Introduce Yourself : Writer by Michael Smorenburg-Author

I'm a science communicator.

In this tumultuous age of fragmenting traditional communities and the onset of friction that this brings between population groups and generations, grasping the world (and life and psycghology) as it is and not just as we wish it was, has never been more important.

More than that -- today's science is tomorrow's economy.

If the average person in the street has no clue of the fundamentals of the world, by what measure do they cast their vote (for anything)?

They remain nothing but pawns.

And so...

I seek to weave important scientific and social themes and viewpoints into significantly commercial narratives; stories that aim to entertain the hell out of readers while stimulating them to consider new perspectives, threats or opportunities that would make the world a safer and better place.

But that does not mean they are stuffy stories - anything but!

Join me on my many journeys!

_____ “Ragnarok” (290 pages) is Michael’s fourth novel—A Top Secret NASA experiment rips a hole in spacetime, and through that portal sail a band of the most feared warriors in history. Former investigative journalist, Tegan Mulholland, now a Hollywood Exec, is flying Paris to Los Angeles. Seated beside her is Pete, a charming stranger with an engaging Australian turn of phrase and a persistent intention to distract Tegan from her work… Off the coast of Newfoundland a mid-air terror will change her life and make Pete invaluable to her. As Tegan’s plane approaches Canada’s east coast a secret NASA test backfires and a volume of space-time is warped. Tegan’s plane is right at the boundary of that event horizon, but two passenger jets ahead of Tegan’s wink off the radar. As the world deals with the seismic events and recriminations that follow, Tegan wrestles with the shock and recurring nightmares of those so close to her vicinity when they were plucked away to an unknown fate. …And then the attacks begin; savage massacres of isolated fishing hamlets around Newfoundland’s coast seem from CCTV and eyewitness evidence to be perpetrated by biker gangs, but Tegan’s instinct for connecting dots convinces her that something far more sinister is afoot. The key to figuring out what’s going on lies in the hands of Pete, that charming arms-dealer Tegan sat next to on the fateful flight… the man she has secretly fallen in love with. Context The international market for all books ‘Viking’ is booming. Ragnarok takes a brand-new angle, delivering a band of Vikings through time, into our epoch. Avoiding Viking cliché (muscle bound brutal giants with superhuman feats), this story still allows the Norsemen to exercise some authentic heroism and barbarity in spite of the terrifying position they find themselves in, confused and terrified as they are (and in hiding, only venturing out under the blanket of dark to snipe at fishing hamlets around Newfoundland) by planes, boats and litter they discover. The time slip is based on actual science and sounds plausible. ____ “The Praying Nun” (144 pages–novella) is Michael’s third novel. It is the true account a slave ship that wrecked with 400 aboard just behind the waves in one of the world’s mot beautiful bays, now a playground of the super-rich: Clifton. The wreck was discovered and salvage-registered by a friend of mine when we were still teenagers. At that time we had no idea what the wreck was – but in 2015 it was Identified as a slaver by the Smithsonian in Washington, DC—where the cherished artifacts like the ones we lifted are on display. Blurb A True Story Of Discovery And Excavation, 1985 A Love Story Of Terror And Tragedy, 1794 1794—Naked and shackled, Chikunda, a newly wedded man who cannot hold his tongue is heaved aboard the slaver São José off the coast of Mozambique, bound for the slave markets of Brazil. Once below decks, down in the stinking holds with 400 naked captives, he instinctively knows that it will all be over… Faith, his new bride, will be lost to him. Chikunda desperately needs a plan… and Chikunda always has a plan. But on this voyage, fate has other plans. Context For South African readers, and visitors stimulated to (learn lesser known) facts about South Africa, The Praying Nun is an engaging read in 2 distinct parts. Part 1 is an adventure memoir of being the 2nd person in history back in the 1980’s to scuba dive an uncharted shipwreck in Clifton bay. Packed with intrigue, excitement and hilarity it takes the reader where many have never been or could never go. Part 2 takes the reader aboard the fated slave ship. An echo of personalities from Part 1, it is a tale of terror, heroism and important historic significance… surprisingly, it turns out to be a love story of hope. ____ “LifeGames Corporation” (398 pages) is Michael’s second novel—it is a psychological thriller with elements of horror and high technology. Blurb Catherine's Ad-agency has won the most lucrative prize in the world—a LifeGames Corporation contract. Everyone knows what LifeGames does: Immersive Virtual Reality training And everyone knows that LifeGames certification is the ticket to the top of world politics, military and business. But the intricacies of LifeGames are a jealously guarded secret; a secret Catherine is at the threshold of learning… The first tantalizing fact; Artificial Intelligence runs the entire operation and hypnotizes candidates to believe that their simulation is reality. To learn more she must cross a forbidden line. Indeed, to retain the contract, Ken, the narcissistic boss-man, has made it clear that crossing the line is a deal breaker. Context Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality are on the fast track to dominating our lives in the coming decades. LifeGames brings the two high-tech developments into a single thought provoking story. Other authors have contemplated what sinister motivations an AI system might have that could hold severe consequences for humanity, but none have explored how AI might learn about humankind’s obsession with superstition and fear of the supernatural world, and be given a path directly into the brains of our leaders to manipulate and exploit those weaknesses. LifeGames is a harrowing account that resonates emotionally with readers because it has sophisticated ideas laid out in simple terms, taps into universal fears and stimulates fears for plausible and imminent developments in technology. During a recent Amazon promotion, LifeGames was, for 3 full days, the #1 Best Seller in both Thriller and Paranormal categories, and reached position #64 overall on Amazon ____ “A Trojan Affair” (344 pages) is Michael’s first novel—it explores actual, real life unfolding events. Blurb The silent heavens stretched above a pious town locked as it is in the grip of drought, have become valuable beyond measure—the fracking bounty below its feet... irresistible. When Dara, 17, half Indian and raised in Oxford, England, arrives in the heartland of a Calvinist bible belt—a place his astrophysicist mother has come to build the biggest infrastructure in the history of science, the $2.5-Billion SKA radio telescope—he becomes the lightening rod for the town’s anger and suspicion of outsiders. Based on actual unfolding events, A Trojan Affair is a contemporary geopolitical thriller where science, religion, politics, greed and racism collide, tearing a community apart and setting generations against one another. Context Trojan Affair has already won some significant interest and credibility from important quarters. The story has a backdrop of cutting edge science inserting itself into the midst of traditional and religious cultures: 1. The Department of Science has already placed two initial orders (100 & 200 copies), which it distributes to dignitaries (including signed copies requested for Minister of Science, Naledi Pandor, and Director of the huge SKA organization, Dr. Rob Adam… both of whome are reported to be very impressed. 2. The SKA organization intends using the novel to promote the initiative to the public. 3. A movie deal is signed and the screenplay in 2nd draft.