How Intergalactic Pandemonium Ensues in Kimberly Lemming’s Cosmic Chaos Series

We'll tell you—we love fantasy as much as the next person—bwwut every fantasy book takes itself so seriously. After all, there is nothing more intense than slaying dragons, transforming into an immortal being and changing the fate of the universe. If you were the main character, it would literally be life or death for you. Its understandable, but really, fantasy is all in good fun. So, what's the harm in a few jokes?

With her rapidly expanding catalog, Kimberly Lemming is filling the gap, providing the laughter and fun we crave.

In 2021, the Georgia native made her self-publishing debut with her Mead Mishaps trilogy. Dragons, werewolves and action scenes? Check. Talking swords and witty one-liners? Also check. Book by book, she has changed the tone and normalized that it's okay to let your guard down (literally and figuratively) with humor and hijinks in fantasy.

Four years later, Kimberly has signed with Berkley Publishing (an imprint under Penguin Random House) and is ready to offer something even more off-kilter: Cosmic Chaos.

The first book in the series, I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com, out Feb. 18, follows the story of wildlife biologist Dorothy Valentine, who is transported to another planet by an alien racing to save an endangered species. And yes, it is as wild and entertaining as it sounds—and has already solidified its place as one of our top reads of 2025.

We had the chance to sit down with Kimberly to discuss all things Cosmic Chaos. Continue reading to discover how the series came to fruition and her plans for future books.

Sweety High: You initially began as a self-published author. With the Cosmic Chaos series, you made your traditional publisher debut. Why did this feel like the perfect transition for the switch?

Kimberly Lemming: It was more of a call-my-bluff situation.

A couple years ago, I sold my Mead Mishap series to a traditional publisher. Those are the books that I started as an indie writer. When another publisher wanted a new series from me, I wasn't sure if I wanted to work with them, so I told myself I would make a book so ridiculous they would have to say no.

Half of my writing is done through spite and silliness. [Laughs] Many people were creating a stink over the fact I put "yeet" in one of my book titles (the second book in Mead Mishaps). On Twitter, it was like, "She's ruining literature! Who could put that in a title?" All kinds of nonsense. I can be so much worse, so I said what does trad not normally publish? Aliens, poly romance. And what would make them even more angry on Twitter? More Millennial humor. Let's add something weird, like Tamagotchis.

Eventually, I came up with the idea after watching Meerkat Manor. What if the researcher on that show got abducted by aliens, and those aliens were also wildlife biologists? However, they're wildly underfunded, and their whole task is to find mates for their endangered species. And they're the ones responsible for making it endangered because they had an oil spill on their planet. Not only do they need human women—they also need to create a new planet for both species. One way they could do that is by taking a quick scan of Earth, particularly in museums with a high concentration of DNA. And the aliens can grown and learn [with humans] on the [new] planet.

Because they did so little research on Earth, they had dinosaurs. They're like, "It's fine. It's still an Earth thing, right? [The women will] love it."

As a biologist, the main character is like, "I don't even care about the alien mate. I don't care that I was abducted." What she can't stand for is the complete lack of research these idiots did.

We got aliens, dinosaurs and a host of other silly things I could put in this book. No publisher is going to take them. But then, I sent it off to them, and they said yes. I didn't sign with them, but my agent and I did shop it around later. Sure enough, Berkley said yes—did not see that coming.

 

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SH: Where did you get your humor from, and why do you like to infuse it into your writing?

KL: Everyday life. My family, especially, is full of jokesters. We're constantly poking fun at each other. My life, in general, I can't be serious more than a few minutes.

When it comes to writing serious fantasy, why would I do that? It sounds boring! I'd rather have silly dinosaurs and Tamagotchis.

 

SH: Was there any difference writing intergalactic aliens of Cosmic Chaos compared to the dragons and werewolves in Mead Mishaps? 

KL: Well, I'll say I did a lot more research with my planet Waffles than I normally would in Mead Mishaps' fantasy. I love softcore magic systems where I can just explain it with "it's magic. Stop asking me questions." But with sci-fi, you have to make the world a little more believable.

Since Dory is a wildlife biologist, I thought through her lens. I ended up learning how animals interact with the environment, what a wildlife biologist actually does. I went down so many rabbit holes about dinosaurs, so she would know what she was talking about. It was fun. It gave me an excuse to watch a bunch of Animal Planet documentaries, which I love.

 

SH: What initially drew you to fantasy?

KL: I've always been drawn to fantasy, anything magical, whether it be anime, Studio Ghibli movies or reading fantasy books. I was never a big fan of contemporary romance. If there's not some kind of overarching problem or dragons, I tend to get bored.

 

SH: As a biracial women, why is it important for you to write diverse characters in the fantasy genre?

KL: I was sick to death of not seeing us in fantasy.  Don't we also deserve to save the world and be a fated mate? This is ridiculous! I'll just do it myself.

 

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SH: Do you have any future plans for your series—like adapting into a movie or television series?

KL: That would be a lot of fun, especially if it was animated, like Vox Machina or Castlevania. I would lose my mind.

 

SH: You initially left your job to pursue your passion. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers who want to do the same?

KL: Don't do what I did because it was the result of not being able to take it anymore. Thankfully, I had a few months worth of saving and a supportive husband who could pay the bills for a while.

If you do want to quit in a fit of rage, make sure you have a few months saved up. Make sure you have a backup plan in case it doesn't work. Even though I quit, I still took a part-time job with my uncle because I knew it would sustain me.

Take steps to protect yourself because the last thing you want to do is back yourself into a corner.

 

SH: Anything else you'd like to add?

KL:  Once you're done reading this, expect Cosmic Chaos book two. So far, the working title is I Punched a King and Now We're in Couples' Therapy.

 

Searching for even more fantasy books to read? Click HERE to discover seven novels every vampire lover should try.