Science Fiction?

Material Witness: "a story that develops at breakneck speed and is cinematic in action levels"

2008-08-06T12:41:00.001-07:00

REVIEW: Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco

I have two colleagues who tell illuminating stories about the development of technology: one illustrates how unpredictable the application and adoption of new technologies can be, the latter just how quickly things can change and how our expectations and perceptions of them alter with it.

The first recounts the early days of telecommunications when the pioneers of the industry laid the first cables with little understanding of exactly how they would be used. Everyday conversation was certainly not expected to be one of the major uses of the lines. It has of course become the "killer app" and has altered our world beyond recognition.

The second story is told by a woman who took her young son to a doctor's officer where he saw a strange item with a handset and a wire coming out of it sitting on the receptionist's desk. "What is this mummy?" the boy asked. "That's a telephone," she replied. The boy picked it up and mimicked taking a photograph.

Bear with me, because there is a point to all this. Having spent most of the last decade either writing about technology or working for a technology company, I have become fascinated by the evolution of networks, gadgets and the like and also about the limits of them. As the story of the little boy who sees a phone as a camera first rather than a communications device shows, things move extraordinarily quickly and in unexpected directions.

A dozen years ago I had no internet access, no digital camera, no GPS. Now I have them all in one device of about 3x2x1 inches, which also allows me to make calls wherever I am in the world. I could not have envisaged any of these things, some of them even five or six years ago. What will my device do in 12 years time? I have no idea, but I expect it to be extraordinary.

For all those reasons, I was well disposed to Dan Ronco's novel, Unholy Domain, which takes curiosity about technological evolution and turns it into a fascinating and thought-provoking sci-fi thriller.

Ronco, is well placed to do this. His academic qualifications in the technology field are impeccable and he has also done stints with AT&T and Microsoft. (I tried not to hold this against him; after all it is probably not his fault that it takes Windows so damned long to open). But what he also has going for him is imagination, and that combined with his technological know-how has allowed him to develop a credible, if outlandish, plot in which the forces of technology and religion clash in a future-defining battle of wills, power and no little violence.

It is not the most stylishly written book I have come across and there are one or two moments (not technologically related) that defy belief (I found an episode where the protagonist David Brown falls in love utterly unconvincing).

But that doesn't matter so much in a book like this, where the idea is key, and where here it is followed through with utter conviction in a story that develops at breakneck speed and is cinematic in action levels.

David Brown finds himself in the middle of the war between the anti-technology Church of the Natural Human and a shadowy technological organisation called the Domain, which fight for supremacy in the wake of a massive software virus attack which disabled the world's communications system and left the US in economic depression and on the verge of total societal breakdown.

The one side believes that only by adopting a Luddite approach to technology can humanity find its way, while the other stresses that only advances can restore society to its former glories. The ruthlessness with which both pursue their cause is total: assassination, murder, even crucification is carried out without undue reference to conscience. The struggle is bitter, bloody and brutal.

Brown is the son of Ray Brown, a former colleague of Dianne Morgan the "witch" at the heart of the Domain, the man believed to be responsible for the catastrophic virus PeaceMaker. When his father visits him from beyond the grave to proclaim his innocence, David, a software prodigy embarks on a quest to find the truth, which ultimately draws him into the battle between church and PC.

David Brown is the story's major weakness. I found him a largely unsympathetic character: unlikable and largely difficult to understand, particularly in the early stages of Domain, which presumed more knowledge of its prequel, PeaceMaker, than I had (none).

But again, it was reasonably easy to overcome this - and he grew on me a little as the story wore on - partly because other characters Morgan and Adam Jordan, head of the religious faction, were so satisfactorily demonic and insane. But also because the idea - of the techno/religious war and the central technology itself, which is an advanced form of AI, capable of "mixing" with the human mind, for want of a better word - is intriguing.

Religion has long raged against science, and science has long ridiculed religion. It's an old warIt's going on right now around stem cells and genetics and the like, and that is fascinating. What Ronco has done is given it a new lease of life by casting it 20 years into the future where it is powerede by his impressive imagination.

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My Favorite Television Science Fiction Characters

2008-08-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

Over the years, a surprising number of excellent science fiction characters have appeared on television. A memorable character requires good writing, superb acting and a little charisma. Usually, several memorable characters may be found on a good television series, one that meets the test of time. Often it takes several years to really buy into a character, because great characters are complex, developing or revealing themselves over several seasons. A critical mass of good writers is also essential; one good writer can’t carry a show year after year.

In any case, I’d like to describe a few characters that stand out in my mind. I enjoyed them when I first saw them, and I still enjoy them in reruns. Let me add that many fine characters, such as Captains Kirk and Picard, G’Kar, Boomer, Mal, Tasha, Crichton, Scotty and others didn’t make the list. They’re good, but I had to cut somewhere. My favorites are listed below as I thought about them; it’s not a ranking.

Admiral William Adama of Battlestar Galactica is a tough, honorable, natural leader. Capable of making mistakes, big ones, but also brilliant at times. A rough exterior hides his need to give and receive love, compassion and tenderness. Just looking at the man, you know he’s SOMEBODY. When he speaks in that low, rumbling voice, everyone pays attention. He’s the kind of guy I would follow into battle.

Well, maybe not battle.

Wouldn’t you like having Star Trek’s Dr. Leonard McCoy as your doctor? I know I would. This guy knows his stuff, he’s decent and loyal, and he has a great sense of humor. The friendly name calling between McCoy and Spock made the show both unique and realistic. I’ve always enjoyed mocking out my friends … although I haven’t seen any of them for a while. Sometimes McCoy’s conversation got into a rut (“He’s/she’s dead, Jim.”), but things would pick up as soon as he spotted pointy ears.

Then there’s Cylon Number Six, also from Battlestar Galactica. Blonde, slender but shapely, and legs that don’t quit. I’m beginning to drool already. Talk about an electric presence! When any version of Six turns up, you know there’s going to be plenty of action. Doesn’t matter if she’s making love or beating the stuffing out of someone, you can’t leave the room, even when your wife is shouting that dinner’s getting cold.

Is there anyone who doesn’t know the pointy-eared, super logical Vulcan named Spock? He was unique, complex and fascinating when he was introduced four decades ago, and guess what, he’s still interesting. An old friend, someone who doesn’t disappoint. There is still that struggle between human emotions and Vulcan logic, that sharp wit and that strong loyalty to friends. I understand that he will be in the Star Trek movie coming out next year. What an amazing career.

Battlestar’s Gaius Baltar is one of the most complex characters ever to appear in science fiction. He’s basically a villain, but you get the feeling he’s a pretty decent, if weak, character down deep. A genius, a womanizer, a leader, a manipulator --- they all apply to Baltar. He’s almost always on the wrong side of an issue, but you can’t help rooting for his good side to emerge. And those scenes with Six will melt your socks!

If Baltar were an all-powerful alien, he’d be Q. Star Trek TNG’s favorite villain, Q always presents Picard and the other Star Trek leaders with a fascinating problem to investigate. He’s self-centered, mischievous, and arrogant, but always amusing. You just have to smile when Q makes an appearance.

Captain Elizabeth Lockley was only on Babylon 5 for a year, but she really made an impression. Tough, smart, vulnerable, and very hot, she quickly established herself as the leader of B5. The woman dominates her scenes, too. Somehow, no matter who is talking, my eyes are on her.

And finally, there is Lando Molari, the Ambassador to B5 from the Centauri. Lando began the series as a lightweight villain, but gradually evolved into an honorable, brave man willing to sacrifice his happiness for the survival of his people. His relationship with G’Kar, the Narn Ambassador, gradually grew over the life of the series from mutual contempt to respect to a tragic friendship.

Okay, that’s my list. I have noticed that these great sci-fi characters become almost like friends over the years. That’s when you know a character was something special.

Check out SFSIGNAL to see the characters others have selected.

Win a Free Copy of Unholy Domain

2008-08-02T09:26:00.000-07:00

Tracy Farnsworth at Roundtable Reviews is running a contest as described below:

Looking for a gripping summer read? Look no further! Author Dan Ronco is giving away an autographed copy of his powerful suspense novel UNHOLY DOMAIN. It's easy to enter, simply send your name and address to tracy@roundtablereviews.com. Dan is willing to ship his book to any interested reader. Please be aware that shipping to countries outside of the United States will take longer to arrive. Contest ends August 30, 2008 at midnight EST.

Check out the review to find out what had reviewer Jeff Cook so excited!

On Science Fiction Characters

2008-07-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

If you are a serious reader of science fiction, you have probably noticed the smugness of so-called mainline or literary readers. You know the type --- they don’t consider SF real literature. Among many deficiencies, they think SF is peopled with cardboard characters. This attitude irritated me until I realized there are differences.

Literary fiction is character driven. The characters resemble real people in realistic places. Literary fiction reveals character or develops character through a cumulative awareness that builds over the story or through a sudden personal awakening, usually near the conclusion of the novel. Literary fiction explores human complexity and strives to develop a deep understanding of the uniqueness of one or more main characters.

Much of science fiction, on the other hand is idea driven, let’s call it the big idea. For example the big idea in Unholy Domain is to explore what it means to be human. The main characters serve the big idea. They may be well-rounded, but they must fit into the idea of the story. While the literary character may spend pages dwelling on the relationship with his father, the SF character will spend little if any time dissecting that relationship. The focus is on the big idea and the plot must keep moving along.

Science fiction come in many subgenres --- cyberpunk, romance, post-apocalyptic, space opera, near future, soft and hard --- to name a few. All SF is a mix of setting, plot and character, but SF places more emphasis on setting and plot than does traditional literary fiction. The SF writer has more to deal with than the traditional writer, and can’t put all her marbles in the character basket.

That doesn’t mean that SF characters aren’t well-developed. They can be, but within and supporting the framework of the story. David Louis Edelman has an excellent article on Building Character(s) in DeepGenre and provides a useful list of factors to consider. Read the comments, too.

Book Chase: Unholy Domain is "a rollercoaster ride"

2008-07-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

Dan Ronco’s Unholy Domain comes along just when most people are becoming fully aware that the world’s new dependence on the internet leaves all of us vulnerable to a completely new kind of terrorist threat that was never envisioned by the net’s creators. All it takes to cripple economies, kill power grids, shut down sophisticated weapons systems and, ultimately, to kill people is one person with the will and the skills to hack into the right computers around the world. If that thought makes you nervous, you probably should stay away from Unholy Domain.

Unholy Domain is Ronco’s follow-up to his PeaceMaker in which he described how a computer super-virus was used to destroy economies around the world, causing the deaths of so many people in the process, that things might never be the same again. The U.S. government now fears out-of-control technological advances and, in self-defense, is severely limiting the release of new high-tech products. Complicating the situation are two groups, one completely in opposition to the introduction of new technology (the Church of Natural Humans), and a second one intent on selling new technology on the black market to the highest bidder (the Technos), that are literally at war with each other.

Caught between the government and the warring factions is one David Brown, son of the now deceased Ray Brown, the man blamed for creating the virus that devastated the world ten years earlier. David, hoping to prove that his father is innocent of the crime, begins his own investigation into what happened a decade earlier and quickly draws the attention of both the Technos and the leadership of the Church of Natural Humans. In order to safeguard their plans for the future, the Technos want to eliminate David as soon as possible. The religious fanatics, on the other hand, want to keep him alive long enough to follow him to the headquarters of the Technos in order to destroy that bunch once and, hopefully, for all.

When Unholy Domain shifts from set-up of the intriguingly dangerous mess that David creates for himself and anyone who tries to help him in his investigation, it becomes a rollercoaster ride of pitched battles between fanatic warrior armies, assassinations, murders, kidnappings, torture and wild lovemaking, not necessarily in that order. There is enough science in the book to satisfy science fiction fans and enough action to keep thriller fans more than happy.

This one, despite the terrifying glimpse of a future set only a few years from now that it offers, is fun.

Posted on Book Chase by Sam Houston

Visit Dan Ronco'sAmazon Profile.

Soulless Machine Review: My writing compared to Crichton , Gibson and Leonard

2008-07-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Posted by Aaaron M. Wilson on the Soulless Machine Review.

Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco was the second novel that I read while I was in Puerto Vallarta, to read the review of the first, click here: DARWIN'S PARADOX by Nina Munteanu.

