On October 17, 2011, Chaos was officially unleashed upon the world. Readers across the globe thrilled to the heroic exploits of former urban archaeologist turned treasure hunter Cy Reed (well, at least I hope they did!). So, what’s next for the newest hero in adventure/thriller fiction?
The Chaos Book Club
Today is Day 21 and thus, the last day of the Chaos book club. Chaos is an adventure thriller along the lines of Indiana Jones or books written by Clive Cussler, James Rollins, Douglas Preston, or Steve Berry. Thanks to those of you who’ve bought the novel already. If you haven’t already done so, please consider picking up a copy at one of the following locations:
Kindle * Nook * Kobo * iBooks * Smashwords * Paperback
Some Thoughts on Chaos
We’ve come to the end of book club and so I thought I’d give you a few brief thoughts on what’s coming next for Cy Reed. I wrote Chaos to be a modern, urban spin on the traditional adventure story. Rather than scale mountains, Reed scales a skyscraper (well okay, he actually does both). Rather that fighting through a vicious natural river, he’s forced to confront a violent artificial body of water. And rather than fighting a typical “secret society” in order to recover an ancient relic, Reed battles a gang of old subway workers, or sandhogs, who are protecting a decidedly not-so-ancient secret. Even Reed himself is a modern, urban version of the archetypal archaeologist hero. He’s a former urban archaeologist who once worked extensively in New York City.
Besides wanting a challenge, I had a good reason for writing Chaos in this manner. In an age of satellite technology, globalization, and the Internet, the world often seems lacking in mystery and adventure. Want to view ancient ruins? Look for photos on the Internet. Want to visit a remote island? Book your flight and accommodations at affordable prices. None of this is a bad thing. We’re fortune to live in a world where questions can be answered and desires to see things can be quenched. And of course, there’s always the vast reaches of the universe. Still, I can’t help but wonder what it was like in an earlier era when so much of the world around us seemed scary and unknown.
Thus, I set Chaos in the least mysterious place I could imagine…New York City. And then I set about to create a world of adventure and wonder in that place. I hope I succeeded.
What’s after Chaos?
But with that story behind me, I want a new challenge, both for myself as well as for Cy Reed. In the not-so-distant future, I’ll be taking an extended expedition to Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. In other words, the world of the ancient Mayans. I’ll be staying with locals, exploring ancient ruins, and immersing myself in the culture of the Yucatán Peninsula. That will be the setting for the sequel. The novel will also address a theme which I briefly touched on in Chaos…namely, the existence of complex, possibly chaotic systems and mankind’s dangerous attempts to wrangle control over those systems.
I may or may not examine the strange ending of Chaos in this next book. But it will be dealt with soon enough. I should mention I’m toying with the idea of writing two other books first, both which fit firmly into the adventure genre. The first is an epic multi-book story about a post-apocalyptic treasure hunt. It has a bit of a science fiction element to it but it’s firmly set in the world as we know it. The second book is a kid’s novel that deals with dark parts of history and science that might hold particular interest for regular visitors to this site…namely, the paranormal. Like the first book, this one will deal with science fiction elements but in a very realistic manner.
Incidentally, a few weeks ago, I considering writing a half dozen short stories between Chaos and the sequel. Each short story would be a separate entity in its own right but would serve to connect the events of Chaos with those in the coming sequel. If that’s something you’d find interesting, let me know.
The End of Chaos…for Now!
Well, there you have it. Our journey has come to an end. But the real journey is just beginning. There are lots of lost treasures, unsolved mysteries, and strange cryptids to discuss. And of course, the sequel…as well as many other books! Thanks for reading along. I hope to see you back here tomorrow!
Chaos Book Club
- October 17: Chaos has Arrived!
- October 24: The Story of Chaos
- October 25: The Great Train Robbery?
- October 26: Is Treasure Hunting Immoral?
- October 27: What was Operation Paperclip?
- October 28: Nazi Treasure & ODESSA?
- October 29: Do the Mole People Exist?
- October 31: FDR’s Lost Subway Car?
- November 1: Do Alligators Live in New York City Sewers?
- November 2: The Mysterious Minamata Disease?
- November 3: Die Glocke & Nazi Wonder Weapons?
- November 4: Buildering: The Art of Climbing…Skyscrapers?
- November 5: The Strange Case of Red Mercury?
- November 6: The Island of Stability?
- November 7: The Nazi Atomic Bomb?
- November 8: The Nth Country Experiment?
- November 9: Why did America really bomb Hiroshima?
- November 10: New York’s Forgotten Subway Tunnel?
- November 11: Alfred Ely Beach’s Last Secret?
- November 12: The Strange Science of Superconductors?
- November 13: What’s Next for Cyclone Reed