Writing has such a powerful influence on patterns of thought or perhaps the mechanics of thinking. It is a rigorous discipline when pursued with dedication, one that demands forethought, precise expression (to be effective), and introspection. There is no escaping the fact that your work is staring back at you from a monitor or on a piece of paper. Writing a book also takes a certain amount of time, allowing for an evolution of thought as expressed in writing. And when you write a series over a period of years, the evolution of thought is also impacted by maturation and passage through life events. This was certainly the case in writing The Alarai Chronicles. Interestingly enough, however, it wasn't until a reader pointed out the true underpinnings of Exile to the Stars, the strong current of spiritual growth, that I took note. It was true.
While the first draft of Exile to the Stars was completed in about three months, at least 25 re-writes over a period of two years lay ahead. That's what it took - two years of gaining skill in writing, all the while drilling down into the heart and soul of the story until it lived and breathed. Until it had spirit and spiritual force. But I am no longer into bandying words or using convenient synonyms - the spirit of God permeates every volume in The Alarai Chronicles. That's about as unconventional or politically incorrect a statement as can be made about a science fiction series. You know, it's about science, about space and alien peoples, not about God! That's religion! What does God and religion have to do with science fiction?
Wow. Where to start? Honestly, I must admit to being put off by the idea myself at first. How had God managed to slip into the story? Stay tuned.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Underpinnings
I've been pondering writing this for some time. I wasn't sure where to post it, but I decided to start with a note on the index page of my web site, ardentpublishing.com. continue with a longer post here, and finally post a companion video sometime in the next week or so. In short, it's time to really drill down and speak about the underpinnings of Exile to the Stars and the entire series
As stated in earlier posts, The Alarai Chronicles series encompasses the story of people, humans, struggling to survive first on an alien planet and then well beyond. The story is true to life as are the people both human and otherwise, but the series is much more than a great sci-fi story. That's what I really need to say here. While The Alarai Chronicles is an outstanding science fiction adventure series from any angle, it is also the story of inner growth beginning, as is the case so often, with a state of spiritual estrangement and profound inner loneliness generated while trying to succeed in a terran society that defines success in terms of secular values such as money and power. Just as emotional states such as joy and love will never yield to analytical inspection, only dissolve, so greed and power can never co-exist with spiritual growth.
And so, two men transported from Earth and its descent into secular debauchery start a journey of spiritual growth and the discovery of God on the planet Aketti. There is physical suffering and spiritual struggle in Exile and books that follow in the series, but great personal growth and reformation of life never occurs without these trials.
Certainly, the trials experienced by Jeff and Carl reflect my own conclusions about what it takes to grow in understanding of the true underpinnings of life: faith, love, honor, duty and fidelity. And yet, this is not the story of my personal growth, for Jeff, Carl, and many others in the series, are real and so must search out their own salvation. In doing so, they come to realize that their battles to overcome butchery and oppression on Aketti are only a small part of a universal struggle between good and evil that is being waged throughout creation and across the universe; the struggle between the forces of hell and the legions of heaven. This is the real story of Exile to the Stars and books that follow in the series. This is what has needed saying for some time. Viewing recent events on Earth, the march of evil around the globe, who would gainsay the larger battle?
Anyone who concludes from this post that Exile is preachy or moralistic doesn't understand what it takes to go on with life when the chips are down and survival itself is on the line. I'll leave moralistic nonsense to uninformed preachers and the average politician. This series is all about discovering the true power hidden in all of us.
The author
As stated in earlier posts, The Alarai Chronicles series encompasses the story of people, humans, struggling to survive first on an alien planet and then well beyond. The story is true to life as are the people both human and otherwise, but the series is much more than a great sci-fi story. That's what I really need to say here. While The Alarai Chronicles is an outstanding science fiction adventure series from any angle, it is also the story of inner growth beginning, as is the case so often, with a state of spiritual estrangement and profound inner loneliness generated while trying to succeed in a terran society that defines success in terms of secular values such as money and power. Just as emotional states such as joy and love will never yield to analytical inspection, only dissolve, so greed and power can never co-exist with spiritual growth.
And so, two men transported from Earth and its descent into secular debauchery start a journey of spiritual growth and the discovery of God on the planet Aketti. There is physical suffering and spiritual struggle in Exile and books that follow in the series, but great personal growth and reformation of life never occurs without these trials.
Certainly, the trials experienced by Jeff and Carl reflect my own conclusions about what it takes to grow in understanding of the true underpinnings of life: faith, love, honor, duty and fidelity. And yet, this is not the story of my personal growth, for Jeff, Carl, and many others in the series, are real and so must search out their own salvation. In doing so, they come to realize that their battles to overcome butchery and oppression on Aketti are only a small part of a universal struggle between good and evil that is being waged throughout creation and across the universe; the struggle between the forces of hell and the legions of heaven. This is the real story of Exile to the Stars and books that follow in the series. This is what has needed saying for some time. Viewing recent events on Earth, the march of evil around the globe, who would gainsay the larger battle?
Anyone who concludes from this post that Exile is preachy or moralistic doesn't understand what it takes to go on with life when the chips are down and survival itself is on the line. I'll leave moralistic nonsense to uninformed preachers and the average politician. This series is all about discovering the true power hidden in all of us.
The author
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