Imagine a world several years after a computer virus called Peacemaker destroyed nearly all internet connections in the world and infected almost all computers. In this world, Peacemaker is indirectly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people due to loss of remote control of utilities, phones, satellites, hospitals; everything that we take for granted stopped working.

In the aftermath, the government has taken control of all technology related R&D; and in the wake of this take over, two opposing forces have arisen: the Technos, who push the envelope, creating new and illegal technologies, which are sold on the black market by the mob; and the Church of Natural Humans, a terrorist-like sect of Christianity that believes all machines, smart-technologies, are spawns of the devil.

In this world, your name is David Brown. You're smart. You're good looking and women flock to you. You're not wealthy, but you don't want for money. You have everything going for you, except that you are the son of the man who created and unleashed Peacemaker.

Unholy Domain is an action packed coming of age story in which David Brown must uncover hidden secrets about his father, secrets that others have killed to keep, secrets that if uncovered could change everything. In his search, David will go up against the Church of Natural Humans, the Techos, and an intelligent internet program that threatens to suck his consciousness out of his body and into the World Wide Web forever.

Ronco's writing is clear and detailed. I read every word. The plot is fast. A worthy comparison of Ronco's style would be: Michael Crichton's action, William Gibson's attention to technical detail, and Elmore Leonard's tough guy attitude. This combination finds a unique and entertaining mix in Ronco's fiction, creating a book that I couldn't put down long enough to enjoy the beaches of Puerto Vallarta.

I highly recommend Unholy Domain to anyone interested in the future of human consciousness, technology, and the evolution of the human machine.

To learn more about my novels, check out Dan Ronco's Amazon Blog.

NothingBinding.com: Unholy Domain almost screams "Look around you!"

2008-07-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Review for “Unholy Domain” by Dan RoncoThe futuristic world of Cyber Technology is spawning a new genre that falls somewhere between creative imagination and scientific probability. And possibly, imminent projection. It’s the impending element that is the rather scary part. Is Unholy Domain science fiction, a thriller of sorts? Or is it a quite feasible and likely glimpse into a very near future? Unlike the imaginative sci-fi of the Star Wars and Trekkie generation where we were thrust light years ahead of our time, Unholy Domain almost screams “Look around you!"

It’s 2012. A deadly computer virus renders identity theft, electronic spying and cyber fraud mere child’s play. This bug, known as Peace Maker, literally sends the world spiraling into chaos with a shut down of communications, energy, and product distribution. What’s compelling about this calamity is its very possible authenticity. It could happen tomorrow! Look around you!

Fast forward ten years. It’s 2022. Society, itself, is in decay. The Great Depression of the Thirties pales in comparison. Once in control, the Technos and their ensuing alternative intelligence capabilities have roused the ire of religious fundamentalists. The Technos, their controlled robots, and the Natural Humans of the Army of God meet head on in the age-old battle of good versus evil, of God against Lucifer! But there is a yet new dilemma. Has evil become the only power? Is evil only fighting for a more intense degree of itself? Is this the ultimate jihad?

True to books of this genre, Unholy Domain does have an enigmatic ending which leaves the reader free to draw their own conclusions as to the validity of this futuristic world. The goal of a writer is to leave the reader pondering their story, the whys and wherefores of it, and the personal impact it invokes. Unholy Domain succeeds in doing that. By all means . . . look around you!

Susan Haley, Author

**Susan Haley is the published author of two books, several articles on networking, an award-winning poet, and the copy editor and book reviewer for Pepper Tree Press Publishing. She is a columnist for “The Florida Writer” the official magazine of the Florida Writers Association, and serves as Facilitator for the Sarasota County Chapter. The audio version of her novel “RAINY DAY PEOPLE” was recently awarded runner-up Finalist in the 2008 Indie Excellence National Book Awards. She also contributes a variety of editorials and excerpts of her work to various E-zines, newsletters, and local papers. Susan can be contacted at shaley1112@verizon.net.

To learn more about Dan Ronco and his novels, check out his Amazon Blog.

J. Kaye's Book Blog: Unholy Domain is "a real page turner."

2008-07-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

Unholy Domain, by Dan Ronco, is the second in his sci-fi thriller series. Peacemaker, the first, is about a computer virus that changes the world, for the worst. Unholy Domain picks up about 10 years later. It is a fast, exciting read. I read half the book the first night and finished it the next day. Much to my dismay, I found out this was the second book and regret not reading the first one first! Now I must wait until next year (Spring 2009) to read the third one, Tomorrow’s Children.

Piers Anthony wrote: “Anther fast-action story of vicious extremes, as a powerful religious cult takes on a sophisticated tech outfit. Each means to destroy each other and rule the world, and neither is scrupulous about what it means. The protagonist is caught precariously between the two. Top rate adventure sparkling with ideas.”

Peter Clenott, http://www.peterclenott.com/pc/default.asp, author of Hunting the King, wrote “Unholy Domain is science fiction a la Da Vinci Code but with far better characters than Da Vinci Code and with more detail and complexity.”

I couldn't agree more. This book is a real page-turner.

Midwest Book Review: Unholy Domain "is a gripping thriller all the way through."

2008-07-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

Technology has been both the savior and destroyer of millions of lives. "Unholy Domain" is the tale of a computer virus that was the destroyer, and its aftermath. David Brown is the son of the virus' supposed creator; as the world begins to fall apart, he tries to clear his father's name, thinking that the virus was not as responsible as it was pointed out. Faced with threats from religious fanatics as well as those trying to restore the world to its technological state, "Unholy Domain" is a gripping thriller all the way through. Highly recommended for community library thriller collections.

Note from DR: This is the second reviewer from Midwest Book Review to write about Unholy Domain.

Unholy Domain reviewed by TCM Reviews

2008-07-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

Ray Brown was the world’s most infamous person. To the world, he was the monster that created PeaceMaker, a lethal virus like none before. To those who worked with him, Ray was a genius who shifted between extreme brilliance and intense darkness. To his family, he was simply an absentee father.

But who was the real Ray Brown? Ray’s son David has lived his life paying for his father’s inheritance. David receives a mysterious email about the true creator of PeaceMaker, supposed sent from his father years before. Not really knowing if he believes his father’s innocence, he seeks to find out more about this man. However, while David is opening doors to the past, someone is closely watching his actions, making sure that he doesn’t stumble upon the truth.

It took a few chapters for me to really get into Unholy Domain. First, I had to figure out who was who in a somewhat large and complex cast of characters. It was once I started to zero in on David’s portion of the story that I began to settle into reading. Then, the rest fell into place.

An Interview with Dan Ronco About Unholy Domain

2008-07-02T05:38:00.000-07:00

Posted on July 1st, 2008by Simon Barrett in Book Reviews, Interview, Reviews

I really enjoyed Dan Ronco’s latest book, Unholy Domain, it is set in the near future, and paints a bleak picture of what might happen in the aftermath of a computer virus that spreads through the Internet. More and more the net is becoming part of the worlds infrastructure. Email is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. If you look at 20 bill boards, you will find that 19 of them will have a www address rather than a phone number. Our reliance and acceptance of the Internet is all consuming. But is our reliance on the net too much?

I had the opportunity to ask Dan Ronco.

Being an Internet kind of a guy, I Googled you. You seem to have a pretty interesting history. Maybe you can tell us a little about yourself?

I was born into a tough neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, where I learned powerful lessons about family, friendship and violence. I survived, so I consider my childhood a success. My escape was fiction, and I spent many hours reading in the local library. Nurturing a passion for technology, I went on to gain a BS in Chemical Engineering from NJIT. Not enough challenge. Always fascinated by new technologies, I was awarded a full fellowship at Columbia University and gained a MS in Nuclear Engineering. Although I designed submarine nuclear reactors for three years, I discovered I enjoyed software development more than reactor design, so I changed career direction and achieved a second MS; this one in Computer Science from RPI.

Fascinated by virtually all areas of software development, my expertise grew to include coding, design, project management, quality improvement and finally, general management. My niche was software consulting and my team assisted many large corporations and governmental organizations. Always looking for a bigger challenge, I built and managed several consulting practices. I’m especially proud of two accomplishments – assisting AT&T greatly improve the quality of the first commercial UNIX release and helping Microsoft to create a world class consulting organization. Positions held during my consulting years included Senior Principal with an international accounting/consulting firm, President, Software Technology Management Inc. and General Manager with Microsoft.

That’s a pretty good bird’s eye view of my career before the writing fever hit.

What was the defining moment that caused you to abandon an obviously lucrative career to become a writer?

If you ask that question to most writers, they will tell you about their first short story written at age eleven. Or nine. How they always knew they would become writers. Not me. Although I loved reading fiction at the local library, the thought of writing novels never crossed my mind. I spent an entire career in the IT business and I loved it, but as the years went by the work turned stale. And when your career becomes boring, it’s time to do something else.

Anyway, I was sitting in my office at Microsoft one night, frustrated by a couple of emerging problems: the increasing number of virus attacks on my client’s systems and the ongoing litigation with the Department of Justice. The more I thought about these problems, the more frustrated I became. Suddenly the obvious solution hit me – get out of this business and write a novel.

What if a great (fictional) software company lost an anti-trust lawsuit and was ripped apart by the DOJ? What if the leaders of this once-great company decided to have their revenge by building an intelligent, deadly software predator into their flagship software product? That’s the premise of PeaceMaker, my first novel.

I liked the concept behind Unholy Domain, it was very cleverly put together. Also in many ways it is timely. Much has been made of hackers attacking government sites, and there has been much grumbling about ‘what if’ they went after a power generating station, particularly a nuclear one. Are we in danger?

Yes, but not with current technologies. Something like PeaceMaker is inevitable – but not for at least another five to ten years. Remember, PeaceMaker is speculative fiction. No existing artificial intelligence (excluding niche applications such as playing chess) can plan and execute at a level approaching human capabilities. In my novel, PeaceMaker has the ability to shut down the host computer, change or destroy data, send warning messages to its master, destroy hardware and attack anyone interfering with its objectives. A software predator could be developed today to perform many of these acts, but not with such sophisticated, adaptive decision-making abilities; one with PeaceMaker-level intelligence is still quite a few years away.I set the novel in 2012 because that’s probably the earliest point such a predator could emerge (based upon my thinking in 2003). The critical breakthroughs are speech recognition and very complex modeling; once that happens, we’re on the fast track to the software predator described in PeaceMaker.

In Unholy Domain you portray the Government of the day as ineffectual. Brow beaten into regulating technology. It is an interesting idea. We only have to look at the fall out from 9/11 to see steps backward being taken. International relations are at an all time low. Suddenly everyone is suspect, even traditionally friendly border crossings by Canadians or Brits have become a battle of paper, fingerprints, and distrust. A battle that friendly countries feel that they have no option but to play tit for tat. The Brits won’t let Martha Stewart in, so the US responds by not giving a visa to Boy George! I view it as childish. Is making the border harder to cross (as CNN’s resident idiot Lou Dobbs advocates) the answer?

Although we should exercise reasonable control over our borders, that’s not the major risk factor. It’s fracken (love Battlestar Galactica) technology regulation that may do us in. Government, especially Congress, is way out of its league trying to regulate technology. Or just about anything else. That’s not a brilliant conclusion of mine; very few Americans believe Congress — Republican or Democrat — can provide pragmatic, competent regulation.

For example, think about what Congress has done to nuclear power. Thirty years ago nuclear power was an up and coming technology destined to provide the US with the lion’s share of its energy. The Three Mile Island power station near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania changed all that. In 1979 a cooling malfunction caused part of the core to melt in the # 2 reactor at Three Mile Island. Some radioactive gas was released, but not enough to cause any dose above background levels to local residents.

Although there were no injuries or adverse health effects from the accident, poor communications in Congress and the media contributed to a sense of panic among the public, leading to a virtual ban on construction of nuclear plants lasting to this day. This despite an excellent safety record for power plants in the USA for thirty years. I am not minimizing the serious problems at Three Mile Island, but the construction of nuclear power plants should never have been halted. If we generated eighty percent of our energy through nuclear power, as France does, we would not have to depend upon unreliable kingdoms in the Middle East. And we wouldn’t be filling our gas tanks with four-bucks-a-gallon (soon to go higher) gasoline.

