Description

What’s it like to work at NASA… and then go write a novel about rockstars?

In this episode of Mad Props, host Chris Schnabel sits down with NASA engineer and author Zach Taylor to dive into two completely different worlds—space exploration and storytelling.

Zach shares:

• How he became a NASA engineer and what the job is really like
• The pressure behind working on missions that impact human spaceflight
• Why space exploration still matters (and what’s holding it back)
• The reality of NASA funding, missions, and long-term goals
• His journey into writing and publishing his debut novel Rockstar Echoes

The conversation then shifts into Zach’s book, exploring:

• The inspiration behind Rockstar Echoes
• Fame vs. the grind of making it in the music industry
• Building complex characters and long-form storytelling
• The realities of being an independent author

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Follow Zach Taylor
Instagram & TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/@ZachTaylorBooks

https://www.tiktok.com/@ZachTaylorBooks

Buy Rockstars: Echoes: https://bit.ly/4czPn2D

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Follow Chris Schnabel
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisschnabel
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YouTube: @Chris.Schnabel

Mad Props is a Schnabel Studios Production

Chapters

00:00 – Intro
02:00 – Chris announces Comicpalooza appearance
03:30 – Meeting Zach through Reddit
04:00 – How Zach got into NASA
06:30 – Life as a NASA engineer & pressure of the job
08:30 – Managing teams, workload & mission stress
10:15 – Why Huntsville is “Rocket City”
12:15 – NASA launches & witnessing history
14:30 – Why space exploration still matters
16:45 – Funding challenges & political impact on NASA
19:00 – Why getting to the Moon is so difficult
21:00 – Conspiracies, perception & public understanding
24:00 – Why Zach started writing
26:00 – Inspiration behind Rockstar Echoes
28:00 – Writing process & publishing journey
30:00 – Independent publishing vs traditional publishing
32:45 – Fame vs grind: themes of the book
35:30 – Female perspective in rock music storytelling
38:00 – Music industry realities & gender dynamics
41:00 – Research process behind the story
42:30 – What Zach wants readers to take away
44:30 – Future books & series expansion
47:30 – New project idea: “Skinsuit”
50:30 – Where to find Zach & his book
52:30 – Outro