Introducing The War of Zero-Sum by fellow Author Mark Lynch

Following on from my blog ‘Meet a fellow sci-fi writer’ I’m pleased to host Mark Lynch as he introduces his book The War of Zero-Sum.

You can catch up on all my guest featured authors on my website here.

[image error]What is this book about?   

The War of Zero-Sum is an Irish Troubles novel, but one with a unique twist! Zero Sum is set in an alternative reality, where Ireland is on the frontline of the Cold War conflict between the USSR and the USA.

The point of divergence (to use the popular alternative history term) is set in the spring of 1943, when a premature D-Day landing ends in failure, and the Anglo-American alliance breaks down shortly after. The Soviet Red Army still succeeds in defeating the Nazis, and their forces continue to advance across the German territories. The Russians seize all of Germany by 1945, and they go on to ‘liberate’ the Low Countries and France.

In the post-war period, Europe is dominated by the Soviet Union, and the United States has withdrawn from the continent, renewing her inter-war policy of isolationism. Ultimately, a bankrupt and abandoned Great Britain falls to communism in the autumn of 1961.

Jump forward to 1969, and you have the island of Ireland still divided; with the North occupied by the Soviet Union, and the South garrisoned by the Americans. Meanwhile, the CIA backed Resistance fights a desperate guerrilla war in the mean streets of Belfast, as our hero Sean McCann tries to stay one step ahead of the ruthless Red secret police, headed up by an ex-IRA man by the name of Alexander Lynch.

Zero Sum is a ‘Troubles’ novel like none other. It is a Belfast story, full of colourful characters, black humour, and Irish tragedy. But, first and foremost, the book is a new and unique take on the sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland, and imagines how the traditional divides and divisions in this society could have been altered by a starkly different political reality.

What inspired you to write this book?

The concept for the novel was in my head for many years before I started working on this project. I have long been interested in Irish history, and particularly in the history of our most recent Troubles. Because of my age and upbringing, I wasn’t directly impacted by the Troubles (as so many were) but I have lived in Northern Ireland for my whole life, and I’ve witnessed how the legacy of the conflict continues to damage our society.

There’s obviously been a significant number of Troubles related novels written over the years and so I wanted to write something a bit different from the norm. I studied history throughout school and university and (outside of Ireland) my main area of interest is 20th century history, particularly World War Two and the Cold War.

Finally, I’m a big fan of alternative history fiction, and I enjoy the novels written by the giants of this genre, such as Harry Turtledove and S .M. Stirling. The concept of ‘What if?’ has always fascinated me.

In Zero-Sum I have brought all of these loves together, and I’ve combined the Irish Troubles and the Cold War in order to create an ambitious alternative history saga. Hopefully I’ve managed to pull it off, but that’s for the readers to decide…

Who are the primary readers of your book?   

The obvious reader base is in Northern Ireland itself, but I feel that the novel has a much wider appeal. As with my fellow modern authors, I’m fortunate in that Amazon and other online resources allow me to reach a worldwide audience.

Alternative history is definitely a growing sub-genre and there is a substantial AH fan base spread across the US, the UK, and further afield. I’ve posted some advertisements on AH websites and have enjoyed some positive feedback. The Cold War aspect is certainly an element which many readers can relate to.

The story itself is fast moving and action packed. Also, I believe the reader will identify with many of my characters, as I have tried to make each individual as real as possible. I’m a big believer in writing characters who are neither ‘black’ nor ‘white’, ‘good’ nor ‘bad’. The people in Zero Sum are largely products of their environment, or victims of the poor choices they have made in their lives.

How long did it take to write it?   

I began writing the novel in January of 2013, and had finished the first draft by October of the same year. I dabbled with self-publishing for a bit and then I was fortunate enough to get offered a contract by David J Publishing. The novel was published in e-book and paperback formats in June 2014.

How did you come up with the title?

There’s a bit of a tale behind this one, so bear with me…

The novel was originally self-published under the title ‘The Red Star of Ulster’, which was meant as a pun on the traditional ‘Red Hand of Ulster’.

This was okay, but my publisher felt that the title wouldn’t have a broad enough appeal internationally, and it might also confuse some readers.

Therefore, we came up with ‘The War of Zero Sum’. Zero Sum is a mathematical term which is also used in political analysis. A broad definition of the term is ‘a gain for one side which results in a corresponding loss for the other side’. This term can be applied equally in the context of both the Northern Irish Troubles and the Cold War, thus the use in my title.

Why did you choose this cover?   

The cover was designed by David J Publishing. I was presented with a choice of half a dozen excellent and professional options and I chose the cover above. The two flags set upon the map of Ireland clearly encapsulates the core concept of the story, i.e. the island divided between the Cold War superpowers. The motif also parodies the map we are so used to seeing, with the Union Jack in the North, and the Irish Tricolour in the South. The silver metallic and industrial style lettering in the foreground also evokes images of the Cold War era. I was very pleased with the final cover design for Zero Sum.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?   

This novel was certainly a hard one to write, for a number of different reasons. I was concerned that many of the themes of the book would be controversial, especially given the ongoing political situation here in Northern Ireland.

It’s almost impossible to tread the middle line when you’re writing about such a divided society, but I did my best to remain neutral, and to show the ugly realities of sectarianism on both sides. At the same time, I’ve tried to portray the beliefs and loyalties of people from all factions, including those who support a Communist style government in Northern Ireland as an alternative to the old sectarian split. This was quite a challenge!

Another difficulty I faced was with the length of the book. I originally envisaged a single novel charting the story of a peoples uprising against a Soviet regime, however, I soon realised that the tale was just too big for the one book, and so I’m now working towards the completion of a trilogy!

Did you do research for your book?

Yes, there was quite a lot of research involved in writing this novel. The alternative history genre is something of an oddity, because you’re creating a fantasy scenario but, at the same time, you have to stay close to the historical record for some aspects of the story. Therefore, you have to do your homework to ensure that the novel is as authentic as possible. Luckily, I’m a history buff anyway so it wasn’t too much of a chore to read up on the early years of the Troubles and on the Cold War era.

In regards to locations, most of the chapters in Zero Sum are set either in Belfast or Dublin, which are cities I know pretty well. This obviously helped when it came to describing particular streets and landmarks. That said, I’ve been told that a couple of discrepancies have crept into my descriptions of 1960’s Belfast…but I put this down to creative licence!

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?   

Perhaps the most important thing I learnt while writing this novel was that it’s extremely difficult to write objectively when you’re dealing with such a divisive subject matter. I was very concerned about how this novel would be received by the readers, and not just because of all the bad language!

In a place like Northern Ireland, there’s always the risk that certain people will accuse you of being bigoted or bias towards one side or the other. In the end though, I learnt that I’ve just got to write the story and not concern myself too much with what a minority of readers may think. ‘You can’t please all of the people’, as the say…

What do you want to say to your readers?

In Zero Sum I’ve tried to write an entertaining and character-driven novel, but I’ve also tried to say something about the society in which I live. Perhaps I’ve been over-ambitious or arrogant in this regard, but that’s for the readers to decide.

As always, I want to say thanks to all who have bought, downloaded, or read the novel and, of course, constructive feedback is always welcome.

Special Announcement from Mark Lynch

I am pleased to announce that the sequel to Zero Sum has been submitted to my publisher for consideration. The novel is entitled ‘Insurgent Town’ and, all being well, it will be published later in the year. Keep an eye out for further updates on my Facebook Page and Twitter account –

Twitter username – @sfwriter83

Mark