Every Friday, we meet a member of the BFS and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). Want to be featured? Email us: online@britishfantasysociety.org
Name:
Valeriya Salt (she/her)
Which region are you based in?
I currently live in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. I was born in Belarus, then moved a lot around Eastern Europe—from the Black Sea coast to the Baltic.
If you write, which genre:
Sci-fi set on Earth, also a mix of sci-fi, alternative history, thrillers, and mysteries.
If you don’t write, what do you do?
I’m an avid reader and a book reviewer. I try to help my fellow indie authors by reviewing their works on my blog. I’m also a passionate gardener. I love spending time in parks and public gardens to draw inspiration for my own place.
Are you drawn to any specific SFFH sub-genres?
Grounded sci-fi set on Earth. I’m a history fan, so alternative history and time travel are also on top of my list.
Your influences
Tell us about the book/film/thing that got you into SFFH: What was it? How old were you? What impact did it have on you?
I watched all Star Wars and Transformers (available in the early to mid 1990s) and read a lot of Russian sci-fi classics (The Srugatsky brothers, Aleksey Tolstoy, Alexander Belyaev, etc) in my early to late teens.
Then, I switched from sci-fi to thrillers, horror, and historical fiction. I read everything from Stephen King to Robert Harris, from Carlos Castaneda to Dan Brown. Strange as it sounds, I wanted something more realistic yet still mysterious and adventurous.
Later on, I discovered Philip K Dick and Michael Crichton and watched the films and series based on their works. David Lynch’s films played a major role in forming my taste for everything otherworldly and unexplained.
How does that early influence show up for you (in life/writing/agenting/publishing/editing/reading) now?
All the above mentioned artists influenced my taste in reading and my own writing.
Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?
I draw my inspiration from everywhere: history, nature, music, folklore, films and books, travel. As mentioned before, I love my garden. There’s nothing better than to sit in the garden on a warm summer day and write or read.
(Pictured: Valeriya’s garden)
Who do you look to as a genre hero? Why?
Philip K Dick. His worldbuilding is sublime, his narration is dreamy and captivating, his realities are broken and superimposed on themselves.
David Lynch. I love his hyper-realistic yet bizarre style. His works remind us that the world around us is so much more than we can see and comprehend. He digs deeply into the subconscious, revealing the secrets which our psyche prefers to hide even from ourselves.
Your Work
You’re stuck in an elevator for 60 seconds with that hero, and they want you to describe your work. Give us the pitch.
My debut published novel, Dive Beyond Eternity, is a dark nautical sci-fi thriller set in the North of England. Zara Rose, a World War II naval historian who dedicated her research to submarines and naval tactics, is sent to investigate a mysterious German U-boat, accidentally discovered in the North Sea off the coast of Lincolnshire. The U-boat keeps a deadly secret, a Nazi super weapon, able to alter the present and the future, creating a labyrinth of multiple realities. It was just shortlisted for the Eyelands International Book Awards 2025.
My sci-fi adventure novella, Aurora Island, is set on a remote Icelandic island. In the centre of the story is the family drama of Andrea Zismann, who’s searching for her father’s murderers. She teams up with Leon Callais, a journalist who investigates the case. The search leads them to Iceland, where the truth is as elusive as Aurora.
What are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m actively promoting Dive Beyond Eternity while writing its sequel.
Thinking about all the stories/work you’ve done, what sticks out most in your mind? Why?
I always start a project as a plotter, carefully writing down the scenes/chapters’ breakdown, bullet points, and brainstorming main plot twists and turns. However, it rarely goes according to the initial plan. My characters, evolving and developing while I’m writing them, have minds of their own. Eventually, they start to change the plot. In most cases, it never goes where I thought it would.
Where and when do you create/are you at your most creative?
Nowadays, I don’t have much time for creativity as I have an eighteen-month-old baby. He’s keeping me busy all the time. However, I’m lucky to work part-time. So I usually write when I’m off from my day job and the baby is asleep, and during weekends when he goes to his grandparents. I prefer to write in the early afternoon rather than early morning or late night. I don’t set a certain page or word goal, just write as much as I can in one sitting.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
“Write not about what you know, but what you want to know” – Dan Brown. I think it’s a great piece of advice that makes me progress in the subjects I’m passionate about and constantly learn something new.
What’s your writing soundtrack?
Depends on the genre. Hans Zimmer’s soundtracks work well for worldbuilding, for example. For action scenes, I prefer rock such as The Prodigy, Linkin Park, or Rammstein.
The Quick-Fire Round
Sci-fi, fantasy or horror?
Sci-fi, sometimes psychological horror (nothing gory), and historical or folklore fantasy.
Quiet or loud?
Quiet
Dark or light?
Light for life, dark in writing.
Strict lines or genre blend?
Genre blend, genre mix, genre break.
Awards or bestseller?
Ideally both, although a bestseller means that more people will read my works.
Fiction or non-fiction?
Both, depending on my goal—research or entertainment and inspiration.
Poetry or prose?
Prose
Plotter or pantser?
Starting a project as a plotter, finishing as a pantser.
Reading or listening?
Reading. I remember information better that way.
Notebook or computer?
Both, depending on the circumstances.
Favourite SFFH book of all time?
It’s impossible to choose just one. If I need to choose from my recent reads, then The Man in the High Castle and Ubik by Philip K Dick. (Pictured: Valeriya’s own copies.)
Last book you read?
A Short History of the Future by Liam Hogan, a great collection of sci-fi short stories
Any SFFH author on auto-buy?
Blake Crouch, Robert Harris.
Favourite podcast?
I’ve recently discovered The Northern Voices, a podcast dedicated to the authors from the North of England. Greenhills Chats is also great for all sorts of creatives.
The Home Stretch
What’s the best thing about being part of the SFFH community?
First of all, I greatly appreciate its warm support. Secondly, the community provides great opportunities for learning from more experienced authors as well as sharing information about promotion opportunities, events, etc.
Time to plug your stuff! Where can we find you and your work? What have you got coming up? Consider this your advertising space.
You can find me on almost all major platforms:
- Twitter: @LSalt1
- Instagram: @valeriyasalt_author
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/saltandnovels
- Blog: www.saltandnovels.wordpress.com
You can find my works on my publisher’s site, here, and also in Waterstones (Sheffield, Leeds, and Liverpool have the book in stock) and on Amazon. DIVE BEYOND ETERNITY was just shortlisted for the Eyelands International Book Awards 2025!
My next novel, The Seeds of Sky, is coming out in May 2026 with Northodox Press.
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