Why I Read/Write Sci-Fi

 

I review most genres on http://cookinwithmisshavana.blogspot.com/, but my personal favorite is and always has been Sci-Fi. People are often surprised by that, so I thought I’d share the reasons.

First is imagination. I am not personally into fairies, vampires, dragons and monsters, but I do enjoy looking through a novel’s pages at other worlds, other cultures that should/could/might exist, and being exposed to new morphology that is decidedly not human. When these elements are brought together skillfully, the creative imagination of the author is the only limit to what can happen. When I wrote the Sci-Fi trilogy consisting of The Judge, Infinity Quest and The Empress of Tridon, I tried to deliver many new concepts of civilizations that had unique social structures and societal goals. Some societies were grown for the sole purpose of war, others for the development of technology, some for the preservation of history and the like. All were critical elements making up the larger plot—the relationship of man to God over the vastness of time.

Second is technology. Good Sci-Fi almost always puts forth new concepts of how to get from place to place over incredible distance. The most well-known are the “warp” drives used in the Star Trek, and the warping of space by the “Guild” in the Dune series. I enjoy new concepts of weaponry and communications as well. When I wrote my own trilogy, I presented a unique view of space and new ways to get around within the vastness of it. In my case, known space was 5.4 trillion light-years across, much bigger than currently defined. There was a reason for the sheer size, and I enjoyed developing it. The most powerful weapon in the series was also the most difficult to control—the mind itself.

Third is believability. Okay, this one could be a little far-fetched, but I like to see some relation to actual science in the Sci-Fi stories I read. For example, it’s not hard to imagine a sulfur-based life form on a world without oxygen, since similar life forms exist on earth near undersea volcano vents. It is also easy to conceptualize Star Trek’s “subspace communications” in light of conjoined particle revelations (although those concepts were not known when Star Trek was originally written). In my trilogy, the story begins on earth, and slowly expands to encompass the entirety of all known universes. I did not complete the fourth book in the series. If I had, unknown universes full of surprises, as well as how to get to them, were on the menu. Maybe I will complete that later. Where but in Sci-Fi novels can a person’s imagination run wild with such freedom?

Fourth is a link to some fundamental understanding of life itself, like Frank Herbert did in his novel Ship. I like books that address the “why” part of living, even though “why” questions are generally relegated to the realm of philosophy. A really good Sci-Fi novel, in my opinion, can even serve to help understand the reasons for our own existence. Many authors link Sci-Fi to an omnipotent and omnipresent being. Those stories are especially fun to read if they bring a new view of God as seen through the eyes of the author. A revealing view of God was vital to my trilogy as well, a view larger, and yet more human, than any I have seen in the past. The conflict between the desires of God and the desires of his subjects is a compelling component of the story line.

So there you have it. I am out of the closet. I enjoy reading Sci-Fi and I enjoy writing it. If any of you have compelling Sci-Fi books that need a solid review, I’m your man. Just let me know. And if any of you want to read Sci-Fi that goes well beyond the norm, my books are all listed at amazon.com/author/jameshatch.

Thanks for reading,

James L. Hatch    

Using Medical Symptoms to Add Depth to a Story

In my Sci-Fi trilogy (The Judge, Infinity Quest, The Empress of Tridon), I developed a new concept of God and His relation to man. The story is extremely complex and, at one point, the heroine, Eve, sets a plot in place to destroy one version of the entity claiming to be God. The plot is twisted and, like a sweet onion, has many layers of delicious deceit. At the time I wrote the story, I was motivated by a TV series called “Rome.” The series fascinated me because the women in it were consistently conniving and vicious. They never said what they meant; they never did what they said. It was better than watching C-SPAN.

As my Sci-Fi story developed, it was clear to me that Eve wouldn’t be able to confront “God” on his terms, or any reasonable terms for that matter. In the context of the story, God used alternate realities as weapons, so Eve could not really know if she were attacking God, or if she was just doing a “dry run” in an alternate reality that God created to gather information. That’s the problem with trying to attack an omniscient foe—He really can know everything, or can trick you into revealing what you intend to do.

As an author, I find situations like the conflict between Eve and God exhilarating. Maybe it’s my own devious nature. I’m not sure. What I know is I love reading material where the solution isn’t obvious, because those situations are more like real life. I also enjoy writing my characters into situations that seem impossible. Relative to God, Eve was in such a situation. Without going into how Eve tricked one version of God, there came a time when that version of God took her bait, and paid the ultimate price with his death. But even then, I didn’t want his death to be obvious, and I wanted the reader to feel sorry for him even though he was the villain.

