Wraith and the Revolution: A to Z
If you’ve been following my socials the last few weeks, you’ve probably noticed I’ve been doing something fun for Wraith and the Revolution as we get closer to the book’s release date (June 17, which is on Tuesday. How are we here already?!)
For previous books, I did snippets from the books, but didn’t discuss specific items. I wanted to do something different this time around, partly because it sounded fun, and partly because…well, I have to do some marketing, as much as I dislike the task. But anyway, I’ve been doing an alphabet list, a Wraith and the Revolution A to Z, to discuss various pieces of the book each day.
If you missed the social media posts, don’t worry: The full alphabet list is here! I posted one a day starting May 18 (with A), and today we ended (with Z.) I made a bunch of graphics for the socials, but for the sake of load times (and your inboxes) I’m not reposting those here.
Armor
Armor is a key component of Kye’s story in Wraith and the Revolution. As he’s wrapping up his training with ZIEG, he’s given a set of specialized armor that will sync with his unique brand of cybernetics (I’ll share more about ZIEG and cybernetics later in the alphabet.) The armor featured on the book cover is not the first set he receives, though it’s the most important. And the color has significance.
Botanaar and the Botanaari
Botanaar is the home world of the humanoid-plant species, the Botanaari. It’s a verdant world orbiting a binary star, though very few humans are ever granted access to visit. The Botanaari are a monogendered species capable of photosynthesis, though they also eat meat or insect-based protein. Because they’re essentially plants, they don’t use or consume plant-based materials, but instead rely on synthetics or animal/insect-based approximations (a great example is the “paper” Daaros uses in one scene; it’s made of compressed lyaan wings, an insect-like species native to Botanaar.) The Botanaari and their expertise with solar tech play a fairly big role in the book, though Daaros is the most notable Botanaari character. I had a ton of fun with the Botanaari (and I think plant biology is fascinating.)
Cybernetics
There are three types of cybernetics used in ZIEG, though all ZIEG soldiers are enhanced for combat. The most common is the CVRT-BT series, which gives the host some stealth and camouflage abilities. Then there’s the DFNR-BT series, which is tailored for defense and employs shielding technology. Kye is outfitted with the newest line, the SLTR-BT, which is 100% about offense, giving him boosts to strength and speed above and beyond the other cyborgs. It also lands him with an unwanted nickname: Slaughter Bot.
Daaros Syl’Vaasis
Daaros Syl’Vaasis is at first glance, a rich CEO from a privileged background, but there’s so much more to him than that. He’s one of the major side characters in the book, and is one of the most influential Botanaari in the galaxy. He also falls head over heels for Kye’s best friend (more on Pablo later in the alphabet!), rescinding his title of “the galaxy’s most eligible bachelor.” Fun fact: Daaros features in a short story I wrote that might be published in a larger collection sometime next year.
Earth
Earth is where Wraith and the Revolution begins, but it’s not Earth as we know it now. It’s a bleak version of our planet and was the result of some musings I had one day a few years ago. What would happen to Earth if humanity achieved interstellar travel? Would we bother to fix the problems we created here, or leave the planet to rot? The answer in Wraith is the latter… Earth has become a galactic garbage repository, and only those without the means to get off world live there. Kye is trapped there due to his genetics and a lack of finances to correct them. He ekes out a living as a salvager, risking radiation and chemical exposure on a daily basis.
Food
While food itself isn’t a huge part of the story, Kye’s discovery of new kinds is part of his journey. Most of his culinary experience on Earth is with protein cubes (often expired, and often bland or flavorless.) They contain all the nutrients required to sustain him, but they’re not exactly exciting. So when he ventures into the wider galaxy, there are more food options available than he knows what to do with…and he’s willing to try almost anything once. Even Botanaari cuisine.
Genetics
Kye’s genetics is he’s stuck on Earth at the beginning of the book. When I was initially outlining what became the final version, I was trying to come up with a plausible reason for why he couldn’t just hitch a ride on a shuttle and get off world. I went back and forth on this topic a lot, and finally settled on the genetic condition I happen to know best: sickle cell trait. I know a lot about it because I’ve lived with it for 42 years, and it’s the reason why I abandoned my teenaged dreams of becoming an astronaut. Sickle cell of any form (even the trait, which is comparatively mild) is an automatic disqualifier. The G-forces a person must endure when a vessel is reaching escape velocity is a potential trigger for a sickling attack, and those can be fatal. It fit nicely within the plot and solved my conundrum, but I was still hesitant to put that piece of myself into the story. You can thank my husband for convincing me to do so.
