Blog Tour: The Wrath of Leviathan by T.C. Weber @savethereefs #blogtour #giveaway #interview #scifi #thriller #rabtbooktours @RABTBookTours

BetterWorld, Book 2

Science Fiction (Cyberpunk) / Thriller

Date Published: September 1, 2018

Publisher: See Sharp Press

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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

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?

The hardest part is sitting down each morning and getting into the flow of writing. It’s a hurdle that must be overcome every day.

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?

I’ve pursued writing since childhood, then learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college (along with a little bit of physics). I transformed those interests into novel writing while trapped at home during the "Snowmageddon" of 2010, and looking for something productive to do.

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?

I recently finished editing the final book of the BetterWorld trilogy, Zero-Day Rising. In this book, Kiyoko resolves to save her sister and bring down President Rand and MediaCorp. However, MediaCorp unleashes its ultimate plan: direct mind control with cerebral implants. Can Kiyoko and Waylee’s team stop them? Can they penetrate MediaCorp’s networks and end the company’s grip over humanity? All while eluding the biggest manhunt in history, in a country where everyone and everything is under surveillance?

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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