My villains are never one-dimensional. They have good and bad features, with the bad only slightly outweighing the good. In fact, one could argue that Eve does the Universe a disservice by killing the version of God she manages to terminate. By the way, that is also true of Lucifer when Miss Havana triumphs in The Substitute. Most readers feel sorry for the devil.

But back to the main point of this blog. So, when it came time to kill off Eve’s enemy, I wanted to do it in a way that God himself didn’t know He was dying. After all, if He knew He was dying, He would strike back at Eve. That’s where a little research on medical symptoms came in handy. In this case, I used the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. If God went slowly into the night, He wouldn’t know who to strike back at or why He should … or even that He was dying.

Therefore, I let Him drift in the heavens where He had reigned from trillions of years, gradually becoming more impacted by a slow moving virus … until He just ceases to exist. That was a most interesting chapter to write for a number of reasons. First, the reader gets insight into what God is seeing and feeling, like a real Alzheimer’s patient might. Second, I could give glimpses of distant memories from God’s point of view as his older memories become clearer and his most recent memories fade. I also found it fascinating to attempt to infuse Gods fading memories with the frustration of knowing something isn’t right, but not being able to put your finger on what it is.

While God is dying, Eve twists in the wind, wondering if another version of God will find out about her deceit. Before the story concludes, another version of God does discover what Eve has done, and confronts her directly with her ultimate “sin.” No one will see the end coming; it was a delight to write.

I’ve copied a portion of God’s parting thoughts below (taken from Chapter 23 of The Empress of Tridon, an xoxopublishing.com e-book) As the chapter unfolds, all Alzheimer’s well-known symptoms come into play. I believe the use of real symptomology adds depth to a very difficult question: how indeed does one kill God? Here’s the excerpt:

How many millennia have I watched the stars come and go? I remember clearly the day of my death as man, the day of my introduction to eternity, but there’s a hollowness growing in me I cannot explain. Have I slept? Do I sleep? Events I have set in place have come to pass, I’m certain of that because I can see glimpses of the results in my mind, but I don’t recall the intervening steps. How did those things happen? Have I always been like this?

Before me lies the vastness of space, the beauty of it all, but I don’t remember my exact place in all of creation. I know I am Marid, but where is my home and how do I get there? Do I have a home? I believe I’ve been wandering for some time, but I don’t remember where I was going or how long I’ve been here. Do I continue on this path?

I feel an odd pull on my mind, as if a distant memory is trying to reach out to me. I can’t see it clearly; it’s as if someone close to me is calling out, but there are no others like me, are there? Am I not alone? Haven’t I always been alone? If so, then what can this memory be? Why does it touch the far corner of my mind as if I should know it? Who could it be?

Perhaps there are others, less than me, which I have put in place to help me manage…that which I am to manage, perhaps a vast domain, but I don’t recall now how I reach out to them, to the others. How do I commune with them? Is there a sequence of words I’ve forgotten, perhaps a code of some kind? Where are they? Where did I leave them when I put them in place? Do they still exist?

There might have been something important I was to do soon, something very important…a place to go, perhaps an event? It nags at my mind. Maybe I should stay here until I remember? Will wandering like this help me find my way? Is someone waiting for me ahead? Oh dear, will I disappoint the others if I don’t meet their expectations?

I played a game once. Would that help me now? Numbers! I remember…something about primes? But what are primes and why did I want to know about them? Numbers and…infinity…they’re related, aren’t they? I remember the game, but I can’t recall how to play it. Were the others involved too? Funny, I don’t remember being this forgetful, but I’m really not sure about that either. Have I always been like this? There are no others here, or I would ask them; others? Where are the others?

I remember working on a project, long ago. There were many others then, but they were not like me. They were more like I once was. But where did I put them? They were here a moment ago, they were all here, but where are they now? Perhaps if I focus really hard, I can remember? Where are they; where am I?

Damn! This is so frustrating! The goddamn universe is stacked up against me! I will get you, all of you! In a blinding instant, ring after ring of radiant energy surges from Marid’s body like rings of lightning, dissipating into the emptiness of deep space. You bastards! I will get you all! I hear you in my mind, snickering because I have forgotten some trivial and insignificant thing. You have no value to me! I am who I am, and I always will be so! You are nothing! Show yourselves that I may deal with you NOW!

