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Some Of His Noir Grittiness
Endgame follows an operative in charge of enforcing the laws who investigates the murder of three executives in the predominant religious organization. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Surprisingly, the murder of the three executives came late in the story’s development. The first thing I wrote was a final scene, which I swiftly deleted. At the time, I was only planning a short story, but over time the idea grew, so that by the time I returned to it a decade later, it had expanded into a novel. I wanted to explore a philosophical mystery – Descartes’ Evil Demon – so I thought a Blade Runner-esque future noir detective story would be the perfect vehicle. My next challenge was to work out how the whole thing started. I effectively ended up writing the story backwards!
With regards to the crime scene, I tried to imagine something that might appear in a James Ellroy novel, albeit one set in a cyberpunk future. I wanted some of his noir grittiness and to leave the reader feeling that this crime was a small part of something bigger – something that only Cynthia, with her philosophical mindset, could track down.
The result was a story that took inspiration from James Ellroy’s crime plots, Umberto Eco’s interpretation of signs and Philip K. Dick’s exploration of reality. Plus, I have to mention Alex Vrettos’s The Hereafter, which first inspired me to write about technological religion!
Cynthia is a strong woman who refuses to just accept the mass propaganda and seeks to find the truth. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?
Good question. It can be a challenge writing in the first-person, as you’re writing in a voice that it isn’t your own – and Cynthia Hemlock is most certainly not me! I wanted her to have a definite voice – one that would be both memorable and engaging. I didn’t want her to be exactly “nice,” but I didn’t want her to be “nasty” either. What I wanted was for her to have a strong sense of justice – justice she was quite prepared to dispense her own way.
As she’s a tough person living in a tough world, there was a danger of going too far in that direction, so I thought it necessary to give her a playful side. This would help lighten the darker moments and make her fun to read. Most of all, I wanted the reader to feel that when she speaks to them, they are the only people she can really trust.
If there is one ideal key to her, it is that she is prepared to challenge her own assumptions. All good stories are about human growth and development, and Endgame is the story of how Cynthia responds to the momentous events around her, questioning herself and what she is doing. I think it’s because she is prepared to question everything – even when it is painful to do so – that she makes the important discoveries, both in her investigation and as a person.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The most important theme is Descartes’ Evil Demon thought experiment – the question of how we can know anything about the world around us. Descartes famously asked how he could be certain of anything he knew – the sky, the earth, his own body, the entire physical world – as everything he considered real could be the result of a supremely cunning demon deceiving him. Phrased in the language of the 17th century, it sounds a little archaic. Phrased in the language of early 21st technology, it becomes much more immediate.
This was the purpose of Faithcorp’s religitech. If its Divinator can produce experiences that are completely convincing, how can its users tell whether they are genuine or not? Indeed, if those experiences were sufficiently convincing, then users might come to regard them as real and the physical world as illusory – which raises the obvious question: how could they tell what was real and what was illusory? Maybe their experiences were glimpses of a reality beyond the physical world. Maybe the Divinator was not a physical device but a portal through to this metaphysical reality. Maybe the illusory physical world was approaching the End Times….
Will this novel be the start of a series or are you working on a different story?
When I started, it was only meant to be a short story, then it grew into a novella, then a novel. I suppose a series would be the next logical progression!
Author Links: Website | Amazon | GoodReads
With Faithcorp’s spiritual simulations leading to widespread addiction and what’s left of law enforcement being administered by contract killers, it seems the Earth’s days are numbered. However, when three Faithcorp execs are found murdered, Licensed Operative Cynthia Hemlock makes it her mission to uncover the truth. Could this be the work of the mysterious Godhead and his underground Godly Resistance Army?
Unfortunately, as the Apocalypse approaches, Cynthia finds there is more at stake than money, and it’s no longer clear who her friends are – or what she is investigating. Is Faithcorp’s new religitech the work of the Devil or are its opponents spiritual Luddites hell-bent on destroying the world? And what has happened to its founder, the enigmatic Julia Greengage?
With the End Times approaching, Cynthia discovers she is not the only one facing their own personal Armageddon.
Author Steve Shahbazian talks to Licensed Operative Cynthia Hemlock
Good morning, Miss Hemlock.
Well, hellooooooo there Mr Steve and all of you in the 21st century.
I understand you’re a Licensed Operative. What does that entail?
Us Licensed Operatives maintain law and order—or whatever passes for it. We’re contract killers. We work for the state and get paid to shoot the bad guys. Typical day, we get our case from our Case Office, then we’re out whacking punks while punks try to whack us.
