WEEKLY GENRE LOVE-FEST
I have decided that I am going to dedicate Sundays to my current genre obsession: CYBORGS! This means that every Sunday you should expect to see something related to cyborgs or the cyborg genre on this blog.
Why do cyborgs fascinate me? Well, to be perfectly honest, I always enjoyed reading stories about cyborgs and mechanical beings. The intellectual, societal and moral implications of AI have always fascinated me. Cyborgs didn't really become an obsession until I wrote The Clockwork Countenance. Now, I will agree that TCC isn't your typical cyborg story. Reginald is completely mechanical, without a bit of flesh to his name. However, what Reginald and Ember are striving for is a human countenance for his very human-like brain. That's pretty close to cyborg, if you ask me! TCC takes place in the 1840s in London and is full of fabulous characters that include Reginald, Ember, and even Nicola Tesla himself. (He was super fun to write!) TCC was part of the Infinite Possibilities boxed set, but will soon be released as a stand-alone novella for lovers of steampunk AND cyborgs to enjoy. I'll post a link when the novella goes live.
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When Takamo Universe approached me to write a SF novel, my mind immediately went to the 'cyborg problem'. Takamo's villains are the Truppen, fully cybernetic warriors hell-bent on destroying every organic life form in existence. What if, I told myself, there were earlier models? A pilot program that was intended to prolong human life with the use of enhancements and cybernetic implants? Once the military got wind, of course, there were other implications, but at their base these cyborgs were created to protect the sanctity of life. At least, in the beginning. Thus was born the Aeon Project. I'll introduce you to my heroes in the project as we explore our love for cyborgs!
REN
The first character I want to introduce is Ren. Ren is the second child, born to a mother who loved and doted on him and his brothers. Ren and his siblings, however, were born as part of an experiment to determine whether or not nanites could be passed to children from their father via conception. Their lives were never easy. At the age of six, Ren had his first procedure. I won't go into the gory details, but it was far from pleasant. Thanks to the nanites, his healing ability was a thousand times that of a normal humanoid. Short of cutting off his head, there were no injuries he could not survive. The pain, however, was a motivator.
Ren's name comes from the first experiment the scientists performed on him. His full name is SCHLEINREN, a geological term which means layers and layers of substrate lying on top of one another. Ren's bones and tissues have been coated with layers and layers of a substance that makes them stronger and more flexible than a normal man's.
When we first meet Ren he has years and years of secrets and regrets bottled up inside. He is angry and ashamed at what he did and how he was forced to behave. In his mind, he is no longer worthy of affection outside that of his small family unit.
I decided to show him that he was wrong.
If you want to know more about Ren, and about his love story, you can find it in my first novel for Takamo Universe.
An Enduring Sun is a story of redemption, acceptance and ass-kickery to the 10th degree.
I'd like to invite you all back next week to learn some more about Aeon Project. Ren has three extremely interesting brothers and one very enigmatic father! Their stories will be told throughout subsequent Aeon Project books and I'll keep you informed as to when you can expect those to release as well.
There's nothing like creating a hero who believes he can never be loved-- and then proving to him that he's wrong! For cyborgs, more than most, the search for where they belong in the universe is a long and exhausting one with many twists and turns. I plan to explore as many of these issues as I can, while bringing light to my cyborgs' lives in the process.
WELCOME TO CYBORG SUNDAY
CONVERSION FOR ALL- OR LIFE FOR NONE.
Loved this book. So far, this is my favorite book of the year! It's unique, even in the cyborg world, it is loving, despite all the violence and the heroine does us ladies proud! You best talk about next, AR!
ReplyDeleteThe ladies of Aeon will have their very own post, I promise :-)
DeleteCyborgs...yaaaaaaay! I now *must* read Ren's story! I luuurve tortured cyborg heroes who find comfort and love.
ReplyDelete