Isn’t the tranquility of space relaxing and peaceful beyond measure? See the colors of the stars; see what I mean? All the wavelengths together, they light the path ahead and beckon me.

I’d like to go there, to see the colors up close, but I’ve forgotten how to do that. Yesterday I could do it, I think, but today I feel different. Something has changed, like I am somehow different within. I don’t feel like I once did. There’s calmness within me now, a lack of urgency to things. Why was I so rushed before?

Please visit my web site at http://cookinwithmisshavana.blogspot.com/ for excerpts and buy links for all my novels.

Thank you, Sweet ‘N Sexy Divas, for having me here today.

James L. Hatch

Why? Ten Years Later

It’s hard to believe ten years ago the enemies of freedom flew two aircraft into the Twin Towers and one into the ground in Pennsylvania, killing close to 3,000 innocent people. One would hope the imagery of that day would fade, but it hasn’t. It took quite some time for me to come to grips with the brutality of the enemy we face, but I believe I understand them a little more now. So, what have I learned? While many might disagree with my viewpoint, I will share what I believe to be true. You will have to judge for yourself.

1. It’s not over. There are constant reminders that the Al Qaeda franchise will continue their attacks on the West and other countries that disavow their brand of hatred. Simply key into Google “foiled terror attacks against America since 9/11” and you will get a long list. There have been many attacks against other countries as well. Hardly a week goes by that a mass killing doesn’t go down somewhere. This enemy will not stop until our freedom is vanquished or he is defeated.

2. It’s not all about killing. The Islamists’ War of Terror is also an economic war. While many ignore it when lamenting the economic condition of the U.S., I believe the real genesis of our trouble began with the events of 9/11, not with Wall Street greed or the housing crisis. The attack precipitated three wars that are still raging and driving us further in debt (I include Libya because it could become just another Al Qaeda franchise). There is no question Wall Street, Fannie and Freddie helped a bunch, but I am talking about where it began, not the contributing factors.

3. The sheer size of the population working against us is ignored by most because it is politically correct to not blame large segments of a population because of the acts of a few. However, the information I see indicates that about 10% of the Islamic population worldwide supports the activities of the few who carry out the acts of terror. That’s a big number because there are more than 1.57 billion Muslims worldwide—somewhere between one in four and one in five across the globe. If the 10% figure is correct, then 2 to 2.5 people out of every 100 worldwide support terror activities. That’s a lot of people. If they all lived in the U.S., they would represent roughly 80% of our current population.

4. Very few ask, “Why?” This was so puzzling to me I dedicated a chapter to it in my book, Kill Zone. Kill Zone is my Michael Crichton-like contemporary fiction novel scheduled for release by Eternal Press in Nov 2011. The following excerpt from the book explains what I found. The scene takes place during a military assessment briefing, when General Jessup asks the following question: “I’ve often wondered, but never fully understood, why Muslims hate the West? Why do they feel so compelled to attack? Why the hatred and killing? What’s the real basis for their War of Terror?” Here’s the excerpt:

The General’s question was open-ended, but the lead Cleric folded his hands on the table and leaned forward signaling his acceptance of the challenge. “The reasons Islamists choose war are many, General, and probably cannot be fully understood from an American cultural perspective. I will try to explain, but you must first understand the Koran does not present an overarching story, as the Christian Bible does. Instead, the Koran is organized from long verses to short verses that stipulate how the followers of Islam should conduct their lives. Without a contextual narrative, followers who choose violence in the name of Islam can easily claim they are acting in accordance with their faith. They pick and choose the verses that satisfy their need at the moment, without regard for the others. The same could be done with the Christian Bible if one disregards the overall narrative.

“Also understand Islamists take the words and deeds of the prophet Mohammad as an example of what Islam should be, just as Christians look to the life of Christ for guidance. Mohammad was a warrior; Christ was not. Mohammad conquered by force and met violence with violence—he did not turn the other cheek—whereas Christianity spreads the message of forgiveness even unto death. The different personalities of the two leaders explains much as to why there is more violence in Islam than in Christianity.

“With that overall background, then there are four, perhaps five, fundamental issues that have developed in the Muslim mind over time. The first is control. Until this war, Muslim nations had little direct control over the West, and control is important to them. Yes, I understand they have had some influence through oil pricing, but what I’m talking about goes much deeper than that. From the bottom up, you need to understand how vital this issue is.”

