I [want] people to think a little bit more about where we might be headed from the standpoint of communications and how it’s manipulated and massaged by people with all sorts of different interests [and money].
“The future is already here – it’s just not evenly distributed. ” ~William Gibson
On one hand, Janet Stilson is a journalist. On the other, she writes scripts, novels and short stories that largely fall in the grounded sci-fi and fantasy genres and illuminate the human condition in provocative ways.
What if your child has extraordinary powers of charisma and can get people to do almost anything? What happens if the child is abducted?
Readers will be happy to learn that Janet Stilson is back with a stand-alone sequel to THE JUICE. The new book, UNIVERSE OF LOST MESSAGES, will be published on May 14, 2024 (Dragon Moon Press).
Izzie and Tristan were never mere humans. They are Charismites, with almost god-like powers of magnetism. They couldn’t be more different. Izzie is a reckless, playful megastar whose popularity far exceeds that of any other celebrity. Tristan is a secluded nature lover, almost completely unknown to anyone beyond a protective biodome.
Their worlds explode when they are abducted by The Fist, a power-hungry political group with a master plan to control the hearts and minds of all people on Earth and satellite colonies beyond.
But the plan only works with the help of Charismites.
Tristan and Izzie’s families will do anything to find them. But they don’t have much to go on until a feisty, street-wise teen, Cheeta, discovers clues about the Charismites within a strange metaverse filled with millions of missing messages. But will they actually find them? And can they destroy The Fist before they take over the planet?
Filled with an eclectic cast of characters, a slow-burn romance, humor, and wonderful descriptions of a sensual and sometimes violent world, UNIVERSE OF LOST MESSAGES is a gripping new sci-fi thriller, filled with political intrigue.
The ebook version of “Universe” is available for pre-order at this link.
Janet’s novel, “The Juice,” is a dystopian, cyberpunk tale that was inspired by her work as an editor and reporter, interviewing execs at big media companies about where the heck we’re all going. It was published by Dragon Moon Press on Feb. 9, 2021. If you love the cyberpunk science fiction of William Gibson; the dystopian world of The Handmaid’s Tale ; or sci-fi detective novels, add THE JUICE to your reading list!
THE JUICE, is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. “Stilson debuts with an energetic vision of a dystopian near-future America … This cyberpunk adventure delivers plenty of future tech and social commentary to please genre fans.” — Publishers Weekly
Based on her film script “Jaguar Trail,” Janet was selected to be part of the Writers Lab for Women, which is funded by Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman. Stowe Story Labs also selected “Jaguar” to be part of its intensive mentorship program in 2018.
As a journalist, Janet got her “chops” at the storied showbiz bible “Variety.” She has traveled the world chronicling the business of media and entertainment. It afforded her many busman’s holidays in places like Shanghai and Paris, for which she is forever grateful.
Janet has also worked as a consultant and researcher, specializing in the business of media. Separately and in conjunction with others, she has provided services to such clients as Liberty Media, Microsoft Corp., Oxygen, Discovery Communications and MTV Networks.
She has been an artist in residence at Dorland, a retreat in Southern California; the Julia and David White Artists’ Colony in Costa Rica; Odysseys, also in Costa Rica, and La Muse in southern France.
Janet lives in New York City’s Riverdale area. It’s a world away from her childhood home in a gorgeous upstate New York town called Franklin. Cars pass through Franklin in almost the blink of an eye, and she hopes it stays that way.
Her short story “Imaginary Children” was published by Asimov’s magazine in July 2020.
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