Slipping into the open chasm of philosophy had never been easier. After all, they say some of the best poets rise shouldering on two great emotions of love and pain. If you are a wannabe poet, here is a piece of advice – Write either about love or pain (even if you are not in love or pain)
Teary waters steamed below, I stood waiting for a miracle.
Bridges held my feet below, above what I stood a pinnacle.
Standing by the bridge of wonder, I sense a lonely path of
blunder.
Cold leaf slipping from the furrowed, there is a loud sense
of surrender.
Someone set a blaze on the bridge, now that's eating like
two edged knife.
I feel more human than human, the soul reeling like
thunder.
Frosty skies with layers of dales, truth be told over lies
of tales.
Walk ahead, on the bridge of nails. Again and again,
there’s no time to mend.
I know not the past I come from, yet I stand on the bridge
I now cling.
The flame feels cold on my warm skin, because there is
warmth no more to sing.
I may not know the future of this bridge, but I cry over
the long passed siege.
I feel more human than human, because there is little else
to besiege.
Cracking earth in a desert of awareness; let them hold the
last fairness.
Walk again, on the bridge of nails. Again and again, this
time it could end.
- Girish Rathna
They say life is filled with milestones. And I would like to think that as an individual my life is full of milestones too. If that is unarguably true, then being the proud creator of my books would notably highlight two of the most important milestones in my life. After all, to ‘create’ something out of nothing is almost as good as the creation of the universe itself.
Almost ten years ago, a thought inspiration sparked in my mind which later swelled into an actual plan to write and publish my first novel. Now, nearly a decade later, I stand here as an author of two novels, with my second book released mid last year. I was 22 when I started the research for my first book and published the same in the year 2012 when I was already 26. The same happened with my second book when I was 30. But sometimes I realize how easy it is to just breeze through the present moment of accomplishment while we always lean forward planning the future.
“Hopefully, this book will motivate readers to
choose love, compassion and the force of good
against hate, viciousness and the force of evil.”
choose love, compassion and the force of good
against hate, viciousness and the force of evil.”
This was my sentence as I had quoted on the Partridge blog, after the release of my second book. That one-lined quote reflects the whole purpose of the strong story that my book offers.
They say everything in the universe is made of energy, the balance of forces, and the equilibrium of contradictory elements. To cradle that very energy of symmetry and then to bind them into a book is what I had envisioned when I started to write, and that is exactly what I had come to accomplish when I finished writing ‘The Ein Stein S.O.S’.
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| My nephew 'trying' to read the book. |
Thus, I have decided to pen down a briefly elaborated post, explaining the facts, theories, history, and hidden plot mentioned in the book, WITHOUT making it a spoiler for those yet to read it.
Prologue –
The Lost City of Gods:The storyline in the book starts with the discovery of an ancient lost city of gods in Southern Spain. But did you know that in reference to some of the widely fantasized allegories in the world, the lost city of gods literally means as it refers to an ancient civilization on Earth, before the flood, those who walked the planet before us? They were said to be the principal founders of all the human advancements and knowledge of the current world. Some myths include advanced cities that were submerged underwater after the destruction of its civilization by angry gods. One of them was also the famous ‘Atlantis’.
Chapters –
World War 2:Ignited in the year 1939, World War 2 was known as the most widely affected conflict on the face of the planet. In a state of ‘total war,’ all the major powers of the world participated in this event, divided into two main military alliances – The Allies and the Axis. But did you know that with all the superpowers utilizing all their economic, scientific and labor resources to the efforts of the war, there was no distinction between military and civilian personae? This gave rise to much propaganda, to utilize the war as an excuse to hate and discriminate against people with differences. This also led to a large number of deaths and the inhumane brutality against the innocent, including the execution of men, women, and children in the extermination camps.
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| A painting by Alan Moore, depicting a typical scene during World War 2 |
The Morse Code:In the story, a series of unknown codes play an important character itself. A method of sending cipher of short text with means of radio, sound tones or even light flashes is called the Morse code. But did you know, widely used by sailors around the globe, the More code is still regarded as one of the best and cheap methods of sending signals utilizing an array of ‘dots’ and ‘dashes’, also known as ‘dits’ and ‘dahs’. This was a prominent tool the soldiers and code-breakers used extensively for the war efforts in World War 2. But the most popular of them, which is also an internationally accepted distress signal, is the three dots, three dashes, and three dots. If you have already read the book, you know what it is.
The French Foreign Legion:In the book, the main characters, including Gowtham himself seek refuge and train in a fort of the French Foreign Legion in North Africa. The French Foreign Legion, as many identify is a real military force of the French Army established in the year 1831. But did you know that the French Foreign Legion still exist today? As its name implies, it is a foreign league that accepts men from any and every country and cultural background, training them for years to earn the “Legionnaire” status. Even normal civilians can join in to train and become a soldier of this iconic league. But before you pack your bags and set out on an adventure to the FFL, be advised that the French Foreign Legion is known for one of the most brutal training in military history, physically as well as mentally. Most people quit within a few days or even hours.
