First and foremost, Isolation is an adventure. It features two amazing, naive, and innocent characters who must navigate the treacherous world of digital deception. It’s set in the near future, where the “digiverse,” as I call it, has come to dominate people’s lives. I think the whole thing is a lot of fun, and it’s a vehicle for me to explore some of my favorite sci-fi ideas. It also has these beautiful interior illustrations that I think bring the book to life.
But beyond the fun lies a really important set of themes. Isolation is a book with a purpose. It's message driven.
In Isolation, I attempt to predict where the real world is headed as a digital society. Things are changing so fast, and our young people need to go into this world with their eyes open, realizing the dangers. However, as believers, we shouldn’t give in to a spirit of fear. Instead, we need to see the world as a mission field, a place where we can plant the seeds of hope and share grace. It’s easy to become bitter, skeptical, and petrified, but I want Isolation to challenge readers to see the world differently, not as a place to save ourselves by separating from, but as a place Christ died to save, and thus we should run into, on a mission.
Isolation also has a powerful theme that examines our tendency to divide into ever-smaller sects and to view the world as in-groups and out-groups. In the last few years, I’ve seen a lot of “them vs. us,” and I want to help young people spot the dangers of that style of thinking. As Christians, we are on mission, and all people in all groups need grace. This is what we’re here for.
Isolation also attempts to encourage healthy digital habits, exposing some of the extremes of addiction that can result from uncontrolled digital media usage.
All in all, I think Isolation is going to be an important book for a lot of young people.
Right now we have Isolation on sale for a special pre-order price of $0.99. Click this link to learn more or get your copy: Isolation
