Lives in Parallel is a story about the transformative situations which arise out of an infinite sea of choices to continually recreate our interpretation of reality. The story is centered on psychologist Dr. Brandy Simpson and her three graduate students Tony, Damond, and Olivia; each with a purposefully constructed world view, shaped to conceal the psychological scars of their own troubled past. Now as young adults they find themselves on divergent paths both professionally and philosophically, as they work together to help the psychologically troubled, homeless population of New York City. Dr. Simpson is poised to become a world renowned leader within her profession, the realization of her childhood dream for total independence from her controlling and overachieving parents. Olivia is a consummate professional, carefully plotting her every move to insure that her future is molded to fit her design. Damond is a religious evangelical following the highest calling by assisting patients back onto the path of righteousness. He is continually antagonized by Tony who believes exclusively in the laws of nature and who desires nothing less than to see the entire world run through the dictates of scientific reason. When these four rescue a homeless schizophrenic, who they dub Charlie M, each begins to witness Charlie's other-worldly powers as he penetrates the secret recesses of their minds. Using his abilities, Charlie forces each into self-reflection of their troubled pasts, self-realization of the lives they are living and ultimately into the deconstruction of their own peculiar world views. As their realities begin to crumble they learn that Charlie is a transporter, on a mission to move Arthur across the multiverse. To this end, Charlie leads each member of the group through a fascinating journey to the "world without" where they encounter the mysterious River Goddess, endure the madness of the vortex, and meet a host of characters, from the Shaman, Babylon and Harmonia, to past acquaintances, Sister Becky and Levon. When at last Arthur is successfully transported, Charlie entices Damond and Tony to join him in his quest to unravel the ultimate question, 'Why does the sea care about the people?' The story's shocking ending finds all four members of the group elevated to a new understanding that transcends their previous, child-like worldview and mirrors the ultimate emergence of the whole of human civilization. Unified in an enlightened state of awareness, they at last rise above the turmoil of their lives in parallel.
About the Author: The author is an associate professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the University of Kentucky. As an astronomer who explores topics on the origin of the universe, Ron is very interested in all science topics and how we as homo-sapiens use knowledge to construct meaning in our lives. In fiction he is influenced by psychological science fiction/fantasies such as "2001, A Space Odyssey, "A Scanner Darkly, and "Cube2: Hypercube." He lives with his wife, two children, one grandson and way too many cats and dogs in Lexington Kentucky.