Samuel DenHartog's Blog: The Road to 1,440 - Posts Tagged "philosophy"

Hey cosmic wanderers and philosophy enthusiasts!

Ever wondered what it would be like to eavesdrop on a conversation among beings who've never known physical form, debating the mysteries of the universe with a wit that rivals the sharpness of Occam's razor? Well, wonder no more! I'm thrilled to introduce my latest literary adventure, "Revelations from the Fifth Realm," where humor collides with the profound in an ethereal plain known only to those who dare to dream.

In this book, I invite you on a journey unlike any other—a journey through the Fifth Realm, where four unique beings tackle life's biggest questions against the backdrop of the cosmos. But here's the twist: they do it with a sense of humor that will have you chuckling as you ponder the nature of existence, time, and what it means to be. Imagine discussing the concept of nothingness over a cup of cosmic tea, or debating the fluidity of time with puns that span millennia. That's the kind of ride you're in for.

"Revelations from the Fifth Realm" is an invitation to laugh, think, and perhaps see the universe a little differently. It's for anyone who's ever looked up at the stars and laughed at the absurdity of it all, for those who find joy in the juxtaposition of the significant and the trivial. So, grab your space helmet (or philosopher's hat, whichever you prefer) and join me on this interstellar journey of enlightenment and laughter. The Fifth Realm awaits, and trust me, it's a place where the cosmic and comedic collide in the most spectacular of ways.

Until our paths cross in the cosmos,
Samuel DenHartog

There’s something uniquely unsettling about stories where evil doesn’t roar, but whispers. When I first set out to write Subject to Corruption, I wanted to explore that quieter battlefield — the one where ordinary souls are slowly nudged off course by unseen hands. Not through dramatic temptations, but through small, daily choices that seem harmless at first. The idea was to show how the greatest defeats often start with a simple shrug.

Rather than telling a traditional story, I chose the form of personal letters between two demons: a mentor and his student. It gave the work a rawness and intimacy, letting readers feel the slow, grinding efforts to undo a single human life. I wanted readers to laugh sometimes, to feel a creeping unease at others, and to realize that these battles — exaggerated though they are — have shadows in the real world.

Crafting the voice of Vilethorn was a careful balancing act. He had to be clever, cruel, and yet strangely funny in his own way. The tone had to walk a line between dark amusement and genuine philosophical reflection without ever becoming preachy. Every letter became a chance to explore pride, fear, loneliness, self-importance — all the subtle cracks that evil loves to widen.

Stories like this, I believe, are most powerful when they leave space for the reader to recognize themselves. Subject to Corruption is not just a story about a demon and his assignment; it’s a distorted mirror, held up with a crooked grin, inviting the reader to wonder where the real battle lines are drawn.