Fun in the Dreamworlds, Death in the Suburbs…

In Lee Baldwin’s novel, Halcyon Dreamworlds, “Dreamworlds” is a multiplayer online roleplay universe with millions of player-addicts. In this sensual otherworld, players bring their secret desires, forbidden lust, and hungers for juicy domination.

The Dreamworlds promise a complete alternate lifetime of limitless satisfaction. Take your choice of a perfect existence in a permissive rave world, where your avatar can feel the touch of another. Your new private heaven, delivered through an electronic mind-meld. Just keep sending your coin.

But when turf wars in the Dreamworlds lead to real-world deaths, it isn’t playtime anymore.

Working to conquer her cyber-addiction, Logan Fischer finds her uncle dead. The cops declare the fantasy universe a crime scene.

When Logan discovers a master plot of greed aimed at subjugating billions, she must act. But… oops. She’s forcibly placed in frozen sleep by the callous rich. Through a freakish circumstance, her Dreamworlds avatar keeps operating…

Why is Next History Speculative Technology Fiction?

A single question around speculative technology fiction drove me to write Next History: The Girl Who Hacked Tomorrow.

What if we found a completely accurate history of our beginnings, an unbiased record that was not passed down verbally, not reimagined in every telling?

I started looking at creation myths of many cultures, located the first feminine archetype, and found scholarly input that became an energy source for every writer’s favorite question: What If?

Really worth reading ~ If you can imagine reading Neal Stephenson – before anyone much had heard of him and mix it with Good Omens – this might be that novel. ~ Megan on Amazon

The answers created turmoil. They pushed some of the characters toward God. Some were driven in desperate search for a demon or an angel that could redeem them. The young female protagonist is prepared to settle for death, to throw away all her money for a single chance to see her mother again. She is driven, yet too realistic to think a Devil could possibly exist. And she laughs at the idea of a bargain with God.

One thing I learned in the writing, it is the intensity of a character’s quest, not what it is, that makes a story move.

Along the way I saw an important flaw in the history and mythology around the archetypal Lilith, the first female created in Babylonian and Hebrew mythology. Did I use that? Oh yes I did.

Next History weaves big-iron predictive knowledge, a plugged-in world population, Sumerian creation myth, and a demonic presence with a hip sensibility to launch us beyond the hyperdata age toward a shifting and dangerous event horizon.

The story is a head-changing whirl toward a future world so outrageous, the survivors will be forced to adapt, or die.

Jacket Blurb

Exquisite and resourceful Tharcia, at risk in a world where
instinctive drives have been unleashed, seeks her mother for
a final throwdown.

Her only difficulty is that Mom is dead.

Through her peculiar mix of technology and magic, Tharcia ensnares
a strange entity in a geometric prison. It is not her mother.

When Tharcia unearths an enchanting oracle from her deepest being,
her life, and the future of humanity, is about to be reprogrammed.

Will there be a collective, agonizing dive into chaos and depravity?
Will Tharcia reveal humanity’s true purpose?

Or, will nothing change at all, except for the dark fate
of one luckless girl?

Find out for yourself. I felt in the end that I had a story worth telling. It brings up the most important question humans ever face: Who am I and how do I matter to the universe? The answer belongs to you.

Next History and Pope Benedict

Matthew Fox on Benedict’s Papal Legacy and why it makes Next History relevant

Recently, NPR’s Amy Goodman interviewed excommunicated priest and author Matthew Fox on the legacy of Pope Benedict for the Catholic Church. Some of Fox’s remarks go to the heart of why I wrote Next History: The Girl Who Hacked Tomorrow, why I saw an important flaw in the history and mythology around womankind, and the archetypal Lilith, the first female created by God in Babylonian and Hebrew mythology.

Here’s Fox on why he was excommunicated:

“Number one was that I was a feminist theologian, he said. I didn’t know that was a heresy. Number two, I called God ‘Mother.’ Well, I proved that all kinds of medieval mystics called God ‘Mother,’ and so does the Bible, although not often enough.

“Number three, I prefer ‘original blessing’ to ‘original sin.’ Jesus never heard of it; no Jews ever heard of it. And they accused me of not condemning homosexuals, which of course I do not.

“They’re really Rorschach tests about what really freaks out the Vatican. And, of course, above all, it’s women and sex. And that is the agenda. Whenever there’s fundamentalism and fascism, it’s about control. That’s why the Vatican, the Taliban and Pat Robertson have this in common: They’re all freaked out by the possibility of bringing the divine feminine back, and with it, of course, the equal rights of women.”

Fox’s ‘divine feminine’ remark resonated with me, because the construction of Next History: The Girl Who Hacked Tomorrow originated with a single question: What would it be like if we discovered a crystal clear record of our creation times, historically accurate and not mythologized or distorted by politics? I discovered that the Akashic Record could fill that need. How could humans find out about the Record in large numbers? The whales could deliver it.

The Whales? Oh yes, I forgot, it’s science fiction.

