment of desperation. With his family torn apart and his future uncertain, he must navigate a world where danger lurks at every turn.

Rachel explained how her time at the University of Chester later inspired her debut novel.

She said: “Studying at Chester was an integral chapter of my becoming an author. The critical analysis I learned through classes such as ‘tragedy’ and ‘gothic’ taught me to question the message behind every text and intrigued me with concepts such as the Byronic anti-hero; all of which inspired tones within my writing today. I still keep a handful of critical essays, to revisit occasionally!

“A defining moment, in my second year, was a creative writing assignment – the first time I had ever written creatively for an 'audience'. I had an idea burning inside me and I needed to draw upon my experience to articulate it.

“Being a notoriously optimistic person, I had a deep fascination for the hidden strength that came with some of the darker emotions. In my three years playing for the amazing rugby union team, I watched in awe as teammates seemed to channel a strength I couldn't fathom; lifting others – myself included, during training – clean off the ground and through the air.

“This drove me into combining my love of words with scientific research around the way that our nervous systems can become almost ‘supercharged’ when our brain enters the fight/flight/freeze response. This hugely informed my creative writing assignment, based upon a young person who frequently entered this state of mind, to the point they could access this abnormal strength at will. But it came at a price; with the danger of a burned out and damaged nervous system.

“Essentially, this assignment was the first ever draft of Ephemeral Power. It marks the culmination of a long-held idea which I’ve been able to pursue to publication.

“Furthermore, living in a University house on Parkgate Road also taught me the nature of friends becoming family. I will never forget the daunting feeling of meeting eight strangers one day and viewing them as kin by the next day – irrevocably tied together by a shared experience. This is a theme that endures and is intricately woven throughout my novel.”

Since studying at Chester, Rachel – who now lives in Stoke-on-Trent – completed a Master’s in Education and has spent over a decade teaching children and adults across Staffordshire and Cheshire secondary schools, before becoming an English teacher at Newcastle College, with her passion to make a difference in the lives of those who feel unheard.

Professor Melissa Fegan, Faculty Postgraduate Research Tutor for Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Chester, taught Rachel in English. She said: “It is always lovely to see our former students retain their passion for reading and creative writing long after they leave us, and we're grateful to Rachel for acknowledging how her experience as an English student at the University of Chester continues to influence her.

“We wish Rachel the greatest success with Ephemeral Power and her future novels.”

Ephemeral Power can be purchased via Olympia Publishers and at Waterstones, Foyles and Amazon.

For more information on the range of English courses available at the University of Chester, visit: https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/english/.