Recently, National Geographic’s Facebook account linked to this book, The Biological Mind: How Brain, Body, and Environment Collaborate to Make Us Who We Are by Alan Jasanoff. I was instantly intrigued. I’m fascinated by the question of what composes our mind (our consciousness). As a society, we tend to use the terms mind and brain interchangeably, but the title of this book suggests an interesting expansion on that. Is our consciousness seated in our brain, or does it inhabit/emerge from our entire body, or is it even wider than that and partly created from our environment, from things outside of what we generally define as us?

This is an old question. Irenaeus (a Catholic saint from the second century) suggested that when we went to heaven, the self that existed in the afterlife would be more than a transformed physical body, but would have to include the things we loved. They made us who we are, and so, they would have to be part of our eternal identity/existence.

Now, I’m expressing his idea in my own language and I can’t actually remember the theology book I read it in originally to reference it, but the notion has stuck with me for one important reason – the question of whether pets go to heaven. Irenaeus’s musings suggest that something as loved and integral to our lives as our pets would have to continue; could not be lost.

Applying this thinking to the here and now, our consciousness, therefore, reaches out to incorporate (or emerge from) everything that we encounter – which is what Jasanoff’s book title states.

One day, I expect that this question of who we are will be puzzled out in one of my novels. Not solved! But examined.

I find that questions of science, philosophy and history swirl around in my brain until I can find a meaningful answer to them. I think this is the difference between scientists and storytellers. Science pursues THE truth. Novelists explore MANY truths, enjoying the journey more than the destination and inviting everyone to join them. Scientists who are also storytellers gift the world with the best of both approaches.

Let me give you an example of an idea emerging from scientific research, haunting me, then finding an unlikely expression. Again, I apologise because I’ve forgotten where I originally read it, and so, can’t provide the reference. The original idea was that people require a degree of risk in their lives and when that risk is managed away/down to safe levels, the people affected will seek either to subvert the protections or seek out other opportunities for risk-taking. The research identified young men as those most likely to do this.

I currently have a title for a short story (that I haven’t written, yet): The Sickness Sensation. Robots have taken over governing humanity and provide us with freedom from all sickness. My hero will take up an opportunity to experience the flu, and from there, challenge the new norms of his society. The idea powering the story will be that humans need illness. The idea of seeking out sickness came from the scientific study of risk-taking behaviours. As a storyteller, I wanted an answer to why we seek out risk, and a way of giving this seemingly illogical behaviour meaning.

People often ask authors where ideas come from. They come from many places, but the most powerful are arguably those that grow from questions that we can’t answer, but also can’t forget.

New Release! The Traitor’s Bride by Alix Nichols

Alix Nichols is a wonderful author who writes powerful romances. I’m thrilled to see she’s just released a science fiction one! The Traitor’s Bride sounds like my perfect mix of science fiction, fantasy and a celebration of the power of love. It’s 99c for a short time or Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read it free.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B9GM93S

On her untamed gift hinges the future of a planet — and her lover’s life…

A month ago, ex-army Major Areg Sebi was thrown into prison.

Now he’s on the scaffold, laying his head on the block.

No public trial for the disgraced war hero. No cyborgs from the League of Realms to whisk him away.

No help. No escape.

A priestess chants a prayer for the major’s soul, even as a judge cries out, “Death to the traitor!”

In the crowd below, laundry maid Etana Tidryn stares into Areg’s eyes.

His lips were hot against hers last night. His hands roamed her body, worshipped her, pleasured her.

She’s falling for him, hard and fast.

She’s still hoping, even if he’s given up…

Can Etana transcend everything she knows—transcend life itself—to save him?

Can she rise to meet her destiny?

No Fooling!

My latest book, The Troll Bridge, goes full price on April 1st. So if you haven’t grabbed your copy, please do so now while it’s 99c.

A witchling child befriends a troll boy and changes the fate of a kingdom. A captivating fantasy novel.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079VRR76K