The Dark Side
Although I’m better known for the STAC Mysteries, there is a darker side to my work; longer, more detailed novels looking into the murkier side of human nature.
I don’t write many. I don’t have time, for one thing, and they are incredibly draining. They compel the writer to look at those parts of humanity most of us, me included, would rather not. Either that or they force us to confront to machinations of The Establishment, political or military, and the terrible power they wield even in a democracy.
An example of the latter can be found in Voices. Part horror, part sci-fi, mostly thriller, whilst it is a product of my febrile and busy imagination, the subtext asks some searching questions, particularly in the shape of Colonel Thompson, who makes his first appearance at the very end of the tale.
Without giving anything of the plot away, this man is a “defender of the nation” and he will use whatever means he can to carry out his work.
Do we who are comfortable in our lives, seriously believe that if such powers as are depicted in Voices, were a reality, that the Colonel Thompsons of The Establishment would not use them? They would. And do we believe that the Colonel Thompsons would give tuppence for the lives they would ruin in such usage? They would not. And they would be quite happy to hide behind their stock response: Defence of the realm, old boy.
Half a century or so back, the USA and the old Soviet Union carried out experiments into remote viewing, the near-telepathic ability to “see” what is or is not at a distant locations. The USA discontinued the experiments citing poor results as the reason.
The odd thing is that British Intelligence also carried out similar experiments… but this was around the Millennium, over twenty years after the Americans had declared remote viewing useless.
Why? Ever since World War I there has been an agreement between the US and Great Britain on shared intelligence. They tell each other everything… or that’s the principle.
If the British Government had the results of the American experiments, and they were a failure, why, then, did the UK run them again?
Or could it be that the experiments were more successful than anyone is prepared to admit?
***
Voices is published by Crooked Cat Books and available for download from:
And in paperback from
Voices: you can’t escape what is in your head
Always Writing
- David W. Robinson's profile
- 51 followers