I’ll let you in on a few other brilliant moves fostered by our government. We are the only nation with huge reserves of oil that doesn’t allow drilling. And to complete the hat trick, we have not built a new oil refining plant in thirty years. As a result, we have to buy oil from countries that are hostile, such as Venezuela, or with uncertain friendship, such as Saudi Arabia. With a government like this, who needs enemies? The overregulation described in Unholy Domain isn’t really much of a stretch, is it?

As I understand it, Unholy Domain is the second book in a trilogy. I have not yet had a chance to read Peacemaker (hint hint) but do plan on tracking it down. When can we expect to see the final book? And can you tell us a little about it?

It is clear that technological change will turn our society upside down within the next few decades. Humans will have to adapt rapidly to gain the advantages of evolving social and technological innovations. Indeed, we will have to adapt rapidly just to survive.

I scoped out a trilogy of novels to expose three oncoming challenges; computer viruses enhanced with artificial intelligence (set in 2012), the oncoming clash between religion and technology concerning what it means to be human (2022), and the beginnings of the integration of human and artificial intelligence into a network entity (2032). Each novel is written as a thriller – packed with adventure, sex, greed and romance – as well as realistic science, technology, and government intervention. The three leading characters – Dianne Morgan, a female mega-billionaire obsessed with power; Ray Brown, her onetime lover and a brilliant software architect; and David Brown, Ray’s genetically gifted son – are fascinating and all too human.

PeaceMaker, my first novel, was released in August, 2004 and Unholy Domain, was released April 2, 2008 by Kunati Books. The final novel of the trilogy, tentatively entitled Tomorrow’s Children, should be released in 2009. Although the novels are consistent in world building, character and plot development, each is a stand-alone story, so they may be read in any sequence.

Genetic engineering and artificial intelligence continue to rapidly evolve in Tomorrow’s Children, touching off a human uprising based in Africa against the Domain. Ray Brown leads the African tribes in their war against the increasingly human androids of Dianne Morgan’s Domain. When David Brown evolves to the brink of integration with Sentinel, the most advanced AI developed by the Domain, Ray has one last chance to save his son and maintain humanity as a distinct species.

Unholy Domain has ‘best seller’ written all over it. I review a lot of books, and you get a nose for what works in the book world. You are getting a lot of positive press, are you seeing it translate into sales yet?

Unholy Domain is a unique book, part thriller, part science fiction that is rapidly finding its audience. Since both the publisher and the author are relatively new, Unholy Domain has to sell itself based on its entertainment and intellectual values. I have relied upon independent reviewers to introduce the novel to their readers, and the strategy seems to be working. There is no better publicity than a string of favorable reviews, and Unholy Domain is on a tear. Readers check out the reviews, buy the book, and enjoy the story. It’s a good trend.

I have yet to meet an author that does not have little bits of himself and people he knows embedded in the characters, is their a little bit of David in you? (and who else?)

There’s a little bit of me in all my characters. I’m a nice guy. Really. All that conflict, torture, and mayhem that you read in my novels, well, that’s not really me. It’s my characters.

Well, maybe I have a bit of the devil in me, because my characters often resolve problems with violence. And not just any violence — creative, gut-wrenching violence. Hand to hand conflict, rape, robots, torture, you name it. It’s when my characters face off, when their emotions really go full throttle, that’s when the reader is pulled into the story, when they can’t possibly put the book down.

I don’t know where this stuff comes from. I lead a normal life: married to a wonderful woman, three great kids, long-term friendships, satisfying careers. I try and balance the darkness with a quirky sense of humor. So far, so good.

Have we become a society too reliant on technology? I ponder this question often. I wander around downtown and everywhere I look I see security cams, George Orwell had it right in 1984, he just got the date wrong. What are your thoughts?

Our modern technological society provides us with an incredibly high standard of living, but there is a price to pay. As a society, we have decided the trade-offs —reduced privacy, government intervention, complexity, etc — are acceptable. In general, I’m okay with that. Not thrilled, but realistic.

The breaking point is the combination of technology and single-minded fanaticism. Fanatics have always been dangerous, because they are ready to die to impose their beliefs on society. A century earlier, a small group of fanatics might be able to kill a few dozen people with dynamite or guns. Now, a terrorist with a weapon of mass destruction might kill hundreds of thousands. Technology empowers fanatics. To defend itself, society must employ technology. Maybe those security cams will help track down terrorists.

There’s no going back. People are not willing to give up the benefits of technology, nor should they. Regulation won’t stop the spread of advanced, potentially dangerous sciences such as AI, nanotechnology and genetic engineering. Fanatics have access to technology, and they are planning to use it. First question: will we be able to stop the fanatics from using WMD? Second question: how far are we willing to go to defend ourselves?

Tough issues. Since 911, there has not been another devastating attack, but maybe we’ve been lucky. Or maybe Homeland Security is finally doing something right (choke). The balance between safety and oppression is difficult – go too far in either direction and we’re screwed. Bin Laden or Big Brother?

I have read several articles about you that liken your books to the works of Philip K. Dick, the only book I recall by him was ‘Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep’. Who are the writers that inspire you?

For all-around talent and professionalism, it’s difficult to surpass Larry McMurtry. Lonesome Dove is almost perfect literature; there’s not a word I would change. Captains Gus and Call are individually great characters, but when you link them together, the result is greater than the sum of the individuals. And McMurtry maintained the excellence of the characters across their lifetimes in three related but different books. I attempted to do the same with Dianne Morgan, Ray Brown and his son David, although I fell short of the standard set by McMurtry.

For creativity, story-telling and realistic detail, I admire Frank Herbert. The original Dune novels stand head and shoulders above any other science fiction series. Herbert’s creative genius and attention to detail made the desert planet of Dune come alive. I have read the original Dune series five times already, with each read exposing aspects of the story I hadn’t seen before. In your review of Unholy Domain, you mention that each chapter begins with quotes, some old and real, others from books yet to be written. That idea came from Dune, and it’s an excellent device to expand the story with appealing background details.

It’s interesting that some readers of Unholy Domain liken it to Philip K. Dick’s works. An honor, really. I was surprised to read the comparisons, but who could complain about being mentioned in the same breath as one of the old masters? My stories are set in the near future, just as his are, and we both see the darkness approaching, so that might be it, but it wasn’t my intention to adopt his style. I think we have very different styles, and the similarities are overstated. Just my opinion.

Thanks For chatting with us Dan. Oh and you can bet I will be keeping my eyes peeled for the last book in this trilogy.

Simon Barretthttp://zzsimonb.blogspot.com/

http://www.danronco.com/

BooksAreMyOnly Friends.blogspot.com:Unholy Domain is a "fast paced techno-thriller."

2008-06-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

Hey, you got your AI in my dogma . . .

Should you wish to grapple with the interplay between science and religion, in the words of Tony Soprano, "you got options." You could TiVo "Faith and Reason" on PBS, ponder some Betrand Russell and G.K. Chesterton (which – like duct tape and a universal remote – no home should be without), or crack open Dan Ronco's Unholy Domain. I've gone with door number three, and I've gotta say, it ain't half bad.

Unholy Domain opens in a dystopian, not-so-distant future, in which the world's political and economic systems are gimping along in the wake of the PeaceMaker, a mess-you-up-like-bad-chicken computer virus. It appears that this piece of sunshine was unleashed, for reasons unknown, by the ubertalented and correspondingly erratic programmer Ray Brown, essentially taking down Teh Interweb. As a result of the devastation wrought by PeaceMaker, the federal government has banned all but the most miniscule advances in technology and devolved into corruption and incompetence. *cough, cough *

Against this backdrop we find the Church of the Natural Humans, a sect of anti-technology nuts whose vestments include shoulder-holstered gats and whose theology puts the Luddites to shame, locked in a clandestine war with The Domain, a cabal of black market tech peddlers (imagine the Illuminati recruiting at MIT and bringing on some temps from Blackwater) to be Lords of All We Survey.

Cut to college student David Brown, whom we accompany on his quest to discover the truth about his father Ray and the PeaceMaker virus. What follows is a fast paced techno-thriller that would fit well between a beach chair and cooler of Red Stripe. Some of the prose is somewhat clunky, but Ronco does a great job of drawing out relationships between his characters that seem more fully developed than most genre authors tend to produce. Moreover, the fundamental questions raised by Ronco about the roles of science and religion in the arc of human development are ones worth considering, even if it's while sitting on the beach with a bronson. Perhaps especially then.

If Dan Simmons' Endymion got you all freaky and hot in the ass, what with its time travellin' spikey robot, the AI TechnoCore and the Galactic Catholics, then Unholy Domain will be right up your alley. On the other hand, if you like your discourse to be more elevated, then go get a Mother Jones. And put the beer away.

Blogger News Network: Unholy Domain "is a fast-paced techno thriller ... you will not want to put down"

2008-06-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

Book review: Unholy Domain by Dan Ronco
Posted on June 24th, 2008
by Simon Barrett in Book Reviews, Reviews

There are a plethora of sci-fi books that have explored what the Earth would be like after the apocalypse, and generally the apocalypse in question is a nuclear war, or some sort of plague.

Unholy Domain takes this genre in a new and very thought provoking direction. One only has to spend a couple of minutes researching the history and growth of the Internet to realize how in the space of just a few years it was woven itself into the very fabric of our world. We have near instantaneous communication via email, we have access to enormous repositories of information, it has become a part of our day to day life. I could not live without it!

Unfortunately there is a potential dark side to the technology. Increasingly it is also the backbone used by basic infrastructures, power generation, transportation, law enforcement, and a lot more. There have already been rumblings in the press about what might happen if hackers gained control of a power generating plant, or other basic service.

In Unholy Domain Dan Ronco takes us to a world where a decade previously (2010) a virus had decimated the Internet. Because of the disruption to basic services over a million people died. What would the world look like under these circumstances?

Dan Ronco takes us to a world that has become a fractured society, the technos and the religious zealots. In the aftermath of the disaster the government has regulated technology, stifling innovation, this has resulted in an economic situation rivaling the great depression. Without advancing technology the world has not just stagnated it has regressed to an earlier time.

Technology has become an underground industry, a black market more lucrative than drugs. The technos are run by a shady organization known simply as The Domain.

The opposing force are the fanatical Army of God, the paramilitary wing of The Church of Natural Humans. Their leader Adam Jordan is on the outside a charismatic speaker, but is also a man with a single minded hatred for technology and those who would use it.

Our hero in Unholy Domain is David Brown, a young student who has the dubious honor of being the son of the man accused of unleashing the deadly virus.

When David receives a message sent 10 years previously from his father he begins to have doubts about his fathers guilt and decides to investigate for himself. David is walking a tightrope, he has enemies in high places, neither The Domain, nor the Army of God are enamored by his presence, for different reasons, though one does become his unseen temporary protector with an ulterior motive in mind.

This is a fast paced techno thriller which I can pretty much guarantee you will not want to put down, I know I didn’t! Set close enough in the future (2020) that most of the ‘props’ are believable, it paints a dark picture of one potential future scenario for mankind.

This is a book that is worth searching out, I liked the style of writing a great deal. Each chapter begins with some quotes, some old and real, other from books yet to be written. A very cute touch. You don’t have to be a hard core Sci-Fi fan for this one, just a lover of a great story.

You can pick up your own copy of Unholy Domain from Amazon, he also has a web site with additional information.

Simon Barrett
http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com/

ReviewYourBook.com: "Unholy Domain is a Must Read for fans of Science Fiction."

2008-06-23T13:16:00.000-07:00

Unholy Domain

A world where religious terrorists and visionaries of technology fight for supreme power.

5 stars

Can technology go too far…Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com

Unholy Domain is written with much intelligence and finesse. Dan Ronco presents a world where technology is out of control. In 2012, a computer virus called the Peacemaker was released, and over a million humans died. The economy spiraled down into a depression. People question whether technology is good or evil. There are two factions, Technos (scientists) verses Church of Natural Humans (theologians), fighting to control the world. Both sides have their own agenda. One man stands alone in the quest for truth and to clear his father’s name.

