Songs of the Zhongzi: The Books

About the books:

When one hundred small creatures, each a little shining jewel, individually crafted with respect and love, find their way through the hatch to life in the sulphur-sweet air of their own wild planet, they start on a wonderful journey that parallels the rise of human civilisation. Against a fantastically beautiful back- drop. the zhongzi develop colourful personalities. They learn how to ride the geysers, harness the winds and interact with the weird and delightful endemic life forms . They create cultures and communities radically different from anything known by their human creators. But confronted by ideological challenges and divided into radically different societies, their actions have drastic and far-reaching consequences

The Songs of the Zhongzi cross many genres to draw the reader into strange situations, new sets of rules and a colourful kaleidoscope of strange creatures, all of which is fun. But at a deeper level it parodies very human questions such as how to develop healthy communities, how to cater for a questing intelligence, how to deal with diverging ideologies and how to prevent boredom in a perfect society. Concepts such as identity, religion and purpose are explored in a new context.

The books are part of a multimedia project. At the root of the zhongzi society lie their songs, depicting decisive moments in their development. Therefore, the song videos were an inevitable development. Along the way pictures were created for the videos - most of which were never used - but which are to be found in the galleries.

The following books are ready for print:  (Click to enlarge covers)

Status

Note: A draft copy of Book1 was sent to professional reviewers as a "feeler" under the title The Rise and Fall of the Perfect Creation, to get feedback. You will find the professional reviews here. The result was so encouraging, that it now comes out in a second edition, with comments accomodated, and with a new title.

The following books are all completed and edited and waiting for initial reviews before being sent to the printers (click to read more about the book):
- Songs of the Zhongzi (Book 1)
- Island of Rainbows (Songs of the Zhongzi Book 2)
- Island of Fire (Songs of the Zhongzi Book 3)

The fourth book Homeland is projected. The first chapters are written.