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Space-based Mega Project
ZONT-2 and Beyond follows a Russian man who is trying to save the earth by building a solar shield but he needs help, and not everyone wants the project to succeed. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
It’s probably clear to most informed people that governments have not done enough, and are not doing enough, to combat climate change. Many of these folks also see the growing number of obscenely wealthy oligarchs as being pure exploiters. The book is plea for some of these wealthy, non-government leaders to step forward and use their own initiative and creativity to attempt something really good to help save humanity and our fragile planet.
I found the science in the novel to be well developed. What kind of research did you do to make sure you got it all right?
I leaned heavily on my professional experiences as a 35 year oil and gas engineer and manager, and a space exploration buff. The internet helped fill in the rest. I may not have got it right. I hope technically savvy and informed readers will point out its faults… together with suggested fixes. Because… we may indeed need to build a space-based solar umbrella to get out of the dire fix we are in!
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted to give people some hope that all is not lost. We are ingenious creatures, and often all that is lacking is a passionate, capable leader to invigorate the right team and solve the most daunting of problems. I suggest that the social and geopolitical problems twenty years from now will be at least as worrisome as they are now. And… that there will be as many political problems as technical when embarking on a globe spanning and space-based mega project like this one. Toughness, broad-spectrum intelligence and perseverance will be essential for success.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
Undecided, unfortunately. Another sci-fi adventure novel to go with my eight published books.
ZONT-2 and Beyond
Twenty years in the future, a Russian man named Timofey Semenov develops a solar shield to help lower the temperatures on Earth, intended to help with climate change. His structure is named ZONT-1, but before it could impact global temperatures, it is heavily damaged by a massive solar flare. But Timofey doesn’t give up. He forms alliances with men he’d rather ignore to bring his ZONT-2 project to life.
ZONT-2 and Beyond by Blair Wylie shows that despite someone’s best intentions, not everything goes the way you want. Hounded by terrorists, unrest, and global politics, Timofey, with his business partner and personal enemy, Alain Dufort, must work together to get the ZONT-2 project off the ground. They navigate personal problems, international alliances, enemies, and the occasional bombing to bring their vision to life. ZONT-2 and Beyond contains a large cast of characters in various political and influential positions; some are not who they seem.
This novel is not for the faint of heart. It’s an abundantly complex book filled with technical details about space structures, scientific farming strategies, and geopolitics. Perhaps because of the author’s background in engineering, the book reads as almost a manual rather than a fictional story. Much of the story is summarized rather than shown as action, and there is a lot of scientific and engineering dialogue. There are also many characters to keep track of, as almost every chapter introduces someone new.
While the subject matter is very interesting, I believe the story’s execution could have been improved. I commend Wylie for his ingenuity in putting together the various threads of the story, weaving in and out of politics and business arrangements, and the ability to immerse the reader into the story.
ZONT-2 and Beyond is a hard science fiction novel that will appeal to readers that love to know how things work and want to read the science behind the story. With a plot that is not implausible, this is a fantastic read for those who enjoy sci-fi’s technical aspects.
Pages: 208 | ISBN: 978-1-80016-536-6
LITERARY TITAN 