Dan Ronco’s Unholy Domain is a realistic thriller. Ronco does go overboard in describing the females, and he comes across as a bit sexist. The plot is imaginative and pulls the reader into the story. I could not put this one down. The characters are brilliant, the pace is non-stop action, and the premise is chilling. This is a must read for fans of science fiction.http://www.danronco.com/

Unholy Domain placed in Suburban Fiction Top Four Books

2008-06-20T03:58:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to learn that Unholy Domain was placed in the top four books reviewed by Alex Hutchinson for Suburban Fiction. Here is the complete review:

Daring, innovative, and predictive of ethical quandaries yet to arrive, Unholy Domain is a novel to be reckoned with. Author Dan Ronco utilizes his vast understanding of engineering and technology to give us a vision of the future well within the realm of possibility. This could be one of those rare occasions when we as a people could learn the lessons for mistakes we have yet to make. The drama that defines these lessons is not bad either.

Unholy Domain sets the stage for a future where the internet has been integrated into nearly every business, streetlight and punch clock. A collection of scientists have gathered to create an organization known as the Domain. Their purpose is to allow Artificial intelligence to reach the point where it can assume human traits and be used to enhance physical beings. This bold approach produces a counterculture movement driven by a militant religious sect known as the Army of God. A subversive war rages between these factions worsening the already diminished strength of the world economy. Inevitably, David Brown finds himself in the center of it all.

It is one thing to be the man who almost destroyed society but it is quite another to be his son. David grew up under the dark shadow of his father's horrific misdeeds. His father, Raymond, had a brilliant mind for computers that somehow got out of control when he launched a virus that delivered chaos amongst the masses. Young David has the same gifts as his father and was always a little skeptical of the official story of his Dad's guilt and subsequent death. After receiving a time lapse e-mail insistent upon his innocence David sets off on a journey back into the blackened hallways of his father's past.

Here we are given a world where techology rules not only the economic stability but also the sustainability of humanity. It is in this vortex where ethical walls are breached. Should so much power ever be controlled by the specific knowledge of so few? How can a society be maintained if it is constantly split between those who can afford the ultimate software and those who cannot?

I found myself captivated by the fast-paced action and multiple storylines. As the dueling ideologies espouse their vision, I was struck by the persuasivness of their arguments. Often I wasn't sure who to root for. Each side contains well rounded characters driven by both personal ambition and organizational responsibility. A tug of will between any two produces an explosion of emotional conflict and each of these battles edges their convictions closer to the apex of the government's power center. The author presses forth with curvy heroines and breakneck urgency until a rather abrupt ending stops the reader and forces them into waiting for the next book. While the ending could be considered a cruel teaser, it's still very easy to fall into fandom over this type of writing.

www.danronco.com

Should You Join a Book Critique Group ?

2008-06-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have been in a critique group for seven years, and it has been a great experience. The five of us are all focused on novels, but we work in a variety of genres. Two of us are published and the others are working toward that goal. Age ranges from mid-thirties to mid-seventies. We are all the same age, however, when we critique each other’s work.

In our weekly meeting, we read our most recent compositions, usually about ten pages. Each reviewer provides feedback describing good and bad aspects of the writing. We offer advice with the intent of helping the author; nobody shows off. The author considers the feedback and decides what, if anything, should be modified.

Actually it’s more than just a critique group. Our coach and group leader begins each session with a twenty minute discussion of a writing topic. While the coach leads the discussion, we all participate.

I’d have to say we are many things: a critique group, a workshop, and a gathering of friends.The secret of our success is compatibility and talent. We keep the group small and invite an occasional new member only if she gets along well with the existing members. It is also important that her writing skills are at a reasonably good level. Bringing a novice into the group wouldn’t be fair to anyone.

I look forward to these weekly meetings. In addition to the usually on-point feedback, we enjoy needling each other, which leads to a ton of laughs.And it’s not just weekly critique sessions; we have a dinner party about every six weeks. This Sunday it’s my turn to host the party. Spouses and friends are invited; twelve to fifteen people usually attend. The host provides the entrée and each guest brings food or wine. In addition to a great meal, each writer reads a chapter of his latest manuscript, which often leads to a lively discussion.

I guess the point of this piece is that a critique group can be a great asset. Our approach has included both social and work aspects, and it has passed the test of time, but it’s just one example. Set it up the way that works best for your group.

www.danronco.com

Book Review: Unholy Domain is "very much a mix between George Orwell’s 1984 and Philip Dick’s Minority Report."

2008-06-13T10:07:00.000-07:00

All Fiction Books: Where Science and Religion Go to War
Reviewd by Stuart Nachbar

Dan Ronco’s Unholy Domain is a science fiction story that is very much a mix between George Orwell’s 1984 and Philip Dick’s Minority Report.This is a story where an innovative technology has supposedly gone haywire, killing a million people and plunging the world or at least American into economic collapse. Domain’s main character, David Brown, is the son of the developer of PeaceMaker, the technology that started the downward spiral and created a nation (or world—I was not sure from the story) divided between factions for religious leadership—the Natural Humans--and technology. Both have their political capital, and both have their terrorists--or freedom fighters—depending on which side you are on. Members of both factions are about to form an even more powerful order known only as the Domain.

I loved the movie Minority Report, so I was anxious to read Domain, and it did not disappoint. While the author is a technologist himself, he doesn’t get the reader lost in technical and computer jargon; that is often a distraction with similar “intelligent” science fiction novels that assume the reader already knows most of the science before he opens the book. His descriptions of robots and PeaceMaker, the killer app were quick and to the point and made me want to continue reading the story. Domain is quite similar to Minority Report in that Brown has become a fugitive, in this case, a brilliant software developer, whose life has become a mission to avenge the loss of his father, a man he hardly knew in his youth. And, as in Minority Report, the main character unveils a major cover-up; unmasked, it means death to Brown and all who help him. Ronco has also done an excellent job of presenting the all-powerful evil cast of characters who lead the Domain. In the end, we learn that distinctions between good and evil technology rest in the hands of a very small number of deceptive, greedy and powerful individuals.

Novels such as Domain, which are set in a not-too-distant future, are often meant to present warnings about our present. In this story there is more about the deceptions of religious leaders, how they manipulate society at large and, what can potentially happen if such manipulation is unchecked and taken to extremes. We have powerful spiritual leaders in America today, though none ask ordinary citizens to take up arms and become holy warriors; however, religious uprisings have been an important part of world history. Ronco’s fictional Army of God is no less formidable than the military leaders in the Crusades, for example, or the Nazis. There are the same blind loyalties to a charismatic leader that drive the movement to the point where it oversteps its bounds and becomes more like the entities it had set out to destroy.

Domain is more of a political science fiction thriller than a techno-thriller. If you are a sci-fi buff anxious to know the potential and power of computing, you may prefer a more scientific story. But if you want a fresh new story that shows how fear can dominate the direction of a society, and how fear can bend technology to its means, then Domain is a worthy read.

Contact Stuart Nachbar at http://www.EducatedQuest.com , a blog on education politics, policy and technology or read about his first book, The Sex Ed Chronicle, a novel on education and politics in 1980 New Jersey, at http://www.sexedchronicles.com/ .

http://www.danronco.com/

The Darkness Within

2008-06-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

I’m a nice guy. Really. All that conflict, torture, and mayhem that you read in my novels, well, that’s not really me. At least I don’t think so.

Let me explain, since you may not have heard of me. I write novels about the near-future, the next two or three decades. My first novel, PeaceMaker, published in 2004, looked at the destruction caused by a lethal computer virus augmented with artificial intelligence. Definitely not a namby-pamby virus that you catch with a standard anti-virus program. Nope, the PeaceMaker virus shut down computers across the globe, millions died from lack of power, water, health care, but I’m not writing a synopsis. You get the picture.

Unholy Domain, published April, 2008, examines the growing conflict between religion and science. You think things are hot between the pro-choice and pro-life activists, well that’s a weekend picnic compared to issues we will face when artificial intelligence and genetic engineering hit full stride.

My latest novel under development, Tomorrow’s Children, continues where Unholy Domain left off and then evaluates the integration of human and machine intelligence. My view of the future isn’t StarTrek. (I blogged about StarTrek a few months earlier.) It’s dark and complex, but not without hope.

Each of my novels starts with an assumption regarding the direction and pace of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, robotics and the like. Then I look at the major social issues and evaluate their direction and intensity. Overlay the technical and the cultural and you can pick out the hot spots. My novels grow in those spots.

Okay, so I start with an issue, one with at least two strong, conflicting beliefs. Actually, at this point the novel could be considered hard science fiction. Hard means based in reality, no magic, no pipe dreams. If I starting writing with this outline, I would create a novel that will make you think, but not cringe.

But the devil is in the details. Or maybe I have a bit of the devil in me, because as I lay out an outline, the conflict of ideas turns to violence. And not just any violence --- creative, gut-wrenching violence. Hand to hand conflict, rape, robots, torture, you name it. More thriller than scifi now.

I don’t know where this stuff comes from. I lead a normal life: married to a wonderful woman, three great kids, long-term friendships, satisfying career. I try and balance the darkness with a quirky sense of humor.

The reviews for Unholy Domain have been great (check Amazon), but they see the darkness of the story. Phrases like nightmare, damn scary book, alarming, frightening vision, dark and dangerous, bloody, threatening, and horrific pepper the reviews.

Who knows the source of all this darkness? Yeah, it’s from me, but it comes from some walled-off section of my mind that doesn’t connect to my real life. And never will.

Well, that’s about it. My wife Linda and I are going out to dinner tonight, a nice Italian place where the people know us by name. Should be a good time.

www.danronco.com

Top Fifty Amazon Reviewer: Unholy Domain is "an action-packed, page-turning read"

2008-06-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

Amanda Richards "Modest to the extreme"

This futuristic story pits technology against religion in an all-out bloody war, ostensibly to save the human race. The thing is, both sides have dark secrets that they'd rather stay hidden from the world, and now one uniquely talented young man is threatening to expose them all to clear his father's name.

It's 2012 - A year of great scientific progress Except of course for the virus Which cripples computers ALL the computers ALL OF THEM! Killing more than a million people Who couldn't get food, Water, Gas, Heat Or e-mailIt's

It's 2022 - A year of economic depression Some believe that the answer Lies in Artificial Intelligence Human-like robots THAT CAN THINK And spectacles that are voice-activated to give you the news on the go

It's 2022 A year of the Church of Natural Humans Who believe that technology Is the tool of Lucifer And are prepared TO KILL EVERYONE Who dares to support Artificial Intelligence As they have no right To play GOD

In between, there's David Brown, son of the man who has been vilified for creating the virus, but after receiving a delayed transmission e-mail from his late father, David now thinks otherwise.

David has a unique talent when it comes to AI, and once he sets his mind to proving his father's innocence, he stirs up the vipers on both sides, and the result is an action-packed, page-turning read.

The dialogue doesn't always flow smoothly and the female characters are sometimes (ahem) overly developed, but these are minor hiccups in an otherwise well crafted story that may yet prove to be prophetic.

Amanda Richards, June 7, 2008

Midwest Book Review: Unholy Domain is "a tale from out of our worst nightmares"

2008-06-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

Unholy Domain takes place in the near future. It's an exciting and sometimes alarming story where technology and religion clash and fight it out to the death.

The religion is fundamentalist in nature with the freedom of owning a gun one of its precepts. They view all technology as works of the devil and work hard to destroy their enemies. The Church of Natural Humans is a frightening vision of religious fanaticism.

It's an era of economic collapse. In the midst of all this lives a young man whose father's responsible for the virus that killed millions of people and caused a depression. David Brown must live with the consequences of his father's deeds. This includes mobs harassing him and throwing rocks through his windows. He has no friends. No one will befriend the son of a monster.

Now David has received a message left to him by his father before he died. His father tells him that he's not the one responsible for the virus. David tries to verify his father's words. Was he telling the truth?

David sets out on a search to find the truth. It's a dark and dangerous journey and he might not come out of it alive.

Unholy Domain is a sci-fi thriller that gives us a glimpse into a frightening future, one where religion and government both are out of control. It's a tale from out of our worst nightmares and will not only entertain but make you stop and think.

Unholy Domain is the author's second novel, his first being PeaceMaker.

Victoria Kennedy
Reviewer

Visit Dan Ronco's website.

