The INCARNEX Compound follows the creator of a compound that can bring people back from the dead, who has to confront the darker side of his creation and the fact that there is a flaw that could cost him and others their lives. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
As an avid fan of science fiction and follower of scientific advancement, I’ve always been fascinated by technologies that fundamentally change how we live.
Death is the one true universal human experience we all share. This made me wonder: what happens when we remove that commonality? How would it affect our relationships, our ambitions, our very understanding of what it means to be human?
The idea grew while I was reading about recent breakthroughs in life-extension medicine, but INCARNEX goes beyond mere life extension into true regeneration, which opened up a fascinating realm of possibilities. This led me down a rabbit hole of research, exploring works by philosophers and researchers who tackle the big questions: What happens when we die? What is human consciousness? What makes us who we are? Are we simply the sum of our memories and experiences, or is there something more fundamental to our identity?
These are the topics The INCARNEX Compound sets out to explore, amid the world of a dystopian thriller!
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?
The setting was heavily influenced by my experiences last summer when I returned to the UK last from Vietnam, where I live most of the year. I was struck by how the wealth divide had grown starker than ever before, particularly in London where you can walk from a street of luxury to one of poverty in mere steps. This disparity became a crucial element of the world-building, as I realized how a technology like INCARNEX would inevitably deepen these societal divisions. Who gets access to immortality? Who decides? These questions shaped not just the physical setting but the social landscape of the novel.
Many of the locations in the book, including the observatory, the school, and the farmhouse, are drawn from real places I’ve spent time in and that readers can visit. I find that grounding fictional elements in real-world settings helps create a more immersive and believable story, especially when dealing with such huge concepts as the INCARNEX technology.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
At its heart, this book explores the deep connections we share with those closest to us. Just as INCARNEX challenges the boundary between life and death, the story examines how our bonds with loved ones can persist beyond physical limitations. Ultimately, it’s about how the people we care for, and the lengths we’ll go to for them, define who we are.
The INCARNEX Compound also delves deep into the ethical implications of playing with nature’s fundamental laws and the conflict between scientific progress and moral responsibility. What price would we be willing to pay for immortality? And perhaps more importantly, should we pay it at all?I believe that in the ever-changing, technology dominated world in which we live, these themes have never been more pertinent to explore than they are today.
Where does the story go in the next book and where do you see it going in the future?
The next installment, The INCARNEX Rebellion, is currently in editing and picks up two years after the events of The INCARNEX Compound.
David and Celia face unprecedented challenges: a brewing rebellion, a revolutionary advancement in INCARNEX that pushes the boundaries of what we thought possible, and a new team of characters whose loyalties remain uncertain. It’s shaping up to be an intense, fast-paced continuation of the story that I hope to have out in early 2025.
The trilogy will conclude with a final installment that brings all the threads together in a world-altering climax. Our characters won’t just be fighting for survival – they’ll be fighting for everything they’ve ever known and believed in. The conclusion will force them to confront the true nature of consciousness, identity, and what it really means to be human in a world where death is no longer a certainty.
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Or he was, until he woke up handcuffed to a bed eight years after being shot in the head.
With no memories of the attack that claimed his and his twin sister’s lives, adjusting to resurrection is grim. Especially since the compound he developed, INCARNEX, is to blame.
Unfortunately, David has woken up in a world with far bigger problems. Bringing people back from the dead is expensive—global-revolution expensive. Meanwhile, a fatal flaw in his creation leaves David in a race against time before his and millions of other host bodies shut down entirely.
When an enigmatic stranger offers David a deal—the chance to redeem himself and save countless lives, including his own—he has just one hundred days to confront past mistakes and unravel the dark secrets of INCARNEX.
As dangers and betrayals mount, David’s frantic race against death becomes ever more desperate. Can he save himself and what remains of society before time runs out, or is the cost of immortality simply too high?
