A Moray man, who was forced to give up work while he battled cancer, has gained a new lease of life by returning to his childhood passion for science fiction.
Rory Mackay, who lives in Cullen, still suffers side-effects from the chemotherapy he underwent after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
The illness forced him to shelve his job as a community carer, and still leaves him depleted of energy.
However, the 38-year-old found a silver lining to his ordeal by devoting his newfound free time to writing.
Mr Mackay grew up as a fan of Star Wars and Star Trek, and tapped into his childhood fascinations to fashion a new living as a professional author.
He has now released his second book, entitled The Key of Alanar.
The writer said: “About 10 years ago, I suffered from cancer and my health has never been the same since.
“I had to quit my job as a carer, because there was a period where I could barely function.
“But then I decided to focus on my dream of being a writer, it’s something I had always aspired to.
“Ever since I was a kid, I have loved science fiction, because of the imagination of it all.
“Now I like to use the genre to tell metaphorical stories, about who we are as people and what drives us.”
Mr Mackay still suffers from chronic fatigue, following complications with his chemotherapy.
He added: “My cells don’t produce energy as well as they should, and that causes a range of health problems.”
The author, who is originally from Glasgow, settled in the north-east about 20 years ago and has been living in Cullen for a decade.
He added: “Cullen is a beautiful place, and fairly quiet. I find that it can be a good place to shut yourself away from the world and write.”
Mr Mackay’s first novel, Eladria, was published in 2013 and his new release covers themes of loss and redemption.
He said: “This is a fantasy book, but it’s about the human condition, and how we deal with loss.
“The story is about being able to redeem yourself no matter what difficulties life throws at you, it has been inspired by my own journey.”