The cleric paused briefly to gather his thoughts. “Start by understanding that Muslim men hold all power in the marriage and that Shiite marriages are temporary marriages, a mut'a, a contract that can be entered into for a set time between one day and ninety-nine years. A woman entering the mut'a is paid a set amount of money, and according to some Shiite traditions, a man performing four mut'as is secured a place in Paradise. Further, a man may divorce a wife simply by saying, ‘I divorce thee’ three times before witnesses prior to registering the decree in court, but the process for divorce is much more difficult for a woman.”

The General cocked his head and his eyes narrowed. “I didn’t think a Muslim woman had a choice in divorce.”

The Cleric smiled thinly. “In some communities it is virtually impossible for a woman to divorce without her husband’s consent. But my point to you concerns the absolute control Muslim men exercise over their women and families, a precept that extends fully through their social hierarchy and into their political life. Control is hammered into these people by the mandatory exercise of religion, a concept not at all understood in the West. Where, when and how often a man prays is specified and enforced. Everything is controlled, both within the family and outside it.”“Okay, but why is that reason to start a war?”

“We have not yet addressed the reasons, General. The information is additional background for your understanding. The second critical issue you need to understand is ‘honor’, but it is a different view of honor than defined in Western terms. Muslims live and die by ‘family honor’. A Muslim man is even entitled to kill for the honor of his family. These are the so-called ‘honor killings’ you hear about.”

The General leaned forward, clasped his hands together, and placed them on the edge of the table. “Like the one in New York, where the abused wife filed for divorce, and the husband decapitated her. As I understand it, the husband felt a special need to control his wife because his business was failing.”

The Cleric nodded. “Indeed so, and such stories bring shame on Muslims in general. Nevertheless, the stories illustrate the point I’m trying to make. In a Muslim family, if a woman brings shame to the family, through allegations of premarital or extramarital sex, by refusing an arranged marriage or attempting to obtain a divorce, her male relatives are bound by duty and culture to murder her. The problem of ‘honor killings’ is not a problem of morality, or of ensuring that women maintain their own personal virtue. Instead, it is a problem of domination, power and hatred of women who, in these instances, are viewed as nothing more than servants to the family, both physically and symbolically.”

“You’re talking about tradition?”

“Yes, exactly. The murder of females in the Middle East is an ancient tradition. Even prior to the arrival of Islam in 622 AD, Arabs occasionally buried infant daughters to avoid the possibility they would later bring shame to the family, and that practice still occurs among Bedouins, who consider girls most likely to sully the family honor.

“Another example that might help you understand honor in a Muslim’s life is that all sexual encounters, including rape and incest, are blamed exclusively on the woman. Men are presumed innocent. In all cases, the woman must have tempted him into raping her or enticed him into having an affair. Some even believe that a woman who does not wear a burka invites rape! A woman is expected to protect her honor, even at the cost of her life and, if she sur

vives a violent rape, she is condemned for her ‘mistake’ and might be brutally killed by her family.”

The General shook his head in near disbelief. “Seems a little harsh.”

“Yes, perhaps a little harsh. Honor concepts are also behind the practice of female circumcision, and that practice is integrated into the Muslim religion by some followers. What the Arabic actually says is circumcision is obligatory, for every male and female, by cutting off the piece of skin on the glans of the penis of the male, and by cutting out the clitoris of the female. This is called HufaaD. Shafi’i law requires circumcision of girls by excision of the clitoris. This is mandatory and is widely practiced in Egypt, where the Shafi’i school of Sunni law is followed.”

The General’s disgusted look projected his inner feelings. “Clearly the West understands male circumcision, a Hebrew tradition from the same ancient basis, but female circumcision is harder to fathom. In fact, the whole concept that man can, in the name of religion, ‘surgically improve’ the body that God created is hard for some Westerners to swallow.”

“Yes, General, I understand. This is hard for many nations, but I mention it here only to illustrate how far Muslims will go to protect what they see as their honor. Even to disfiguring their children to prevent a ‘possible’ breach of honor in the future.

“As with control, the concepts associated with ‘honor’ in daily life can extend to a Muslim’s public and political life. When a Muslim loses honor, he can become like an animal exhibiting ‘uncontrollable rage’, yet not be held accountable for what he does in that state. It is the equivalent of ‘innocent by reason of insanity’ in America.”