Humboldt squid
I’m a scuba diver, and love being in the water, but I draw the line at jumping in with certain creatures. Great white sharks, orca, bull sharks, and Humboldt squid. What does this have to do with Wraith and the Revolution, you ask? Well, I read an article a number of years ago that discussed an increase in cephalopods as ocean conditions change, and given the state Earth is in at the beginning of Wraith, I figured I’d make a cephalopod into the apex oceanic predator. Humboldt squid are kind of terrifying (go look them up if you haven’t already.) Kye often refers to them as “the devils,” a variation on diablos rojos that is used to describe them around the Baja Peninsula of today.
Interstellar Travel
A space opera wouldn’t be complete without travel between worlds and stars. Most spacecraft in Wraith and the Revolution are equipped with faster than light engines, allowing passengers to traverse the known galaxy in hours rather than decades. During the course of the book, Kye visits Megatropolis, Titan, several “secret” bases, Botanaar, and Primordia-1. Each location was unique, and I had a lot of fun researching things like pulsar systems, hydrocarbon oceans, and each star’s habitable zones.
Junk Salvaging
Kye makes his living as a junk salvager at the beginning of the book. It’s dangerous work; even with a hazard suit and gear, he’s exposed to chemicals, toxins, and radiation, and newer garbage heaps tend to be unstable, making them precarious. He trades his finds for food most of the time, though on occasion he’ll take credits to repair or upgrade his gear. Circuitry and wiring are usually the best items for trade.
Kye Verex
As you’ve probably figured out by now, Kye Verex is the main character (and narrator) of Wraith and the Revolution. He’s mid-twenties in the book, and as such, he makes a few “rookie mistakes” along the way. He’s had a rough life, and I didn’t make it any easier for him (until the end. If you’re familiar with my other books, you know I usually try to end on a happier/hopeful note. Wraith is no different.) The character artwork I have of Kye comes from a specific scene early in the story, where he’s experimenting with his new cybernetic eyes.
Lessons
Kye learns a lot during his story, and it isn’t all about becoming a cyborg. He learns the value of friendship and found family. He learns what it means to be part of a team—willingly and unwillingly, as the case may be. He learns a lot about himself, too; what he believes in, what he’s willing to do for others, and most of all, how to accept himself.
Megatropolis
Megatropolis is the first world Kye encounters after leaving Earth. It’s a planet-spanning city, the seat of the galactic government, and the headquarters for many businesses, including Zylar Inc. One of the most notable features of Megatropolis is its artificial rings. It has eight, and most provide additional housing for people who work on the planet. Ring Five is home to military and ZIEG personnel, while Ring Eight offers some of the most expensive and coveted homes in the galaxy. Ring Eight also has the best views of the TRAPPIST-1 system.
Novels
One of Kye’s favorite pastimes is reading. He loves novels and isn’t really picky about the genre, but horror is his favorite. While he has access to the galactic library from his implants, he prefers the tactile feel of a book in his hands. Fun fact: One of the books Kye reads for a time in Wraith and the Revolution is a reference to something else I’ve written. (I’m not naming it here, because I don’t want to ruin it for anyone. One of my beta readers was really excited by that Easter egg.)
Omega Prime
Omega Prime is a mercenary organization run by Van Duval. Most of its members have lengthy criminal histories—some gained before their affiliation with Omega Prime—but like any true mercenary band, their loyalty is to credits. Omega Prime’s headquarters is known as Haven, a space station in the uncharted regions of galactic space. Only a handful of people outside of the organization know Haven’s location.
Pablo Noriega
Pablo is Kye’s best friend. They grew up together in Baja Colony on Earth, and while Kye was stuck due to his genetics, Pablo was not. Pablo is a brilliant engineer and built a hover truck from salvaged scrap, which he named Rusty, one of many projects that landed him with a scholarship to the Megatropolis Solar Tech Institute (or MSTI), where he plans to study solar engineering.
