Raymond Gaynor's Blog, page 36
May 29, 2021
THE DAY BEFORE BEING SHOT…
TODAY is the famous “day of rest” before cast and crew of the STATIC movie (https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie) appear on set to film the “bar” scene. While the crew is frantically gathering all the necessary materials, cameras, sound booms, lights, I’m relaxing at the famous Northshore of Oahu island. No whales. They’ve gone north for the summer to feed and party. Just warm sun, cool, frangipani-scented trade winds and magnificent mother ocean gently stroking the course of the sandy beaches. Soporific. In total contrast to tomorrow.
As an author, I can’t recall moments like this preceding the actual release of a book. Yeah, there were times of struggle when a story seems stuck for the moment, and periods of elation when the story flowed like a mountain stream down a grassy slope. But nothing like the day before a shoot, where lines float freely in the mind, mixed with concern that I’ll remember them and remember them correctly, as well as be able to project the emotions behind the words in voice and deed. There isn’t anything quiet like the day before a shoot.
Back in our condo in Honolulu, comfort food is definitely on the menu: today, seafood ramen. Being actors as well as dancers (and authors), we’re always aware that the camera isn’t very forgiving in regard to weight, so we basically keep to one Asian-American meal a day at ten o’clock, with tea and snack at 4 in the afternoon. One meal a day. No evening dinner.
This afternoon is our time to tend our lanai garden with it’s three Japanese cucumber, one South American miniature cantaloupe, bush tomato, green pepper and Japanese onion plants. It’s always good to rehearse lines with the plants, which seem to me to enjoy it, and our seven tropical orchids, which seem much more demanding in terms of inflection and emotional charge. Pass the orchid-critics, and we’re ready for live acting tomorrow!
Add to the above, say, two or three hours on social media and answering emails relating to my latest science fiction “futuring” novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859), and Setsuko’s non-fiction book, IN SEARCH OF SOMATIC THERAPY (Savant 2017) by Setsuko Tsuchiya (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0997247231). Then a quiet hour for each of us to write, me on my sequel, tentatively called “Prophecy,” and Setsuko on a new work tentatively entitled “The Power of Dance.”
https://i.postimg.cc/brxtYpzw/Dan-Set...
As an author, I can’t recall moments like this preceding the actual release of a book. Yeah, there were times of struggle when a story seems stuck for the moment, and periods of elation when the story flowed like a mountain stream down a grassy slope. But nothing like the day before a shoot, where lines float freely in the mind, mixed with concern that I’ll remember them and remember them correctly, as well as be able to project the emotions behind the words in voice and deed. There isn’t anything quiet like the day before a shoot.
Back in our condo in Honolulu, comfort food is definitely on the menu: today, seafood ramen. Being actors as well as dancers (and authors), we’re always aware that the camera isn’t very forgiving in regard to weight, so we basically keep to one Asian-American meal a day at ten o’clock, with tea and snack at 4 in the afternoon. One meal a day. No evening dinner.
This afternoon is our time to tend our lanai garden with it’s three Japanese cucumber, one South American miniature cantaloupe, bush tomato, green pepper and Japanese onion plants. It’s always good to rehearse lines with the plants, which seem to me to enjoy it, and our seven tropical orchids, which seem much more demanding in terms of inflection and emotional charge. Pass the orchid-critics, and we’re ready for live acting tomorrow!
Add to the above, say, two or three hours on social media and answering emails relating to my latest science fiction “futuring” novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859), and Setsuko’s non-fiction book, IN SEARCH OF SOMATIC THERAPY (Savant 2017) by Setsuko Tsuchiya (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0997247231). Then a quiet hour for each of us to write, me on my sequel, tentatively called “Prophecy,” and Setsuko on a new work tentatively entitled “The Power of Dance.”
https://i.postimg.cc/brxtYpzw/Dan-Set...
May 27, 2021
WHERE IN THE UNIVERSE IS ALL THE DARK MATTER?
I have a theory: Be it romance, love, gender, adventure, drama, science fiction, erotica or sex, t’s been wrapped up in literature and movies for a long time now in the form of gratuitous violence. Darkness, especially in the form of gratuitous violence or overall pessimism in science fiction, isn’t “necessary.” Cities, if they will exist in the future, don’t necessarily have to be foreboding, constantly raining and filled with violent characters. Depending on detailed gratuitous violence to “animate” a work, in my experience, is more of an inexperienced author’s trick, when the actual story is more about how people feel and act in common everyday as well as exceptional situations. That’s the “guts” of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859). In THE EDGE OF MADNESS, the future is neither dystopian nor utopian. It’s, instead, a plausible extension of all that is playing out today: more technology, more and greater power struggles, more individual hedonism. Neither black nor white, good nor bad, just a story “taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556) left off…NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.” The action, drama, love and romance is in their living.
