The story behind the story

The Most Important Thing

the heroes

The characters did not come from my head. They came from the decades I spent interacting with all types of people from across the globe working in roles ranging from engineering to journalism. I observed them. I internalized them and when the opportunity arose, they popped out. I spent two years living with them, thinking about how they would react to things. One thing I observed: people don't always reach their goals, but they try hard. Really hard.

Brody

If you've spent time in a professional setting, you've met Brody. Likable enough. Driven. Has great hair. His soul is dying.

Saronda

She has a sponge-like curious mind. She devours math books, science books, books on logic. Her mom wants to know what it's good for. So does Saronda. She's a bit of a nerd. Sometimes she tweets.

Rebecca

Smart. Confident. On the fast track. Can be silly, even while saving the world.

Milo

Shudder. He's not a hero. He's a sociopath who wants to destroy your way of life. Oddly, you feel sorry for the guy.

Yasmin

Any more windmills you'd like to swing at Miss Yasmin? Sometimes you just need to take a step back, but not when you think societal order is at stake.

Axel the professor

Condescending ass oozing with sardonic grievance. He's a prick.

Wayne

"It'll take six months and a million dollars." You pretty much get this answer every time you ask him to fix the software.

Danielle Sközy

Aspiring singer/songwriter. Here are her songs so far: Danielle's soundcloud. She'll get better. She'll be young for a long time thanks to her dad.

And like most books:

Parents, a sister, coworkers, dogs, bosses, POTUS, a professor, therapists, the inventor of battlefield X-ray machines, a guy who sold his bar, the list goes on.

The OTHER Most Important Thing

the voice

(that's what people in the publishing biz call style. I think. Or maybe it's more of a vibe. Or tone. Maybe personality? It doesn't matter exactly what it is but it's really, really important to have it.)

I asked one of those know-it-all fancy AI chatbots what voice is: "Ultimately, voice is what sets an author apart and makes their work memorable. It is the writer's artistic fingerprint, leaving a lasting impression on readers and contributing to the overall impact and success of a novel."

If I had to guess, my voice is; I treat terrifying threats in a light hearted way. If you can't chuckle when your way of life is crumbling, how are you ever going to be happy on the road to dystopia we are on? I write with a touch of humor, but make no mistake, this book is not a comedy. I use intertwining parallel narratives. A lot happens from page to page. I also write with a sense of rhythm that comes from years of struggling to write poetry and music. I've composed hundreds of songs. Some are in my soundcloud here. I don't use chapters. Chapters were invented when we had attention spans. Now, we scroll the height of the Eiffel Tower each day on our phones, jumping from one story to another.

The Most Important Thing ( to me )

Why?

Why did I write this book? Another way to put it: Why did I write THIS book?

It's a question so important that I dedicated an entire page on this site. It's here. But don't rush off yet. I wrote THIS book because I had a couple things to say. I could've written a detailed explanation of my opinions but making it into a suspenseful tale was way more fun. For both of us. Before you dive in, I would advise that you be prepared to think. If you're looking for a breezy laid back story, it may be good set this one aside. At least until you can give it your full attention. No rush. The world will still be here. You may not be allowed to read my book when the new gov't is in place but there are rumors that Posilac is going to be cheap and available. Should it come to that.