The Guardians--A Novel

Only a few short years ago, the science fiction world saw the return of a cult favorite to the television screen. It was a colossal undertaking done by the producers, the writers, the cast and the crew of the science fiction show “Battlestar Galactica.” When the re-imagined series first came on the air it was met with mixed reviews by the fans of the 1970 version. At first I was not sure if I liked it. I soon became a fan and fascinated as a writer wondering how the writers of the show and Glen Larson could redo the entire story and keep the same over arching plot. I never imagined I would have to do the same with one of my own stories.

In 2000, I almost had a novel titled Voices of Command published. The story had been rewritten to change the characters to match the wants of the publisher and in the end, the story itself was killed. I put the typed manuscript into a box and let it sit. Over the years that followed I went through a divorce, deaths of my father and many of my friends. I took the story out to try to rework it back to the original version only to put it away out of frustration. These were years when my writing all but shriveled and died.

As I have finally returned to writing and feel the muse has risen from the ashes of the past, I looked at Voices of Command and realized I was glad that it had not been published. It was a naïve story told in the days before America had been successfully attacked by terrorist. The world—or the view of the United States has of the world—has changed since then. I have changed. We have seen the darkness and light, happiness and bitterness, dreams and despair. I cannot rewrite the original tale. I can re-imagine it, bring out a level of grit that was not there before.

It is still a story of hope in the face of overwhelming fear, but it is a story that must—like my muse—rise from the ashes and rediscover its true nature. So, I return to re-plotting the tale and wondering who or what will remain in the new story and how things will change.

Thank you for reading and please visit www.davidalanlucas.com for updates on the blogs, short stories and novels I write.