"Apathy is death." --- Darth Traya, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
I am currently working on a short story, likely one of the last for some time, by the current (workshopping the name) title Bian Lian [BEE-YEN LEE-YEN]. This is the final export of my catharsis, the end of my expected past grief and trauma from family, friends, relationship. This one is inspired by a certain Ozymandias of my life, a self-proclaimed king willing to tear down every parcel of his kingdom for the sake of keeping his namesake. In this story, though, this adjacent character is willing to destroy the heart of his now-trans woman friend for the sake of control and dominance over the narrative. He is deceptive, manipulative, and an overall flawed and grey character.
The reason for said short story being the last is I am currently writing the first novel of the series Step Into Oblivion, a cyberdystopian, sci-fi geopolitical polyphonic storyworld set in a futuristic universe where white supremacy reigns dominant through the ethnic cleansing of cultures throughout this parallel Earth. The surviving minority races are now prisoner slaves, labor workers, or sources of entertainment for the white, classist elite.
I am hoping the first manuscript will be written and ready for publishing by the end of this decade. It's expected to be several hundred pages, likely nearing 800. This project began as a short story with the same title in 2019; it rewarded me a scholarship and the courage that my writing holds at least some value to the wild mind.