Jun 9, 2015

Hello, followers! With Lost Generation now in production, I continue to devote my time the quality of the novel. In this update, I outline the larger themes explored throughout the story.

Lost Generation exists in a world where automation replaces most jobs. It is a leisure society where all citizens receive a stipend from the government and work for additional income is optional. Sadly, no society is without its ills and here we have the backdrop to highlight two major themes relevant to our own.

The first theme explores the stigma of mental illness and medication. Our society often misunderstands mental illness and treats it much differently than physical maladies. Sufferers are stigmatized, treated like outcasts, or have their problems downplayed or ignored. Often those who suffer, do not seek help out of a fear of judgment and problems are left unchecked.

Mental illness suffers may struggle with questions of identity and the introduction of medication adds complications. A sufferer might ask, will this medication change who I am? A creative person might fear medication will cause them to lose their edge.

In Lost Generation, Lauro suffers from a non-specific hallucinatory mental illness. He requires medication to regulate his episodes and struggles with these questions of identity. In this novel, I hope to treat mental illness with the respect it deserves and explore the stigma and questions of identity that surround it.

The second theme is enhanced by the fictional world’s dependence on automation. In our society, the prevalence of mass production gives us so many products and conveniences. We browse huge online catalogs and in two days or less nearly anything can appear at our doorstep. These conveniences come at the price of quality and as the array of goods grows the pure spirit of craft fades away. As people realize what has been lost, some DIY or maker movements reject mass production in favor of handmade or one-off goods.

In Lost Generation, this spirit manifests as the simple-living movement, a group of people who reject automation and embrace a natural life away from machines. The characters explore the pleasure of a job done themselves, but sacrifices must be made to enjoy it. For some, the compromises required by the lifestyle are more than the benefit. This exchange plays out over the course of the novel.

In the weeks that follow I will release chapters from Lost Generation, and all of you may follow along and watch as the product matures and blossoms. 

Thank you all for supporting this endeavor. Pre-orders for ebook and hardcover versions are now available. If you know anyone who might be interested, please spread the word.