Launch: [dis]connection
Launch Day!
Today, [dis]connection went live! This book has been in the works for a long time and I’m really excited to bring it to the world.
Why Technology & Mythology?
Because those are the things I love. As a kid, I’d be playing video games at home or hanging out in the mythology section at the library/bookstore. One of my favorite memories as a kid was when my family use to go to this used bookstore and I found an very old book on Egyptian mythology. Growing up where I did, you didn’t find books on mythology outside of Greek myths. Every time we’d go to that book store I’d leave with the myths of another culture: Irish, Chinese, Mesoamerican, Pacific Islands, Central African, etc… (note: I recognize these are VERY diverse cultures and one word cannot contain all the intricacies of these amazing civilizations).
I would read the stories of heroes, gods, monsters, relics and just love it. I supplimented my mythology reading with games like Dungeons & Dragons, with modern myths like comic books (if you doubt comics as modern mythology look at the Marvel & DC box office earnings but more importantly, ask people questions like who said “With great power comes great responsibility” [Uncle Ben from Spiderman], or “Who is the Joker?” [Batman], or just say “Yeah, that’s my kryptonite.” [Superman] people will know what you mean).
Technology to me is modern magic. It is the fuel of the future and of wonder and of possibility. It is also a deadly weapon that can bring down everything if not weilded responsibly. Software developers weave worlds of 1s and 0s as mechanical & electrical engineers stitch silicon, lithium ion and plastic together into devices that manifest those worlds.
To me, the fusion of technology and mythology made complete sense. It is a rich ground for new stories, new horrors, new worlds.
Is the tech in [dis]connection real?
It is all based on real tech today. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) system is taking what we can do today with cognitive computing and machine learning and pushing it a bit further to general AI. The AI character can make decisions on her own (or not, see what you think is happening as she stares at the moon) and that is a bit further than what we have today for AI.
Today, AI is trained to “A” task. It does that task exceptionally well but cannot flex outside of that task. As an example, the Natural Language Generation (NLG) tool I use to write poetry and stories is great at writing but cannot draw a picture.
And what about the 3d printer that makes a person? Well, that is also pretty far off but the seeds of the technology exist today. The field of Synthetic Biology is doing some amazing things in thinking about DNA & genetics from an engineering perspective. CRISPR allows editing to create new treatments and medications. We can 3d print organs that are almost (if not already) ready for human use.
We can’t print a whole person but we’re getting close. In 10-15 years, I might have to take this book out of the science fiction section. Maybe I’m a bit optimistic (or pessimistic depending on your view) there.
And the mythology?
I guess I burned out on Greek mythology as a kid. I’m not super interested in it but I love most other world mythologies. In [dis]connection, the mythology that started my ideas is based in Sumerian mythology. Tiamat is the serpent goddess who represented primordial creation. The 7 referenced in the book (missed it? Make sure you read to the end of the book…ALL the way to the end) are the 7 children Tiamat had with Apsu. The 11, were the monsters Tiamat unleashed for vengeance against her husband’s killers.
Why this myth? I love how old it is and that there are so many rich characters in it. The imagery is vivid, the story complex, the characters are highly extensible. Overall, there is a lot of space for this myth to grow in the story.
On top of that, I also was a UFO junkie as a kid. Thinking about UFOs visiting ancient cultures and shaping humanity was always a fun thing for me. I thought these mythological creatures in [dis]connection could have some really fascinating “alien”-ness to them if I merged that concept with the Lovecraftian idea of “the Great Old Ones”. Now, these weren’t just aliens, they were/are eternal entities that shape all there was, all there is and all there ever will be. So, where does tech collide with that? How would we counter such things with the modern hyperconnected life?
Why so many characters?
Easy, the story takes place in a small town and a high school. For those who grew up in a small town, went to a small town high school, you know that everyone knows everyone. Which, if you’re not popular, is horrible. In this book, Erin is new and unpopular. In [un]learn we discover why she was so unpopular but in this book, we have a fairly large parade of people moving through Erin’s life.
But, Erin doesn’t know everyone. In one part of the book she even says “I’ve never seen these people before.” and means it. She’s gone to class with them everyday but never noticed them because she notices all the people she wishes she was like. Like many people, I found myself focusing on who I wish I was in high school instead of enjoying the weirdo that I am.
Embrace the weirdo people! You’re not the only weirdo out there and chances are the other weirdos are looking for you too. (Just to be clear, I mean nice weirdos not creepers :) )
A series? What’s next?
Yes, [dis]connection is book 1 of a series. Why? Because I wanted to tell a long complex story where the characters grow up, old, and with each other. I wanted to show how life lets us, sometimes makes us, drift apart and together.
The next book [un]learn picks up right where [dis]connection leaves off. Then there is a few year gap before the next book starts [be]coming. We’ll see how Erin and Caylee grow together and apart after the events of [dis]connection and through the COVID-19 pandemic (remember [dis]connection takes place in 2018). [un]learn will probably come out in early 2023 we’ll see how demand and sales go (higher those things are the sooner the book will come out because I’ll prioritize it).
There is another series starting soon too that runs in parallel with the Pandora Project. That will be launching later this year. The first book in that series is called Library of Lessons & Lies and it will take place in 2010 and in Richardsport, Pennsylvania (not Glen Coast, MD).
Expect to see Library of Lessons & Lies later this year (2022).
Side stories
I have a few ideas on side stories that I might build out in a collection/anthology of novellas. Some dive into Quincy’s story. Others dig into what the Inquisitors are doing at Glen Coast University. And, even others explore the gaming/virtual reality worlds of IntelliDyn. If you’d like to see more with these stories let me know. I’m not sure if I’m going to put energy here yet. Gotta figure that out. I see these stories more like Disney+ series than motion picture releases (i.e. full novels)
And now a poem for Poetry Friday
Thank you all for your support in the Poetry Friday group. I don’t think I would have gotten this far without your encouragement and support.
Here is another entry from [dis]connection (on sale now :) ). In this scene, Erin has just completed a statistical analysis of what make someone popular at Glen Coast High School. With this information she’s planning on going to the mall for a transformation to hit reset on her rough start to the year.
Equinox
Today is the Equinox.
As the leaves begin to fall,
I’ll rise,
showing them who I can be.
My app’s results are in.
2,412 profiles.
239,002,931 data points
with a summary I can act on.
I need
new hair:
no more curls,
make my hair less like a pile of red leaves
and more like a waterfall of flame.
96.2% of Donna’s female friends have long
straight hair.
I need
new clothes:
no more jeans,
no more hoodies,
bright,
flowery,
happy.
87.1% of Donna’s friends wear
bright colors daily.
I need
a smartphone:
to post,
to comment,
to share
pictures,
videos,
the mundane.
98.8% of Donna’s friends post
10 to 20 times a day.
Tonight
after school
starts a new season
for me,
for my life.
The data
pulled from SocialNet
can’t be wrong.
It is
not reality.
It is
what we wish reality was,
who we wish we were,
and now
who I will be.
<end>
Thank you to Mary Lee for hosting Poetry Friday. Make sure to check out her blog for some excellent poetry!
Thank you all for your support! I hope you enjoy [dis]connection. Also, [dis]connection is available for Kindle Unlimited so, if you have a subscription, feel free to try it out before you buy it.
