Angels, Philosophy and Science
Those of you who weren't familiar with Terra Whiteman one month ago must by now have an inkling as to who she is.
Terra has been running the 1889 blog for the last month or so (and doing a sterling job, let it be said). But my friendship with her actually goes much further back than 1889. Not only did I invite her to take part in Ergofiction's Other Sides: 12 Webfiction Tales anthology; I had been reading her online serial The Antithesis for several months beforehand.
Yes, I'll admit it: I'm a fan of her work. And, if the votes on Top Web Fiction are any indication — where her webfiction has retained pole position for months — I'm not the only fan out there. So I'm delighted to announce that 1889 is proud publisher of The Antithesis, which you can buy RIGHT NOW (links at the bottom of this post).
Not certain whether you'll like it? I invited Terra round for tea and a chat, to show you just what you're missing out on.
Terra: who are you? Or better yet, who were you before you became the 1889 blogzine editor?
TW: I'm a twenty-six year old scientist by day, author by night. Well, not really by night. More like weekends, or something. Before I became the blogzine editor for 1889 I was (and still am) the author of The Antithesis.
Fill in the blank: "If you like _______, you'll love The Antithesis."
TW: Okay, this question is particularly difficult because I really don't have anything to compare my story to. I guess the best method of answering this is: if you like angel/demon concepts (though spun completely different than any other story) with philosophical and scientific undertones, then you'll love The Antithesis. Hopefully.
What is the main theme behind The Antithesis — what would you want readers to take away from the story?
TW: The main theme behind TA is the complete rejection of duality (good and evil). Instead, the story approaches the fact that people act and feel in certain ways because of the circumstances life gives them. One of the lines from the story summary is: 'With no villains, no heroes… only those left scorned." And, what better way to portray the rejection of good and evil by using the age-old symbol for it: Heaven and Hell?
Religion can be a prickly subject. Has your work ruffled any feathers?
TW: Yup. Though not lately, I've received several emails about how my story was offensive to the Christian religion. And yeah, I could see that. This story is called The Antithesis because it's antithetical to the Christian religion. It's antithetical to all religions. But people also need to understand that this is a fictional story. Its purpose is to entertain and not insult, and I've never intentionally tried to maliciously attack anyone's beliefs.
Moving on to format, The Antithesis has its roots in webfiction. How and why did you start posting your work online?
TW: I started posting my work online when another author friend of mine told me he was doing it. He said it gave him motivation to keep writing, knowing people were reading and enjoying it. Though I didn't really need motivation to keep writing, the idea that the story I'd written (which at the time had just been sitting around on my hard drive untouched) could be read by somebody seemed enticing. So I made a blogger site (a really crappy one at first) and put it on there. A year later, here I am.
You have a loyal online following. What's the nicest thing a reader has ever done for you?
TW: I think the nicest thing my readers have done for me as a whole is give me excellent feedback and comments. They really seem to be into the story, and they discuss current plot advancements with one another as well. There are a handful who have become personal friends of mine and always seem eager to engage in conversation with me over TA. Needless to say, I'm extremely surprised at how interested my readers have been in the story. Pleasantly surprised, that is.
How does it feel to now see your work in print?
TW: You have no idea. When I received the print proof, I sat there with it in my hands, staring confoundedly at it, with the thought: "This is now an actual book."
Who or what inspires your writing?
TW: A lot of things have inspired my writing. My two passions are science and philosophy, so it is no surprise that there are references to theories and concepts of both disciplines scattered throughout the story. I'm also especially inspired by the works of John Milton and Edgar Allan Poe, the latter being one of the most infamous Dark Romanticists in literary history. While creating TA, I often thought of all the older forms of literary fiction: epics and classics that sought not only to be visionary, but also moving and edifying. I suppose TA is a homage to works of old, having some of the same concepts and inner-workings, but just created in a modernized format.
What can we expect from you in the future? Do you have any other projects in the works?
TW: Other than The Antithesis series, I'm not doing much in terms of writing. As of right now my main focus is getting into medical school and also getting my post-graduate life in order.
Lastly, and most importantly, if you had to give up one of these two forever, which would it be: fruit or bread?
Most importantly?! Uh… Well, I suppose I'd give up fruit, since without bread I couldn't eat grilled cheese sandwiches, though neither of those two food groups are particularly important to me. Now if you said cheese, that would be a different story entirely.
Terra Whiteman is a scientist who writes whenever she's not doing things that scientists do. She loves philosophy, chemistry, biology, classical literature, graphic novels, loud, obnoxious music, frog slippers and beer. Terra began writing The Antithesis online, and still publishes chapters of works in progress for her online community. Artwork, and a deeper look into The Antithesis' Multiverse can be found at http://the-antithesis.net.
You can purchase a print copy of The Antithesis from Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Barnes & Nobles
Ebook coming soon to Kindle, Smashwords & more!
