Manic Scribblers A-Z Challenge - F is for Future

F is for Future

When we think about the future our thoughts inevitably turn towards the issue of global warming and the effect this will have - indeed is already having - on the world.  Rising sea levels, floods or droughts, tears in the ozone layer, overcrowding, pollution and depleted resources are just some of the depressing threats hanging like a mighty Sword of Damocles over our future.  Grim.  But then technology is also advancing at a rapid rate and with knowledge and enlightenment comes hope.  


Vast numbers of writers love to speculate about the future in their fiction and even I have made a brief foray into the unknown in a short story co-written with my wonderful son.  Surveillance is set some time in the near future, in an uncertain world where knowledge is valued rather differently than we might expect.  Genius is seen as a threat by the controlling powers who fear for their authority over the masses.  Everyone is monitored in a surveillance society, including young children who display extraordinary intelligence.  Children such as Harrison Avery who, at the age of six, already shows unusual talents.

"Right then, son, let's see what we need to cover today, shall we?" Brandon said cheerfully, logging into the program.
"I'd like to do something different today, Daddy," Harrison said in a polite little voice.
Brandon glanced from the loaded program to the child.  "Oh yes?  What did you have in mind?"
"A machine.  I'd like to make a machine."
Brandon spun around in his chair, his full attention now on the boy.  "Do you have any specific machine in mind?" 
Harrison nodded, full of confidence and threw his father a disarming smile.
"Yes.  I've thought all about it.  I want to make a machine to measure people."
Brandon's mind was like a well-oiled machine in its workings as it now ran through the permutations of Harrison's words and tried to second-guess what the boy had in his mind.
"What exactly is it you want to measure?"  He enquired at length.
"I want to measure people's truth," Harrison replied, making the words sound so ridiculously simple and straightforward that Brandon laughed in spite of himself. 
"And where exactly did this idea come from?" 
"From Uncle Russ." 
"What?"  Brandon asked sharply.  "What does Uncle Russ have to do with it?"
Harrison wriggled his small frame into a more comfortable position on his chair so that he could sit back, which he now did, resting his arms on the armrests although, of course, these were too high for him and lent him a certain comical appearance, like any small child emulating an adult. 
"Uncle Russ couldn't tell when I was speaking the truth or telling a lie.  He couldn't work out the difference and that meant he didn't ask the right questions.  And the twins don't speak the truth and they hurt each other by telling lies.  Telling lies makes people angry or sad.  So I want to make a machine so that people can measure each other and see when they are telling the truth or telling lies.  That way they won't have to be angry or hurt any more."

Changing Genres - For Better or Worse?

I'm coming up to my first anniversary as a published author.  A published romance author, that is.  My first novel, The Apple Tree, was released last December and since then I've had three further romances published.  Now does that make me a romance writer, I wonder?

I never saw myself as such, but it seems that my readers do.  Not that I mind that, but I worry a bit about changing hats.  Last month I published a short science fiction story (Surveillance) with my lovely son and it was such a great experience that we'd love to write more in that particular sub-genre of sci-fi - providing, of course, people want to read our work.  But what I have found is that reaching a whole new set of readers is not easy and the last thing I want to do is upset readers who only want romance but are faced with something else.

Next month I plan to publish another speculative fiction (Killing Jenna Crane) and quite frankly, I'm feeling rather nervous!  Although it centres around romance, it's by no means a traditional romance, more what I would classify as a psychological drama and I wonder what readers will make of it.  I intend to try to make it clear that it's not a romance, so that no one will feel cheated.  At the same time I hope that readers will be open to trying slightly new and difference genres and that I find lots of new readers without driving away my old ones.

Releasing a new book is always exciting (and rather nerve-racking) and moving away from a tried and tested formula also takes courage.   I just hope it will prove worth it.

Here is an extract from  the short story, Surveillance, in which six year old Harrison's parents discuss their fears about losing their second child.

Long after Russell had retired for the night after a further generous helping of single malt, Brandon and Claire sat in the study talking.  Brandon preferred the study, not just because it was completely safe and soundproof, but because it commanded surveillance of the entire house.  If Harrison awoke or Russell decided to go for a wander, he could be ready to act immediately.

"I wish we could just...disappear," Claire said, panic sounding plainly in her voice.

"You know that's impossible, Claire.  There is nowhere we could hide." He above anyone knew what a surveillance society meant in terms of hiding from the authorities.  "Dammit, I just hadn't banked on Russ coming back so soon.  It gives us so little time to think of something."

"Can't we put him off?  Maybe say we have something else planned?"

"The last thing we want to do is arouse his suspicions by doing something out of character," Brandon pointed out. "He's only trying to do his job, after all."

"Then what are we supposed to do?  Sit back and let them take him away from us?  Just because he's too clever?"

Brandon gnawed at his lower lip as he glanced absently at his bank of screens.  "We can't change the law.  We've known the risks all along.  We chose not to deny his thirst for knowledge, knowing it could be his biggest threat...correction, our biggest threat."

"Didn't some old writer say the law was an ass?" Claire's voice sounded bitter as she rubbed at her temple to smooth away the pain that was threatening to engulf her.  "There's no way we can let him be used as some experimental laboratory guinea pig, just because he's so clever!" Tears began to slide down her face, causing her husband to groan in love and concern for her misery, which no one understood better than he.

"Don't worry, darling.  We're not giving up yet.  There has to be a way to fight this and I'm determined to find it.  If there is a way to protect him, I'll find it.  I promise you that, Claire, if I have to die in the process."

Surveillance is available from Amazon, Smashwords and other e-book outlets, for  just  99 cents (£0.77).

Highs and Lows and Killer Reviews

When there's a high, a low usually seems to follow.  It's a pity, but that's a fact of life.  I had a high this week in that I did something quite different.  I collaborated with my son to write a short sci-fi story.  We published it together and felt reasonably happy about it, waiting anxiously to see what people thought.

And then came the low.  One of those kiss of death three star reviews within hours of release.  But hello, the reviewer proclaimed "Sci-fi just doesn't grab me...."  This was written by someone who has read my other titles and was disappointed that I'd strayed from the rose-tinted path of romance into thorny pastures new. 

We made it very clear this story was science fiction - even putting my son's name first as the author, so why would an avid romance fan go and download a sci-fi story and then complain because it was a sci-fi story?  It makes me feel like running away somewhere to find a cave to hide away from humankind and its strange, unfathomable ways.

Ah well.  I'm pleased and proud I wrote a story with my son.  It was a fun experiment and we enjoyed it and had hoped to write more in this genre.  Unfortunately my son became quite disheartened by the review and his interest has flagged somewhat.  But who know, perhaps after a few more people read it and (hopefully) have something constructive to say about it, he will change his mind.

The story is set in a surveillance society of the not too distant future.  Brandon and Claire Avery lost their firstborn at the age of six and are naturally very anxious to do all they can to ensure tragedy doesn't strike again.  But Harrison, now also six, shows all the signs of being a child prodigy and genius in this strange new world is a very dangerous thing.  Harrison's development is monitored closely by Russell Carr, a government doctor who will show no compassion to the parents if Harrison is designated a genius.

Warning: Surveillance is a science fiction story of approximately 40 pages.  Please don't download it if you dislike the genre. It is currently available from Amazon, price 77p.

About the authors:

Alexander is a child of the 80s who holds degrees in Computer Science and Law.  He currently works as a computer programmer for the financial industry in the City of London but somehow manages to squeeze an unhealthy number of videogames and RPGs into his busy schedule.

Lynette usually writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense but, in the days when she did more reading than writing, was an avid reader of science fiction - as well as practically every other genre.