The cleric slowly stroked his long white beard, giving the General time to assimilate the concepts. “Consider then that Muslims may well view actions of the West, whether to embarrass Muslim nations or to mock their God, in whatever way they define it at the moment, from cartoons of Muhammad to rumors of mistreatment of one of their Holy Books, a loss of honor. Perhaps then you will understand their reactions of rage and destruction.”

The General became serious. “This concept, their concept of honor, that can bring them to war?”

“Indeed it can, General, and has, but more issues might be in play. A third concept you need to consider, to understand the Muslim mind, is ‘situational honesty’. For example, one Shiite innovation is the use of pragmatic dissimulation, the denial of faith in public while maintaining it in private.”

The General looked the Cleric in the eyes. “Excuse me for interrupting, but that’s another difficult concept for the West because it’s exactly opposite Christian beliefs. Christians believe a man should worship and do good deeds in private, unseen by others, and not live a hypocritical life—that his public and private life should be equivalent.”

The Cleric nodded. “You are correct, but understanding pragmatic dissimulation will give insight into the reason Mohammed Atta chose to spend his last night on earth receiving lap dances instead of communing with his God in prayer. Absolute morality is not a concept understood by Muslims, and there is significant historical backing for this. For example, Muhammad himself clearly condoned dishonesty, as well as murder when it suited his purposes.

“Muslim’s believe it is allowable to tell a falsehood to save one’s life, to accomplish peace or reconciliation, to persuade a woman or on the occasion of a journey or expedition. Because of this, treaties can mean nothing to them. Muhammad also treated truth and deception according his own style of situational ethics, condoning lying to further his goals. From this you can understand the reasons the Iranians were so adamant they were not developing nuclear weapons, when everyone knew they were.”

Slowly stroking his chin, the General added, “Probably the thinking behind the adage, ‘Never trust an Arab’!”

“Perhaps so. You just need to know, and understand.” The Cleric paused again, knowing the information he’d provide next would be very hard for the General to accept. “The fourth concept, sir, is the fear of being wrong. Being wrong is like losing honor. It is not the same in the West. Here, you admit your mistakes and move on, but in Muslim nations, being wrong can lead to loss of honor and outrage. If the West is seen as challenging their beliefs, their customs or literally anything at all they consider Muslim, then that is a challenge to their being right. They will react, sometimes violently.

“Finally, General, relative to the war, there is the most easily understood reason of all, the reason the West most generally considers the basis for the War of Terror, although it is not the whole story, as I have said. That would be that you are not Muslim. That alone is a problem for many Muslims, and it goes to the heart of their being right.

“If Christianity is correct, then they are wrong. If the Hindus are right, then they are wrong. If any other religion is right, then they are wrong. You get the picture. That is the reason this war is global, but this concept goes even deeper. If the Sunnis are right, then the Shiites are wrong. You see, General, they lose honor if they are wrong, and they will fight to be declared right, so the war could go on indefinitely, not only between Muslims and the West, but between Muslims and Muslims.

“And then you must add one final element. Muslims are ‘justified’ in killing those who cannot be converted, and there is a reward in heaven for those who martyr themselves in that way. Not only do their traditions, which are older than Islam, make them prone to war, but the religion condones forcing Islam on others, and rewards it.”

The General took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Pretty damn depressing, almost a hopeless picture, like there’s no way out until every last person on one side or the other is dead.”

“Very depressing, indeed. This war is as old as recorded time and it may continue forever. I hope you now see, General, that many complex issues are at play. Perhaps you would better understand the Muslim’s War of Terror if the name were changed to ‘The Muslim Culture Wars’?”

The General shook his head slowly. “But you are here, on my staff. Therefore, not all Muslims believe these things are worth dying for or going to war. Why don’t more Muslims stand up and be counted, as you have? Why are Western setbacks so vigorously celebrated by Muslims worldwide?”

“Yes. Why? I believe there are many reasons. Some believe the Islamists are winning, that there will come a time when the entire globe is Muslim. At that time, all people will be united under Muslim law, and they strongly support such an outcome, even if achieved by radical tactics. Others simply follow without thinking. Those with the mentality of sheep are at the mercy of the wolf.

“Still others have succumbed to a culture of hatred, brainwashing and fear, a culture that may never be completely eliminated. Generations of young Muslims have been schooled in that culture. The textbooks they read, the television and movies they watch, and the music they hear, all carry messages of hatred of the West.