OK suppose all that stuff. What would we find out? Among other things, we might discover that the goddess feminine in the form of the mythical Lilith has been smeared and degraded since about 2300 BCE, beginning with the stories the Levite priests told about her.

Prior to that Lilith was revered for hundreds of thousands of years as the source of abundance, the font of human life, health, healing and wisdom. My pet theory is that some males cannot live with the jealousy.

Next History in the end is the story of how Lilith comes to be alive on Earth again, how women the world over rise in waking consciousness of the feminine divine and come to be seen as the equals of men in every way. Equals, not superiors, it’s how women roll. Too bad it has to be science fiction, but this is a small seed I wanted to plant for whoever reads the book.

Halcyon Dreamworlds Now Live on Amazon

 

A Cyber Attack On Your Brain…

 

…when the world’s favorite RPG hooks into your thoughts

Amid gritty realities of 2029 Amerika, conflict between ultra-rich elites and the rest of us reaches blinding rage. It is most intense within the avatar universe, Halcyon Dreamworlds… a permissive online rave with the morals of a beer commercial… where your avatar can mosh with millions of fellow addicts in secret lives of uncaring lust.

But when an elite mastermind corrupts your private heaven through an electronic mind-meld wired to your neocortex, you’ll be doing what he tells you… in real life. And as you fritter away each fun-filled nanosecond, your next instruction could be: go die.

MMORPG, LITRPG, or virtual reality? For ego-slaves of the Dreamworlds, it’s not virtual any more.

>>>> Fun in the Dreamworlds, Death in Real Life

Halcyon Dreamworlds is a multiplayer online roleplay universe with millions of player-addicts. To this sensual otherworld, everyone brings their secret desires, forbidden lust, and hungers for juicy domination.

The Dreamworlds provide a guilt-free alternate world populated by ethereal lovers and limitless satisfaction. Take your place in a perfect existence, where your avatar can touch another avatar, and feel touched. Your new private heaven, delivered your pleasure centers.

But too bad, when turf wars in the Dreamworlds lead to real-world deaths, it isn’t playtime anymore.

>>>> Drowning in a Hopeless Future

Caught in the downward spiral of 2029 Amerika, Logan Fischer struggles to cleanse herself of cyber addiction as players in their millions live their fantasies in the Dreamworlds. While an ultra-rich mastermind works to strip away her privacy, Logan must battle free of that alluring pleasure-pit and accept the challenge to win back a world’s future.

For that, the Ultras must destroy her.

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Halcyon Dreamworlds

Lee Baldwin’s New Science Fiction Novel, 2015

Please Nominate on Kindle Scout

In this digital universe, players control exotic avatars with the power of thought.

They succumb to many hungers in a lawless sauna of jealousy, lust and murder.

Amid gritty realities of 2029 America, Logan Fischer struggles to rid herself of cyber addiction, while an ultra-rich mastermind plots the death of privacy.

Logan must battle free of that alluring pleasure-pit and accept the challenge to win back a world’s future. She’ll face death twice to do that.

It’s not ‘virtual’ anything.

When the poor take on the rich to simply survive, a desperate woman’s courage pries loose the talon grip of the strong. Find out for yourself when you nominate Halcyon Dreamworlds on Kindle Scout.

Reviews of Next History

Next History is a novel of speculative fiction.

A fascinating read. Baldwin has done it again….his writing is jazzy, rhythmic, well-paced… multiple levels of action… Gives voice to feminism, magic, occult, mystery, cops and robbers and love… Articulate, intelligent and just plain fun to read. Well done! ~ R. Clarke

Really worth reading. If you can imagine reading Neal Stephenson – before anyone much had heard of him and mix it with Good Omens – this might be that novel. ~ Megan (Ashland, OR USA)

A unique voice in storytelling. Next History is humorous, a cliff hanger, a marvelous love story, and perfectly executed. ~ Ernie Smitty

This is no fantasy. Baldwin fashions his story from myth, Biblical prophecy, astronomy, mysticism and human desire… a plausible extension of what we see as our reality today. ~ ArtOfSilence

A great cyber punk story! The cyber science behind it is fascinating and believable… fast-paced plot twists will keep you guessing… I recommend this book to science fiction and cyber punk fans… a quality read! ~ Blaine Coleman

Excellent read. Reminds me of some of Heinlein’s later imaginative, philosophical books. An unusual & entertaining combo of science fiction, fantasy & philosophy presented very elegantly. ~ Rodney (Massillon, Oho)

Fantastic read. What a great novel… it compares to Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins. Pick this up and enjoy the read. ~ Jed M. Wells D P M

Just read it! From page one to the conclusion, unbridled imagination flames through the pages of this novel… held my attention as would a mystery/suspense novel. Women have before played the lead in plots that range from military weapons to the dark sides of the human psyche, but Tharcia and the characters in Next History are grounded in ordinary reality, which makes the occult and spiritual developments more extraordinary and surprising. There is more than one ending, with several sub-plots resolving as the events unfold toward the final scene. ~ Sherri Zysk

~ Amazon reviewers

Thank you for hope The reading of this book reinforced beliefs I have held for some time. Thank you for hope. I loved the book…~ Dragonviolet

A struggle between the divine feminine and the patriarchy A surprising theme for a science fiction novel. The descriptions of the “dreamtime” are lyrical and sensuously enjoyable, sometimes funny. The whole world is hallucinating… beautifully written with insight and subtlety. The action is fast and totally engaging. Tharcia is a lovable character, her struggle is heartbreaking. ~ Karuna Chapman

Find out for yourself.

