Since I started writing for this paper, I have continuously searched for talented Ottery residents who have delighted us with their creativity for centuries.
This town boasts of individuals who excel in various art forms, such as photography, writing, painting, poetry, and more. Even though sometimes I worry about running out of ideas, something always pops up, triggering my muse and taking me into a world of amusement. As I’ve mentioned in my previous articles, Ottery’s level of intellectual productivity is remarkably high.
A few days ago, I stumbled upon the latest book from a local author, Leigh Edwards, a science fiction novel called Intervention. The story behind the author and the book is as fascinating as the novel so I contacted Leigh and asked him to provide me with a snippet of the book’s content so that readers could get a taste of the story.
“From as early as he could remember James always wanted a career in science. Insatiably curious, he was born into a world that was barrelling along at an ever-increasing rate, but with no one apparently at the wheel.
“He was both excited and frightened by the rapid pace of change. Humanity was growing at an alarming rate, had an all- consuming thirst for more and more energy, and for eating up every scrap of planetary resources. This expansion was heating up the planet, possibly to a tipping point, and he hoped, without any confidence, that someone or some organisation would take control.
“Without a proper plan, and with a little mentoring from a mysterious source, he would go on to literally change the world. Twice. Once in a way he could never have anticipated, and secondly in a way he could never have imagined, even in his wildest dreams.”
My next question to Leigh was if he identified himself with the main character of his novel and what motivated him to write a book based on such topics.
“No, I don’t identify with James the main character –he’s much cleverer than I- but he’s where I’d love to be intellectually. I’ve studied and lecture on the three main topics and one day I got the inspiration to turn my understanding into a novel that was positive in tone. My background in analytical chemistry and computers, but I’m a committed science geek, so I follow many other additional subjects.
“Climate change, fusion energy, and artificial intelligence are all topics that are very much of the moment. This is an uplifting story that covers all of these matters plus more. There is real science behind the main topics, but also fictional extensions as part of the plot. To help the reader distinguish real facts from fiction, some notes for the reader are included at the end of the story, to be read after each chapter or as a whole at the end of the novel”.
After listening to Leigh, I realized that the secret behind this intriguing enthralling book lies in its ability to touch upon all the aspects of our imagination from childhood to adult life. The book does a great job of exploring our dreams, some of which may have gone off track due to unexpected events. It delves deep into those troubling occurrences that have left a lasting impact on our emotional well-being. In short, all the topics covered in this book are highly relevant to the present times.
If this book inspires your interest, please join Leigh for a book signing on Saturday, 10th February 2024, at the Curious Otter Bookshop on the main street in Ottery, between 10 – 12 am.