“The objective of such teaching is to instill the notion that the West in general, and Jews in particular, are evil, and that it is the duty of all true Muslims to exterminate that evil. They are taught to hate from the time they first enter school, and they will continue to hate until they die, or are victorious. Older Muslims either have accepted the propaganda or do not speak up at all because they fear the young, and the radicals who teach them.”

The elder adviser stopped for a moment, and then leaned forward to emphasize his final point, and his words shook the General to his core. “And make no mistake, General, the same message of hatred fuels the domestic terrorism you face in this country. Muslim converts have been recruited within your prisons for years. Those converts have willingly accepted radical and violent views of Islam. They thrive on hatred and are equally eager to destroy you from within, even without benefit of the cultural heritage driving the true believers.”

5. Whether the thoughts above are correct or not, 9/11 has had an enormous impact on my writing. I attribute the following works, in some part, to those events: The Empress of Tridon (xoxopublishing.com), Kill Zone(Eternal Press) and “The Final Experiment” (xoxopublishing.com).

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

James L. Hatch

jhatch6@hot.rr.com

http://www.solsticepublishing.com/

http://www.myspace.com/author_hatch

http://www.xoxopublishing.com/shop-online

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000328752553

http://www.facebook.com/pages/James-L-Hatch/122349661172963?sk=wall

Suspending Disbelief, Part I

Suspending Disbelief, Part I

I confess, I am an avid Sci-Fi reader. When I take time to read, I almost exclusively read that genre. That doesn’t mean I’ve read every Sci-Fi book that’s ever been written, so don’t be surprised if I haven’t read your favorite. I read what I read, not necessarily what you read. I also enjoy children’s movies, like The Last Mimzy. Why? Because I live in the world of reality, and when I take the time to leave that world through reading and watching, I enjoy the imaginative creations of others.

Even with that premise, however, there are constraints. What I read or watch needs to have some element of truth, or else present itself as pure fantasy. I view Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter as pure fantasy, and those works don’t require the suspension of disbelief. You know going in what it is and don’t expect anything except a fun read. Good Sci-Fi, however, ratchets my expectation up a notch. In those works, I expect the plot and characters to have an element of “believability”. Even more, I want them to make a social statement.

I’ll address social statements in writing in a subsequent blog; this one is about believability. To achieve that, many Sci-Fi movies and books link to various religious and philosophical texts. Known works and events ground the fiction, make the story seem plausible by connecting it to something already established. It’s an old approach, and one I intentionally used in my Sci-Fi trilogy recently published by xoxopublishing.com: The Judge, Infinity Quest and The Empress of Tridon.

I knew from the outset the overall story would cover new frontiers of space and time. I believed I could creatively handle the vast distances of space by providing a new view of how everything is put together, but I wanted to ground the story by beginning at the present time with a somewhat flawed child, Daniel, and his father who is totally consumed with biblical study. The first challenge was getting these people off earth.

As with all Sci-Fi and paranormal stories, my main characters had a few “special” talents, otherwise the stories would have been “True Crime” or “Contemporary Fiction”. The three special talents my characters claim are the ability to read and implant thoughts, communicate with pheromones, and learn rapidly. Other than that, they are exactly like everyone else. Of course, anyone with those abilities could also rule the world if they were clever enough, but my characters chose not to, being more concerned with discovering why they were different and staying out of the spotlight.

There are many good reasons for a character not exposing his “differences” in human society, if you’ve got them. The famous red dot experiment most aptly demonstrated one of them. In that experiment, a red dot is placed on one white chicken among many. The other chickens see the red dot and begin pecking at it, eventually killing the chicken with the dot. People can be like that, and history is littered with witch trials, the killing of Jesus, and other atrocities against people deemed “different”.

Because of that, I chose to let my “heroes” remain a secret society, never exposing themselves overtly. I also gave them more than a cultural incentive to do so—a mortal enemy with similar capabilities, but dedicated to the total annihilation of the heroes.

I used the father’s bible study to gradually reveal my heroes’ roots, with specific verses leading to the conclusion that this special group of people, who call themselves Judges (the title of the first book in the trilogy), are descendents of the original Judge, Jesus. The bible is a rich references source to guide one to that conclusion.

