Two Books in Process...

November 5, 2020

I’m intending to add two works of fiction to this part of the site.

These are longer works and could be developed into full novels at some point. Maybe read this as: when funding/time permits.

The first is a story called “Simple Dreams” which is about a man who discovers that he does not exist. I started this work over 30 years ago and since the time of its conception the world has changed technologically and many of the ideas in the story are actually becoming viable in reality.

In this story the protagonist is living a relatively normal, happy life when he begins to notice some strange “glitches” in his perception of the world around him. Odd things that defy material explanation. 

Gradually he discovers the true nature of his existence, which is that he lacks corporeal physical form. His entire reality feed is being pumped in by a simulation system but in a way that has lead him to believe that he was experiencing the world with all of the sensorial stimulations that any true human would experience the world. He is the core subject of a computer science research project to convince a non-physical system that it exists in a physical world.

The story begins to turn when he gains access to networked systems and long-abandoned data repository containing all of the biological, computer trace, writings, and other digital artifacts belonging to a formerly living young woman. This woman donated her full data existence to research before dying of an incurable disease. 

Together the protagonist and his newly discovered partner seek to disrupt global weapons systems on a massive scale, building a “peace governor” that is beyond human ability to disable. 

The purpose of this work is to encourage readers to explore their own understanding of existence and question the purpose of life.

The second story I’ve been working on for years is untitled but fairly well developed. This story opens with a man catching a bus out of New York, leaving behind his wealthy girl friend and three oil paintings. 

As the story progresses the man, who is a painter, travels around the country in search of a new understanding of his life and his artistic motivations. He cuts himself off from his past and attempts to remain beyond reach of his former girlfriend.

Meanwhile, the girlfriend, who is devastated by the breakup and the loss of her best friend attempts to rebuild her life in the face of a raging addiction and crumbling mental condition. Although she is a well-known gallery owner and art collector, she attempts to hide the three paintings away from her friends, clients, and other artists.

When the paintings are accidentally discovered in her home a whirlwind of interest develops around the three works, their unique style, and the mysterious disappearance of their creator. As the story progresses the paintings gain more and more acclaim, despite her best efforts to keep them private and away from the art world.

The painter becomes famous in absentia until other pieces are discovered in his wake. The new pieces cause a fervor of activity and an international search for the painter. Once he discovers what has transpired, he goes further underground. 

At a critical point in the story the woman has to make a decision to either restore her own sanity and do away with the paintings forever, or seek another, more challenging path that will bring her closer to reuniting with her ex lover.