If you’ve been here a while, you know how much I love the Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman. It’s the series that, after reading it, made me want to be an author, too. I’ve always written stories, but never anything so impactful. The Unwind Dystology took me for a ride, asked me to think, and made me feel. To this day, I strive to write stories that do the same, which brings us to the title of this musing: A Fascination with Dystopias.
First, I wouldn’t say I’m the kind of reader who strictly sticks to any one kind of story. If I had to pick the genre I gravitate toward most, it would be fantasy, and that’s because fantasy is perfect for any kind of story. It can take things further. And so can sci-fi. As such, dystopias fit nicely into fantasy and sci-fi. It fascinates me to no end to fall into another world being oppressed in some way, to follow the characters trapped in it. It’s escapism, but it also asks the reader to look at the world we live in, because every fantasy is based on reality. Reality is what we know, after all. We are our experiences, the things we’ve seen and internalized, and authors are no different.
A dystopian story is about carving a path to a brighter future. Typically, you start with a protagonist who was born into an oppressive system. At some point, they get dragged into a rebel group, which then sets them up to fulfill the subgenre’s promise. I love the hope built into this subgenre and the many ways it can be explored in books like Unwind, The Hunger Games, The Knife of Never Letting Go, and even The Wandering Empath.
It’s fitting that the first book I decided to publish is dystopian, isn’t it? It isn’t published currently, as I’m hard at work revising it, but it’ll be on retailers again soon, better than ever. It’s a story straight from my heart, and I want to do it justice, to make Rimn’s journey real for you.
Rimn has a gift. She’s an empath, and though it’s a difficult burden to bear, she’s done her best. But her best wasn’t enough. Everything she loves has been destroyed, and she blames herself. Her gift is a curse, but it didn’t have to be—if only she had sought the Cloud sooner. The gods have forsaken the Soil, but they bless those on the Cloud. There’s no guarantee one will ascend, however. One could give up everything and still be rejected. Even knowing that, Rimn doesn’t care; she has nothing left to lose. She will ascend or die trying in atonement for her sins.
The Soul Seer Saga is a lot of things, but at its heart, it’s a story of finding hope through kindness.
But don’t take my word for it. Experience it! You can start reading The Soul Seer Saga right now on my Ream. That way, you’ll get the old and the new. You can read the original version of the first book and half of the second simply by following me there. Enjoy!