Kunati Books Selected as Independent Publisher of the Year

2008-06-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

ForeWord Magazine named Kunati Books as the first "Independent Publisher of the Year" at its prestigious Book of the Year Awards at BEA in L.A. ForeWord's Publisher Victoria Sutherland said, "In a word, or eight, Kunati inspired us to create this award. I hope the recognition inspires others to follow in their new but large and welcoming footsteps."The award is well-deserved.

Kunati has exceeded all my expectations for a publisher. Unholy Domain is a startling work of speculative fiction, and only an exceptional publisher could provide proper support. Check out the video trailer to see what I mean.

The award was kept "top secret," Kunati Publisher Derek Armstrong said. "We had no idea this award was in the works. We were surprised and delighted at the recognition, and credit most of our success to our authors."Victoria Sutherland explained the rationale for this important award: "The convergence in the industry led to the independent press community, where interesting and extraordinary moments still happen because creativity and provocativeness are allowed to flourish without beaucratic overhead. We felt those publishers should be recognized for their vitality and entrepreneurialism in spite of overwhelming odds not to get involved in the business. And who better to recognize them than the magazine created to cover them exclusively?"

Kunati has been called "a publisher to watch" by Booklist and "impressive" by Publishers Weekly for innovative marketing, stunning book covers, daring online initiatives and very provocative and controversial titles. "We hope the Independent Publisher of the Year award will inspire other innovative small presses to take on debut authors, fight for good memoirs and fiction, and challenge readers with provocative non-fiction," said Armstrong.

Amen, brother.

Bookshelf Reviews "Unholy Domain is a Riveting Futuristic Novel"

2008-06-04T09:47:00.000-07:00

Unholy Domain - Dan Ronco

If this is our future, I really can't say I'm looking forward to it all that much.

Dan Ronco spins a riveting futuristic novel packed with action, suspense and a whole lotta robots. And religious nuts - those guys are the fun ones. In 2022, the world lies in the aftermath of the virus that hit the world and its computers a decade before. The accused creator, Ray Brown, is dead, but his son David, possessing a weird ability to communicate with artificial intelligence, lives on, often suffering from his father's indiscretions. But when David receives a preset email from his father claiming his own innocence, David suspects that perhaps his father wasn't behind the world-shattering virus, but a business associate who now prepares and distributes A.I. inventions underground. And with the religious sect called the Church of Natural Humans causing havoc as well, picking off anyone who sneezes in the direction of an A.I., answers don't come as easily for David as he might've originally thought.

Though some character dialogue comes off as a bit too scripted, Ronco's story and writing is solid, providing enough twists and turns for the mystery-favoring reader and enough fist-to-fist action for the James Bond followers. An excellent read.

Posted by T.C. Robson at Monday, June 02, 2008

http://www.danronco.com/

Roundtable Reviews Praises Unholy Domain

2008-06-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

Reviewed By Jeff Cook

Aside from social media, Wikis, the opportunity to juke out and conquer fellow online bidders and loads and loads of videos of funny monkeys, the internet has opened the doors to new opportunities for science fiction writers. With so much of our personal information and lives intertwined with computers and the World Wide Web, a panoply of what-if scenarios have been posited and explored by a new generation of authors that pick up where Asimov and Dick left off.

Dan Ronco is one of them. In his new novel, UNHOLY DOMAIN, Ronco picks up a decade after a compuer virus named Peacemaker has wiped out computers world-wide; the economies of the greatest nations on earth lie in ruins, people face starvation and desperation on a scale unimaged. Yet humanity is finding its way, propelled by those two engines that have moved progess through the ages since the dawn of time: science, and religion.

On one side is the Church of Natural Humans, a religious faction exalting "natural humanity", those people untainted by technological enhacements or dependency on a computerized world. Led by a charismatic leader, a beautiful and deadly assassin and an army of zealots, the Church seeks to wipe out those who would promote the artificial over the natural.

On the other side lies the Domain, a group of technocrats bent on achieving world domination through the sale of artificial humans and the restoration of global communications that will give them total control of the people and major economies that are in tatters.

In the middle is David Brown, the son of the man accused of creating Peacemaker and a man determined to prove his father was a pawn in the most dangerous game ever played - a game in which the ultimate prize is the world itself.

UNHOLY DOMAIN is a damn scary book filled with fascinating ideas and questions that wrestle with notions of family, security, betrayal, and our dependency on a way of life that can be stripped of us at any whim of a capricious technogod. Ronco writes with a tight, fast-paced style that draws the reader into his world and keeps their pulse-rate high throughout the book. While it is a sequel to his first novel, Peacemaker, new readers are able to fully enjoy the follow-up without the nagging feeling that they're missing something. A terrific new voice in the world of techno-thrillers, Dan Ronco is an author to keep track of.

www.danronco.com

BlogCritics Magazine Reviews Unholy Domain

2008-05-31T07:02:00.000-07:00

Written by Alex Hutchinson

Daring, innovative, and predictive of ethical quandaries yet to arrive, Unholy Domain is a novel to be reckoned with. Author Dan Ronco utilizes his vast understanding of engineering and technology to give us a vision of the future well within the realm of possibility. This could be one of those rare occasions when we as a people could learn the lessons for mistakes we have yet to make. The drama that defines these lessons is not bad either.

Unholy Domain sets the stage for a future where the internet has been integrated into nearly every business, streetlight and punch clock. A collection of scientists have gathered to create an organization known as the Domain. Their purpose is to allow Artificial intelligence to reach the point where it can assume human traits and be used to enhance physical beings. This bold approach produces a counterculture movement driven by a militant religious sect known as the Army of God. A subversive war rages between these factions worsening the already diminished strength of the world economy. Inevitably, David Brown finds himself in the center of it all.

It is one thing to be the man who almost destroyed society but it is quite another to be his son. David grew up under the dark shadow of his father’s horrific misdeeds. His father, Raymond, had a brilliant mind for computers that somehow got out of control when he launched a virus that delivered chaos amongst the masses. Young David has the same gifts as his father and was always a little skeptical of the official story of his Dad’s guilt and subsequent death. After receiving a time lapse e-mail insistent upon his innocence David sets off on a journey back into the blackened hallways of his father’s past.

Here we are given a world where techology rules not only the economic stability but also the sustainability of humanity. It is in this vortex where ethical walls are breached. Should so much power ever be controlled by the specific knowledge of so few? How can a society be maintained if it is constantly split between those who can afford the ultimate software and those who cannot?

I found myself captivated by the fast-paced action and multiple storylines. As the dueling ideologies espouse their vision, I was struck by the persuasivness of their arguments. Often I wasn't sure who to root for. Each side contains well rounded characters driven by both personal ambition and organizational responsibility. A tug of will between any two produces an explosion of emotional conflict and each of these battles edges their convictions closer to the apex of the government's power center. The author presses forth with curvy heroines and breakneck urgency until a rather abrupt ending stops the reader and forces them into waiting for the next book. While the ending could be considered a cruel teaser, it’s still very easy to fall into fandom over this type of writing.

www.danronco.com

Dan Ronco Interviewed by Mayra Calvani

2008-05-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Mayra Calvani is a multi-genre author and book reviewer. She's the author of The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing, Dark Lullaby, and Embraced by the Shadows. Her children's titles include The Magic Violin and CRASH!Check out her blogs: Mayra's Secret Bookcase, The Dark Phantom Review, and Violin and Books. Subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, The Fountain Pen.

Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?

Born into a tough neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, I learned powerful lessons about family, friendship and violence. My escape was fiction, and I spent many hours reading in the local library. Nurturing a passion for technology, I went on to gain a BS in Chemical Engineering from NJIT. Not enough challenge. Always fascinated by new technologies, I was awarded a full fellowship at Columbia University and gained a MS in Nuclear Engineering. Although I designed submarine nuclear reactors for three years, I discovered I enjoyed software development more than reactor design, so I changed career direction and achieved a second MS; this one in Computer Science from RPI.Fascinated by virtually all areas of software development, my expertise grew to include coding, design, project management, quality improvement and finally, general management. My niche was software consulting and my team assisted many large corporations and governmental organizations. Always looking for the latest challenge, I built and managed several consulting practices. I'm especially proud of two accomplishments – assisting AT&T greatly improve the quality of the first commercial UNIX release and helping Microsoft to create a world class consulting organization. Positions held during my consulting years included Senior Principal with an international accounting/consulting firm, President, Software Technology Management Inc. and General Manager with Microsoft.

When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

Eight years ago I decided to leave consulting and concentrate on a long held desire to write fiction. A successful engineer and businessman, I had the breadth of experience to understand and synthesize rapidly evolving strands of technology. It became clear that fundamental change would turn our society upside down within the next few decades. Humans will have to adapt rapidly to gain the advantages of these changing social and technological innovations. Indeed, we will have to adapt rapidly just to survive.I scoped out a trilogy of novels to expose three oncoming challenges; computer viruses enhanced with artificial intelligence (set in 2012), the oncoming clash between religion and technology concerning what it means to be human (2022), and the beginnings of the integration of human and artificial intelligence into a network entity (2032). Each novel is written as a thriller – packed with adventure, sex, greed and romance – as well as realistic science and technology. The three leading characters – Dianne Morgan, a female mega-billionaire obsessed with power; Ray Brown, her onetime lover and a brilliant software architect; and David Brown, Ray’s genetically gifted son – are fascinating and all too human.PEACEMAKER, my first novel, was released in August, 2004 with outstanding feedback by critics, authors, and most importantly, by customers. My next novel, UNHOLY DOMAIN, was released April 2, 2008 by Kunati Books, with an excellent response. The final novel of the trilogy, tentatively entitled TOMORROW’S CHILDREN, should be released next year.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

UNHOLY DOMAIN delivers all the excitement of a great thriller while also delving into provocative themes: the bioethics of genetic engineering, the question of what limit (if any) should be placed on technology, the problem of reconciling faith in God and respect for his creation with the technological promises of artificial intelligence, and the age-old issue of family ties and the loyalty of a son to his father. How could anyone not be inspired by issues of such magnitude?

UNHOLY DOMAIN features David Brown, a brilliant but troubled young man raised in the dark shadow of his long-dead father, a software genius who unleashed a computer virus that murdered more than a million innocents. When David receives a decade-old email that indicates his father may have been framed, he plunges into a gut-wrenching race with the real killers to discover the truth about his father ... and himself. As David tracks through his father's startling history, he stumbles into a war between the Domain, a secret society of technologists, and the Army of God, a murderous cult with a sacred mission to curtail the spread of technology and roll civilization back to a simpler era. Hunted by killers from both organizations, David unravels his father’s secrets, comes to terms with his own life, and then falls in love with a woman from his father’s past.

Did your book require a lot of research?

My novels are set in the near future, so it’s my responsibility to bring the reader into a world that is realistic, compelling and consistent with existing trends in science and culture. My stories exist at the point advanced technologies threaten our institutions, beliefs and even our survival.

As a result, I read constantly in subjects such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, robotics and other advanced technologies. I have a passion for technology, so reading isn’t a chore, it’s a gift. I am equally fascinated by human values and culture, such as economics, politics and religion. Searching for stress points, I attempt to project current technologies and trends two or three decades into the future. UNHOLY DOMAIN, for example, explores the potential for conflict between religious fundamentalists and scientists on the leading edge of artificial intelligence.

What is your opinion about critique groups? What words of advice would you offer a novice writer who is joining one? Do you think the wrong critique group can ‘crush’ a fledgling writer?

I have been in a critique group for seven years, and it has been a positive experience. The five of us meet once a week and we each read our most recent compositions, usually about ten pages. Each reviewer provides feedback describing good and bad aspects of the writing. We offer advice with the intent of helping the author; nobody shows off. The author considers the feedback and decides what, if anything, should be modified.

Actually it’s more than just a critique group. Our coach and group leader begins each session with a twenty minute discussion of a writing topic. While the coach leads the discussion, we all participate. I’d have to say we are many things: a critique group, a workshop, and a gathering of friends.

The secret of our success is compatibility and talent. We keep the group small and invite an occasional new member only if she gets along well with the existing members. It is also important that her writing skills are at a reasonably good level. Bringing a novice into the group wouldn’t be fair to anyone.

How was your experience in looking for a publisher? What words of advice would you offer those novice authors who are in search of one?