The Black Sun:
In a beautiful castle called the castle of Wewelsburg, in Germany, lies a stunning mosaic embedded into the flooring in the North Tower. It was a hall for the former Nazi SS generals which they called it the “Center of the World”. That mosaic is in a symmetrical shape of the Sonnenrad, a word meaning Sun Wheel in German. But did you know that during the Nazi era this symbol was a prominent occult emblem serving the pagan ritual beliefs? If fact some references say that Heinrich Himmler, the right hand of Adolf Hitler himself had been a member of this mysterious cult. The castle, the symbol, and the cult play a very prominent role in my story. The symbol also pompously is showcased as the very opposite of the Sun, thus the name Black Sun.
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| The Sonnenrad |
König Affen:In the story, an array of scary experiments conducted by the Nazi SS doctors in the secret underground labyrinth results in a set of eerie creatures and monsters. One of them is the unique König Affen. Although this monster is a fictional creation, did you know that König Affen literally means ‘King Kong’ or the ‘King Monkey’? There is a very specific reason why I adopted the King Kong inspiration for this character. Although unique and different in its appearance, I have deliberately portrayed this creature as similar to the King Kong character because it was a favorite character of Adolf Hitler himself.
Did you know that King Kong was one of Adolf Hitler’s favorite movies that he enjoyed watching? Some sources that I came across during my research for the book reveals that Hitler loved the King Kong character so much, he habitually watched the movie in his personal theater before bedtime.
This little piece of information inspired me to create the most horrifying monster in the book as an ardor to the most horrifying dictator ever. Also note that in the entire book, I have never mentioned Adolf Hitler anywhere, except in account, even though the story is based on World War 2. Maybe the König Affen himself is a shade of Hitler? Who knows?
Did you know that King Kong was one of Adolf Hitler’s favorite movies that he enjoyed watching? Some sources that I came across during my research for the book reveals that Hitler loved the King Kong character so much, he habitually watched the movie in his personal theater before bedtime.
This little piece of information inspired me to create the most horrifying monster in the book as an ardor to the most horrifying dictator ever. Also note that in the entire book, I have never mentioned Adolf Hitler anywhere, except in account, even though the story is based on World War 2. Maybe the König Affen himself is a shade of Hitler? Who knows?
Cities and Places:In the book, the main characters travel the world as they set foot on many unknown cities and uncharted places that support the narrative of my story. From the Appalachian Mountains to the depth of Pacific Ocean, from the scorching Sahara desert to the ice-blanked winter in Stalingrad, from high-rise bridge across the Suez Canal to the underground vestibule near Taj Mahal, from the revolutionary struggle in Bombay to the chaotic air-raids in Tokyo, from seeking shelter during the famous Blitz of London to showing courage in the horrid ghettos of Poland, the purpose of the story was to tour the many episodes of World War 2 through the eyes of fictitious characters. But did you know, almost all the places and historic elements mentioned in the book are true to its veracity? I suppose one would enjoy the book even better if they did little research on the places mentioned as they voyage through the story.
Heroes:Of all the many things I have put in this book, there is one nature of portrayal that I have focused on. It’s the portrayal of a ‘hero’. What is a hero? One of the definitions of a hero says that it’s a male protagonist in a story or a movie. I wanted to change that, stretch it, and explore the many colors of being a hero in my story. And that is why I say that this book has many heroes in it.
Maude – The feminine hero
Sandstorm (Hirkath) – The war hero
Sergeant Everest – The mistaken hero
Tova – The rebel hero
Quicksand – The martyr hero
Demyan – The courageous hero
Sand-Reptile – the unconventional hero
And of course…
Gowtham – The real hero
There is also a ‘secret hero’ in the story, which is, well, a secret.
Maude – The feminine hero
Sandstorm (Hirkath) – The war hero
Sergeant Everest – The mistaken hero
Tova – The rebel hero
Quicksand – The martyr hero
Demyan – The courageous hero
Sand-Reptile – the unconventional hero
And of course…
Gowtham – The real hero
There is also a ‘secret hero’ in the story, which is, well, a secret.
Einstein:In the story, there are a set of very prominent tasks that the main characters are bound to accomplish. But in regards to what they need to find and need to achieve, the tasks are directly or indirectly connected to some of the most famous theories by Albert Einstein. But did you know that the theories mentioned in the book are the most visionary theories by Einstein, which indeed catapulted his recognition as a true master of physics?
The ‘Atomic Theory’, the ‘Photon Theory of Light’ (photoelectric equation), the ‘Theory of Special Relativity’, and the ‘Theory of General Relativity’, which are the four most outstanding works of Einstein’s career, are enthusiastically woven into the storyline, along with contradicting elements of mythologies. Can you imagine what happens when the logic of science collide with the fantasy of mythological tales? Also, in the end, the story leads us to ‘the’ most famous physics equation ever known to the world – E=Mc2.
The ‘Atomic Theory’, the ‘Photon Theory of Light’ (photoelectric equation), the ‘Theory of Special Relativity’, and the ‘Theory of General Relativity’, which are the four most outstanding works of Einstein’s career, are enthusiastically woven into the storyline, along with contradicting elements of mythologies. Can you imagine what happens when the logic of science collide with the fantasy of mythological tales? Also, in the end, the story leads us to ‘the’ most famous physics equation ever known to the world – E=Mc2.
