Helen Huang's Blog: nuclear power nuclear game, page 8

As a main character, should John be a 007 style hero?

Although John wasn’t like 007 fighting his enemies with spy gadgets or fast car chases, he used his expert knowledge to work on nuclear peace. And more importantly, he was a man sticking to his faith and being loyal to his loved ones.

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The tuning point of Zoe’s conscience

“Despite his humiliating and abysmal behaviour toward her, Zoe felt a twinge of guilt at Major Liu’s current state of health. She knew the truth: she had killed him with the hydrogen bomb she’d designed.” Chapter17

May all scientists, engineers, intellectuals…everyone have the conscience to give love and peace to humanity.

Why is Zoe’s lover not Chinese?

Why is Zoe’s lover not Chinese?
The novel is to expose the Chinese Communist totalitarian regime enslaving the Chinese and deceiving the people of the free world. It is about a battle between evil and justice. For seven decades, Communist China had regarded U.S as its biggest enemy. So, having an American representing the West’s determination to protect world peace became a logical choice.

The moments I cried when I was writing the book

I cried when Zoe was denounced by the CCP,
I cried when Igor’s father was tortured to death by the Soviet government;
I cried when Zoe was sexually assaulted and nearly hung herself;
I cried when John lost his wife and best friend in Pakistan;
I cried when John and Zoe had to hide away their love when they met in New York;
….
I cried when John kissed Zoe and whispered in her ear, “I promise nothing will hurt you anymore.”
I really hope it was true. but nothing is prepared for us in this world. Just like the chaos everyone is facing now!

Q & A

Reader M: Why can’t I find Institute 1970 in China?

Helen: I have changed the original name to Institute 1970.

As per CCP’s convention, the original name was derived from the date when former Chinese Premier Zou Enlai said that China should also develop nuclear power, on 28th Feb 1970. It was also a time when a nuclear war between Russia and China could happen at the blink of an eye.

Since the late 1980s, Communist China has started changing coded institutes to civil company names which made China easier to penetrate the West, including the Institute I worked.

Q & A

Reader S: Did you meet Pakistani & Iranian nuclear scientists at Institute 1970?

Helen: I never met any Pakistani nuclear experts, because the Pakistan project designed by the Institute had nearly finished when I started working there. However, many of my colleagues visited the Pakistan nuclear site.

I did see an Iranian nuclear delegation visiting the Institute. We were told to stay in our offices and not peek outside of the windows, because it was a top secret. However, I glanced…

The Iran project inspired me to write my debut. And it becomes the main storyline to the second book.

Why is my debut titled nuclear power nuclear game?

It’s a political thriller about nuclear proliferation;
It’s a geo-political game played by multiple countries;
Nuclear power could make our lives better or destroy our life when the power turns into bombs.
So, Nuclear Power Nuclear Game fits for the theme of the book.

Is Zoe a strong heroine character in my political thriller?

No. In order to survive, Zoe gave in to the CCP and agreed to build nuclear bombs.
Yes. She survived and maintained her honesty, despite the political pressures, suicide attempts and hardships.
Zoe isn't a heroine, but a product of the Cold War and love.

Brainwashing started at 6:30am daily

During the peak of the Cultural Revolution, I would be woken up by the rapid whistles at 6:30 in the morning. We would hurriedly get up and queue up to enter into the 2m by 6m entry hall for a morning prayer: saying three times “long live Chairman Mao” and then bowing three times to Mao’s portrait on both walls. There were 24 families and a total of about 80 residents, but every time the hall could only have two dozen people praying back-to-back.

Why is my debut a duology?

The novel is about the two generations of Chinese and Americans fighting for world peace while struggling for their own fates. Zoe and John (two nuclear scientists) mirror a generation born in the 1920s living through WWII and the Cold War. Unfortunately, Zoe is locked in a political cage and becomes a tamed lamb to the CCP.
By contrast, Zoe’s daughter, Little Red (a nuclear safety researcher) and George (an investigative journalist) reflect a new generation born during the Cold War, experiencing the era of Communism’s infiltration into the West. However, Little Red rebels against the Communists’ brainwashing and fights for her freedom.
Therefore, I decided to divide the debut into two books, and the sequel will gradually move from Zoe and John to Little Red and George.