One of the biggest mistakes I made with PEACEMAKER, my first novel, was to not check out the publisher thoroughly. When he called me, I was thrilled, and it seemed that everything was working out. Wrong. The publisher was a nice guy, he was very enthusiastic about my novel and we seemed to hit it off. However, he had a couple of problems: he had been in business less than a year and really didn't know much about book marketing; and he was underfunded, so he couldn't hire talented, experienced professionals. As a result, his business went underwater and all his authors were left scrambling. That's why I had to become the publisher for PeaceMaker, which consumed a great deal of my time.So the lesson is to not become dreamy-eyed when a publisher offers to pick up your book. Treat it like making an investment. Check out the size, experience, financial resources, number of employees, references from other authors, bookstores that carry his works, etc. Better to walk away than sign up with someone who doesn't have a good track record. I checked out Kunati carefully, and they have been an excellent publisher for UNHOLY DOMAIN.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

Yes, please stop by http://www.danronco.com/ to say hello, read an excerpt of UNHOLY DOMAIN, read my blog or view the incredible trailer for the book. And there’s much more: the complete PEACEMAKER novel, cool videos, book reviews and articles by guest authors. If you enjoy science fiction or technology thrillers, this is a great place to visit.

Thanks for stopping by! It was a pleasure to have you here!

Will We Survive the Singularity?

2008-05-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

By Dan Ronco, author of the visionary novel Unholy Domain

Some futurists believe there will be a point in the not too distant future where the rate of technological development becomes so fast that it will advance beyond the control of humanity. This event is called the Singularity. The most likely cause would be rapidly advancing artificial intelligence.

A future that is dominated by an artificial intelligence superseding human intelligence is entirely possible this century. Software has already been designed that surpasses human intelligence in selected narrow areas such as chess playing. Although software exhibiting general intelligence is still a long way off, there are no theoretical limitations to its creation. Once we reach the point that artificial intelligence can improve its own source code, the stage is set for rapid improvement in AI.

Let’s assume that an enhanced AI takes humanity to the Singularity in several decades. Then we ask, what lies beyond? How can we predict a future dominated by a superior intelligence? An intelligence smarter than us as we are than chimps.

The times after the Singularity remain murky because we aren’t that smart. Could a chimp ever conceive the development of human technology, even if we tried to explain every step? No, it couldn’t, so how do we look past the Singularity?

We can’t.

In fact, we may not be able to understand the steps leading up to the Singularity. We will have to fashion tools to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology. Perhaps an AI that self designs, but remains within limits we can comprehend, would keep us informed as the Singularity approaches. Perhaps genetic engineering of our brains will keep pace with technology for several years.

Another possibility is a merging of human and artificial intelligence. This seems the most promising approach, that is, if you want to see something of today’s humanity survive past the Singularity. My forthcoming novel, tentatively titled Tomorrow’s Children, explores this possibility.

Let’s get back to the original question: will humanity survive the Singularity? Nobody knows or can know, but let’s pretend we can. One potential solution is to build controls into the AI, something like Asimov’s Laws, but more sophisticated. If we can, let’s infuse the AI with code that requires respect for human laws and love for human beings. This code has to foster such a strong love for humanity that the AI will never delete or emasculate the code. In other words, the AI must be indoctrinated with code that creates a child’s love for his parents. This code must survive the Singularity to assure the continued existence of humanity.

Can we write such code? Time will tell.

Unholy Domain Reviewed in BookHuntersBlog

2008-05-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

Review: “Unholy Domain” by Dan Ronco - Thought-provoking What If

May 13th, 2008 Posted in Book Reviews, Sci-Fi, Thriller No Comments

By Mary Menzel: “Unholy Domain” is a very entertaining yet very thought-provoking novel. Many times during the course of history technological advances have made those in power feel threatened. Galileo and Copernicus were commanded to renounce their discoveries and modern scientists are challenged as they work with genetics and theories relating to the creation of the universes simply because their facts and experiments do not adhere to the church’s religious doctrine. Dan Ronco has challenged us to look ahead and imagine the conflict between scientists and theologians in our future. “Unholy Domain” details a power struggle between the religious leaders who denounce the use of robotics as unnatural and the scientist, who through their technological knowledge, want to be in complete control. With clear, concise details and strong characterization of each participant in the novel, Dan Ronco has given us a plausible if not probable look into our future.

Listen to my Fascinating Authors Podcast

2008-05-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

I was recently interviewed by Penny Sansevieri for the Fascinating Authors podcast site. In addition to Unholy Domain, we covered a range of topics including Second Life, religious violence, and emerging technology issues. Listen to the podcast --- it was fun to do and I believe you will enjoy it.

Immortality: I Don't Think So

2008-05-07T04:57:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure I would want to live forever, even if I could. Immortality, it just doesn’t seem right, somehow. Would I want additional years? Absolutely, as long as the quality of life was there.

Start thinking about these issues, especially you folks under thirty. You will have decisions to face for yourself and your children.

Scientists are working hard to increase the human life span. And they are making progress in a number of fields. I’m not writing a research paper, but here are a few snippets of exciting advances.

People in most western nations are living much longer than their ancestors. A century earlier, the average lifespan in the US was about forty years. Now it’s in the late seventies. The keys have been more and better food, a more nurturing society, and vastly better health care. But this is just the beginning.

Hormone therapy shows promise. Scientists have successfully slowed down the aging process in laboratory animals with a hormone known as DHEA. Insects treated with DHEA live up to 45% longer than normal. Mice treated with Melatonin live as much as 25% longer than typical mice.

Genetic engineering may also lengthen the human lifespan. By manipulating genes, the lifespan of some roundworms has been increased by a factor of six.

Biologists know that the telomere, part of the chromosome, is shortened each time the cell reproduces. When about 20% of the telomere is lost, the cell dies. However, with an appropriate enzyme treatment, the telomere can be regenerated. This opens up the possibility that the cell may be able to grow and divide for a much longer period than is presently the case.

All this is encouraging, but I have to admit as yet there is no hard evidence that advanced science can significantly increase the human lifespan. But many fields show promise, and I believe that a normal lifespan exceeding 100 years is likely for people born in the US two or three decades from now.

Okay, let’s get back to the question: Do you want to live much, much longer? Maybe not immortality, but a very long lifespan. Surprisingly, most people aren’t convinced. Immortality seems to go against the natural order of things. Who wants a world overstuffed with old geezers using up all the resources? Just look at Social Security and Medicare in this country. How are we going to support all the aging baby boomers? Something has to give. Will taxes go through the roof on young workers?

It seems to me most senior citizens will have to continue working far beyond the normal retirement age of 65. So what happens to all the young people entering the workforce? Will they have to linger in lower level positions until the seniors retire?

Sometimes I think I’m awfully glad to be living my life in the present age. But I would love to see the future unfold, if I have my health. Even with all the issues, it’s going to be an exciting time to be alive.

Augmenting Your Memory Through Lifelogging

2008-05-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

Man, what was that guy’s name? Met him a few minutes earlier and I’ve forgotten already. What if I have to introduce him to my friends? This could be embarrassing.

Our memory, it usually works okay, but not always. Wouldn’t it be great to have a photographic memory! Just concentrate and pull up whatever you need. Michael Kingman --- that’s his name! Two kids, lives in Philadelphia, an attorney for Morris and Stengle, was telling me about this great Italian restaurant on Walnut and 18th, …

Well you get the idea. Total recall. Remembering EVERYTHING that happens to you. And not just images --- sounds, voices, temperature, emotions --- EVERYTHING.

Lifelogging, sometimes called lifeblogging, is the name of this capability to record and recall every aspect of the flow of your life. Scientists believe that technologies developed over the coming years will provide total recall. We will be able to share our personal experiences with others, too. Sounds great, huh? Well maybe, but there’s a downside, as you might expect.

Let’s start at the beginning. Lifelogging is possible today, but it’s primitive. For example, Microsoft Research has invented a lifelogging device called a SenseCam, which hangs around your neck and automatically snaps a picture once a minute. As an alternative, the SenseCam may be triggered by a change in light, temperature or movement.

The SenseCam provides a digital record of virtually everything you see. If you combine images with a digital recording of everything you hear, well, then you really have something. That conversation with Mr. Kingman, for example, could be replayed to provide all the information you picked up from him.

Okay, this is a pretty trivial example, but you get the picture. In theory, every aspect of your life could be digitized, but is it worth it? Will these technologies make our lives better, richer, more fulfilling? Should we provide the capability to relive portions of our lives and experience the emotion of the birth of our first child, the excitement of winning the big game, or the quiet pleasure of exchanging wedding vows? Or maybe we just want rapid access to information for business purposes? Or memories to leave for your children after your death?

Have you read Dune by Frank Herbert? A society of women, called the Bene Gesserit, have the ability to pass along their entire lives to a younger Sister at the time of their death. Over the centuries, these Sisters accumulate many lives, which they may call on for guidance or information. What if you could call up not only your own memories, but the memories of others, such as ancestors, scientists, explorers, jet pilots and many others? Would that be a high or what? Isn’t the future full of surprises?

Now for the downside. Privacy might become a thing of the past. Think it’s bad to see an unauthorized personal video on Youtube? What if your whole life could be put on the net for anyone to browse? Even more frightening is what the government could do with a disc containing your memories. What if all citizens were required to record their lives into a government controlled storage? Hello, 1984.

Lifelogging is just one of many developing technologies that will have a massive impact on our lives over the next few decades. And we are far from ready. That’s why I write cautionary novels like PeaceMaker and Unholy Domain.

Unholy Domain Praised by Top Book Review Site

2008-04-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

BookPleasures.com is one of the top book review sites on the net, so I was thrilled with the following review:

For those who read Dan's first novel, "Peacemaker" this will be a must read sequel. For others, it will be a good introduction to Dan's excellent writing skills and an invitation to go and get Peacemaker and look forward to a sequel to Unholy Domain.

Dianne Morgan continues her stop-at-nothing attempts to take control of the whole world through her Domain and is being opposed by an equally ruthless opponent Adam Jordan. Adam tries to mold common man's aversion to technology after the bitter experience with Peacemaker (a ghastly malevolent computer program that was intended to shut down all internet systems and give Dianne power over the world but which was aborted albeit with a huge loss of people and property) into a religious cult and he too stops at nothing to gain control over people (that is the aim of all power hungry people isn't it?). David Brown, son of Ray Brown, a colleague of Dianne is the hero in this sequel, which takes off where Peacemaker ends and we know what happened to Ray Brown in this book. But new readers need not worry since the story is self-standing without reading Peacemaker.

The story is excellently written and the style is as usual gripping. The editing and printing are again excellent. All in all, an excellent read and we are kept anticipating the release of Dan's sequel to Unholy Domain to know what happened to David Brown and to Adam Jordan, whom Dianne succeeds in capturing and whose religious cult is more or less broken thanks to some brilliant technological successes of Sentinel, the next generation Artificial Intelligence System developed by Domain.

Dan's books are disturbing because what he describes is possible and plausible with today's technology. So, if you are either a technophile or a technophobe, read Unholy Domain.

The Elements of a Great Thriller

2008-04-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while you read a novel or see a movie that keeps you glued to the story with such excitement that you can't turn away until you know how it turns out. Everything is moving so fast, and you're so swept up in rapidly unfolding events that you don't dare leave the story for even a moment. The tension builds; you feel every jolt until a breathtaking climax leaves you exhausted.

That, my friend, is a thriller.

How did that movie grab you by the neck and take control? Why that novel and not a hundred other novels?

There isn't a simple answer. There never is when you're examining a work of art. I don't pretend to know all the secrets of a great thriller, but I've learned a few things I'll share with you.

The first and most important ingredient is emotion. If you don't feel the story in your gut, it's not a thriller. And not just any type of emotion. A great romance can break your heart, but that's not the emotion that fuels a thriller. Not that romance can't be part of a thriller, but it's not the what's-going-to- happen-next excitement of a thriller.

A great thriller builds up to an emotional high that lifts you up and takes you along for the ride. Consider Rick Deckard "retiring" androids in Blade Runner or Clarice Starling hunting Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs. At first we tag along with Rick or Clarice, then gradually bond with them and feel every emotion they experience. They are both vulnerable, flawed characters, but we can feel for them, and ultimately, feel with them. Their highs and lows become ours.

A great thriller is unpredictable going forward and completely logical looking backward. Who would have guessed that a creature would burst out of a guy's chest in Alien? Or that the FBI agent in charge of the investigation would be the killer in The Poet? On the other hand, as you look back, it's believable that this alien creature could be so dangerous or that the FBI agent was the killer.

