On the Threshold
by M. Laszlo
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GENRE: Historical Science Fiction
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BOOK BLURB:
Obsessed with learning the origins of the cosmos, the actual meaning of life, and the true purpose of civilization, a fine Scotsman named Fingal T. Smyth dedicates himself to the study of Plato’s most extraordinary ideas. Convinced of Plato’s belief that humankind possesses any and all innate knowledge deep within the collective unconscious mind, Fingal soon conducts a series of bold, pioneering occult-science experiments by which to resolve the riddle of the universe once and for all. However, Fingal forgets how violent and perilous the animal impulses that reside in the deepest recesses of the unconscious mind. And when Fingal unleashes a mysterious avatar of his innate knowledge, the entity appears as a burning man and immediately seeks to manipulate innocent and unsuspecting people everywhere into immolating themselves. Now, with little hope of returning the fiery figure into his being, Fingal must capture his nemesis before it destroys the world.
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EXCERPT TWO:
Fräulein Wunderwaffe did not return the smile. Hand on heart, the little girl drew a bit closer. Then, as the hot, animalistic presence undulated all across Fingal’s body, the little girl’s eyes grew wide. Until the little girl’s expression turned to that of a vacant stare.
A moment later, her feet pointed inwards, she removed her hat and undid her long, flaxen hair.
Again, he cringed. “If you’ve noticed something, ignore all. This hasn’t got anything to do with you.” A third time, he cringed.
A most ethereal, lyrical, incomprehensible hiss commenced then: from the other end of the winding, decorative-brick driveway, each clay block shining the color of blue Welsh stone, a sleek Siamese cat with a coat of chocolate-spotted ivory had just appeared. And now the creature raced toward his shadow.
As he looked into the animal’s big, searching, blue eyes, the chocolate Siamese studied the off-center tip of his nose. Then the animal turned away, as if to compare the peculiarity with that of some disembodied visage hovering in the distance.
Out upon the loch, meanwhile, a miraculous rogue wave suddenly arose—and now the swell crashed against the pebbly strand.
Not a moment later, a cool flame crawled across Fingal’s throat. The strange fire rattled, too—not unlike the sound of fallen juniper leaves caught up in the current and dancing against the surface of a stone walkway.
Crivens. By now, the alien, pulsating presence held him so tight that he could barely breathe. Before long, he fell to the earth, and as the dreamlike flame continued to move across his throat, he rolled all about—until the illusory sensation of cool warmth wriggled and twisted and dropped into his neck dimple.
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GUEST POST:
The Burning Man: A Note on the Symbolism
Some who read my latest work, On the Threshold, may possibly wonder just what in the world would be the origins of the burning-man figure so central to the story. Without a doubt, the figure very much follows from the famous Burning Man Festival. And honestly, there was no avoiding it. From the fall of 1986 to the spring of 1987, I finished my senior of high school at Miramonte in Orinda, out in Contra Costa County. And back then, we knew about the bonfire rituals taking place on some beach somewhere in the Bay Area—even if none of us were quite old enough to attend. Naturally, our youthful ignorance only made the idea of attending the ritual that much more compelling.
In addition, what could be more fascinating than the idea of torching a burning-man figure? At once, the concept gripped me. At very nearly the same time, in Mr. Schulman’s Government and International Relations class, we discussed the monks who had immolated themselves so as to protest the war in Vietnam. That, too, rattled me—because until that class discussion, I had never heard of such a thing. Even then, though, the basic idea of a burning man resonated—and in the deepest way, too. Clearly, my unconscious mind knew that there must be something of greatest meaning in the idea. And even if it took a lifetime to figure it all out, that was something worth doing. To grasp the meaning of the symbol would be on par with any of the most heartfelt epiphanies a human being might have. I just knew this!
Ultimately, On the Threshold lays the secret bare. My book explains just why the burning man resonates and must resonate so deeply in the human psyche. In my book, too, the people who come to grasp the meaning immediately establish a friendly, inclusive intellectual/spiritual movement by which to share their thoughts and ideas with one another. Obviously, the Ten Principles of Burning Man clearly influenced all of that.
In the interest of full disclosure, I do hope that some Burning-Man attendees will buy my book. In addition, though, it is my hope that people won’t have to buy the book. What an honor it would be if my work were to make people think enough that, in the end, they lend the book to a friend. What an honor it would be if it came to be fairly common to pass the book around.
Whatever happens, I’ll never cease to be thankful for Burning Man. And it’s a good feeling to know that something so positive helped to inspire the making of a well-intentioned book. Let’s not forget that a well-intentioned book is a wonderful thing in this stressful, chaotic world.
M. Laszlo lives in Bath Township, Ohio. He is an aging recluse, rarely seen nor heard. On the Threshold is his second release and first with Tahlia Newland’s Awesome Independent Authors.
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AUTHOR BIO:
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M. Laszlo is an aging recluse who lives in Bath, Ohio. Rumor holds that his pseudonym is a reference to Victor Laszlo, a character in the classic film Casablanca. On the Threshold is his first release with the acclaimed, Australian hybrid house AIA Publishing. Oddly, M. Laszlo insists that his latest work, On the Threshold, does in fact provide the correct answer to the riddle of the universe.
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BOOK BUY LINK:
AIA Publishing:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
M. Laszlo will award a $25 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
Thank you so much for featuring this author today.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting me. You have a very cool site.
ReplyDeleteGreat cover art. Looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the guest post.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThis sounds like an interesting book and I also like the cover.
ReplyDeleteReally like the excerpt. thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you and thanks to everyone for your positive energy!
DeleteWhat is the greatest risk you have ever taken?
ReplyDeleteThat's a humbling question. As foolish as it sounds, I once hiked down the volcanic-crater side of Santorini to get to the port where the ferry comes in. Most of that side of the island is volcanic ash and gives way very easily. At the time, I just felt like doing something cavalier. But the more I think of it, the more I wonder if it was just plain crazy.
DeleteGood question. My cover designer, Rose Newland, decided that the cover ought to consist of a burning-man figure since the burning man is so important to the story. I thought a more understated cover would be better, but one must listen to a professional cover designer because they know how to create an image that people will like or find alluring in some way.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a good book
ReplyDeleteHow did you come up with your book cover?
ReplyDeleteKim, thank you for the question. Actually, the cover was the designer's idea. She wanted to emphasize the burning-man figure from the story because it is so central to the tale. She thought it would be eye catching, too.
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