Sentinel of Addiction
Sci-Fi
Date Published: January 8, 2021
Individual characters in a distant future, offer us a series of memoirs emerging as an all-powerful extraterrestrial life form discovers that it has been imprisoned by God in human form as part of a supernatural rehabilitation program.
INTERVIEW
Introduce yourself and tell me about what you do.
As far as I can remember, I’ve always lived inside of my own head. Wherever I am, and whatever I may be doing at that very moment in time, I’m never spared the endless noise of creative abundance, which I’m forced to experience on a daily basis. From the moment that I wake up, to the moment that I fall asleep, I have no choice but to endure the involuntary machinery of my intensely vivid imagination. This idiosyncratic disposition is perfectly suited for entertaining millions, through a process by which my imagination undergoes a metamorphosis into words.
My mind is an inventor of adventurous tales. It’s like having my very own Netflix subscription, inside of my head. Therefore, in reality, my mind is the author, and I’m just the unwilling daydreaming servant, who it commands to transform imagination into words. Only when have I successfully completed the task of transforming the blueprint of its literary inventions into a finished manuscript, does my mind then end my torment, by briefly offering me some peace of mind. It’s this inherent predisposition of mine that would one day become my calling, and the seed from which I produce every synopsis, of my every book.
My name is Mayur Makhijani, and I’m from Mumbai, India. I’m a professional novelist who specializes in Science fiction and cross genre. Professionally, I go by the pen name of M. Makhijani.
I also work as an online trader in the stock market, and I’m a former freelance graphic designer.
I grew up overseas in Lagos, Nigeria, where I had lived until the age of thirteen. That’s when my parents had decided to return back to Mumbai, where I would go on to finish my schooling and college, before relocating to the United Kingdom to pursue my further education over there.
I’m an alumnus of Jai Hind. It’s my alma mater, and one of the most sought-after colleges in Mumbai. It’s where I had earned my degree in Psychology and Political Science, with a minor in Eastern and Western Philosophy. I also hold a diploma in Graphic Design and Illustration, from the prestigious UHI Millennium institute in the United Kingdom.
“Of all the things which wisdom provides to make us entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship.” - Epicurus
I couldn’t agree with you more Epicurus, because I absolutely love to make new friends. Believe me, if I could, I would be friends with everyone on Earth. I never miss out on an opportunity to have a conversation with strangers, or to make people laugh with my hilariously goofy sense of humor. Especially considering that socially interacting with strangers actually constitutes, one of the few times when my overactive imagination doesn’t bother me.
I’ve always also had a passion for martial arts. You can blame that one on Bruce Lee. I hold a First Dan Blackbelt in Shotokan Karate, which I would occasionally use as an effective deterrence for bullies at school. I’ve also been trained in Mixed Martial Arts at the world renowned Griphouse Gym in Glasgow, Scotland.
Last but not least, I’m a fitness enthusiast who enjoys working out and learning new languages. I want to spend the rest of my life entertaining readers all over the world with my words, and I just can’t wait to connect with them on social media, where I can humbly express my gratitude to them for all their support.
Tell me more about your journey as an author, including the writing process.
My journey as an author
I remember that even as a child, I had struggled to switch off, the overwhelming torrent of my wild and vivid imagination. This inescapable surge of creative thoughts which I am forced to observe, via the invisible eye of my mind, whether I want to or not, is something which I still remain at the mercy of till today. At times I would even pay the price for my uncontrollable incessant daydreaming, by getting scolded by my teachers at school for not paying attention in class.
I even lost count of the amount of times that my own mother would correct me, for doodling on the walls of my own bedroom. That was the only way for me to briefly silence the nagging voice of creativity within me, which compelled me to perform an innocent act of vandalism.
I credit my father for sparking my early interest in science fiction. My father is a retired businessman, with a degree in chemistry. He’s the reason for why I was an ace at chemistry in high school.
When I was a little boy, he would often make me watch the televised educational series Cosmos, which back in the day, was presented by its original host, the late Carl Sagan.
I remember that the show would cover a wide range of topics in science. It was my early fascination with science as a child, that would in turn lead to my fascination with the Science fiction television show Star Trek: The Next Generation. Inspired by the imaginative and futuristic storyline of the show, which was about the adventures of Captain Picard and his crew, I began to write my own short stories about science fiction, which I would then happily distribute among a few of my classmates at school. The reception that I had received from them for my work was a very positive one. My classmates had enjoyed my work and had insisted that I write some more short stories for them. Naturally, as you can imagine, I was more than happy to fulfil their request, and so I did, sometimes even portraying my least favourite teachers as the villains in the plot.
It was at the realization that I possess a talent for entertaining people with my words, that I had discovered the means with which to appease the voice of my own creativity. It was also a realization that had set me on the path towards, one day becoming a professional author.
My writing process:
Whenever my mind presents me with the blueprint of a story that appeals to me, I immediately add it to a file which contains a list of every synopsis, ever conceived by my imagination.
The next step is to organise and arrange the sequence of events that will unfold in the plot, from start to finish. Basically, I create key points to expand and elaborate upon later, when I begin to write the story.