The plot also features deadlines. If they don't capture the villain soon, something terrible --- an assassination, a virus outbreak, a nuclear explosion - is going to take place. You can almost hear the clock ticking. Or is that your pulse?

A great villain is a necessary part of a first-rate thriller. Perhaps a charming psychopath such as Dr. Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs or megalomaniac Dianne Morgan from Unholy Domain. The villain must be more than a match for the protagonist, who battles overwhelming odds while in constant danger. A great villain will stir feelings of hatred, fear, revulsion and maybe a little admiration in the reader or moviegoer.

The setting and all the action must be believable. For example, if the action takes place in a specific locale, then all the details (streets, landmarks, major buildings) had better be correct. If bad writing forces the reader to stop believing, then all the air comes out of the story.

And, of course, there is the climax. It must be exciting, unpredictable, resolve the major issues and yet remain consistent with the storyline. Fatal Attraction and Jaws have terrific climaxes that bring the story to a thrilling conclusion.

So that's it --- a few insights as to what makes a great thriller. Difficult to describe, but when you see one, you know it.

About the Author:Dan Ronco is a writer of technology thrillers and near future science fiction. PeaceMaker, his first novel, was published in 2004 and his second, Unholy Domain, will be released March, 2008. Dan mixes visionary ideas with a touch of romance and humor. Learn more about Dan at http://www.danronco.com/

A New Golden Age of Science Fiction is Approaching

2008-04-15T04:26:00.000-07:00

We live in a wonderful age. Heinlein, Asimov and Clarke would have given anything to experience the brave new world just coming into focus. Robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, genetics, and more --- yes, it’s all coming true, the wonders science fiction writers have imagined for all these many decades.

It’s great to be alive and writing science fiction. We have unprecedented opportunities to expand our intellect, our imagination and our writing skill, but it requires hard work. There is so much science to learn and so much technology to study, much more so than our idols had to absorb three or four decades earlier. Quite a challenge, quite an opportunity.

Today’s science fiction writer must gain a broad understanding of the areas of science bordering his stories, and a deeper knowledge in fields critical to his work. For example, I try to keep up to date on what’s developing in genetics and artificial intelligence, two fields featured in my novels.

A modern science fiction writer must focus on the timeframe and world (the setting) of her stories. Paradoxically, stories set in the near future generally require more research than those set centuries in the future. Why? A story set twenty years from now must be based upon – or at least not violate --- science as we understand it today. Even though life may be incredibly different, it can’t verge into unrealistic concepts (for the near future) such as teleportation, spaceships ferrying passengers to distant planets, and the like. The science fiction writer must understand generally accepted scientific forecasts for twenty years from now and maintain her story elements within that domain. Otherwise, she leaves science fiction and edges into pseudo-science fiction (generally termed crap), possibly even fantasy.

Science fiction writers also have a greater opportunity to exercise their talents than traditional mainstream writers, who are mired in the present. Worse yet, they seem to take pride in an ignorance of science. This limits story plots and character development to the same old same old. Mainstream writers call it realism; I call it repetition.

Don’t feed me the same old plots over and over again. Look to science, look to technology to provide new angles, new thoughts.

The next couple of decades should become a golden age of science fiction. Science is accelerating into an uncertain future. For example, in genetics and genetic engineering, just think of the possibilities we have to delve into our innermost characteristics. Think of the moral, legal, societal and technical ramifications if science can seize control of the development of human beings. New plots, new characterizations, new settings are possible. All the mainstream story lines are available, multiplied by a multitude of scientific possibilities.

However, the strength of science fiction is also its weakness. Yes, there are many opportunities to be new and different, but these opportunities come with a price: the very newness of these situations make them difficult to write effectively. Where we may be familiar with a mainstream storyline, we have little familiar ground to stand upon for science fiction. Each author is on his own, taking what he can from conventional storytelling, but relying upon his judgment in the new areas. The results might be compelling, but they may also be simple-minded.

We are on our own. I like the opportunity, and I’ll let the readers judge the results.

#1 Amazon Reviewer rates Unholy Domain Five Stars

2008-04-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to report Unholy Domain was rated five stars by Harriet Klausner, Amazon’s top reviewer. This is the latest of a series of favorable comments from authors, reviewers and readers. Unholy Domain delivers all the excitement of a technological thriller while also delving into provocative themes: the bioethics of genetic engineering, the question of what limit (if any) should be placed on technology, the problem of reconciling faith in God and respect for his creation with the technological promises of artificial intelligence, and the age-old issue of family ties and the loyalty of a son to his father.

Following is Ms. Klausner’s complete review:

In 2012, the PeaceMaker virus destroyed the Internet; causing pandemic catastrophes as so much of the world was tied to cyber space with millions dead as a consequence. Over the next decade since this debacle destroyed the global economy, the government has banned the development of new technology outside of what the Feds create. The Technos strongly object to the taboo while the Church of Natural Humans want all technology outlawed.

The Domain has developed new illegal technology with the intention of a coup d’etat to take control of the government; the Church wants to expand its hold on the government. These two groups are ready to take their cold war hot. At the same time David Brown, the son of software guru Ray Brown, the person universally blamed for unleashing PeaceMaker, wants to prove his dad is innocent of these charges. He does not care one iota about the power struggle.

The second PeaceMaker tale (see THE PEACEMAKER) is an exciting follow-up warning to the premise that the destruction of the Internet will lead to many direct deaths and a global collapse exponentially worse than that of the Great Depression. The story line is fast-paced, filled with plenty of action as David (apropos first name) is a human sharing space with two five hundred pound battling gorillas. Although the rampart sexism seems unnecessarily comical and ergo out of place UNHOLY DOMAIN is an entertaining futuristic cautionary thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Are Women Evolving into Male Roles?

2008-04-11T04:37:00.000-07:00

My two novels are set slightly into the future: PeaceMaker in 2012 and Unholy Domain in 2022. In the initial planning for these novels, I researched trends in technology and Western culture, with the objective to make the settings realistic. I tested this research against a lifetime of observation, and solicited feedback from reviewers and writers. What I discovered led me to create a balance of power between the sexes in PeaceMaker, while Unholy Domain is dominated by strong females.

It became clear, at least to me, that the two genders were moving toward each other in world view, attitude and actions. Women were becoming more like men and men more like women (but that’s a subject for another time). I don’t claim this is a conclusion based upon rigorous scientific procedures, but however informal, it makes sense to me.

When men think about women, we always focus first on appearance, so let’s start there. Is she pretty? Not too heavy, but with plenty of curves? Soft, pure face of an angel? Those are the questions we asked thirty years ago, and we still ask them today, but the women have changed.

Today’s females are bigger and more athletic than previous generations. Go to any workout facility and what do you see? Plenty of women. And not just doing aerobics, either. Pumping iron, pushups, building their strength against all manner of exercise machines. They’re dropping baby fat and showing off lean, hard muscles. Not that they are becoming bodybuilders (although some do), but they are not the women of your mother’s generation either.

Drive around town and you’ll certainly come across a jogger. What’s the gender most of the time? And she’s probably setting a fast pace, too.

Muscles are no longer solely a masculine domain. Check out the ladies playing basketball or tennis, let alone the boxers. Not a wimp in the bunch. Title IX has opened the door for women to excel at sports, and they are succeeding. You want to see Serena Williams or Mary Pierce getting ready to serve a cannonball at you? I don’t. That doesn’t mean today’s women aren’t as beautiful or sexy as previous generations. I think they look better, actually, with their lean, athletic figures.

Okay, they look different, but what about their attitudes? The way they lead their lives?
Back in the fifties, college was primarily a man’s domain. Now the majority of underclasspeople (did I get that right?) are women. Women mature more rapidly than men and do better in their studies. They graduate at a higher rate and move into the professions. Some would say they’ve swarmed into the professions, shouldering men out the door as they pushed in. A guy risks getting trampled if he holds a door open.

Women start most of the small businesses in North America. Bet you didn’t know that. A few decades ago, if you called your doctor, your lawyer or your accountant, a masculine voice came over the line. Not any longer. It’s more likely the voice will be pitched higher and smoother.
My profession has gone the same way. Most readers and writers seem to be women, at least from what I can see. Pick up a novel at random and the author’s name usually begins with Karin or Nancy or … you get the picture. There are still a lot of us guys turning out thrillers and science fiction, but that’s changing, too.

Remember how, a couple of generations ago, women would spend much of their time searching for a man to marry? When all they wanted was a home, a child and a good husband to take care of them? Well, today’s gals are in no rush to get married. They have options. They think the way guys think. Date, have fun, get some action but don’t rush into marriage. Get the career started, then, maybe, think about family. And keep working. It’s a significant break with the past.

Why have women done so well? Attitude and opportunity. Fifty years ago women were locked out of many of the opportunities men enjoyed, but that’s changed now. With a few exceptions, such as really dangerous or heavy physical work, women can do anything a man can do. And women have just as much determination, courage and brains as men. Combine that with sexuality and they can get where they want to go, maybe with more options than men. Actually, as I think about it, we men are outgunned.

You know, as I look this stuff over, it seems to be generally positive. Yeah, the women are becoming more like men, but that’s better for them and for the guys, too. But there’s a negative side.

When a woman starts a business, she has to work like crazy to make it successful. If she’s a single Mom, what happens to her children? Daycare is usually okay, but it’s not the same as having a full-time mother. If she’s married, the man will pick up some of the slack, right? He’ll try, but remember, he’s got his career, too. And there aren’t many stay-at-home Dads. We discovered that society doesn’t respect a guy who relies upon his wife to be the bread winner.

There are more women in prison than ever before. Just like men, some aggressive, the rules-don’t-apply-to-me women take what they want. White collar crime, violence, sexual predators, the whole nine yards. And what’s going on with these female teachers who seduce their high school, even grammar school, students? This rarely happened way back when. Damn!

Too many women are waiting too long to get married. They’re going out to the bars, drinking, flirting, having sex with any guy that appeals to them. Wait, this was supposed to be a negative. Sorry about that.

Anyway, I think you get the idea. Women are becoming more masculine in Western society, and it seems to be working out, but there have been bumps in the road. And a few potholes. Quite a few.

And so, as I outlined my novels, I decided that the female characters would not be crammed into the stereotypes found in many stories. Take Dianne Morgan, the most dominant character to emerge from my novels. She’s the real mover and shaker, the person driving the action across both books. Dianne is the CEO of a giant software company, a single mother and a self-made billionaire. Sexy, sometimes tender and very determined. On the other hand, she’s violent, erratic, and trusts no one. Fits the description of a masculine villain, doesn’t she (except for the single mother part)?

Dianne is an example — maybe a bit extreme — of today’s alpha woman. With three male partners, she grows a business from startup to giant corporation. She uses all the weapons nature provided to become CEO of the world’s largest software maker. Ray Brown is her key acquisition, a brilliant software engineer who has developed an intelligent operating system that understands the spoken language. Just like the computer in Star Trek. She knows all other software will be made obsolete, so she recruits Ray, then seduces him. He’s married, but business is business. Ray becomes an alcoholic, loses his family, winds up in rehab, but what the hell, Dianne has the software. She actually cares for him, but first things first.

Okay, I admit it, I’m trying to get a rise out of you. I’ve enjoyed thinking about women becoming more like men, and I’d like to hear what you think.

Check out this stunning video trailer for Unholy Domain.

Book Review: Prayers for the Assassin

2008-04-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

RATING ****

Prayers for the Assassin is a 496 page paperback near-future thriller by Robert Ferrigno published 2006.

Here's the essential problem --- the foundation of the story isn't believable. Ferrigno bases his plot on the idea that the world believes that a nuclear attack on New York City, Washington, DC and Mecca in 2015 is the work of Israeli agents. As a result, most of the USA converts to Islam, with a group of the southern states breaking away to form a Christian nation.

It doesn't ring true. A novelist, particularly someone writing speculative fiction, asks his readers to suspend disbelief, but he has to present a realistic premise. Why would anyone believe that Israel, which depends on America for its survival, would attack US cities and then throw in Mecca for good measure? And even if you believed Israelis were responsible for the attack, why would you lose your faith and convert to Islam?