This whole approach to refocusing on living and plausibility rather than a fixed background of detailed, gratuitous violence or sex to “carry” and “enliven” the story, prompted me to question if THE EDGE OF MADNESS could even be called “science fiction” or “science fantasy.” In the end, I had to invent a new genre, “science futuring” or Sci-Fu, based on the projection of current science and technologies into the future, presenting the story in a manner such that readers “look into a mirror” of tomorrow that will, hopefully, help them make better decision in today’s world.
I recently created a Goodreads’ group (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...) devoted to exploring this new genre, to which I invite interested authors and readers. Living in a plausible future world presents enough challenges and foibles for millions of sci-fu flash fiction stories, short stories, novellas and novels without the need for inclusion of untoward violence to capture the reader’s interest, and, if the work helps rather than hinders readers in making better and more volutional future decisions, it’s will help break the circle of violence and instead of dis-empowering, will re-empower readers. In my opinion, we very much need more published works that have an intrinsically redeeming component, or humanity will drown itself in gratuitous violence, and, in a completely dystopian sense, cease to exist.
I don’t believe that humanity has to destroy itself. It might, but I don’t believe it has to. Volitional choice is the very foundation of our humanity, our mental and emotional growth, and our evolution. As Vernadsky e don’t need more slaughter. We need more empathy and understanding. As Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky in his 1926 book THE BIOSPHERE hypothesized that life is the force that shapes the earth, Gaia, envisioned by author and scientist James Lovelock in GAIA, THE VANISHING FACE OF GAIA, THE REVENGE OF GAIA and NOVACENE: THE COMING AGE OF HYPERINTELLIGENCE as a living being.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
Available as a Kindle eBook for $1.99 through 31 May 2021. Soon to be a Audible audiobook read by the inimitable Peter Pollock. Purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
This whole approach to refocusing on living and plausibility rather than a fixed background of detailed, gratuitous violence or sex to “carry” and “enliven” the story, prompted me to question if THE EDGE OF MADNESS could even be called “science fiction” or “science fantasy.” In the end, I had to invent a new genre, “science futuring” or Sci-Fu, based on the projection of current science and technologies into the future, presenting the story in a manner such that readers “look into a mirror” of tomorrow that will, hopefully, help them make better decision in today’s world.
I recently created a Goodreads’ group (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...) devoted to exploring this new genre, to which I invite interested authors and readers. Living in a plausible future world presents enough challenges and foibles for millions of sci-fu flash fiction stories, short stories, novellas and novels without the need for inclusion of untoward violence to capture the reader’s interest, and, if the work helps rather than hinders readers in making better and more volutional future decisions, it’s will help break the circle of violence and instead of dis-empowering, will re-empower readers. In my opinion, we very much need more published works that have an intrinsically redeeming component, or humanity will drown itself in gratuitous violence, and, in a completely dystopian sense, cease to exist.
I don’t believe that humanity has to destroy itself. It might, but I don’t believe it has to. Volitional choice is the very foundation of our humanity, our mental and emotional growth, and our evolution. As Vernadsky e don’t need more slaughter. We need more empathy and understanding. As Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky in his 1926 book THE BIOSPHERE hypothesized that life is the force that shapes the earth, Gaia, envisioned by author and scientist James Lovelock in GAIA, THE VANISHING FACE OF GAIA, THE REVENGE OF GAIA and NOVACENE: THE COMING AGE OF HYPERINTELLIGENCE as a living being.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
Available as a Kindle eBook for $1.99 through 31 May 2021. Soon to be a Audible audiobook read by the inimitable Peter Pollock. Purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
May 26, 2021
FULL MOON RISEN, ECLIPSED AND…
YOU guessed it: not viewed. Despite all my raving in yesterday’s post about this event, last night we had a “round table” full-cast reading of the “Static” movie script and I was so tired afterwards I slept right through the alarm. Go figure! On the other hand, the full-cast reading brought several to tears while others openly shared “goosebump” moments, meaning, in my mind, this drama will exceed even the most stringent viewer expectations. I also hear that the round table was recorded and an edited version with “meet the cast” interviews will soon appear on the movie website at https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie.
