Writing a Sequel

Earlier this year, my first novel, Levels, was published by JournalStone's Bizarro Pulp Press, with the help of friends at Rooster Republic Press. It hasn't received a ton of attention yet, with the delightfully unexpected exception of getting a positive review in Publisher's Weekly, which has truly been amazing. That one review is probably responsible for the book doing any amount of business thus far. In fact, eleven libraries now own copies of Levels, and last I asked about it, over a hundred paperbacks had been sold. That's not half bad for a small press release from a guy no one's ever heard of. And as the title of this post suggests, I'm writing a sequel.

Part of me feels like it's sort of ridiculous to write a sequel to a book that hardly anyone has read, but perhaps that's imposter syndrome talking. And on the other hand, I don't really care if it's ridiculous; it's something I want to do. I always dreamt of writing a sprawling genre series. What those dreams didn't count upon was the fact that I would be an English major educated by postmodernists, living in a rapidly-declining post-industrialist oligarchy masquerading as a democracy. Much as I love the enchantment of falling into a richly-textured fantasy epic or space opera, attempts to write my own have always ended in frustration. I get too caught up in the minutiae of worldbuilding. And the seriousness of the subject matter becomes a weight upon the narrative. It feels disingenuous.

Though steeped in sci-fi/fantasy tropes, Levels is really just a workplace dramedy. The colorful imagery is intended to obfuscate the darker, more mundane horrors of a reality in which nothing is more important than accumulating wealth. Onto this backdrop, the absurdity of limitless expansion becomes clear, amplified to engulf star systems, dreamscapes, and magical realms, where anything should be possible, and yet, everything is so commodified and predictable. Somehow, that makes it easier for my brain. I'm no longer starting from scratch, or ripping off history. I'm just talking about what is, and adding some flavor.

Although I've only just begun work on the sequel, there are a few things about which I am certain. A few plot elements from Levels were not resolved to my satisfaction, so I would like to address those. Additionally, I want the narrative to confront and subvert the idealism of the hero's journey. The world of Levels is purposefully absurd - I want to see that absurdity collide with the space messiahs and galactic empires of imagination, which must exist throughout the Multiverse in abundance. Tireless megacorporations can turn anything into a commodity.