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From Original Fellow to Original Syn

By ISJL Education Fellow Carly Abramson
 
The ISJL Fellowship has led Fellows into many different fields. Some have gone into law, some have matriculated to medical school, and some have gone into the Rabbinate. In true ISJL fashion, we try our best to maintain close relationships with as many former fellows as possible. We have been fortunate enough to have our very first Fellow currently working with the ISJL team again—and while she wears one hat as the Communications Director and Development Coordinator for the ISJL, she’s wears another hat, too: Writer. Beth’s latest work is the just-released novel, Original Syn. Below is an exclusive interview with our very own Beth Kander (AKA Beth Kander-Dauphin), talking about her book.
 

1. What inspired you to write Original Syn? I was on an airplane in the spring of 2011, and a previous passenger had left their tattered copy of Time magazine behind. Totally loopy from all the Dramamine I have to take to keep my terrible motion sickness at bay, I read an article about the impending “Singularity” – AKA the event horizon when man and machine merge.  I was struck by how casually the author’s article, Lev Grossman, approached the whole idea that, as he put it: “[Computers will be] writing books, making ethical decisions, appreciating fancy paintings, making witty observations at cocktail parties… we’ll merge with them and become super-intelligent cyborgs.” He estimated this happening in 2045, or sooner. In our lifetimes.  I was terrified at the thought, and started wondering what the world would look like after this happened, especially if the tech was denied to those of us who aren’t mega-rich. Instead of solving humanity’s problems, what if it only exacerbated them—creating the ultimate Haves and Have Nots? Somehow I thought I could write an epic trilogy exploring the fallout of such a thing. What chutz’pah (audacity)!
2. How does this book relate to your Jewish Identity? Oh, wow. It relates in my Jewish identity in so many ways, actually. There are a few characters with Jewish backgrounds, although especially in the first book that’s pretty much just a minor background detail. But the whole story is infused with and informed by the very Jewish way I view the world. The most overarching element reflecting this is the fact that the entire story is about questions, not answers. 
3. Can you tell me a little about your book? Original Syn takes place 50 years after the Singularity, when a rich and powerful subset of society merged with machines to become superhuman. There are two populations on the planet now—Synthetic Citizens, or Syns; and Originals, the dwindling masses who did not augment in the Singularity. As time runs out for the Originals, things start slowly going wrong in the Syn world, too. An Original boy, Ere, falls hard for a powerful Syn named Ever, as the worlds around them collide and erode. Family secrets, free will, life, death, some snark thrown in here and there… it’s a dystopian world I hope readers will get lost in and want to keep visiting. (But only in the books. Let’s try to derail dystopia in the real world.)
   
4. What was the most challenging part of writing Original Syn?Two things: 1) Keeping track of all the seeds I need to plant and threads I need to ultimately tie together, since this is a trilogy. I have a lot of notes and charts! 2) This part, AKA the promoting-a-book-once-it’s out part. Writing is the fun part; submitting, editing, publishing, promotion… that’s super challenging. And ongoing!
   
5. What was your favorite part of the writing process?I love what a lot of other writers hate - the middle. Especially since I tend to plot stuff out and have at least SOME idea of where I’m going, I love getting to a coffee shop, sipping my big mug of java, opening up my document and diving right into the middle to keep storytelling my way to the next plot point.
   
6. How did you develop a passion for this genre?It’s funny, I grew up reading a ton of SciFi and Fantasy (Madeline L’Engle, Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, on and on) but it’s not usually what I write. After years of writing plays, literary fiction, children’s books… I just got the idea for this and rolled up my sleeves and took a chance. What I love about the genre is the way it can explore the gritty issues troubling us in our real lives in a way that feels escapist and exciting. I doubt I’ll write another SciFi epic (at least, another trilogy feels unlikely), but then again if you told me I’d write this one I would have given you The Most Doubtful Look. So you never know!
   
7. Is there anything else you want your readers to know about Original Syn?I just turned in the manuscript for the second book in the series, and book three is well underway! For all the Song of Ice & Fire (AKA Game of Thrones) fans out there, rest assured, I am not George R. R. Martin… this entire story WILL be told, and soon! I hope you’ll take this journey with me.
   

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