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Transcendence follows a man with no memories and doesn’t even know his name who wakes up next to a dumpster in a chaotic world and must find allies to survive and try to reclaim his memories. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
In my first book, Alphamind: The Collective Consciousness, I explored humanity’s evolution toward a future of heightened awareness and connection. With Transcendence, I wanted to take a different path. This time, I was drawn to those left behind in the chaos—people struggling to make sense of a world that no longer feels like their own. The protagonist’s memory loss became a metaphor for that disorientation. Through his journey, I wanted to honor those who endure upheaval, who survive in the margins of progress, and who, in their quiet resilience, are just as vital to shaping what comes next.
The science inserted in the fiction, I felt, was well balanced. How did you manage to keep it grounded while still providing the fantastic edge science fiction stories usually provide?
Actually, it might have happened the other way around. I’ve long been a fan of science, and the concepts I wanted to explore were rooted in real scientific ideas and their broader impact on society. But rather than presenting them directly, I turned to fiction as the most powerful way to convey them. Science fiction has a unique strength: it draws readers in with imagination and emotional depth, then invites them to engage with complex ideas. I approached Transcendence as an emotional thriller, using story and character as the vehicle to explore deeper truths about consciousness, technology, and transformation.
What was one scene in the novel that you felt captured the morals and message you were trying to deliver to readers?
That’s a tough question, honestly, because there isn’t just one message in Transcendence. If anything, the story is a reflection of how layered and contradictory human experience can be. But if I had to choose one moment that felt personally meaningful, it would be a quiet exchange between two very different characters: Lawrence, a sharp, goal-driven visionary who sometimes lets the ends justify the means, and Alex, who’s more grounded in compassion and self-awareness.
Lawrence asks, “Is the pastor’s heart from your past still at work? The small-town shepherd still searching for lost souls to save?”
And Alex replies, “Perhaps, but there is no judgment here. That’s a matter for your own conscience—however much it may ache. Your vision, though unconventional, has shaped me, and for that, I am grateful.”
That moment always stays with me. It captures something I care deeply about: how we’re all shaped by our past, how easily we fall into judging others based on our own lens of right and wrong, and how difficult—but important—it is to step back and see things with empathy. Nature doesn’t deal in moral absolutes, and maybe we shouldn’t either.
Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?
I’m at a bit of a crossroads, to be honest. My original vision was inspired by thinkers like Ray Kurzweil and the idea that we might one day merge with our own creations. I’ve also been drawn to the broader scientific and philosophical theories that suggest our universe may be far stranger than it appears—ideas about reality as information, or the notion that space and time as we perceive them might just be surface-level illusions.
That said, after the emotional and philosophical journey of Transcendence, I find myself wondering where to go next. Should I dive deeper into those far-reaching concepts, exploring where life and consciousness might evolve from here? Or should I stay closer to the ground a little longer, continuing the story of what it means to be human in a world that’s still catching up to its own transformation?
I don’t have a definitive answer yet—but I’m excited to find out where the next step leads.
Adrift in a city that has cast him aside, Greenie struggles to piece together his shattered identity. Haunting flashes of a wife, a son, and a devastating fire begin to surface. But a violent gang tied to his lost memories is closing in, awakening something buried deep within him.
As the world races toward a utopian future powered by cutting-edge technology, an unstoppable Artificial General Intelligence threatens to unravel human existence. Greenie’s past and the fate of humanity collide, pulling him from the shadows into a battle that will decide civilization’s future.
The fate of humanity, and its transcendence, rests in his hands.
Transcendence (The Alphamind Odyssey Book 2)
Humanity stands on the edge of its most transformative technological era. While political leaders strategize the future and scientists push the boundaries of innovation, ordinary people are left to navigate the whirlwind of an increasingly chaotic world. Transcendence by James Azinheira, the second installment in The Alphamind Odyssey series, dives headfirst into this maelstrom, a gripping science fiction tale brimming with mystery, action, and intellectual intrigue.
The novel opens with a man awakening beside a dumpster, stripped of his memories and identity. No name. No past. Only confusion. Thrust into poverty without a lifeline, he must quickly learn to survive in a society where power belongs to the economically privileged. In his struggle, he finds unlikely allies, others abandoned by the system, eking out an existence on the fringes. With quiet resilience, this makeshift community bands together, scavenging for food, evading aggressive law enforcement, and maintaining anonymity. But as survival gives way to strange revelations, it becomes clear the protagonist may hold the key to something far greater than himself, perhaps even the fate of humanity.
From its first page, Azinheira delivers a taut, atmospheric narrative that sustains a constant sense of mystery. Multiple subplots layer the story, enriching the central arc with reflections on technology, ethics, and the crumbling structures of modern civilization. The dystopian backdrop feels eerily familiar, protests spiraling into violence, populist leaders peddling hope while orchestrating shadows, wealth wielded like a weapon, and scientific advances dangling promises that both captivate and unsettle.
The novel reaches its most exhilarating peak with the birth of a sentient AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) and the unearthing of a formula capable of curing all disease. These breakthroughs catapult society to the brink of irreversible change, triggering fierce clashes between altruistic innovation and corrupt ambition. The narrative doesn’t just speculate on technological futures, it immerses readers in the clashing perspectives of scientists, lawmakers, visionaries, and ordinary citizens. Every scene hums with tension, as questions of morality, progress, and human identity surge to the forefront.
Azinheira skillfully integrates quantum mechanics, artificial intelligence, and nanotechnology into a story that never loses sight of its human core. The excitement is palpable, but so too is the unease, what do we sacrifice in the name of advancement? What remains of our humanity when everything else becomes programmable?
Transcendence is a compelling and intellectually charged work, striking a rare balance between high-stakes adventure and thoughtful commentary. With its sharp pacing and layered themes, the novel proves to be both entertaining and relevant.
Pages: 353 | ASIN : B0F2J8GJ9V
LITERARY TITAN 