But back to books. Just finished being interviewed as Gary Martine, my pen name for the naughty, always erotic, gender-bending, sexually loaded Kingsley & I three-book series (KINGSLEY & I; KINGSLEY & I TOGETHER; KINGSLEY & I RELOADED), with each book scheduled for republication in the next couple months. As soon as the interview appears online, hopefully in the next couple of days, I’ll post the URL on this blog.
Thanks to everyone’s interest, my sci-fu techno thriller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS $1.99 EBOOK SALE through May 2021 continues to be a success. Thank you, and good reading! As for the audiobook version, I just yesterday listened to the entire audiobook, read by the inimitable Peter Pollock, and can say with all due respect, it’s a “have-to-listen-to.” As for the manga version, I’m actively looking for an up-and-coming manga artist with whom to work at the K. Simmons Productions studios.
I began today’s post with the theme of “lost opportunities.” An interesting concept, as unusual as today’s “spending to save money.” One can’t lose an opportunity if the opportunity doesn’t first exist. And one can’t really lose opportunities unless a diversity already exists. Is our allotted time then about losing or making opportunities? I favor the latter, as you can guess from the first part of this post. When once asked about sacrifice, I answered that I wanted to be the one who lives what everyone seems willing to die for. Like the three principal characters in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859): “Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
Still available as a Kindle eBook for only $1.99 through May 2021. Soon to be a Audible audiobook read by the inimitable Peter Pollock. Purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
But back to books. Just finished being interviewed as Gary Martine, my pen name for the naughty, always erotic, gender-bending, sexually loaded Kingsley & I three-book series (KINGSLEY & I; KINGSLEY & I TOGETHER; KINGSLEY & I RELOADED), with each book scheduled for republication in the next couple months. As soon as the interview appears online, hopefully in the next couple of days, I’ll post the URL on this blog.
Thanks to everyone’s interest, my sci-fu techno thriller, THE EDGE OF MADNESS $1.99 EBOOK SALE through May 2021 continues to be a success. Thank you, and good reading! As for the audiobook version, I just yesterday listened to the entire audiobook, read by the inimitable Peter Pollock, and can say with all due respect, it’s a “have-to-listen-to.” As for the manga version, I’m actively looking for an up-and-coming manga artist with whom to work at the K. Simmons Productions studios.
I began today’s post with the theme of “lost opportunities.” An interesting concept, as unusual as today’s “spending to save money.” One can’t lose an opportunity if the opportunity doesn’t first exist. And one can’t really lose opportunities unless a diversity already exists. Is our allotted time then about losing or making opportunities? I favor the latter, as you can guess from the first part of this post. When once asked about sacrifice, I answered that I wanted to be the one who lives what everyone seems willing to die for. Like the three principal characters in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859): “Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
Still available as a Kindle eBook for only $1.99 through May 2021. Soon to be a Audible audiobook read by the inimitable Peter Pollock. Purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
May 25, 2021
FULL MOON RISING, ECLIPSED!
ONE thing authoring THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859) has taught me is a new respect for astronomy, a hobby I’ve always been interested in, ignited further by the recent acquisition of a Skywatcher Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope. There aren’t many nights in the Bay Area perfect for viewing planets, but tomorrow is a sure winner, with Venus exceptionally bright and a full moon eclipsed. Didn’t know about it? In any field of interest, albeit authoring, acting or astronomy (the three big A’s in my life just now), it’s all about discipline, devotion and action. And keeping them mindfully in balance. Or, if you prefer, letting them exist in balance.
It’s easy to forget in this increasingly dis-integrating world that things greater than ourselves are happening every moment within a vast universe that’s actually “in balance.” Or maybe it’s so humbling to fully take in the thought, that many find the idea…uncomfortable, as true as it may be. I find looking out into the vastness beyond our little planet, spinning along at roughly 1.3 million miles per hour though space exactly what I need to keep the little things of life back into balance. It’s reassuring for me to know that tomorrow night there will be a full moon exactly as predicted, and even an extraordinary event like a lunar eclipse will happen as written in future sky charts!
