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Ramifications for the Future
From Great Heights follows a man using nanotechnology disguised as magic to aid struggling communities who battles against prejudice and fear from the people he is trying to save. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The original inspiration for the novel came from a short story I wrote for a college writing class. I’d read some of Jack Vance’s Dying Earth series and liked the idea of technology so advanced, it basically becomes a form of magic.
I also wanted to play with the idea that the main character of the story needed to periodically consume something from the people he intends to help in order to further his aims and accomplish his goals. To make the audience root for the monster.
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?
Other inspiration for the story, and the novel that grew from it, comes from Stephen King’s Dark Tower series, and the books Illium and Olympos by Dan Simmons. In both sets of books, the world is recognizable, but markedly different from the world we know. I attempted to create a similar setting in From Great Heights.
The story changed dramatically once I started adding the other main characters and exploring their situations. Initially, it was going to be a straightforward struggle between two factions. I made a choice midway through to separate the three storylines in time, (and arrange them out of order) but still make the repercussions of each felt in the others, linking all three through time. It was actually pretty fun coming up with ways to reference, and some cases foreshadow, the events of one storyline within the others.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Human history, and our inability to learn from it, has always fascinated me. As I was writing, I liked the idea that despite being united by lofty goals and aligned by a shared mission, personal disagreements, and ambition creep in and disrupt things. Another of my favorite themes, one I’ve explored in a few of my books, is the idea of technology run amok. Hard-charging technological progress without considering the ramifications for the future (or sometimes the present) is a very real and present worry in today’s world.
Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?
This is a standalone novel. At the moment, I have no plans to continue the story as a series. If a good enough idea for a story within this world occurs to me in the future, I will pursue it. But as of right now, it is done.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
As one of the enigmatic Watchers, Terrance Rance is bound by an ancient oath to guide and assist the fragments of humanity desperately clinging to life after a catastrophe. To aid him, he and his fellow Watchers wield magic older than the world itself. However, years of discord among them have come to a head, and Rance must work fast to prevent a civil war that threatens the world they are trying to save.
Regaline Yager travels alone through the wilderness with two special children. They are the keys to the future, and she must protect them at all cost against dangerous beasts stalking the wilds and enemy soldiers hunting them for their abilities. If she fails, civilization will fall to ruin.
Though they live decades apart, their destinies are intertwined. From Great Heights is a science fiction novel in which the actions of individuals reverberate across generations, affecting others as the fate of a world hangs in the balance.
From Great Heights
From Great Heights by Bryan McBee, is a science fiction tale laced with magic, technology, and the resilience of humanity. Set in a dystopian world scarred by environmental collapse, the story follows the enigmatic gris-gris man as he wanders, using nanotechnology disguised as magic to aid struggling communities. As he battles prejudice and survival, the narrative layers in humanity’s eternal struggle to adapt and thrive.
McBee’s writing struck a chord with me. His vivid descriptions breathe life into the harsh yet hauntingly beautiful setting. I found myself wanting the plot to pick up speed in places, yet the slower pace allows the characters’ complexities to unfold more naturally. The story’s heart lies in its characters, particularly the gris-gris man. His struggle to maintain humanity while harboring secrets of a once technologically advanced society is compelling. A poignant moment was when he healed a sick child in the dead of winter, risking exposure to superstition-driven hostility. These acts of kindness juxtaposed with the townsfolk’s fear create an emotional tug-of-war that kept me invested. The duality of his role—a savior and a predator harvesting life—left me grappling with mixed feelings about his morality. The philosophical underpinnings of the book are its crown jewel. McBee seamlessly integrates reflections on the misuse of technology and human nature’s adaptability. The gris-gris man’s lament about humanity’s cyclic fall and rise resonated deeply. The novel also delves into humanity’s collective amnesia toward its destructive tendencies, a point encapsulated when the character remarks on the poisoned earth they fight to restore. It’s thought-provoking but not preachy, which I appreciated.
From Great Heights is a gripping read for those who enjoy science fiction with a philosophical edge, laced with elements of magic and the rawness of survival. I’d recommend it to readers who relish deep, thought-provoking stories about humanity’s resilience and the gray areas of morality. If you’re looking for something rich and layered, this one’s for you.
Pages: 453 | ASIN : B0DJMSHNG5
LITERARY TITAN 