Lutz Barz's Virtual Quantum Collapse

Lutz Barz has stopped by this morning to talk about Virtual Quantum Collapse. Welcome, Lutz.

Thank you, Susan.

Tell us something about yourself that readers might be surprised to learn.

ME? Cold War Baby. Born in then West Berlin. One of the two great spy capitals of the world. The other Vienna. John le Care terrain. The Cold War got to my parents who wanted to get as far away as possible. With the least fuss. Australia! Where the pubs then shut at 10pm. Outrage.. School was vague until one discovers…girls! Studying went out the window and my results were terrible. In the end failed four out of six subjects. And still got a degree! In Sociology! And instantly unemployable. So I drove buses in Sydney  prior various other jobs including lab tester, quality control at the steelworks in Port Kembla and a brickworks  [south of Sydney]  My sight on the gutter. Very pedestrian. With a few hobbies like mangling the piano and massacring the canvas.

How many books have you written?

Two so far. ‘Artifice’. It grew out of a series of occult-shaman short stories with the aborigines as the creators of mental malignancies in the practice of their dark art. Then I added the broader world and finally the universe. Plus some enigmatic Buddhists, several agents of influence on both sides of the Cold War Divide.Why stop there?Indeed.

What books or authors have influenced you?

First book I liked at school was John Wyndham. Midwich Cukoos and Crysalids had a profound effect on my pointy little head. It was totally cerebral mayhem. Cuckoos became ‘Village of the Damned’. Then Dr Who came along. Later ‘Red Dwarf’ which to this day is unbeatable. A garbage run in space with two mutants, an angst ridden robot and one very sloppy human. A sci fi band called ‘Hawkwind’. Ursula le Guin ‘The Lathe of Heaven’. A must for psyche students! And lecturers!

What has been your most rewarding experience during the writing process?

The process itself. It’s tough to create more than just an idea. Writing is an exact science. It’s gotta make sense to the reader. That much I can do!

Tell us about your latest release.  

Ah. ‘Virtual Quantum Collapse’. With three alien female agents. Not Charlies Angels. They  got BRAINS. Broadscale Randon Access Intelligence Neural Network Systems. They can warp, blend, shake, recreate reality. Comes in handy. The plot is simple:

Make no mistake: The incoming data from the Great Attractor indicates that something or someone is recalibrating super strings which brings one to the conclusion that this is the beginning of the end of the universe as we know it. [Then again…]

Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

 ‘Artifice’ is available at Lulu as POD and PDF and at Amazon as POD plus Kindle. I went to ‘Bookbaby.com’ who also epubed it for Apple’s iPad, B & A’s Nook & Reader Store’s Sony. VQC should be done sooner than later. It is available at Lulu.com in PDF due to its epic lengh of 2047pp.

Were any of your books more challenging to write than the others?

The first. Thirteen plus rewrites. But it got there. A decade or two later.

What are some of the problems you faced while plotting a series with ongoing characters?

Nothing. I delete when the going gets excessive. Plus its fun for the reader, KAPOW and there goes whoever.

How do you develop characters?

It’s been said before. They truly take on a life of their own. It’s good if you’re a headcase suffering [gifted?haha] with a multiple personality disorder. Comes in handy. Really.

How do you choose your setting?

In Artifice I had travelled through southern – western Asia and on to Berlin. Plus been to Afghanistan twice [prior the Soviet invasion]. Was there at the first coup. Lucky me.

What are your protagonist’s strengths? Flaws?

Strengths? Their homicidal delusions. Flaws? None. I love the enemy. Get into their heads and see things from their perspective. Good for the reader as they are not told overtly who the enenmy really is. Your choice.

How does your environment/upbringing color your writing?

I’m glad it doesn’t. Posssession happens when it does. Creativity spawns the arena which then becomes a self fulfilling landscape that may or may not survive the coming-looming-threatening cataclysm. Or not. Maybe. Depends. Truly.

We all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?

In a few weeks spam-oops I mean inform- other readers writers that it’s there across the stellar forum-network-spectrums. I keep on putting it off. Also get some postcards printed, around 1000 and letterbox them in the right areas.

Can you tell us about current or future projects?

Definitely two more. They are ongoing plotline but so dislocated [in my brain!] in time that they can be read independently. And no padding either. Just the edges of a psychopaths demented delerium threatening your sanity and reality. Now that’s multi-tasking..

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

Lulu.com & Amazon.com. BookTown obviously. The place to be. The other way is to Google my name and the sites even I can’t remember where I am will be there. The magic of the internet. It’s fantastic.

Oh yes: for the first twenty respondents who attract my attention at BookTown: ‘Artifice’ as a PDF file in your inbox: free.

Wow! Thanks Lutz!

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