Authoring is a lot like that for me. It involves discipline, devotion and action: The storyline in my head predicates its writing which predicates editing, polishing, proofing and publication. All very predictable, if and only if you’re willing to devote decades of your life to this pursuit. And I’m finding it much the same with acting (I play “Will” in the upcoming made-for-tv movie, “Static” – https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie): the imagined storyline predicates the screenwriting which predicates the cast’s rehearsals which predicates filming. Once again, a deeply satisfying experience when discipline, devotion and action are all present and in balance.
Even the topsy-turvy world created by TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese, it’s sequel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, and the final book in the trilogy currently in writing, tentatively entitled “Prophecy” — all products of years of balanced literary discipline, devotion and action — displays an inherently sweeping internal balance and flow that, I think, makes the three a gutsy, entertaining and authentically plausible read.
The Edge of Madness
Kindle e-book version only $1.99 throughout May 2021
Soon to be an Audible audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock. Purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
It’s easy to forget in this increasingly dis-integrating world that things greater than ourselves are happening every moment within a vast universe that’s actually “in balance.” Or maybe it’s so humbling to fully take in the thought, that many find the idea…uncomfortable, as true as it may be. I find looking out into the vastness beyond our little planet, spinning along at roughly 1.3 million miles per hour though space exactly what I need to keep the little things of life back into balance. It’s reassuring for me to know that tomorrow night there will be a full moon exactly as predicted, and even an extraordinary event like a lunar eclipse will happen as written in future sky charts!
Authoring is a lot like that for me. It involves discipline, devotion and action: The storyline in my head predicates its writing which predicates editing, polishing, proofing and publication. All very predictable, if and only if you’re willing to devote decades of your life to this pursuit. And I’m finding it much the same with acting (I play “Will” in the upcoming made-for-tv movie, “Static” – https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie): the imagined storyline predicates the screenwriting which predicates the cast’s rehearsals which predicates filming. Once again, a deeply satisfying experience when discipline, devotion and action are all present and in balance.
Even the topsy-turvy world created by TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese, it’s sequel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, and the final book in the trilogy currently in writing, tentatively entitled “Prophecy” — all products of years of balanced literary discipline, devotion and action — displays an inherently sweeping internal balance and flow that, I think, makes the three a gutsy, entertaining and authentically plausible read.
The Edge of Madness
Kindle e-book version only $1.99 throughout May 2021
Soon to be an Audible audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock. Purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
May 24, 2021
WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?
IN the immediate aftermath of the TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1434403556), something happened. The dis-integrating world proved a playground for “Fast Eddies” and con artists. But who, I ask, let them out? Who let the “dogs” out?
A dis-integrating world means that things, especially integrated technological products; businesses that require other business partners to create, distribute and market a product; and human and consumer support services simply don’t work, or at the least, begin requiring so much personal time to make work or “fix,” they end up effectively not “working” anymore. Like after a forest fire, this kind of situation presents a unique opportunity for new and better integrated products and services. Like THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859) with its mobs and nest mates; Contrasex Spray and CandyShades; T-rips; Eugitors, shimmer suits and SweetSixteenSalsaSexcapades. That’s the “edge” that’s necessary, when the dogs have finished their destruction, in order for the next generation and, when the change is complete, era or civilization to begin.
People who live during and can recall the “old days” suddenly become the problem. Youths simply encompass the new, taking it for granted. Their challenge is “Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.” And live they do, like teens of every new generation, to the fullest, often to the extreme.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
Kindle version on sale through May 2021.
Soon to be an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock; purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions
A dis-integrating world means that things, especially integrated technological products; businesses that require other business partners to create, distribute and market a product; and human and consumer support services simply don’t work, or at the least, begin requiring so much personal time to make work or “fix,” they end up effectively not “working” anymore. Like after a forest fire, this kind of situation presents a unique opportunity for new and better integrated products and services. Like THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859) with its mobs and nest mates; Contrasex Spray and CandyShades; T-rips; Eugitors, shimmer suits and SweetSixteenSalsaSexcapades. That’s the “edge” that’s necessary, when the dogs have finished their destruction, in order for the next generation and, when the change is complete, era or civilization to begin.
People who live during and can recall the “old days” suddenly become the problem. Youths simply encompass the new, taking it for granted. Their challenge is “Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.” And live they do, like teens of every new generation, to the fullest, often to the extreme.
The Edge of Madness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
Kindle version on sale through May 2021.
