Digital Gods is a blend of science fiction and a murder-mystery thriller centered on a cast of characters spanning the timeline from 925 AD to 2124. Where did the idea behind this novel come from?

The idea for Digital Gods came from me wrestling with a philosophical question rather than trying to write a science fiction novel.

I was exploring concepts like solipsism and simulation theory and began asking myself: if every conscious person were experiencing reality through a simulation, what would actually limit that simulation? We tend to assume it would have to run in one continuous timeline, but why? If it’s simply a constructed experience, the program could place one consciousness in Ancient Rome, another in the Middle Ages, and another in the year 2124, all at the same moment. The underlying programming would remain the same, but each person’s experience would be rendered differently according to the time period they inhabited.

That idea fascinated me.

For example, the novel opens in 925 AD with Sarah Yardlem, a young peasant who believes she is speaking with a spiritual leader. She has no reason to suspect anything unusual until she realizes he intends to kill her. But what if, beneath that experience, she isn’t actually speaking to a medieval priest at all? She could be interacting with someone who exists in 2024. The simulation would simply translate language, appearance, clothing, and surroundings so that each participant experiences a world that feels completely authentic.

Once I had that premise, the story exploded. It allowed me to weave together characters separated by more than a thousand years while asking a much larger question: if reality itself is the interface, how would anyone ever know what, or even when, is actually real?

Aphantasia plays a fascinating role in the book, becoming much more than a neurological condition. What inspired you to build such an important part of the story around it?

The inspiration came from something deeply personal; I have aphantasia myself. When I discovered that only about 2–3% of people are unable to voluntarily visualize images in their mind, I was fascinated. Like many people with aphantasia, I had assumed everyone experienced thought the same way I did. So I started asking friends and family to describe what happened when they imagined an apple or recalled a memory. It quickly became clear that I was the anomaly.

As Digital Gods evolved, I began asking a fictional question: if reality were a simulation, how might aphantasia fit into that world? I imagined that some participants in the simulation were genuine consciousnesses whose true selves existed beyond the system. If the simulation relied on memories, mental imagery, and internal experiences to keep those consciousnesses fully immersed, what would happen if someone couldn’t experience those things in the same way? Could they become more difficult to manipulate? Could they begin noticing gaps that others never would?

What began as curiosity about my own neurological condition eventually became one of the central philosophical questions of the book: what if the way we experience our own minds determines how deeply we are connected to reality, or to the illusion of it?

The Tree of Life serves as a recurring symbol throughout the novel. What does it represent within the mythology of the Ficcom universe?

The Tree of Life is probably the most important symbol in Digital Gods, and it’s one of my favourite aspects of the novel because it operates on multiple levels. Some readers will recognize one layer, others might recognize another, and I suspect there are connections that won’t become apparent until a second reading.

Within the mythology of the Ficcom universe, the Tree of Life is ultimately tied to the Codex itself, the system that sustains humanity. Without giving away too much, the Codex has a physical form, and its architecture naturally resembles an enormous tree. Human bodies rest below it while countless connections converge into a single trunk before branching outward into a vast network above. The imagery is intentional.

But I also wanted the symbol to resonate with much older traditions. In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil connects the underworld, the human world, and the heavens. That fascinated me because, in many ways, the Codex functions as a place between worlds. Humanity exists within it, suspended between where it came from and where it is going.

The biblical connection interested me just as much. I’ve always been intrigued by the story of Adam and Eve and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Why is knowledge forbidden? Why is the pursuit of understanding treated as humanity’s defining act of rebellion? Whether one interprets Genesis literally, symbolically, or philosophically, those questions have lingered with me for years.

In Digital Gods, I explore those questions through science fiction. What if myths aren’t arbitrary? What if they become part of the operating system of a civilization? If you were responsible for maintaining a simulated reality, and the greatest threat to that simulation was people discovering its true nature, wouldn’t you build stories that discouraged them from seeking forbidden knowledge? In that context, the fruit becomes more than a symbol of disobedience; it becomes a symbol of awakening.

For me, that’s what the Tree of Life ultimately represents. It is technology disguised as mythology, mythology disguised as history, and history disguised as truth. It sits at the intersection of science, religion, and philosophy, asking the same question that runs through the entire novel:

What happens when human beings gain knowledge they were never meant to have?

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

I’ve recently finished a screenplay called Minotaur, based on my previous novel, The Children of the Earth That Was. And now I am working on a second screenplay entitled: Trail Angel, Trail Demon, a horror with inspiration from Blair Witch cinematography.

I’ve created several outlines for a second book in the Digital Gods universe, but it is still in the idea-development stage.

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“When technology, humanity, and divine wisdom collide, the fate of reality hangs in the balance.”

In Digital Gods, C.R. Endacott takes readers on a breathtaking journey where science fiction meets spirituality, and the human quest for knowledge collides with the unseen forces that shape our destiny. This gripping sci-fi thriller weaves together a multi-layered narrative of murder, mystery, and metaphysical discovery. Set in a near-future world where humanity’s survival is dictated by advanced technologies and the remnants of human resilience, Digital Gods delivers a potent blend of high-stakes action, philosophical depth, and unforgettable characters.
If you’ve ever wondered what lies beyond our technological grasp or pondered the true nature of life, this novel will captivate your imagination and keep you turning the pages late into the night.

The year is 2124 CE, and the remnants of Earth’s civilizations have consolidated under a singular global authority. Advances in artificial intelligence, interstellar travel, and biotechnology have transformed humanity into something unrecognizable. Yet, in this hyper-modern dystopia, humanity’s age-old struggles—power, love, survival—persist.

Amid the shiny skyscrapers and sleek autonomous vehicles, a sinister force emerges: a program known as the Ficcom_Creation_Link. This digital enigma connects everything and everyone, but at what cost? As whispers of its true purpose begin to surface, the line between reality and illusion blurs.

Digital Gods isn’t just a book; it’s an experience. It’s a thought-provoking, edge-of-your-seat journey into the unknown, blending genres and defying expectations. C.R. Endacott’s ability to craft a world that feels both eerily familiar and utterly foreign ensures this novel will find a place in the hearts of readers worldwide.

Whether you’re looking for your next sci-fi obsession or a story that challenges the way you see the world, Digital Gods is the book to read, share, and talk about.