Dear Readers, At the end of the 19th Century, patent offices were closing across the United States. The widespread belief was that everything had already been invented. Church membership was also in decline. Humanity had figured it all out: there was no more magic in the world.
Except, surprisingly, this era of scientific progress led to an explosive interest in the occult and alternative religions in the early twentieth century. Soon the discovery of quantum physics would upend everything humanity thought it knew about the material world, leading to the opening of new patent offices. The cycle of wonder and mystery began anew.
Cue the 21st century, and our society’s reliance on screens and machines. It seems as if every time there is a leap in technology, or our traditional belief systems are in peril—anything that pulls us away from the things that make us human—there is a crisis of collective identity. More and more people search out a spiritual connection of some kind, something to believe in.
Genesis is not a fantasy or science fiction novel, or religious self-help. It is a modern-day thriller full of exotic settings, intellectual puzzles, and what I hope are empathetic characters caught in a whirlwind of events that lead to them probing the greatest enigmas of all: the human condition and the miraculous universe in which we live. Though great fun, it was written for the seekers, the searchers, the everyday poets. For anyone who wants to peek behind the curtain of reality and reassure oneself there is more than meets the eye.
I am often asked why I write. I suppose there are various reasons, but most of all, during the course of Genesis, I realized I write to bring wonder to the world.
At the end of the 19th Century, patent offices were closing across the United States. The widespread belief was that everything had already been invented. Church membership was also in decline. Humanity had figured it all out: there was no more magic in the world.
Except, surprisingly, this era of scientific progress led to an explosive interest in the occult and alternative religions in the early twentieth century. Soon the discovery of quantum physics would upend everything humanity thought it knew about the material world, leading to the opening of new patent offices. The cycle of wonder and mystery began anew.
Cue the 21st century, and our society’s reliance on screens and machines. It seems as if every time there is a leap in technology, or our traditional belief systems are in peril—anything that pulls us away from the things that make us human—there is a crisis of collective identity. More and more people search out a spiritual connection of some kind, something to believe in.
Genesis is not a fantasy or science fiction novel, or religious self-help. It is a modern-day thriller full of exotic settings, intellectual puzzles, and what I hope are empathetic characters caught in a whirlwind of events that lead to them probing the greatest enigmas of all: the human condition and the miraculous universe in which we live. Though great fun, it was written for the seekers, the searchers, the everyday poets. For anyone who wants to peek behind the curtain of reality and reassure oneself there is more than meets the eye.
I am often asked why I write. I suppose there are various reasons, but most of all, during the course of Genesis, I realized I write to bring wonder to the world.
I sincerely hope you’ll join me on this journey.
Warmly,
Layton