Soon to be an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock; purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions
May 23, 2021
THE WORD
As an actor in the up and coming made-for-television film, the “Static” movie (https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie), I’ve recently become more aware that it’s all about “the scene,” something upon which the entire cast, crew and staff are tightly focused, working together to perfect. Authoring, on the other hand, is all about one lonely person’s word-craft, something that can only be learned in the Hard Knocks College of Out-There-Before-the-Public Writing and Authoring.
Words today are to many just that. Words. But in ancient times, when the idea of recording ideas for prosperity first rose, written words had supernatural, even occult power. Suddenly what one said endured. One had to be even more careful about what one wrote than what was said, as the written word in many cultures and societies had the power to bind even the Gods and Goddesses unto eternity. Life suddenly became more complex and writers, obligatory experts at word choice.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God -John 1:1
Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality -Edgar Allan Poe
The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning. -Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
The author’s version of word choice is word play, something I tried to elevate to that of an independent form of entertainment in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
The Edge of Madness
Kindle version on sale for $1.99 through May 2021.
Soon to be an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock; purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions
Words today are to many just that. Words. But in ancient times, when the idea of recording ideas for prosperity first rose, written words had supernatural, even occult power. Suddenly what one said endured. One had to be even more careful about what one wrote than what was said, as the written word in many cultures and societies had the power to bind even the Gods and Goddesses unto eternity. Life suddenly became more complex and writers, obligatory experts at word choice.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God -John 1:1
Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality -Edgar Allan Poe
The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning. -Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
The author’s version of word choice is word play, something I tried to elevate to that of an independent form of entertainment in THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
The Edge of Madness
Kindle version on sale for $1.99 through May 2021.
Soon to be an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock; purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions
May 22, 2021
PRIDE VERSES HUBRIS
I’VE been wondering lately what is it that makes morality so important, perhaps even essential, to humans, but not as far as we know, to other animals? It’s always been my opinion that morality is a sort of mental barbed-wire fence to keep what I consider the eighth deadly sin, hubris, in check, though hubris is commonly regarded as synonymous the first deadly sin, pride. Personally and as an author, I make a distinction between the two, pride being about about unnatural self-aggrandizement, hubris being a natural phenomenon, that results anytime one perceives a real or imagined power difference between oneself and others.
I always fall back on two important socio-psychological experiments when I think of hubris: The Stanford Prison Experiment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanfor...) and the Yale Milgram Experiment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram...). Both were meant to elucidate why and how “normal” decent human beings could autotransform into heartless overlords and helpless victims. Perhaps my interpretation is a bit different than most, but I take the experiments to suggest that humans have a peculiar propensity for splitting into, assuming and even consciously enacting one these two extremes when faced with an involuntary, real or perceived power difference between individuals. Call it a survival mechanism if you like akin to the “fight or flight” reflex (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-o...). The “problem,” however, isn’t the splitting so much as it is the side effects and aftermath.
Maybe it’s not so “bad” in times of duress for some to seize the lead and others follow. However, the split seems usually accompanied by guilt in the case of the leader(s) and shame in the case of the followers, the extreme exception being leaders who altogether lose their empathy and followers who altogether lose their self-assurance. The side effects, however, are equally damaging: impulsivity, depression, anxiety, inability to make rational decisions, post-traumatic stress disorder even suicide. These effects are apparently multi-generational.
In THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, I build on my educational tome UNLOCK THE GENIUS WITHIN: Neurobiological Trauma, Teaching, and Transformative Learning (Rowman and Littlefield Education 2005) written as Daniel S. Janik (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1578862914), projecting the concept of transformational education into a future incorporating such technologies as interactive holographic presence. Everyone — instructor, mentor, demonstrator, learners — appear together in a virtual “classroom” while each remains safely at home. In such situations, there is far less opportunity for power imbalances and therefor far less bullying and victimization. I like to think of it as an “anti-hubris crucible” within which each participant can explore and work out pre-existing “circles of violence.” When I write, I keep this in mind, distinguishing between and addressing the PRIDE of Satan versus the HUBRIS of humans.
The Edge of Madness
THE EDGE OF MADNESS:
- Kindle version on sale for $1.99 through May 2021.
- soon to be an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock
- purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions
I always fall back on two important socio-psychological experiments when I think of hubris: The Stanford Prison Experiment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanfor...) and the Yale Milgram Experiment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram...). Both were meant to elucidate why and how “normal” decent human beings could autotransform into heartless overlords and helpless victims. Perhaps my interpretation is a bit different than most, but I take the experiments to suggest that humans have a peculiar propensity for splitting into, assuming and even consciously enacting one these two extremes when faced with an involuntary, real or perceived power difference between individuals. Call it a survival mechanism if you like akin to the “fight or flight” reflex (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-o...). The “problem,” however, isn’t the splitting so much as it is the side effects and aftermath.