Nevertheless, I ignored this ridiculous concept and kept reading. The action is set in 2040. Sarah Dougan, a respected historian, isn't convinced it was an Israeli attack, so she begins to dig into the story. When the Old One, the mysterious Muslin actually responsible for the attack, learns of Sarah's investigation, he hires Darwin, a deadly assassin, to take care of Sarah. With the assistance of Rakkim Epps, her secret lover, Sarah races to uncover the true terrorist while Darwin murders just about everyone she contacts.

Once I pushed aside the premise, I found a gripping thriller that kept my interest. Ferrigno should be commended for a balanced portrayal of Islam; even depicting Sarah and Rakkim as moderate Muslims.

Overall, Prayers for the Assassin is a pretty good near-future thriller.

Blade Runner Remains a Dark Window to the Future

2008-04-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

I watched the Director’s Cut of Blade Runner last night, and, you know, it’s still compelling and relevant. The movie, now a modern classic, provides insights regarding unrestrained capitalism, industrial technologies and most importantly, what it means to be human. If anything, it has grown in status over the years.

Blade Runner, released in 1982, was based upon Philip K. Dick’s brilliant 1968 novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Although sharing common themes, the movie is substantially different, and in my opinion, even better than the compelling Dick novel.

The movie is built around the concept of replicants, which are androids virtually indistinguishable from humans. Their makers, the Tyrell Corporation, live by the motto “more human than humans." Yet, the replicants are basically slave laborers, forced to do the jobs humans don’t want.

The replicants are stronger, more agile and possibly more intelligent than humans. The first replicants were manufactured without memories, so they were much less sophisticated than humans. Later models, however, were given false childhood memories, so their emotions developed along human lines. As the replicants acquired experience and additional memories, they developed a sense of self. This led to a desire for freedom, and from time to time, groups of replicants revolted and killed their human slave masters. Because humanity worried about a large scale revolt, the replicants were manufactured with only a four year lifespan. In addition, they were used for difficult or dangerous tasks off world, and banned from coming to earth. Any replicants on earth were hunted by specialized police officers called blade runners, tracked down and “retired.”

Eco-disaster is the other main theme. In the novel, the ecosystem has been destroyed by war, but in the movie, unrestrained capitalism and the resultant pollution seems to be the culprit. Virtually all the animals and plants on Earth have died out, replaced by synthetics. Owning a live animal is only for the rich; most people purchase synthetic animals. Los Angeles is pictured as dark and constantly raining, a victim of unrestrained human industries.

In the movie, world weary blade runner Rick Deckard is pulled out of retirement to hunt a group of four rogue replicants. The replicants seek to escape from their four year death sentences, and their leader Roy Batty confronts Dr. Eldon Tyrell, the creator of the replicants. However, Tyrell claims that he can’t lengthen their lifespan, and Batty, his hopes crushed, murders Tyrell.

Replicants may be uncovered by the Voight-Kampff machine, which is similar to a lie detector. Deckard tests the machine on Rachael, an advanced type of replicant, who is so human-like, she almost evades detection. In fact, Rachael doesn’t know she’s not human --- she has been loaded with memories of her childhood --- and she is crushed when Deckard reveals the truth. Deckard, in turn, feels empathy for her, a strange emotion for a man who retires replicants. He begins to realize humans and replicants have much in common; the replicants are not mere machines.

One by one, the replicants are retired, until only Batty remains of the original four. Deckard tracks him down, but in a thrilling confrontation, Batty turns the tables and has Deckard at his mercy. Batty spares Deckard and then runs out of time --- his four years have expired.

Deckard is now convinced the replicants are sentient beings equivalent to humans. He has fallen in love with Rachael, and she returns his emotion. The film ends with the two of them leaving his apartment, hoping to escape the blade runner that will inevitably come after them. Not a happy ending, but a hopeful one.

Blade Runner drew me into that gritty world of Los Angeles like few movies ever have. I was there with Deckard, Batty and the rest, experiencing the hopelessness of their lives, hoping this was not the future of our country. Blade Runner suggests that we are destined to be the victims of our own primitive emotions. Not only do we reject the replicant’s humanity, we reject our own. But Blade Runner leaves us with a sliver of hope. If Deckard and Batty can come to terms with each other’s humanity, if Deckard and Rachel can fall in love, maybe we can discover our compassion after all.

Is Science Compatible with Religion: Discussion Issues

2008-04-06T05:26:00.000-07:00

Some things just don't mend. Well into the twenty-first century, we're still facing the same old problem: conflict between religion and science. Most of the conflict is verbal, often quite heated, but at least the faithful and secular sides aren't violent. Much more serious is the warfare between open, democratic societies and the Islamic fundamentalists who hate us.

What's going on here?

Well, whatever it is, it's been going on for centuries. An old song that just keeps playing, even though nobody likes the tune. For example, there's the old standby of evolution versus creationism. Seems like that argument has been with us forever.

Even though we can't resolve the old issues, new ones keep piling on. A good one (well, not really a good one) is the issue of homosexuality. Scientists have concluded that homosexuality is a completely natural sexual orientation occurring in a small minority, caused mainly by genetics. On the other hand, religious conservatives believe that it is an unnatural, sinful state chosen by or taught to the individual.

How do you bridge that gap?

And then there are the emerging issues, the ones just beginning to come into view. These may be the most difficult of all. In Unholy Domain, I attempt to describe the oncoming issue of artificial intelligence versus natural humanity. Pay attention to Adam Jordan, the First Minister of the Church of Natural Humans, speaking to his congregation in 2022:

"Listen carefully to what Lucifer says," Jordan said, his voice cracking. He swallowed, watching the faithful, his passion pressed to the limit. He took a breath, then another. "He offers this bargain: through technology, he will restore our civilization to a greater level of material riches. In order to gain this wealth, you must allow the Technos to create artificial beings, godless abominations that will rule the earth. But even that is just a step along the path to an even viler future. The elements of our human bodies and minds are to be replaced, step by step, with synthetic genes and artificial components. Humans are to evolve into a new species. Technological Man they call it."

"Never," cried a female voice among the believers. Others echoed her cry."Now why is the Devil doing this?" Jordan asked. "Why?" He paused, looking across the crowd. "The reason is simple, yet horrible beyond belief. In this secular world, your soul is your link to God. When the Devil replaces aspects of your humanity with artificial components, he weakens your connection to the Lord. When he inserts a synthetic gene into your body, he disrupts God's plan. At some point, as your humanity shrinks and the artificiality grows, the link to the Lord will be severed. And when the Devil destroys that link, it's gone forever."

Maybe a touch dramatic, but Unholy Domain provides a glimpse of what's just around the corner. It's not pretty, but if we prepare for the conflict, we can mitigate it.

Maybe.

Discussion questions

1. Should we enhance capabilities such as intelligence, athletic ability, beauty or health through gene manipulation or artificial components? If so, who gets the enhancements?

2. Should human cloning be permitted?

3. Should an intelligent robot have the same rights as a human?

4. Does God care if we evolve into a new species?

5. Should we allow artificial intelligence to approach and possibly surpass human intelligence?

Book Review: Empire by Orson Scott Card

2008-04-05T05:33:00.000-07:00

Write What You Know ... Or Know What You Write

Orson Scott Card is a prolific and talented writer of science fiction, and has deservedly gained a legion of fans. With Empire, he left science fiction to write a futuristic thriller, which is a very different animal.

Empire had to be written according to the guidelines for a thriller, and the results were mixed.A futuristic thriller must be consistent with current social and technology trends while making a plausible projection into the future, the story must unfold at a fast pace, the lead characters must be strong and dangerous, there should be plenty of action and suspense, and it must be (pardon the phrase) fair and balanced. OSC succeeds to varying degrees in most areas.

Empire postulates that partisanship between the political Right and Left has gone much too far, leading to the beginning of a new American civil war. An interesting theme, and OSC moves the story along at a good pace with plenty of action. The characters are realistic, if a little too familiar. The giant, robotic-like weapons, however, are pretty standard stuff; more imaginative weapons would have energized the storytelling.

The critical flaw is that the story is not fair and balanced; the conservatives wear the white hats while the liberals are almost all black hat dudes. This is exactly the kind of packaging that OSC warns us against. Nobody has a monopoly on the truth, and we are all mixtures of wholesome and unattractive characteristics and beliefs.

Readers can enjoy a story that doesn't precisely fit their view of life if they feel the author has presented a balanced perspective. Empire failed here. For me, this flaw dragged down a pretty good futuristic thriller to the level of a made for TV movie.

BattleStar Galactica: Unique Science Fiction

2008-04-05T04:32:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, three science fiction television series stand head and shoulders above all the rest: StarTrek (the original and all its derivatives), Babylon 5, and Battlestar Galactica. Firefly had potential to join this elite group, but was much too short-lived. Since the final season of Battlestar has just begun, I decided to focus there.

The current Battlestar Galactica is a superb science fiction series. No, that’s too weak a statement, let me amend it. Battlestar Galactica may be the best dramatic show on the tube, regardless of genre. In 2006, BG won the Peabody Award, a first for the SciFi Channel. Time Magazine called it one of the top shows on television and described it as “a ripping sci-fi allegory of the war on terror, complete with religious fundamentalists, sleeper cells, civil liberties crackdowns and even a prisoner torture scandal.”

The current BG premiered in 2003 as a miniseries, loosely based on a show of the same name that ran on television in the late seventies. While the original was a popcorn series, the current BG deals with real issues in times of war. This article introduces the show to those who are not regular viewers, and then describes the difficult issues the series addresses.

The story begins with a devastating attack by intelligent androids (Cylons) that wipes out almost the entire human race except for a few hundred soldiers who escape on Battlestar Galactica, an aging but still powerful military spaceship, and somewhat fewer than fifty thousand civilians in a rag tag collection of ships. BG protects the civilians from the Cylons, who are determined to complete the elimination of humanity. The objective of the humans is to evade the Ceylons and find the mythical planet Earth, which has great religious significance to them. To review the series year by year, check out this article.

The primary characters are Commander William Adama (Edward James Almos), the disciplined, unrelenting military leader; President Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), the pragmatic, newly elected civilian who becomes increasingly devout and charismatic during the journey; and Kara “Starbuck” Thrace (Katee Sackhoff), a loud, immature but expert Viper pilot who may have a “special destiny” in the search for Earth. The most interesting character is Gaius Baltar, brilliantly portrayed by James Callis, a scientist with a genius level intellect, but also arrogant, untrustworthy and sexually promiscuous.

I’d like to explore the way torture of the enemy was depicted on the show, and how that relates to our war with the forces of terror. Is it permissible to torture under certain circumstances, but not others? And what is torture, anyway?

The episode which really sticks in my mind is “Flesh and Bone,” where the humans have captured Leoben, a Cylon who has planted a nuclear bomb somewhere in the fleet, which he claims will explode in nine hours. Starbuck has responsibility for the interrogation, and she is told to do whatever she needs to do to locate the bomb. After all, the Cylons aren’t human.

Starbuck is brutal; the guards beat and waterboard Leoben, but he doesn’t crack. Roselin joins the interrogation and stops the harsh treatment. Apparently trusting Roselin, Leoben admits that the bomb was a hoax, a bad move. With nothing to fear, Roselin has him flushed out an airlock into space. He was too dangerous, in her opinion, to keep alive. Starbuck has misgivings about their actions, and she prays for the Cylon.

This episode reminds me of the war between the western nations and the Islamic fundamentalists. Consider this situation: we have captured an Al Qaeda leader and searched his computer, where we found a plan to explode a bomb (not nuclear) in an American city, but the plan does not name the specific city or the time the bomb is set to go off. You are asked to interrogate him, but you fail to obtain the necessary information. Then you’re told that the President has authorized waterboarding, even though legally it is a form of torture. Would you do it?

The prisoner says he knows nothing about a bomb, except for what is described in the plan. He claims the computer was just delivered to him yesterday. Is it permissible to torture a prisoner when you don’t know for sure if he has the information? On the other hand, when will you ever know for sure? If you torture him, are you any better than your enemies? But do you allow a bomb to kill hundreds of people rather than torture the truth from your prisoner? And anyway, is waterboarding really torture? It doesn’t cause any permanent damage, right?

I know where I stand on this; the bastard is going to get wet! Where do you stand?

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