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The Winston Churchill quote that informs and
inspires the heart of Second
Eden:
"The destiny of mankind is not decided by
material computation. When great causes are on the move
in the world...we learn that we are spirits, not
animals, and that something is going on in space and
time, and beyond space and time, which, whether we like
it or not, spells duty."
*
* *
What is
“A Thriller for the 21st Century”?
“SECOND
EDEN is a new kind
of thriller, because in the very best sense, it' 's a
new old-fashioned story.”
In
part, I was motivated to write Second Eden
because I was dissatisfied with much of today’s
story-telling, especially
in the thriller genre.
Whether in books or in movies,
the same gripes kept emerging.
Too much action, not
enough characterization. Too much graphic sex, not
enough love. Too many special effects, not enough real
life. I just knew it could be done better.
So
I began Second Eden.
First and
foremost, I wanted to write a book that I would like to
read, a book somewhat different from mainstream
commercial fiction. In short, a good old-fashioned
story.
Story, story, story…. In literature as in all of life,
that’s what it’s all about. For a good story is at the
very heart of what it means to be human. From the dim
past, where our ancestors spent countless nights sitting
around the campfire listening to stories of their
fellows’ exploits, to the present, where stories are
told to advance our cause in every aspect of daily
living—to
impress our friends and improve our social standing, to
woo a lover, to champion a political agenda, even
to curry support for the latest scientific theory—, a good story is an essential feature of
our existence, and the creative uses of narrative are
endless.
So
what is "a thriller for the 21st century,”
which is what I’ve termed Second Eden, and how is
it different from most of the current fare in today’s
book market?
The sexuality is
portrayed in a unique way….
Well, as I’ve already implied, it’s a little
old-fashioned—but in a good way, I think. And, no, that
doesn’t mean it has no sex or violence, for that would
be untrue to life as we know it. The sexuality portrayed is integral to the
core of the story and is presented in what is, I
believe, a novel way (no pun intended). Violence? Well,
yes. But it arises naturally from the necessities of
plot and is never gratuitous, never pandering nor
voyeuristic. That’s old-fashioned.
Far
too many stories today depend almost exclusively on two
elements: a staccato scene presentation, resulting in a
book or film seeming so compressed that the characters
and action appear one-dimensional; and bizarre
sexuality, often blurring the line between the psychotic
and the merely pornographic. In many cases, it’s as if
the author had so little to say, he counted on
blindingly fast pacing to numb you to an illogical plot
that dead-ends without clear resolution. Or he over uses
graphically depicted sexual escapades to distract you
from noticing that the characters have no depth, no
humanity. Flash-cuts are great in movies, and sex
clearly has its place, but today those two techniques
have become ends in themselves, rather than the means by
which story and character development take place.
In
the thriller genre, especially, the result can be a
tiresome exercise, with all the weight of French pastry,
leaving the reader excited but ultimately unsatisfied,
awaiting, I guess, the as-yet-unnamed sequel, where the
real story will be told. Now don’t get me wrong,
French pastry is a yummy treat; I just don’t recommend a
steady diet of it. Sometimes you want the full
five-course meal.
While Second Eden certainly is fast-paced, its
story doesn’t depend completely on this device. Oh,
there are plenty of thrills. But they depend as much on
surprising spiritual self-revelations—brought about by
expanding the reader’s awareness of his hidden nature—as
much as on the rushing effects of smash-and-crash
action. Yes, you’ll experience a speedy transit from
page one to page last, but you’ll enjoy the ride for
days after. Simply put: Second Eden will make you
think—about the nature of your human consciousness,
about your reason for being, about what lies in your
future. What could be more thrilling than that?
Molly is, at
age 29, still a virgin. She’s clearly physically
beautiful. What’s up with that?
Second Eden
has old-fashioned characters, fully fleshed out real
people, warts and all. Not cardboard
cutouts. Peter MacKenzie has a
lot going for him. He’s good looking, well-educated and
street smart. He even plays piano. But the reason he
became a fighter pilot, the reason he obsessively
engages in all manner of risky behavior—and the reason
why he uses women—have roots in a troubled childhood.
Molly Lavisch is a medical doctor and a scientist who
walks with a slight limp and stammers when she’s
stressed. But she has a big heart. She, too, harbors the
scars of a secret and painful past.
Remember, real heroes and heroines are always a
surprise, because heroic acts most often arise from
unexpected characters—people like you and me, who do and
become amazing things. Remember Judah in Ben-Hur?
Or George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life? Or
Yuri in Doctor Zhivago? How about Detective
Maigret, Lord Jim, Sadie Thompson, Bilbo Baggins, Auntie
Mame? Or even, perhaps, Winnie the Pooh?
Second Eden
has old-fashioned sex, the kind that goes beyond mere
animal antics— the empty, soulless exercise so prevalent
in today’s stories—to the kind of sexuality bound up
with what it means to be fully human, with all the
accompanying tension and anxiety and the myriad
consequences for joy and pain that our sexual behavior
connotes when it’s part of the fabric of
relationship. Molly has what
some would think is a problem in today’s culture—she is,
at age 29, still a virgin. She’s clearly physically
beautiful. What’s up with that? The reasons are many and
complex. When she’s thrust together with Peter
MacKenzie, sparks fly, as irresistible force meets
immovable object. Think Scarlett and Rhett in
Gone with the Wind or Rick and Ilsa in
Casablanca.
Second Eden’s shocking ending will leave you either
terrified or gloriously hopeful.
And
the plot? A good plot depends on the story-telling
trinity: mystery, suspense and surprise. Second Eden
dishes up ample helpings of all three. More important,
Second Eden offers a philosophical perspective
that suggests answers to some very urgent—and timeless—
questions: Can human nature ever change? Will mankind
take a fateful evolutionary leap and become a new
species? Or are we doomed by our genes to forever spin
on what the Hindus term the Wheel of Life? Is the Law of
Unintended Consequences more dangerous, by far, than the
worst evil man can devise? Remember Jurassic Park?
Or, for a major exception among present-day writers, Dan
Brown’s The Da Vinci Code?
Oh,
and did I mention it is full of old-fashioned,
rip-roaring, gut-wrenching action? With a shocking
ending that will leave you either terrified or
gloriously hopeful, depending on how you view yourself.
Second Eden…it’s
a great story. Get it. Read it.
Enjoy it.
Not
convinced? Try a FREE sample.
You can't judge a book
by its cover. But you can tell a lot about a book by the
company it keeps. SECOND EDEN: In good company...
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following books on Amazon also bought
SECOND EDEN:
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