Maybe it’s not so “bad” in times of duress for some to seize the lead and others follow. However, the split seems usually accompanied by guilt in the case of the leader(s) and shame in the case of the followers, the extreme exception being leaders who altogether lose their empathy and followers who altogether lose their self-assurance. The side effects, however, are equally damaging: impulsivity, depression, anxiety, inability to make rational decisions, post-traumatic stress disorder even suicide. These effects are apparently multi-generational.
In THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, I build on my educational tome UNLOCK THE GENIUS WITHIN: Neurobiological Trauma, Teaching, and Transformative Learning (Rowman and Littlefield Education 2005) written as Daniel S. Janik (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1578862914), projecting the concept of transformational education into a future incorporating such technologies as interactive holographic presence. Everyone — instructor, mentor, demonstrator, learners — appear together in a virtual “classroom” while each remains safely at home. In such situations, there is far less opportunity for power imbalances and therefor far less bullying and victimization. I like to think of it as an “anti-hubris crucible” within which each participant can explore and work out pre-existing “circles of violence.” When I write, I keep this in mind, distinguishing between and addressing the PRIDE of Satan versus the HUBRIS of humans.
The Edge of Madness
THE EDGE OF MADNESS:
- Kindle version on sale for $1.99 through May 2021.
- soon to be an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock
- purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions
May 21, 2021
COMING-OF-AGE
ALL societies in all eras I know of share at least one thing in common: the Coming-of-Age. Be it a slap on the back, kiss on the cheek, a party or ritual, the transition from asexuality to sexuality, bit it heterosexual, LGBTQ or other, is celebrated. And well it should be, for without the change in attitude and focus, we would, as a species, cease to exist. In my science-based future study, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, coming-of-age becomes even more important and celebrated with the beginning of humanity’s diaspora from Gaia — Mother Earth — into planetary space. Sound crazy? Think for a moment about the Mar’s One craze: Would anyone in his or her right mind be willing to leave Earth’s cradling atmosphere, abundant water and diverse food to live permanently on what appears to be a dry, lifeless planet? Irrespective of what many might think, the answer is a solid and vocal multi-person, “YES!” And with it, coming-of-age — entering into the reproductive years — will become even more important.
In the book, teens make a number of decisions that will affect the rest of their lives, like, whether to have their growth arrested and remain child-sized in order to travel in space, giving up their ability to reproduce if not reversed within a narrow adolescent window; or live out their lives as fully reproductive adults forever locked in Earth’s embrace, having to aggressively compete for every iota of available space, food, water and air on a grossly overpopulated world. Or what con (available work billet) based on one’s pros (propensities) to agree to. Or what ARS (adaptive reconstructive surgery) to select — for the principal protagonist, a simian tail. And what, if any kind of public SweetSixteenSalsaSexcapade to enact. It’s all about the mob one is enjoined to at two years of age, when children are removed from their parents to be nurtured by professional custodians within an education-enamored state.
Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.
The Edge of Madness
ON SALE AS A KINDLE EBOOK FOR $1.99 THROUGH MAY 2021
Soon to be an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock; purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
In the book, teens make a number of decisions that will affect the rest of their lives, like, whether to have their growth arrested and remain child-sized in order to travel in space, giving up their ability to reproduce if not reversed within a narrow adolescent window; or live out their lives as fully reproductive adults forever locked in Earth’s embrace, having to aggressively compete for every iota of available space, food, water and air on a grossly overpopulated world. Or what con (available work billet) based on one’s pros (propensities) to agree to. Or what ARS (adaptive reconstructive surgery) to select — for the principal protagonist, a simian tail. And what, if any kind of public SweetSixteenSalsaSexcapade to enact. It’s all about the mob one is enjoined to at two years of age, when children are removed from their parents to be nurtured by professional custodians within an education-enamored state.
Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.
