The Mind Games Will Continue

AS long as a least one dA member is trying to keep up with my novel in progress, The Mind Games, then it or they must continue. I [Mr a*] am a dA member and I'm interested to see how hard this is going to be and how it comes out in the 'end' which might not yet be the end. The best SF novels survive their initial incarnation so well and prove so popular, at least with their authors, that they spawn a sequel. The superior ones become a trilogy and the best of those, as well as a few of the very worst, become 'franchises', or continuing works with new 'prequels', sequels and even alas, less-than-equals, often written by friends and even descendents of the originator [cf Frank Herbert's DUNE 'trilogy' which began here www.pdfarchive.info/pdf/H/He/H… and is as complete example of the evolution of a franchise as one could wish to find anywhere www.pdfarchive.info/pdf/H/He/H… having burgeoned into a 19 book series with its own encyclopaedia!].

Those who think Frank Herbert and his successors went too far should admire the indefatigable E.C. Tubb and his creation, Earl Dumarest, hero of this little lot en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumarest… .Those who think no one has yet gone far enough should admire the seminal work of Robert Sheckley, once science fiction's premier gadfly. In particular I'd like to choose his non SF novel, The Game Of X www.goodreads.com/book/show/10… . Why am I advertising this moth eaten pulp fiction?

It's because these are just some of the clues that might or might not help readers to understand where The Mind Games is coming from. The final clue, the real heart of the mystery, is the problem the author set the computer in 'For A Breath, I Tarry.' by Roger Zelazny www.kulichki.com/moshkow/ZELQZ… . Now you have it all.

Is 'ENO' or Martin Ronald Carter really who everyone else in the book seems to be saying he is? If he is, why does he feel so convincingly human in such unconvincing surroundings? Is he, or was he ever an ex-spy working for an organisation so secret even the secret services of the world didn't know about it? Machine or not, spy or not, when his readers left him several weeks ago he had just done something either stupid, crazy, very clever or even all three! One or two people might even be waiting with bated breath to see which. I would be one of them.... except that I know what happens next. I'm writing Part Caveman Two Score even as you read this. The ride 'up' has already started. To put you in the mood, get you ready, or even give you a flavour of what is about to happen, I'm giving you a rare chance to listen to 'Waiting For The Electrician, Or Someone Like Him' by The Fire Sign Theater  .

You are now in possession of nearly all the essential clues. Please comment below stating exactly what it is YOU think might be going on and what, if anythng, should, could, might or even dould* happen next.


* New word 'dould' = 'would have if it did'