An Intro to the World of Maxwell Floyd (Part 2 – Places & Technology)

Places

Book 1, and most of the books from the series, take place in a future New York City and combines many of my favorite visuals and themes. Classes are quite distinct: there are the wealthy, and everyone else. The rich and powerful live in the upper levels, the 30th floor and above, throughout the city. They have everything they need up there. The most luxurious penthouses and rooftop mansions. The poshest shopping malls. The finest restaurants. They even have their own police precinct and emergency services. They can afford the newest most advanced technologies, like flying cars. They don’t even have to set foot on the ground if they don’t want to.

But down on the streets, in the lower levels, is where the action happens and where most of my stories occur. Considered “the slums,” it’s a tough place for the people who live there, grinding their way through life just trying to get by. Crime is much more abundant. The power and communications infrastructure is quite shaky, frequently going out. Things are often left in disrepair. It’s the proverbial “other side of the tracks.”

Technology

Though set in the future, I wouldn’t consider my books Science Fiction. I wanted the time period to serve as only the setting, with very little impact on the story. Technology is actually not as advanced as you’d think it might be. Sure, there are flying cars and other really cool things, but at some point in the backstory, war had an effect on the development of high tech and its availability to the general public. The vast majority of people simply can’t afford it.

To find out more, read Part 3 of An Intro to the World of Maxwell Floyd.