The Edge of Madness
ON SALE AS A KINDLE EBOOK FOR $1.99 THROUGH MAY 2021
Soon to be an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock; purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
May 20, 2021
JUST THE RIGHT EDGE
I’VE often heard that the storyline, narration, dialog and outstanding editing are what make a successful book. Of course, I have to agree. Makes total sense. And yet…there’s something, almost intangible, that elevates a well-authored and edited story to something, well, more. It’s the difference between a great performance and one that elicits goose bumps. It’s having just the right “edge.” Something more. One of my publishers, Savant Books and Publications | Aignos Publishing, calls it “a twist” — “Enduring literary works [‘with a twist’] for the twenty-first century [that broaden readers’ world outlook]. I like that byline. It’s all about a good read with an edge.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859) is more than a work with an edge. It is a two-edged sword. It begins with an account of the birth of the principal protagonist ENTIRELY FROM THE FETUS’ POINT OF VIEW. What book have you ever heard of that had that “twist” — that edge. Second, it elevates science fiction/fantasy to a new level, incorporating completely plausible extensions of today’s technology, giving the reader a new perspective, that of looking into a future mirror, being able to to see the consequences of what often seem minor day-to-day actions.
Yesterday, I received a request for an author interview under another pen name, Gary Martine, of the out-of-print Kingsley and I series trilogy:
KINGSLEY & I (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1934531391);
KINGSLEY & I TOGETHER (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608200221); and
KINGSLEY & I RELOADED (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K92GAAM)
In the Kingsley & I series the twist — the edge — is that the story is told from the perspective of a heterosexual male with a clearly gay lover, exploring what being in such a strongly attractive relationship means regarding his own sexual/gender identity. It’s an edge that calls louder every day for the series to be republished.
Currently, I’ve been turning my creative attentions on reprising the role of Will Gardner in the upcoming K. Simmons Productions’ movie “Static” (https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie), about an elderly man struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease and what it means to him and those around him. But like all my books, “Static” has a defining edge: It’s actually a drama about what it’s like to suffer loss of that principal pleasure of old age, one’s memories, while being totally aware they are quickly becoming increasingly inaccessible, and there’s nothing he can do about it. It’s a story of tremendous personal courage in the face of inescapable tragedy.
The Kingsley & I series, soon to hopefully be republished. “Static” the movie scheduled for release in September 2021. THE EDGE OF MADNESS soon to be an audiobook read by Peter Pollock, purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859) is more than a work with an edge. It is a two-edged sword. It begins with an account of the birth of the principal protagonist ENTIRELY FROM THE FETUS’ POINT OF VIEW. What book have you ever heard of that had that “twist” — that edge. Second, it elevates science fiction/fantasy to a new level, incorporating completely plausible extensions of today’s technology, giving the reader a new perspective, that of looking into a future mirror, being able to to see the consequences of what often seem minor day-to-day actions.
Yesterday, I received a request for an author interview under another pen name, Gary Martine, of the out-of-print Kingsley and I series trilogy:
KINGSLEY & I (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1934531391);
KINGSLEY & I TOGETHER (https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608200221); and
KINGSLEY & I RELOADED (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K92GAAM)
In the Kingsley & I series the twist — the edge — is that the story is told from the perspective of a heterosexual male with a clearly gay lover, exploring what being in such a strongly attractive relationship means regarding his own sexual/gender identity. It’s an edge that calls louder every day for the series to be republished.
Currently, I’ve been turning my creative attentions on reprising the role of Will Gardner in the upcoming K. Simmons Productions’ movie “Static” (https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie), about an elderly man struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease and what it means to him and those around him. But like all my books, “Static” has a defining edge: It’s actually a drama about what it’s like to suffer loss of that principal pleasure of old age, one’s memories, while being totally aware they are quickly becoming increasingly inaccessible, and there’s nothing he can do about it. It’s a story of tremendous personal courage in the face of inescapable tragedy.
The Kingsley & I series, soon to hopefully be republished. “Static” the movie scheduled for release in September 2021. THE EDGE OF MADNESS soon to be an audiobook read by Peter Pollock, purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
May 19, 2021
TRIPPING THE “RIGHT” FANTASTIC
AS a registered performance and competitive dancer, every day I practice “tripping the light fantastic” to improve and enjoy my skills and keep in shape. It was my “crutch” throughout the 2020 plague year when my living room had to serve as my studio; it was something I could look forward to when, pre-vaccination, all the dance venues closed and even just going for a walk with a mask while carefully distancing from others outside was verboten.
