[Content Deleted] by A. Merlocks (Yes, that's really the name of the book.)

[A.]

Hi everyone, this is both a formal introduction (I am new to this group and to Goodreads) and sort of a news release (my first work of fiction is now out there). It is great to have a place where authors can make an informal news release, by the way. This short novel is a bit difficult to classify. It is Science Fiction, that is true. It is about time travel, but it is not. It is a scientific thriller, but it is not. It ends, but it does not. It has a bit of everything, that is true. It is probably more experimental than I thought. I have opened a discussion here:

Do we live in a multiverse?

and also a blog:


A. Merlocks's Blog: Time for Fantasy

Any comments (negative or perhaps positive) are welcome! As it is said, we learn more from our mistakes than our successes.

All the best!

A.

[Amy, Queen of Time]

A. wrote: "Hi everyone, this is both a formal introduction (I am new to this group and to Goodreads) and sort of a news release (my first work of fiction is now out there). It is great to have a place where a..."

Sounds intriguing. I'm going to leave the GoodReads blurb here for everyone:

Our lives are like folders that get full of content over time.

But, what if you wake up one day and everything that has to do with you has been fully erased?

The Concorde has returned to commercial service. Linux has not been invented yet. Hawaii is a Japanese island. His home is now a public park. His boss of ten years does not know who is him. He must submit a review to a journal that does not even exist.

Too much for Professor Wells,... as in H. G. Wells. Now, Harold Geraint Wells does not have any family or friends. His laptop cannot connect to the Internet. His phone cannot register on network. His only link to his own reality is a student, Julie, who is as lost as he is. She is puzzled. New country, new city, new university, new time. Well, same time... but different time line. Together they must find out not where,... but when are they. In a race against time, they will try to avoid changing the time,... time line I mean, and return to their own.

[Reva]

So far I'm liking the plot. Is there an ARC available?

[A.]

Reva wrote: "So far I'm liking the plot. Is there an ARC available?"


Thanks. Yesterday, I posted the first two chapters in epub format but there is a technical issue (just temporary) with goodreads and epubs, and it did not work. I did replace the file with a new one in pdf format and it worked this time.

[A.]

Amy wrote: "A. wrote: "Hi everyone, this is both a formal introduction (I am new to this group and to Goodreads) and sort of a news release (my first work of fiction is now out there). It is great to have a pl..."


Thanks a lot, Amy. Being a newbie, I forgot the basics. The blurb first!

[Amy, Queen of Time]

A. wrote: "Thanks a lot, Amy. Being a newbie, I forgot the basics. The blurb first! ..."

Otherwise, you're just another link in the ether. :-)

[A.]

Amy wrote: "A. wrote: "Thanks a lot, Amy. Being a newbie, I forgot the basics. The blurb first! ..."

Otherwise, you're just another link in the ether. :-)"

An the motivation second!

This is the preface of [ Content Deleted ]:

OUR LIVES ARE LIKE FOLDERS THAT GET FULL OF CONTENT OVER TIME. But, what if you wake up one day and everything that has to do with you has been fully erased, like if your past experiences never happened. You still know who you are, but nobody else does.

   Your immediate family never lived. Your credit cards are no good. None of your personal data, of any kind, can be found ever. Your computer accounts no longer exist: unknown username is the only answer to your login attempts. All your electronic records are gone forever!

   You think, you eat, you sleep, you remember... But everything that you were has been deleted from the memories of other people, including your best friends. You have faded into oblivion and it is not a medical condition or a bad dream. Your life folder is empty,... its [content deleted]. Only your own memories persist. What to do now?

   Forget what you were and be born again,... a fresh start?

   Convince the entire world that you are who you are?

   Find out why your life folder is empty?.

   This work of fiction explores this bizarre scenario and how our innate capability of curiosity may save us from oblivion.

[A.]

Paul wrote: "I'm glad I clicked through to this thread...given the title I took it literally and thought it referred to spam or something! ah well...it's Monday morning! Anyway, sounds fascinating and I think..."

Hi, Paul. Thank you for your comment. Just a wee warning. With the exception of the [Past Deleted] scenario (including the invalid credit cards bit) there is little in common with The Net: no conspiracy, no computer-related thriller, no blood. There are a few twists here and there, an almost tragedy, but no governments involved. The title of the book is [Content Deleted] and it is truly intentional. The two main characters get their life folders deleted as a result of a freak incident/accident. It has an astronomy-related theme too.

[A.]

Thanks a lot, Amy (I guess)! The title was intended to strike curiosity not to act as a deterrent (:\).

[Paul]

Excellent title and blurb!

[A.]

Paul wrote: "Excellent title and blurb!"

Glad you like it! So far, most people believe that [Content Deleted] is an actual content deletion occurrence in which the real title has been deleted because of an inappropriate word or something like that. The book cover seems to be interpreted the same way: an inappropriate image has been deleted by the system. So, instead of attracting readers, both title and cover may be repelling them. Interesting (and unexpected) side effect!

[Paul]

But you've got a title that, in itself, is something to talk about. Quite an accomplishment. Hang in there, and keep on plugging.

[A.]

In fact, I forgot some details:

Product details: about 53,600 words or 214 pages (industry standard, 250 words per page), 7 chapters. This is the first work of fiction written by this author and as such a bit experimental. It is a Science-Fiction novel about friendship, greed, integrity, past demons, trust and betrayal (apparent at least). It includes a time travel theme that is central to the novel, but the characters never travel into the past or the future. There are no government conspiracies or truly violent action. There is a bit of comedy, drama and (almost) romance here and there. In a way, this novel is some type of techno-thriller (plenty of technical details, mystery and suspense in the central pages) but it has little in common with The Andromeda Strain or The Hunt for Red October.

[Nathan, First Tiger]

It took me till now to realize all these comments were not on a thread where someone had said something inappropriate and gotten themselves deleted. So thank you for clarifying for us literal folk.

[A.]

Nathan wrote: "It took me till now to realize all these comments were not on a thread where someone had said something inappropriate and gotten themselves deleted. So thank you for clarifying for us literal folk."

I am still wondering why I decided to give that title to the book. I (originally) thought that it could be linked to mystery or a riddle, not to internet trolls.