Science Fiction (Cyberpunk) / Thriller
Date Published: September 1, 2018
Publisher: See Sharp Press
In Wrath of Leviathan, the second book of the BetterWorld trilogy, Waylee faces life in prison for daring to expose MediaCorp's schemes to control the world. Exiled in São Paulo, her sister Kiyoko and their hacker friends continue the fight, seeking to end the conglomerate's stranglehold on virtual reality, information, and politics. But MediaCorp and their government allies may quash the rebellion before it takes off. And unknown to Kiyoko and her friends, a team of ruthless mercenaries is after them and is closing in fast.
Interview
Interview
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to
grasp?
First,
I’ve always been worried about the concentration of media and the decline of
journalism, and the threats those trends pose to independent, critical thought
and democracy. I’ve also
been worried by the ever-increasing power of governments and corporations to
record and manipulate every facet of our lives. But
things could get worse—much worse.
Imagine
an Internet where you could only access sites affiliated with Verizon, Comcast,
or AT&T. Imagine that you could only watch Verizon-owned shows or movies,
and this choice was limited to those deemed most profitable. Imagine if there
was only one source of news, and that “news” was sophisticated propaganda. Imagine
political opinions having to be approved by a corporate censor board.
This
is what could happen now that the Federal Communications Commission, headed by
a former Verizon lawyer, has overturned net neutrality. Instead of all data
being transmitted equally, Internet service providers can act as gatekeepers,
intentionally favoring some websites and content over others.
Sleep
State Interrupt and Wrath of Leviathan explore a possible outcome of these
trends. In the books, a huge corporation (MediaCorp) works with governments to
upgrade the Internet with ultra-fast fiber optic lines, more efficient
switching, and better security. In the process, MediaCorp spreads money to the
right people, and gains control of the Internet backbone. They use that to prioritize
their own data flows or those companies that pay them a premium. Their stock
goes through the roof, they crush or buy out their competitors, and MediaCorp
gains control of nearly all information. Politicians do their bidding if they
want to win elections. Most people are kept in the dark or misled. Everything
they do is recorded and analyzed. MediaCorp also creates an addictive virtual
reality called BetterWorld, which becomes so popular, it overtakes the physical
economy.
I
also learned a lot about the U.S. and Brazilian justice systems while performing
research for Wrath of Leviathan. Here are some interesting facts about
the U.S. federal justice system:
•
Defendants do not have a right to a preliminary hearing. The
government opts for a grand jury indictment instead.
•
The defense is excluded from grand jury proceedings, and grand
juries indict almost 100% of the time. (Unless it’s a police officer being
indicted, in which case the percentages are reversed).
•
The federal government has a 99% conviction rate.
•
The federal system has mandatory minimum sentences and no parole.
•
The judge sets the rules in the courtroom and these can be harsh
depending on the judge.
•
So you can see, the deck is stacked against the defendant.
•
There’s a concept called jury nullification. Jurors have the power
to acquit defendants if they disagree with the law, even if they believed the
defendant committed the crime. The Constitution gives you the right to vote
your conscience. If a law isn’t just, or is being used unjustly, you can reject
it. Juries rejected the return of slaves in the 19th century and have acquitted
peace activists. Prosecutors and judges have no power to retaliate against the
jurors. The problem is, judges will not allow anyone to mention this power to
the jury.
•
A necessity defense is a similar concept. It argues that the
defendant had to break the law in an emergency situation, to avoid a greater
harm from occurring. For example, driving with a suspended license to take
someone to a hospital. Very occasionally, a judge will allow it. In 2018, a
Boston judge acquitted 13 pipeline protesters on the grounds that the climate
crisis made it necessary for them to commit civil disobedience.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your
writing?
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve
completed five novels so far, of which two have been published at the time of
this questionnaire. I like them all for different reasons, since they are each different
in many ways.
If you had the chance to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
I
would pick Shailene Woodley to play Waylee, since (1) they are approximately
the same height and age; (2) Shailene played an outcast rebel in the Divergent
series, which Waylee is; (3) Shailene is a great actress and would play the
role perfectly, despite it being a challenging character; (4) Shailene is an activist
in real life, like Waylee.
The other main character in the series is Kiyoko. I was
stumped finding a young Asian-American actress who might fit the part, but a
friend suggested Calhoun Koenig.
When did you begin writing?
How long did it take to complete your first book?
It
typically takes me 6-9 months to write a first draft, plus another year to edit
(although over half of this time is waiting on comments). I think they’ve all
followed this schedule.
Did you have an author who inspired you to become a writer?
All books I’ve read, whether good or bad, have inspired me to
write. For the BetterWorld trilogy, of which Wrath of Leviathan is the
middle book, I wanted to write in the cyberpunk genre. William Gibson and Neal
Stephenson were my role models there (plus the myriad of other cyberpunk books,
movies, games, and anime series).
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
I
like coming up with interesting, quirky characters and giving them internal
problems that they have to overcome. Even better is when these characters take
on a life of their own and do unexpected things instead of following the initial
outline.
Describe your latest book in 4 words.
Hacking, gunfights, and love.
Can you share a little bit about your current work or what is
in the future for your writing?
About the Author
T. C. Weber has pursued writing and music since childhood, and learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college, along with a little bit of physics. Trapped at home during the "Snowmageddon" of 2010, he transformed those interests into novel writing. His first published book, Sleep State Interrupt, was a Compton Crook Finalist for best debut speculative fiction novel. By day, Mr. Weber works as an ecologist and has had a number of scientific papers and book chapters published. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Karen. He enjoys traveling and has visited all seven continents.
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