 

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Underneath Next History

What Is Next History Made Of?


Next History, what’s it about? Alternative history, alternative futures, contemporary fantasy, epic science fiction… how would you categorize Next History? The narrative takes on themes around the nature of reality, of God and the Devil, of supernatural beings we sometimes understand as angels, and drives us face to face with the power humans are now developing from emerging consciousness.

Next History is based on contemporary philosophy and spirituality, such as from Deepak Chopra, Eben Alexander, Jack Kornfield, Caroline Myss, Ervin Lazlo, Alan Watts, Andrew Weil, Marianne Williamson and others.

I got the idea for Next History from a single question. What if we received a clear and accurate history of our beginnings, a history not manipulated by political ambition or belief? This led me to rewrite the story of the mythical Lilith into a tale that could provide hope. After all, do we actually know the truth? Do we?

What a Find – Absolutely AWESOME book!

I was looking for escape fiction, and while the book provided that, it is so much more. It made me think, and it is changing my life. If you want to know the deepest secrets of the universe, this book won’t spoon feed you, but will give you lots of terrific hints. Look over there! Consider this! What would you choose? And last, best, what will I choose?

Most important for me in a book of fiction is the characters. They have to be real people, and they have to make me care about them. The author created characters different than any I’ve seen anywhere, and many of them are folks I want to know better. (Of course, some of them are bad guys I want to squish between my thumb and forefinger.) Now I need to find another book by Lee Baldwin!

~ Maggie Uh-O, on Amazon

A Unique Voice in Story Telling.

Next History is humorous, a cliff hanger, a marvelous love story, and perfectly executed.

I usually dislike reviews comparing authors but Sheri Tepper comes to mind. Not in style but in subject matter and Mr. Baldwin’s heartfull take on subjects usually shied away from by those less brave.

~ Ernie Smitty (Orygun), on Amazon

Thank you for hope…

The reading of this book reinforced beliefs I have held for some time. Thank you for hope. I loved the book…

~ Dragonviolet, on Amazon

Beneath it all…

is a struggle between the divine feminine and the patriarchy, a surprising theme for a science fiction novel.

The descriptions of the “dreamtime” are lyrical and sensuously enjoyable, sometimes funny. The whole world is hallucinating…. beautifully written with insight and subtelty. The action is fast and totally engaging.

Tharcia is a lovable character, her struggle is heartbreaking…

~ Karuna Chapman on Amazon

Find out for yourself.

Featured on “That’s Books”

January 9th, 2012
By Martin Scholes

Hi, Lee. Wow. What a read! Had me glued to my Kindle reader!

I have featured your novel on my book review site That’s Books.

I was interested in the location of the story, Santa Clara. Last September at the age of 54 I took the first flight in my life which was quite an adventure in itself, being from the UK to San Francisco. My final destination, where I spent just under a week? Santa Clara, with a trip to the Googleplex at Mountain View, for a conference at Google!

Quite a coincidence!

Angle of Attack Now Live on Amazon for Kindle

Mystery adventure novel, Angle of Attack, now available on Amazon Books for Kindle.

REVIEWS WELCOME. This title is FREE for download
this weekend Jan 7 & 8

Click for Amazon Listing & Purchase

Adventure and intrigue in a world of extreme flying, quirky women, and the power they covet.

Cicero Clay is a researcher of vintage WWII warbirds, a glider flight instructor, and an accidental convict.

While Clay pursues proof that he was framed, an old girlfriend becomes his Parole Officer.

Now in league with a jailed gangsta boss, the girlfriend has corrupted the County parole system, and wants Clay dead, to protect the gang leader.

While trying to stay alive, Clay’s fights to complete his mission: flying a stolen vintage fighter across three states to a secretive buyer. Clay has never flown powered aircraft.

Clay must deduce the motivations of shadowy characters to survive, and face challenges that push him beyond his comfort zone. In action typical of the story’s unique action scenes, Clay finds out the hard way that a glider can become a murder weapon. And how to fix it before he hits the ground.

Angle of Attack immerses the reader in scenes of extreme flying, rapid plot shifts, and quirky, colorful characters pressed to their limits. The story is set in Santa Cruz, Hollister, San Jose, and other California locales.

Amid the action, a charming love story emerges, as Clay discovers a love he would never have imagined.

Angle of Attack lives up to its title, as a new ally in Clay’s battle appears to attack his remaining enemy with a mortal blow.