Quirky Nicknames
Nicknames became a fixture in this book, sort of by accident. I didn’t plan for Zinn Jarek to be so fond of them, but once she started on that track, I ran with it. She gives Kye a number of them, but he’s not the only one to receive some. Kye’s run from Slaughter Bot to Earth Boy to Metal Man (and more.) Sorin is called Blue-Eyes and Blondie more often than not. It’s rare when Zinn calls anyone by their actual name. She was a fun character to write!
Resistance Coalition
The Resistance Coalition is exactly what it sounds like. It’s an organization opposed to the galactic government and the corporation that controls it: Zylar Inc. Publicly, the coalition is seen as “minor troublemakers,” until its leader begins to set things in motion that he’s been planning for years. Their goal is to destroy the AI mainframe controlling the government and reinstate people as the driving force behind laws and policy.
Sorin Johnston
Sorin is a talented bioengineer and hacker, who would much rather spend his time tinkering in a lab somewhere than doing anything else. But because of his talents—and his history as a former employee of Zylar Inc.—he’s firmly embedded in the Resistance Coalition. He fights against the megacorp as means to correct some of the wrongs he’s done, but also because he believes it’s the right thing to do for the galaxy. And he has the resources and connections to potentially succeed.
Titan Base
Titan Base is a secret military installation hidden inside a habitat bubble on the moon Titan. It’s one of the few locations in Wraith and the Revolution that we have a lot of real-world data for, and I think Titan is a fascinating location. It is almost the same size as Earth, but has a much denser atmosphere, making the effects of gravity a little more apparent. There’s evidence of a fresh water ocean deep beneath the crust, but the surface liquid is made up of hydrocarbons (methane and ethane mostly.) Because of the potential water, but the otherwise inhospitable surface, I thought it would make for a great black ops site.
Unwanted Media Attention
This comes up a couple times in Wraith and the Revolution. Even in the future, the paparazzi have a presence… Due to Daaros’ position as CEO of VaasTek and heir to his fathers’ dynasty, he’s the target of the media more often than not. And when he begins to date Pablo, Kye’s position with ZIEG (even as a mere trainee) does wonders to chase off the media hounds. The Galactic News Network (or GNN) is the primary news outlet in the galaxy.
Vee Domineaux
Vee is part of the squad Kye is assigned to when he joins ZIEG, and becomes his primary trainer and mentor. Vee is reserved and somewhat stoic, with an odd sense of humor, but they get along well with Kye. The two are kindred spirits of a sort, and both joined ZIEG to escape worlds and situations that would have otherwise killed them.
Wounds
While Kye (and many others) take their share of physical wounds during the course of the story, the most painful ones Kye endures are emotional or mentally traumatic. Without getting into spoilers, there’s something Kye goes through later in the story that, after I wrote it, I knew I had to address the topic of PTSD. Because no one who went through what he did could come out of that situation without lasting mental scars. Side note: I’m really glad I added that part of the story in. I’ve had some really positive responses to it.
X-ray and Gamma Radiation
One of the locations visited in Wraith and the Revolution is a space station orbiting a pulsar. I had to brush up on my knowledge of pulsars before writing that portion of the book, and it was another research session that I found really fascinating. Pulsars are the remains of stars, but rather than emit light, they pulse with x-rays and gamma rays (usually at a regular frequency.) I had to take into account those emissions, and how the people would deal with them. Special shielding for their ships, special suits, etc.
Yellow Hell
This is a world that wasn’t visited in Wraith and the Revolution, but it was mentioned as part of Vee’s backstory. Yellow Hell was named for the sulfur deposits littering its surface, though its primary function is for uranium mining. It’s a hostile world, and most of the miners working there aren’t employed, but rather, indentured. Though Vee is vague about their history, I don’t think the reader needed any more than that brief description to understand why Vee enlisted with ZIEG.
Zylar Inc.
Zylar Inc. is the megacorp responsible for much of the galaxy’s inner workings. It codes and maintains the AI government, it’s the galaxy’s premier weapons manufacturer, and it’s responsible for many of the day-to-day systems, like planetary transportation systems and interplanetary shuttles. Zylar Inc. is both loved and loathed because of its policies.
ZIEG (the Zylar Inc. Elite Guard) is the company’s military unit comprised of cybernetically-enhanced soldiers. They’re tasked with enforcing laws, maintaining order, and protecting company secrets/assets.
I hope you enjoyed these little peeks into Wraith and the Revolution, and I can’t wait for Tuesday!