Let’s talk about Razors. What’s it about?
I’m having some trouble answering this because my novel is somewhat complicated, with a lot of moving parts – which is why I’m writing it in the first place.
For now, let’s stick to the major points:
THE SETTING
Razors is set in an alternate future where the Cold War and the Space Race never ended. Mankind has spread throughout the solar system, which is known as Copernica1. While earth remains divided into nations, there are two major powers in space: the capitalist alliance known as the UFA, and the communist Universal Soviet. Each of these are divided into their own smaller organizations and coalitions, and there is no shortage of independent factions and revolutionary movements.
As a result of this divergence, the culture of Copernica is significantly different from our own. This varies in expression depending on the location – the citizens of Luna are significantly different from the citizens of the Asteroid Belt, for example. Colonies with have closer ties to Earth tend to be more culturally conservative. Due to a significantly different history and relationship with the Middle East, much of the UFA has been heavily influenced by Arabic and Islamic culture.
The scale of technology in Copernica is highly variable: they are highly capable space explorers and can quickly assemble and maintain long-term space habitats, but have made only modest advancements in medicine and information technology. While artificial intelligence exists, it is only slightly ahead of our current state of the art – with one significant exception.
The Iblis are advanced machines built for war. They are fast, deadly, remorseless, and self-improving. This has resulted in the Iblis Conflict, a devastating war which nearly destroyed both the UFA and the Universal Soviet. At the beginning of Razors, they are largely defeated, but the aftershocks of their terror campaign will linger through the story.
THE PROTAGONIST
Jim Serafin is a man with a mysterious past and an uncertain future. He is highly intelligent and capable, although he has certain limitations and weaknesses which will his journey through Copernica increasingly difficult as the story continues. He is a complicated and difficult person – both in-universe and as a narrative subject. I do feel we’ve managed to reach a certain tacit accord, like two people in a high-risk profession who are not overly fond of each other but are willing to trust each other with their lives.
He is intended to be a member of the species of thriller protagonists exemplified by characters like James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jack Ryan, Stierlitz, George Smiley, and so on, although he would probably not enjoy their company, for the most part. I am a firm believer in the idea that well-written fiction exists in conversation with other fiction, and so I’ve dedicated a significant amount of time to studying writers who I believe are working in similar territory. I’ve also drawn inspiration from real life individuals, but I’d like to explore that in greater depth in the future.
Serafin is almost sixty years old. He is a veteran, a family man, and an academic. He may or may not be an intelligence operative.
THE STRUCTURE
- Part One is an introduction to Copernica and serves as a character study of Jim Serafin. It also establishes the central conflict of the story. I’ve written three chapters so far; most have multiple sub-chapters. It culminates with a tragedy and the introduction of the second major character. Each chapter is set in a different location:
- Chapter One: A party on board a military vessel.
- Chapter Two: The Oberoi, a transit ship.
- Chapter Three: The Archimedes, a traveling university.
- Chapter Four: The Aphelion Conference, and a collapsing lunar space station.
- Chapter Five: Mitchell Cylinder, the gem of the Churchill Cluster.
- In Part Two, we learn more about this new character as the conflict escalates and Serafin fights a desperate shadow war to stop Copernica from descending into chaos.
- Part Three is the climax, of course.
Beginning, middle, and end. None of this is particularly revolutionary.
The sub-chapters method is something I picked up from reading older novelists like Sinclair Lewis and John Steinbeck. They help me keep the material organized in my head: in Chapter Three, I know 3.4 is the sub-chapter which focuses on Serafin’s harsh lesson, while 3.5 is the memorial, and so on. I’m not sure readers care, but I believe they appreciate structure, even if they’re not fully aware of it.
I have finished a rough outline for all major beats of the story, and a detailed outline for Part One2.
There is also what you might call an internal structure, but I haven’t quite figured out how to articulate that yet.
THE STYLE
One of my biggest priorities in writing Razors was to try to find a unique style. I wanted to avoid the clipped, short sentences common to most thrillers, while avoiding lapsing into unfocused stream of consciousness. I also took some inspiration from the longer, flowing styles of more literary and philosophical works, which hopefully provides a flavor which feels out of time with other modern novels but doesn’t overwhelm. The first chapter took months to write as a result, as I kept experimenting with various methods to find the rhythm and cadence. There has been some drift as the novel expands; I’ll probably need to go back and make some adjustments when Part One is finally complete.
THE IDEAS
Razors is intended to explore themes of revenge, secrecy, paranoia, family, trauma, grief, bureaucracy, revolution, and technology, among other things. I’m disinclined to expand on this, but I would be open to talking about why I’m disinclined to expand on this, if anyone is interested.
THE STORY
At its simplest, this is a story about a man who fights back against a conspiracy which threatens to tear the solar system apart, but it is also an exploration about the cost of that fight.
- In Chapter One, Serafin attends a post-war celebration with his daughter, only to discover a terrible secret has been revealed, which threatens to completely upend his life.
- In Chapter Two, Serafin wrestles with the fallout of the secret, comes to a troubling conclusion about the state of Copernica, and gets into several varieties of trouble.
- In Chapter Three, Serafin finds employment at an elite institution, enjoys family life, and deals with irksome students, malicious faculty, and elitist administrators. He also attends a memorial, talks to a ghost, and is nearly killed.
There’s much more to it than that, of course, but if you’re interested, the first three chapters are available to read here.
In my next post, I’ll talk about Chapter Four.