August Release
When thoughts are archived and searchable, the only choice is to obey. Anything else leads to punishment, which can include a trip to the recycler. Over 7 tales, citizens discover harmony is a mirage created by the ruling Institute for Reproductive Synergy, a body founded in wartime to mass-produce soldiers. That old conflict is a reminder that peace at any cost is better than the alternatives.
After two years of crafting, plotting, and polishing, my new book, The Recyclers’ Paradise is out. It’s the first book (a prequel) in the upcoming Dust of the Gods series.
Have you ever wondered about the grand questions in life?
- Where did we come from?
- Why are we here?
- Are aliens real, and if so, what are they up to?
- How will the world end?
This sci/fi fantasy offers perspectives on all of that through a series of seven, loosely-interconnected stories, most of which are set in the Milky Way’s galactic capital world.
How the stories came to into their current state is a tale of twists and turns and rabbit holes. (No actual rabbits were involved.) The original version came in at only 20,000 words, but it lacked all the detail and world-building that I believed was needed. Plus, at the time, it had fewer stories. As a result, much of that first draft was reengineered over the course of the first year of development. (This should not come as a surprise to fellow writers; rewriting is part of the game.)
But even that was not enough despite growing to 70,000 words. Still, there were missing elements, and there was an opportunity to delve deeper into the galaxy’s distant past, which plays a part in many of the attitudes and fears of the galactic citizenry.
The second year was all about editing and polishing, and here, insights gathered from beta readers helped seal the last remaining gaps in the story lines. Great thanks go out to Sue McKerns, for her reactions and suggestions were invaluable. You can learn about how that engagement went by reading the Goodreads post below (look for “message 27” dated March 31 post by J.N.).
Here’s an interesting tidbit: inspiration for this book came from tales my wife told me regarding her childhood in a foreign land. Of course, none of the book’s stories are about those experiences per se; instead, they set the tone that guided me forward.
Now, it’s time to pop some champagne and celebrate, and once the corks settle, it will be time to focus on the next project. The Dust of the Gods series will be epic in scope, but I don’t want to spoil anything. You can get a tiny glimpse of the series’ central struggle in the final story of The Recyclers’ Paradise.
In addition to epub and paperback editions, this book is also available as a hardcover. For more information, please visit its amazon page at the link below.