I’m a perfectionist by nature; employing a first-person narrative, which combines a uniquely vivid imagination with intellect and originality. Two of my favourite novels of all time are Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb, and Helen of Troy by Margaret George. I think that the characteristic style, of the first-person narrative that’s been utilized in both of those novels, makes for a very immersive reading experience. That’s why I’ve chosen to adopt a first-person narrative as the literary style of choice for my books.
Like any perfectionist, I’m very self-critical of my own work, pushing myself as hard as I can, to produce the best work that I can, driven to make a plot as entertaining as possible for my readers. As a part of accomplishing this task, I believe that it’s important to add depth to every story. Thus, I make use of my academic background in psychology, political science and philosophy, to enhance the complexity and the richness of the ideas being discussed in the narrative. It’s what enables me to introduce an intellectually stimulating dimension to the plot in every book.
My interest in history influences my work as well. What’s the purpose of history? What is its function? Our memories are what define our identities as individuals, but the memories which define our identity as a species, are what comprises our history. Without history, we would not know who we are as a species. It’s a solution to the problem of one generation, being unable to genetically pass on all of its memories to the next. Therein, we find its usefulness to Mankind. As a history buff, I like to incorporate references to historical events as anecdotes, to convey ideas. The end result of the sum of all of these ingredients is a recipe that makes for an immersive reading experience, for all of my readers.
Although I strive for perfection, I’m not immune to making mistakes. That’s why after the completion of a manuscript, I submit it for editing. After which, I allow the edited manuscript to transition from its chrysalis into its fully developed form, as a published book for all of my readers to enjoy.
Tell me about your book
Inspiration for The Super Organism Series:
The inspiration for this series came to me as I was curiously gazing at a picture of the evolutionary tree of life. Fascination turned to revelation when I noticed something beyond the evolutionary origins and relationships of various species illustrated as a network of interconnected branches.
Upon a closer inspection, I saw what appears to be a singular consciousness branching out in different directions, as countless versions of itself. All organic life on Earth seems to be interconnected as the ramifications of a universal sentient Super Organism. This revelation compelled me to create a story based on this concept.
Thus, with the objective of enthralling a legion of readers, I set out to create a futuristic dystopian world, in which one character’s realization, that we are all the living manifestations of this entity, influences the lives of so many others.
The end result is an appealingly original science fiction drama that is guaranteed to be an enjoyable and engaging reading experience that will leave you intrigued and wanting more. The Super Organism series is creatively addictive, rivetingly entertaining, wildly imaginative, intellectually stimulating, philosophically thought-provoking, refreshingly original, quirky and dark.
Thus, the many would merge, seeing themselves as one:
Interestingly enough, the scientific foundation which supports the existence of such an entity already exists today. Ed Witten had introduced M-theory as the unifier for the five variations of superstring theory. Thanks to the contributions of this legendary theoretical physicist, the second thing that we know about M-theory is that it has ten spatial dimensions, plus one extra dimension of time.
Unfortunately for us, our consciousness is limited only to a three-dimensional perception of reality. We have limitations of spatial awareness, perceiving space as having only three dimensions, which are respectively length, breadth and width. We have limitations of temporal awareness, perceiving time as having only a three-dimensional linear flow, experienced as the past, the present and the future.
However, the most tragic of all of these limitations, is the one which deceives us into perceiving everything and everyone around us, as physically separate individuals. If we were to view ourselves through the lens of the higher dimensions in M-theory, then we would see ourselves as nothing more than the actions of this Super Organism. That’s when we would all realize that we are not separated from each other at all, but are instead connected to each other as part of a multidimensional network of an omnipresent and omniscient consciousness. Thus, the many would merge, seeing themselves as one.
In fact, it’s not a question of, if we can find the empirical evidence that proves the existence of this Super Organism, it’s just a question of when we will find the empirical evidence that proves the existence of this Super Organism. When that happens, the next step will be to gradually raise our consciousness to a level, which allows us to perceive the universe from the point of view of this Super Organism. That’s the hard part, but If we can succeed in doing so, then that will be the day that we eradicate our ignorant concept of the Self. That will be the day that we stop harming each other. That will be the day that even those of us who are evil, will know that they risk feeling the pain of those that they harm, and will thus refrain from doing so.
Could this be the theory that finally provides us with the scientific evidence for the phenomenon that we call God? Science is about empirical evidence which can be perceived by our five senses. If we can see it, hear it, smell it, touch it and taste it, then it must be real, and therefore we can conclude that it is the truth. Most of us are not spiritually enlightened individuals, and are thus unable to access any form of perception that lies beyond the five physical senses of our organic shell. Ergo, for most of us, our only option is to rely on science as the solution for possibly proving the existence of this Super Organism.
I’m not a physicist, and so I obviously don’t possess the necessary qualifications required to prove the existence of the Super Organism. I’m an author, so all I can do is create a story based on the idea that this Super Organism may possibly exist.
