Hello there!
I’m Jim Raith, the author of Elysium Asunder. This novel has been in the making for over ten years, from the first ideas and rough drafting to its final manuscript form, as you are now able to read! You’re probably wondering what a Canadian is doing writing about Israel and Palestine, so I’ll tell you. As a Canadian, I have had the pleasure of growing up with, working with, and befriending diverse people from rich cultural backgrounds worldwide. My friends are French, Russian, Nigerian, Italian, Pakistani, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, South African, Malaysian, Polish, and American. As a teacher, I’ve taught students from both Israel and Palestine. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been difficult to watch my entire life, and with recent events, it is once again in the forefront.
I have spent the last few years writing Elysium Asunder with one clear goal: To write a sci-fi horror novel as an antidote to the problematic tribalistic conflict inherent to the human condition. I have done my homework, as confirmed by my beta readers. It is my sincerest wish that my story resonates with you as a perspective to try and go in another direction. Ambitiously, I want it to create dialogue and a paradigm shift to alter the course of current events. A butterfly that flaps its wings can create a hurricane of change. The problems plaguing our species will not be solved without recognizing our shared common humanity. At its core, Elysium Asunder is a novel about common humanity.
So, who am I to write this for you? I am a man living in the beautiful Great White North. I have a broad range of life experiences where I have challenged myself with some of the most difficult fears people can face. During my undergraduate degree, I researched sharks in the Bahamas and met some of our world’s top predators face to teeth. After my undergraduate degree, I spent two years in law enforcement, witnessing the darker tendencies of human behavior and violence. As a result, I have been a student of human violence through the martial arts and interest in all things military. My experience in law enforcement led me to conclude that I would prefer to be more proactive than reactive in helping other humans self-actualize, which led me to complete my teaching degree and become a science teacher. I immensely enjoy teaching and continue teaching to this day. I also returned to university and got a postgraduate degree in molecular virology. This led me to scientific research in Canada’s only level 4 virology lab. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed my research into why bats are the carriers of so many nasty viruses. Now, I am writing full-time to bring you Elysium Asunder, and I have several other sci-fi horror novels planned for the future.
I am a sci-fi horror aficionado and have been since I saw Alien at ten years old. To me, sci-fi horror is captivating because it pits us humans against the most terrifying forces of the universe. I believe that confronting what scares us is a critical factor in our personal growth. Our real world is rife with threats and dangers that must be overcome to survive, so sci-fi horror extends that struggle into the cosmos of our imaginations. The universe is a big place, and confronting the darkness and being made bigger for the undertaking is compelling storytelling.
With Elysium Asunder, I have endeavored to create a page-turner sci-fi horror that should satisfy your cravings for conflict with alien forces from beyond our blue planet. I hope you enjoy reading it even half as much as I did writing it.
