PHOTO: Matt von Lindenberg: A visionary storyteller whose artistic versatility breathes life into psychological thrillers that challenge the boundaries of identity and reality.
Exploring Identity, Conspiracies, and Paranoia in No One’s Time
Matt von Lindenberg discusses his novel No One’s Time, blending psychological tension, societal commentary, historical mystery, and personal insight into a gripping narrative that challenges perceptions of identity and memory.
Matt von Lindenberg’s name carries a creative weight that spans multiple disciplines, and his work is nothing short of mesmerising. A writer, musician, painter, cinematographer, director, and producer, Matt is a multi-hyphenate storyteller whose artistry knows no bounds. Over the years, his talents have converged into a singular ability to unravel the complexities of the human condition, crafting works that are as gripping as they are introspective.
His latest achievement, the novel No One’s Time, is a taut psychological thriller that leads readers down a labyrinth of memory, identity, and intrigue. This masterwork uses nonlinear structure and richly atmospheric settings to keep readers ensnared, punctuated by historical threads woven seamlessly into a contemporary narrative. Matt’s protagonist, Grady Sachs, embarks on a journey that explores themes of erasure, self-perception, and transformation, all while confronting a conspiracy that stretches through time itself.
Matt’s storytelling is deeply informed by his background in music and multimedia production, lending his prose a cinematic quality underscored by moody, sensory dynamics. His ability to paint eerie yet introspective worlds allows readers to wander through corridors of tension and paranoia, leaving them stunned at every unexpected turn. Whether through his evocative descriptions or the sharp psychological depth of his characters, Matt von Lindenberg crafts a reading experience that lingers long after you’ve closed the book.
In this interview, Matt provides fascinating insights into the creative process behind No One’s Time, his exploration of timely societal issues, and his advice to aspiring authors. It’s a conversation that not only delves into the intricacies of his latest novel but also offers a glimpse into the mind of a modern-day Renaissance man. Prepare to be inspired.
Matt von Lindenberg masterfully blurs the lines between history and fiction, crafting deeply introspective and edge-of-your-seat psychological thrillers.
In No One’s Time, Grady Sachs leads a deliberately forgettable life. What inspired you to explore the theme of identity erasure and its psychological implications?
The idea kind of morphed as I was writing No One’s Time into something more of a social commentary. I think, as a society (and due to social media specifically), there is a massive push to uphold an image of some sort and it causes people to lose track of their own lives and the ability to be present with themselves and the world around them. The implications, there, are that it’s entirely possible to lose oneself to the ‘image’ that’s being kept up.
“I think, as a society, there is a massive push to uphold an image, causing people to lose track of themselves.” – Matt von Lindenberg
The novel hints at a centuries-old conspiracy. How did you weave historical elements into a contemporary psychological thriller?
There was a lot of research, both event-centric and regarding cultural geography to make sure that events were captured accurately, but also to weave bits of reality into the story. I think, in psychological thrillers especially, it can lend itself to the immersion of the story. When you can bring history and contemporary timelines into convergence, it creates a much more compelling, but also claustrophobic tone, in my opinion.
Grady’s transformation from passive to active protagonist is compelling. What challenges did you face in developing his character arc?
There wasn’t really an arc intended when I went into it, just the notion that a nobody would be wrongfully accused of high crimes that would land him in prison serving multiple life sentences. As the writing progressed, the conspiracy and character dynamics revealed themselves to me organically.
The narrative structure of No One’s Time plays with memory and perception. How did you approach this non-linear storytelling technique?
I felt it was important to place both memories and fabricated experiences into a story that also has a very solid ‘present day’. The point was to be equally disorienting and confined. That theme was to be conveyed both physically, e.g. the sudden incarceration, and existentially, e.g. the scenes with The Brink and flashbacks to certain characters’ pasts.
Your background in music and multimedia production is evident in your writing style. How do these disciplines influence your storytelling?
I don’t necessarily see writing as a literary medium, I would say. I tend to think in soundtracks and cinema and, as I am writing, I find that I am compelled to follow the tone that I am feeling until the song ends or the scene fades to black in my mind.
The novel’s atmosphere is both eerie and introspective. What role does setting play in creating the psychological tension in your work?
In No One’s Time, it was very important to keep a heightened sense of instability throughout. I felt it was necessary to travel through the book in the same way that Grady has navigated highlighted portions of his own life and feel as though the rug could be yanked out from under you at any time. I wanted a thread of confusion and paranoia to settle in so that, just as the reader thought they had a grasp on the plot, everything would take a hard left turn and leave them with whiplash.
No One’s Time delves into themes of surveillance and personal history. How do you see these issues resonating with today’s readers?
This was another one of those societal mirrors. We live in a world where news travels at the speed of speech and it is accessible in droves, usually to the detriment of the gross population’s sanity, I feel. We are measured with likes and follows on social media, our phones and computers have recognition firmware associated with them, and we are able to get through most security measures biometrically. These have all become less and less of a choice and more the common practice, to the point that I don’t think we realized just how much information we all have available for public consumption.
As in No One’s Time, it only takes someone pulling at a single thread to unravel a life.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors looking to blend psychological depth with thrilling narratives?
Write from experience; write from the places in your mind that keep you up at night. We are creatures of habit by nature, and with habits come a plethora of anxieties and fears. Those are motivators to look over our shoulders just as much as they are to get out of bed in the morning. The human mind is more terrifying than any fiction someone can plot on a storyboard — let that run wild and you never know where it may land you.