Synopsis of the prelude:
Book One Sentinel of Addiction, is the very first book in The Super Organism series, and is a prelude to the main events that will occur in Book Two. That’s why I’ve chosen to display the synopsis of Book Two on the back cover of my eBook, because as already mentioned, the events in Book One Sentinel of Addiction only serve as a prelude, to the main events of the narrative, which are meant to occur in Book Two of the series.
In Book One Sentinel of Addiction, through the memoirs of the clone 888782, readers are introduced to the consequences of creating different types of technologies, conceived from the darkness of the human ego. This includes the bureaucratic abuse of biotechnology, which has led to the creation of 888782.
Synopsis of Book Two in the series:
Following the events in Book One Sentinel of Addiction, in Book Two, individual characters in the distant future, offer us a series of memoirs emerging as the result of an all-powerful extraterrestrial entity, having realized that it has been imprisoned by God in human form as part of a supernatural rehabilitation program, to atone for the crimes that it had committed against an alien civilisation in its previous life.
Characters:
888782: The protagonist in Book One.
Through the memoirs of the clone 888782, readers are introduced to different types of technologies, which exist during the era of the Interstellar Nation. The circumstances of 888782 are a result of the dehumanising use of cloning as a form of incarceration by the criminal justice system, implemented by the tyrannical bureaucratic abuse of biotechnology, by malignant corporate entities and the legal system of the totalitarian Interstellar Nation.
The Gatekeeper: The protagonist in Book Two
In Book Two, readers will be introduced to the central protagonist of the series, who only in mention has been incorporated into the narrative of Book One. The Gatekeeper is an extraterrestrial entity imprisoned in human form, for the crimes that it had committed in a previous life, against a highly advanced alien civilisation.
The Super Organism: The deuteragonist in Book Two.
In Book Two, in addition to the main protagonist of the series, my readers will also be introduced to a secondary character, which serves as both the title and the inspiration for the series. The Super Organism is a multidimensional consciousness that manifests itself throughout the entire multiverse as the phenomenon of Life. This supernatural entity has also imprisoned the Gatekeeper in human form, for the crimes which it had committed against an alien civilisation in its previous life.
According to the terms of its rehabilitation, in order to be granted liberation from its human form, the Gatekeeper must perform acts of servitude to the civilisations of the Interstellar Nation and the multiverse, as atonement for its crimes. As a result of the influence of the Gatekeeper’s actions of atonement on the Interstelllar Nation, a series of memoirs recounted by several characters emerge, showcasing the impact that the Gatekeeper’s path of redemption, has had on their respective lives.
Book Genre
Science Fiction and Cross Genre
Sub Genres: Dystopian, Dystopian Science Fiction, Biopunk, Tech noir, Orwellian and with elements of Historical Fiction and Supernatural Fiction.
Justification for the inclusion of the genres of cross genre, historical fiction and supernatural fiction:
In one of the chapters in Book One, the protagonist known as 888782 creates an interestingly quirky scenario, in which she imagines herself interacting with well known historical figures, in human history. It’s on that basis, which I think that historical fiction qualifies as one of the sub genres of my book.
The series also blends an element of supernatural fiction with science fiction, by introducing the character known as the Super Organism, which is a multidimensional supernatural entity. It’s the blending of these genres that creates a beautifully harmonious hybrid, which categorizes the series into the interesting realm of cross genre as well.
Any message for our readers
It’s an honor for me to entertain my readers.
I respect my readers, and I work hard to make my readers feel like they’re watching a film inside of their heads. This is the type of immersive reading experience that I always aim to provide for my readers, all over the world. The satisfaction of knowing that I have successfully entertained my readers, with my book is the one exciting thing that truly makes me happy as an author.
In my culture we believe that whatever talent an individual may possess, should be best used to serve others with humility. Personally, the very idea of serving my readers, by entertaining them with my imagination and my creativity is what excites me the most. My readers mean the world to me, and thus, the entire sum of my effort, which I pour into the narrative of every book, will always be for them. In fact, I would love to interact with them on social media, where I can humbly express my gratitude to them for their support, and where I can enthusiastically look forward to them telling me, that they just can’t wait to read the next instalment in the series.
About the Author
M. Makhijani is a novelist; he specializes in the genres of science fiction and cross-genre. He grew up in Lagos, Nigeria, and has a degree in Psychology and Political Science, with a minor in Eastern and Western philosophy. He also holds a Diploma in Graphic Design and Illustration from the prestigious UHI Millennium Institute in the United Kingdom.
For Makhijani, his readers will always come first. A perfectionist by nature, he obsesses over the tiniest of details, employing a style of narration that combines a uniquely vivid imagination with intellect and originality. He develops a narrative that immerses his readers in a very absorbing and entertaining reading experience.
Makhijani’s hobbies include working out at the gym, Pilates, reading, watching documentaries and popular science fiction shows on Netflix. He also holds a First Dan Black Belt in Shotokan Karate, and for a time, trained as a mixed martial arts fighter at the world renowned Griphouse gym in Glasgow.
He speaks nine languages, out of which Spanish and Italian are his favorite. He never stops learning and aspires to become completely fluent in them someday.
Contact Links
X @Makhijani_speak
Facebook: @m.makhijani.novels
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