These days, in addition to authoring and promoting my latest novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, I’ve been busy rehearsing my role as Will Gardner, the lead character in the upcoming made-for-TV movie, “Static” (https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie) every day via internet and more recently on location. My first thought was how similar dancing, authoring and acting were. My second though, however, is how thoroughly different they are. Especially surrounding the communication medium. In dance, almost everything is conveyed through body movement. In authoring, if one discounts narrative, the principal medium is written dialog. Acting utilizes both body movement and SPOKEN dialog. Hence my newest acting challenge, memorizing pre-scripted spoken dialog rather than creating written dialog, and integrating that with body actions right down to subtle facial expressions.
This seems especially true to me for dramatic works, which some regard as the sin qua non of acting. My current role is that of an elderly, wounded Korean War survivor, struggling with the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. It’s a poignant, sometimes sad, sometimes inspiring story of how he deals with the knowledge of the disease’s inexorable progression, robbing him of even the pleasure of memories, and it’s effect of though around him — his BKWB (best Korean war buddy), his daughter and her husband, even the local bartender. Currently in rehearsals both on the internet and on location, “Static” is a work, I believe, worthy of seeing and experiencing on it’s scheduled premiere in mid-September 2021.
But whether it’s watching DanceSport, reading a great book or viewing a great movie like “Static,” it’s all about tripping the light fantastic. And more so, it’s all about what one takes away. Whether it’s slender, nubile bodies gyrating to the pulsing sounds of music; a quiet, all-encompassing read of THE EDGE OF MADNESS in a comfortable armchair next to a crackling fireplace; or total immersion in an authentic, poignant, grabbing-at-the-heart movie, it’s all about tripping the RIGHT fantastic and thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Raymond Gaynor
Author of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020)
Co-author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) and with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)
Author website at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
Author Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/raymond.gayn...
Author Twitter site at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
Amazon Goodreads author page at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Savant Books and Publications | Aignos Publishing author page at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Distributed by Savant Distribution at https://www.savantdistribution.com/
THE EDGE OF MADNESS press release at https://www.prlog.org/12825474
The Edge of Madness
Kindle version on sale for $1.99 through May 2021 — also available in printed format; soon to become an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock. Purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
These days, in addition to authoring and promoting my latest novel, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, I’ve been busy rehearsing my role as Will Gardner, the lead character in the upcoming made-for-TV movie, “Static” (https://kspllc.media/the-static-movie) every day via internet and more recently on location. My first thought was how similar dancing, authoring and acting were. My second though, however, is how thoroughly different they are. Especially surrounding the communication medium. In dance, almost everything is conveyed through body movement. In authoring, if one discounts narrative, the principal medium is written dialog. Acting utilizes both body movement and SPOKEN dialog. Hence my newest acting challenge, memorizing pre-scripted spoken dialog rather than creating written dialog, and integrating that with body actions right down to subtle facial expressions.
This seems especially true to me for dramatic works, which some regard as the sin qua non of acting. My current role is that of an elderly, wounded Korean War survivor, struggling with the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease. It’s a poignant, sometimes sad, sometimes inspiring story of how he deals with the knowledge of the disease’s inexorable progression, robbing him of even the pleasure of memories, and it’s effect of though around him — his BKWB (best Korean war buddy), his daughter and her husband, even the local bartender. Currently in rehearsals both on the internet and on location, “Static” is a work, I believe, worthy of seeing and experiencing on it’s scheduled premiere in mid-September 2021.
But whether it’s watching DanceSport, reading a great book or viewing a great movie like “Static,” it’s all about tripping the light fantastic. And more so, it’s all about what one takes away. Whether it’s slender, nubile bodies gyrating to the pulsing sounds of music; a quiet, all-encompassing read of THE EDGE OF MADNESS in a comfortable armchair next to a crackling fireplace; or total immersion in an authentic, poignant, grabbing-at-the-heart movie, it’s all about tripping the RIGHT fantastic and thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Raymond Gaynor
Author of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020)
Co-author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) and with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)
Author website at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
Author Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/raymond.gayn...
Author Twitter site at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
Amazon Goodreads author page at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Savant Books and Publications | Aignos Publishing author page at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Distributed by Savant Distribution at https://www.savantdistribution.com/
THE EDGE OF MADNESS press release at https://www.prlog.org/12825474
The Edge of Madness
Kindle version on sale for $1.99 through May 2021 — also available in printed format; soon to become an audiobook read by the incomparable Peter Pollock. Purchased for manga, animation and cinematic treatment by K. Simmons Productions.
