John Be Lane – Unveiling the Future 

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Editor’s Desk – London

Exploring Modern Society Through Fiction

John Be Lane discusses the inspirations behind The Future Lies, highlighting societal issues, the role of technology, and the importance of truth and rebellion in shaping our future.

John Be Lane’s literary journey began with his acclaimed debut, The Beatin’ Path, which earned a Living Now Evergreen Award for its profound impact as a world-changing book. Residing in the serene landscapes of Colorado, Lane has continued to captivate readers with his thought-provoking narratives. His latest work, The Future Lies, delves into a dystopian future that eerily mirrors our present-day societal challenges.

In this exclusive interview with Reader’s House Magazine, Lane discusses the inspirations behind The Future Lies, a novel that magnifies contemporary issues such as our dependency on technology, the erosion of intellectual discourse, and the surrender of personal agency. Through the perilous journey of his protagonist, Calvin, Lane explores themes of rebellion, freedom, and the relentless pursuit of truth. He offers a stark warning about the costs of our unquestioning embrace of technology and the apathy that fuels societal decay.

Join us as John Be Lane shares his insights on the real-world events that shaped his dystopian vision, the moral lessons embedded in his narrative, and the creative challenges he faced in crafting this compelling story. This interview not only provides a deeper understanding of The Future Lies but also serves as a call to action for readers to reflect on their own roles in shaping the future.

What inspired you to create the world of The Future Lies,and how did you develop its dystopian landscape?

The Future Lies was inspired by the current state of the world. Among other things, it’s a satire on our world. It wasn’t hard to project the currents of contemporary life into the future, to their plausible conclusions. In some ways, we’re already living in a dystopian age. 

In the book, I really just magnified what’s happening now. Our captivity by our smart phones. Our willingness to serve the needs of elites. Our lack of curiosity. Our appetite for low quality entertainment. Our unwillingness to think for ourselves. The surrender of our personal agency. The result, I hope, is a mirror in which we might see ourselves. 

Can you share any personal experiences or real-world events that influenced the themes explored in your novel?

I’ve lived long enough to have witnessed a wholesale collapse in our regard for intelligence, good faith between people, and our commitment to even basic moral standards. It’s not like things were ideal years ago. But the evidence of this general deterioration is easy to find. YouTube has interviews with public intellectuals like James Baldwin and Rod Serling, for example, which were broadcast for free into the homes of everyday people. They are astonishing in their clarity and depth – and unthinkable as anything that would be valued in today’s media environment. 

The artistry and complexity of music, film, and literature from decades past is rarely even attempted anymore. Listen to interviews of average citizens back then, and you’ll hear a notable difference in their general cultural knowledge and ability to articulate their thoughts. We have devolved as a culture. The Future Lies is an attempt to capture the end state of our devolution, and where things might go from there. 

The protagonist, Calvin, embarks on a perilous journey against the omnipotent AI, the Network. What message or moral lesson do you hope readers will take away from his story?

Oppression is always built on lies. Since lies themselves have no substance, all of their authority is generated by our willingness to believe them. By doing that, we become the instruments of our own oppression. Suffering is the result. Conversely, truth is the key to freedom. The pursuit of truth is within our power, but we have to recognize its importance, and seek it out, whatever the risks. 

Calvin has an innate sense of morality, and an instinctive need to understand the truth of things. I hope readers will relate to Calvin’s desire to learn, and that he might inspire them to follow his example. 

In The Future Lies,technology plays a central role in shaping society. How do you see the relationship between humanity and technology evolving in the real world, and what warnings or insights does your book offer in this regard?

Technology must be a tool that serves us and ourneeds, not the other way around. But I worry that we’ve become oblivious to the price we pay – in our privacy, freedom, intellectual capacity, and social bonds – in exchange for low-value conveniences that deliver most of their benefits to handful of people who have no interest in our interests. I hope the book demonstrates the costs of our unquestioning surrender to technology. 

The novel touches on themes of rebellion, freedom, and the search for truth. How do these themes resonate with contemporary societal issues, and what parallels do you see between your fictional world and our own?

Those themes are more a call to action than a reflection of our contemporary world. I see widespread apathy about conditions that can easily lead to the demise of our species. In fact, our submissiveness is the engine that powers abuse of the public good by corrupt judges, political leaders, oligarchs, and multinational corporations. 

In that way, the world of The Future Lies directly parallels our own. If we value our freedom and our future, passivity is not an option. We are called upon to commit ourselves to seek the truth, and to resist the forces working against us. At great risk to themselves, the main characters in the book heed that call. 

As an author, what challenges did you face while crafting “The Future Lies,” and how did you overcome them? Additionally, are there any particular scenes or characters that were especially challenging or rewarding to write?

There are two related story lines, separated from each other by decades. I enjoyed the challenge of writing them so they felt integrated with each other, and organic to the overall story. And several of the key scenes were especially rewarding to write. They include the Fall of Rome, a couple of the scenes in the Garden in which we see the deepening of an intimate relationship, and the dénouement sequence. 

Photo by Hardy Klahold (https://www.hardyklaholdphotography.com/)

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