That Jesus could teach his elders at age twelve made sense if He had a special ability to learn rapidly. The miracles attributed to Jesus also make sense…if he could implant thoughts in the minds of those who wrote them down. And the ability to communicate using pheromones might be necessary to keep the special abilities within the community of Judges, in the same way pheromones help humans subliminally select mates capable of producing offspring with strong immune systems. Everything was grounded. Everything was linked to some known belief or to some scientific principle.

Of course, Daniel soon reaches his teen years and feels constrained by not being able to be “him”. He throws off the taboos of using his special abilities in secret, and instead uses them to seduce women, to win at gambling, and whatever else will bring him pleasure. He becomes a hedonistic free spirit in an unsuspecting society, but by exposing himself openly, becomes a target for his mortal enemies. His father and other Judges eventually exile Daniel to the Alaskan wilderness, where he is forced to endure severe hardship far from other people until he matures.

Over time, Daniel comes to realize his abilities should be used for the good of society, not for personal gain and pleasure. He is supposed to act in secret to eliminate evil from the world, as all Judges do, and never expose himself or others like him for what they are. Even the words of Jesus help him understand his role, and Matthew 7:1-2 takes on new meaning for him. “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Daniel is forced to consider, Isn’t that EXACTLY how judgment works? Christ HAD to have been a Judge! Okay, fine, but how does that get the Judges off earth?

The arch enemy continues looking for Daniel, and eventually finds and murders his parents. Their deaths brings Daniel back from Alaska, where he is confronted with the disposition of his father’s things—including his unfinished biblical study. And that takes Daniel on a journey to Israel and through many interrelated bible verses that lead him to the inescapable conclusion that Jesus might have been the original Judge, and that He was not from earth. In fact, the verse 2 Peter 3:8 opens his eyes, “…With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day.” and he realizes time might not matter to his distant relatives at all.

A cascade of events and considerable study lead Daniel to understand the genealogy and purpose of his people. The Judges are ancient beyond belief, and they’re purpose is far greater than the elimination of evil from earth’s societies. Unfortunately, as he reaches his conclusions, his enemy is only one step behind him. That’s when he makes his most astounding discovery—a ship buried beneath the Negev desert.

Even that discovery is grounded in verses beginning with Revelations 4:1 and continuing through 10:1; 14:6-9, 14, 15, 17; and 18:1, a multitude of descriptions that could easily have been the Apostle John’s attempt to report encounters with technology ancient man could not put into words. When he finds his way into the ship and finally observes the truth of his distant past, he realizes the ship is accurately described in the book of Ezekiel, a book written to the Jews during their exile in Babylon approximately 600 B.C., and that Ezekiel 1:16 is just another description of an ancient man’s encounter with something that couldn’t be described using language that existed at the time.

Okay, it is probably appropriate I re-state my purpose for writing this blog. It is not to convert anyone to anything, or to say the bible is a good reference for finding a spaceship. No, it is only to say that linking a story to known items makes it more believable, and that is important for me. I’ll be discussing more on this topic in subsequent blogs, the third Sunday of every month, but the links to reality won’t be just the bible. Instead, they will be published scientific papers, the Torah, the Koran, Hindu writings, and other known philosophies that will enable to reader to stay grounded even though the universe being exposed in the trilogy is vast almost beyond imagination.

With the background above, the blurb for the first book of the trilogy, The Judge, should make sense, to wit: While humans see a person’s physical appearance, Judges see a person’s soul, and if evil is found there, they can release it, causing the judged to inflict on themselves whatever they planed for their victims. Judges live secret lives exercising their capabilities for good, but Daniel strays. His hedonistic lifestyle draws the attention of Iblis scouts, the Judge’s ancient enemy. The Judges escape earth in a gigantic ship hidden by their ancient ancestors, and on the distant planet Tridon, find a massive matrix containing trillions of years of recorded lives. Simulations within the matrix lead to surprising encounters with an element of God, and to a technology for generating objects from thought—a technology that prompted the ancients to question their own existence. The question, “Do we exist?” could not be answered, but Daniel finds life was scattered throughout the universes as part of an elaborate experiment to answer a related question the Judges must now consider: "Is infinity real?"

Thanks for reading today, and a special thanks to those sweet and sexy divas who made posting this blog possible.

Sincerely,

James L. Hatch

jhatch6@hot.rr.com

http://mlmrdenter.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/author_hatch

http://www.xoxopublishing.com/shop-online

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000328752553