EB Diamond

Faq

Find quick answers about my books, upcoming releases, and how to connect with me.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is your motivation for writing this novel?

The motivation for writing this is to create a work of pure speculation that centers on humans in the here and now in a space-time universe—rather than aliens in another galaxy or superheroes—considering the principles of quantum theory for subatomic particles but extrapolating them to human life. I wanted to emphasize the spatial coordinates rather than time, since there have already been so many excellent plots centered on time travel. Moreover, time is not the only extra dimension. Because of this, mountains and deserts are an integral part of the novel, almost characters in themselves.

What is this novel about? How did you come up with this?

Actually, it evolved from a number of different perspectives. Staring at the linear world line of a ray of light on a space-time plot, I wondered if this could be extrapolated to a human life going one second at a time from birth to death. What would happen if the line was not linear—if it moved up and down, looping back and forth—so that humans could occupy multiple spatial or time positions at once? These humans are called “Alternates.”

How is this related to quantum theory? (Warning: you can skip this)

If these multiple spatial positions represent different states, this plot device can be related to the quantum theory of subatomic particles. In quantum theory, particles exist in different states (represented as spin states or different colors). These states can either collapse into one state upon measurement or each can exist in different dimensions in a multiverse. With the extrapolation to a human life, the different states can be viewed as: life vs death (see Schrödinger’s cat), moving forward and backward in time, dream vs awake state, or conscious vs subconscious state. In terms of the plot of the novel, the looping of a world line can bring a character into simultaneous different dimensions. It is also a convenient explanation for ghosts, prophets, and other “supernatural” phenomena.

Do you have to know or be interested in science theory to understand the book?

Worldlines is not a scientific treatise. A storyteller narrates this character-driven adventure that focuses mainly on the effect on a variety of characters of possibly living in a multidimensional world. The Alternates are not happy being moved around on their deviant world lines without conscious intent. They miss relationships and the dizzying prospect of never knowing Real-time. The Dreamers wish they could jump off their linear world lines into other possibilities, perhaps meeting those who have passed on. The Skeptics say this is all nonsense, providing point-counterpoint and satire.

How does the neutrino mine and the apocalypse fit into the story?

The professor wants to contract out a neutrino mine to warn him of an impending cosmic disaster, since neutrinos are emitted before photons of light during the supernova of a star. He believes this event will perforate spacetime and cause abnormal events—such as opening portals to other dimensions or moving onto a different fork in his worldline. The apocalypse is the predictive endpoint where portals should open, leading to deviations in worldlines. It’s an escape hatch—a close the door, open a window type of thing.

How did you come up with a reflective pool as a portal to other dimensions?

I was visiting Los Angeles when I saw a still pool with a goldfish and the reflection of tree branches in the water. It seemed like the goldfish was climbing the tree. To my mind, that was the closest vision I’ve seen to an alternate dimension.

What if I don’t have the time to immerse myself in this book, which seems to require concentration and thought?

I suggest the audiobook available on Amazon. The narrator does an excellent job of bringing the story to life.

Why do you have little poems at the beginning of most chapters?

This is to emphasize the fairy tale analogs of each character. RCR23 is the Tin Man with a metal bib displaying variables for a heart. The Fisherman (McBarrister) is the Scarecrow with a brain but little else, a personification of a line on a plot—almost a Pinocchio-type character who wants to be a real man living in real-time but is forced to be an outside observer. Marco Spelling is the Wizard–opportunist, desiring only power. Darien Sloan is the realist like Dorothy, the center of the story affected by all she sees around her. Alicia is Alice in an alternate Wonderland. The TDs are Tweedledee and Tweedledum from Alice in Wonderland—everyday, down-to-earth, normal comic relief characters. Professor Sloan ties all these people and the plot together, adding the human motivational elements of grief and tragedy.

Find quick answers about my books, upcoming releases, and how to connect with me.

Frequently Asked Questions

The motivation for writing this is to create a work of pure speculation that centers on humans in the here and now in a space-time universe—rather than aliens in another galaxy or superheroes—considering the principles of quantum theory for subatomic particles but extrapolating them to human life.
I wanted to emphasize the spatial coordinates rather than time, since there have already been so many excellent plots centered on time travel. Moreover, time is not the only extra dimension. Because of this, mountains and deserts are an integral part of the novel, almost characters in themselves.

Actually, it evolved from a number of different perspectives. Staring at the linear world line of a ray of light on a space-time plot, I wondered if this could be extrapolated to a human life going one second at a time from birth to death.
What would happen if the line was not linear—if it moved up and down, looping back and forth—so that humans could occupy multiple spatial or time positions at once? These humans are called “Alternates.”

If these multiple spatial positions represent different states, this plot device can be related to the quantum theory of subatomic particles. In quantum theory, particles exist in different states (represented as spin states or different colors). These states can either collapse into one state upon measurement or each can exist in different dimensions in a multiverse.

With the extrapolation to a human life, the different states can be viewed as:

life vs death (see Schrödinger’s cat),

moving forward and backward in time,

dream vs awake state,

or conscious vs subconscious state.

In terms of the plot of the novel, the looping of a world line can bring a character into simultaneous different dimensions. It is also a convenient explanation for ghosts, prophets, and other “supernatural” phenomena.

Worldlines is not a scientific treatise. A storyteller narrates this character-driven adventure that focuses mainly on the effect on a variety of characters of possibly living in a multidimensional world.

The Alternates are not happy being moved around on their deviant world lines without conscious intent. They miss relationships and the dizzying prospect of never knowing Real-time.

The Dreamers wish they could jump off their linear world lines into other possibilities, perhaps meeting those who have passed on.

The Skeptics say this is all nonsense, providing point-counterpoint and satire.

The professor wants to contract out a neutrino mine to warn him of an impending cosmic disaster, since neutrinos are emitted before photons of light during the supernova of a star.
He believes this event will perforate spacetime and cause abnormal events—such as opening portals to other dimensions or moving onto a different fork in his worldline.

The apocalypse is the predictive endpoint where portals should open, leading to deviations in worldlines. It’s an escape hatch—a close the door, open a window type of thing.

I was visiting Los Angeles when I saw a still pool with a goldfish and the reflection of tree branches in the water. It seemed like the goldfish was climbing the tree.
To my mind, that was the closest vision I’ve seen to an alternate dimension.

I suggest the audiobook available on Amazon. The narrator does an excellent job of bringing the story to life.

This is to emphasize the fairy tale analogs of each character.

RCR23 is the Tin Man with a metal bib displaying variables for a heart.

The Fisherman (McBarrister) is the Scarecrow with a brain but little else, a personification of a line on a plot—almost a Pinocchio-type character who wants to be a real man living in real-time but is forced to be an outside observer.

Marco Spelling is the Wizard–opportunist, desiring only power.

Darien Sloan is the realist like Dorothy, the center of the story affected by all she sees around her.

Alicia is Alice in an alternate Wonderland.

The TDs are Tweedledee and Tweedledum from Alice in Wonderland—everyday, down-to-earth, normal comic relief characters.

Professor Sloan ties all these people and the plot together, adding the human motivational elements of grief and tragedy.