My first two novels, Humanity’s Saving Grace and its sequel, A Biot’s Odyssey, are science fiction stories. Ultimate Wizard is a blend of science fiction and magic. However they all started with thoughts of what if and were driven by a desire to keep the stories as plausible and scientifically accurate as possible. While the first two have space travel and aliens, climate change and another human-like species is the backdrop to Ultimate Wizard.
Although Tolkien did much to put magic and fantasy on the literary landscape, it was the stories of Terry Brooks and Rick Riordan that led me to want to try combining sci-fi and magic, a small genre sometimes called science fantasy. In it magic is a force that requires special qualities to connect with but it can provide the right people with a tremendous boost to their own talents. But there are limits on how much a person can use and do with it.
While I hope someday to write a sequel to Ultimate Wizard, there are a few other novels I need to finish first.
So what is the Ultimate Wizard? Well without giving any too much of the plot, he or she is a long foretold Wizard who would elevate magic to a new level although the ancient Wizards who knew about the prediction have no idea how or when this could happen. Neither did they know about The Realm, engineers, doctors and other men and women around the world who possess skills well beyond their scientific training and natural abilities. They have no explanation for the range of their talents although one of them deduces magic might be an explanation.
They come to understand that magic is a life force but not any form of life they’ve previously encountered. While it can influence them, in the end it can’t tell them how to act. Their judgement must do that.
They are troubled by the numerous earthquakes, wildfires, volcanoes and other natural disasters that are afflicting all of the planet except Europe. However they can’t find the cause of them despite using their instruments to search deep underground. Then their member Judyth discovers Stuart, an engineer who has similar talents to the members of their group, and she must devise a way to find him and learn the source of his abilities. She’s not the only one searching for him. And he’s just the first surprise they’re in for.
Alex Binkley 