Ülfric Röthstein:As a writer, I personally believe that every successful book has that unique character, in contradiction to the hero, which defines the whole book. Even in my first book, there was a character called ‘Swami’ which is a constant evoke of what the story really was. I would consider Ülfric Röthstein as that character here. But did you know that even after I finished writing the book, this character Ülfric never stopped pulsing ideas for an ‘alternative plot-line’, the one which was never told in the book?
I mean imagine, what if Ülfric Röthstein, in a metaphorical sense was just another ‘face’ of Gowtham himself. After all, throughout the book, I have been pressing on the battle between the good and the bad. And what if the characters Gowtham and Ülfric were that battle of the same individual? Maybe two faces of the same person? Figuratively of course.
Also, in the final chapters, Ülfric claims in a quote “someone who knows everything”, so could it be an alternative possibility that Ülfric Röthstein who “knew everything” also knew Maude’s affection towards Gowtham, and so he decided to let her go? Could his character be something beyond all the characters in the book? Who knows?
Also maybe, just maybe, he finally survived at the end of the story, after all, there is this something called as ‘parachute’. Now, this could be a parallel story-plot.
Sometimes even the writer himself is left perplexed.
I mean imagine, what if Ülfric Röthstein, in a metaphorical sense was just another ‘face’ of Gowtham himself. After all, throughout the book, I have been pressing on the battle between the good and the bad. And what if the characters Gowtham and Ülfric were that battle of the same individual? Maybe two faces of the same person? Figuratively of course.
Also, in the final chapters, Ülfric claims in a quote “someone who knows everything”, so could it be an alternative possibility that Ülfric Röthstein who “knew everything” also knew Maude’s affection towards Gowtham, and so he decided to let her go? Could his character be something beyond all the characters in the book? Who knows?
Also maybe, just maybe, he finally survived at the end of the story, after all, there is this something called as ‘parachute’. Now, this could be a parallel story-plot.
Sometimes even the writer himself is left perplexed.
Epilogue –
The Climax:When I was in school, I remember one of my English teachers had assigned us, students, to write a short story for a class collection. This was what would be my first writing in my life, as I recall. And I also remember, she told the class that a ‘mystery story’ is any story which could be interpreted into more than one ending.
My story too has parallel endings, which could be a product of capable imagination of any reader.
But did you know that one of the many such parallel endings in my book, my personal favorite is the final chapter and the Epilogue, which, in a sense are correlated.
At the end of the story, Gowtham is confronted by a rather unusual character in an unrealistic place. In fact, he is found to be standing in one of the highest levels of a tall skyscraper. But what he sees outside the window is vague, unreal and dreamy.
Again, in the Epilogue too, an introduced character is also sitting in a high-level office building in one of the most metropolitan cities. He is also supposed to be working on a computer-related project which proves to be supernatural.
But could it be a wild possibility that Gowtham, standing and experiencing a dreamy world was actually inside the computer coding of the project mentioned in the Epilogue? Maybe the dream-like experience Gowtham witnessed was nothing but a simulation? Not to mention that in both the cases one sees burning commotion outside the window. Could this be a hint that both the events cross-marked over a single scenario? Can this also be a clue to the next story?
And so, as I would like to end by saying that what you just read above is only the tip of the iceberg. I can assure you that there are many more such hidden-plots in the book. Readers will find out as they will.
Also, I would like to highlight that my previous blog post was almost two years ago. For I once blogged every month, this could as well be my statement as to support the cause for intellectual property rights. Think of all the blogs and intellectual gold I could have given the world in these past two years, but then again why would I?
P.S. I have recently started research for my next book. Yes, the character Gowtham returns.
My story too has parallel endings, which could be a product of capable imagination of any reader.
But did you know that one of the many such parallel endings in my book, my personal favorite is the final chapter and the Epilogue, which, in a sense are correlated.
At the end of the story, Gowtham is confronted by a rather unusual character in an unrealistic place. In fact, he is found to be standing in one of the highest levels of a tall skyscraper. But what he sees outside the window is vague, unreal and dreamy.
Again, in the Epilogue too, an introduced character is also sitting in a high-level office building in one of the most metropolitan cities. He is also supposed to be working on a computer-related project which proves to be supernatural.
But could it be a wild possibility that Gowtham, standing and experiencing a dreamy world was actually inside the computer coding of the project mentioned in the Epilogue? Maybe the dream-like experience Gowtham witnessed was nothing but a simulation? Not to mention that in both the cases one sees burning commotion outside the window. Could this be a hint that both the events cross-marked over a single scenario? Can this also be a clue to the next story?
And so, as I would like to end by saying that what you just read above is only the tip of the iceberg. I can assure you that there are many more such hidden-plots in the book. Readers will find out as they will.
Also, I would like to highlight that my previous blog post was almost two years ago. For I once blogged every month, this could as well be my statement as to support the cause for intellectual property rights. Think of all the blogs and intellectual gold I could have given the world in these past two years, but then again why would I?
P.S. I have recently started research for my next book. Yes, the character Gowtham returns.