Sounds pretty dicey. Could you tell us a bit about your latest adventure?
Huh, you make it all sound so—what is it you guys call it?—“posh.” I was investigating these three execs who’d gotten themselves whacked, only the Case Office didn’t want me looking that way. They threw me some small-fry case to keep me quiet, but I knew something big was up, so it kind of became a private investigation, if you know what I mean.
What do you mean?
I mean, Mr Steve, that these three execs had “Trads” written all over their corpses.
Trads? Could you elaborate?
Sure. The Trads are the combined forces of the world’s traditional religions. I heard that, way back in your day, these guys used to fight each other. Not today. No sir. Today, they’re united and want to destroy the only power that counts for anything.
Which is?
Hah! You haven’t heard of Faithcorp? It’s a megacorporation, produces the “godbox,” a device that simulates religious experiences—experiences so convincing that folk become addicted and lose all grasp of reality.
A kind of Virtual Reality?
Who knows? Some say there ain’t nothing virtual about it—seems as real as the world around you. More real—you can’t tell what’s real and what’s illusory. It gets so bad you don’t know your face from your feet.
And how does this “godbox” work?
Hey! I ain’t no technician! And don’t get me started on those two Faithcorp “Managers” who were supposed to explain it to me!
If you didn’t know how it works, how did you tell apart reality from illusion?
Hah! You think I’m gonna tell you that and ruin it for your readers? Man, you’re worse than the penpushers at City Hall! All I’m gonna say is that smarts ain’t enough. Whether it’s a suspect or a stiff, you gotta look beyond the thing itself. You gotta understand the philosophy behind it. Most L.O.’s don’t got it.
You, on the other hand, do. What’s the most hair-raising moment in your life?
“Hair-raising?” You make me laugh! Definitely, the moment I got caught up in a Trad procession when it turned into a mob. Man, I didn’t think I was gonna make it out alive. Even today, that one makes my flesh creep.
One last question, L.O. Hemlock: what’s with this “Miss Lucilla Cabbagebottom” business?”
Well now, sweetie, I guess you’re gonna have to read the book….
Endgame
In Steve Shahbazian’s captivating novel, Endgame, a precarious clash ensues between The Trads—a fanatical religious group—and Faithcorp, an organization accused of heralding the apocalypse with their technology-based spirituality. As the leaders of these two factions mysteriously disappear, a series of chilling assassinations unfurl, targeting Faithcorp’s executive echelons. At the heart of the whirlwind stands Cynthia, a Licensed Operative with a troubled past. A societal cleaner who dispenses justice with an iron fist, she is inexorably drawn towards unearthing the elusive truth. Amid her quest for answers, Cynthia grapples with her capacity for trust and the potent mysteries she is determined to unravel.
Cynthia is a richly developed character, brimming with an unflinching assertiveness that lends her an immediate appeal. Her brusque honesty and irrepressible wit consistently infuse refreshing humor throughout the narrative, eliciting an anticipatory delight for her next unexpected quip. Shahbazian’s talent shines as he imbues Cynthia with memorable lines, such as likening a bewildered glance to receiving a “slap across the face with a wet fish.”
Shahbazian masterfully paints a bleak yet captivating backdrop of a dystopian future. Civil order has frayed to the point of disarray—criminal investigations have lost their procedural sheen, and society is plagued by rampant addiction to simulations. As Cynthia delves deeper into her inquiries, the author gradually unveils the contours of this stark world—each violent outburst, every destitute addict donning “rickety headsets,” and the imposing futuristic infrastructure, serving to further illustrate the stark reality of this universe.
Endgame seamlessly interweaves philosophical discourse with its primary themes of investigation, religion, and artificial intelligence. It offers the reader an intellectual challenge, posing interesting inquiries such as “How do you know that what you assume to be real isn’t, in fact, an illusion?” that subtly rattle one’s perception of reality.
Firmly etching his mark with well-drawn characters and intricately woven plotlines, Shahbazian demonstrates his adept skill as a storyteller. Yet, even without these elements, the narrative’s enticing humor and candor would alone make it a worthwhile read. A compelling amalgamation of sci-fi and philosophy, Endgame is a treat for any fan of The Matrix and similar genre-blending narratives. Shahbazian’s exceptional writing makes it an unmissable addition to any avid reader’s list.
Pages: 272 | ASIN : B0BXDKF4KS
LITERARY TITAN 