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The Ghostwriter's Legacy (The Ghostwriter Series Book 3) Out-of-date edition.
This is an out-of-date, likely out-of-print edition. To read the current edition, it is now available on Amazon, with links and updated information here on Goodreads. The reviews and ratings here are about the same basic story and are much appreciated.
332 pages, Paperback
Published December 10, 2017
About the author
Douglas Debelak
8 books30 followersI would much prefer to have my biography written by someone else and, therefore, presented objectively in the third person. But, until I can afford to hire a publicist or persuade a friend, whom I trust to be honest, preferably more honest than myself, we are both stuck with me and my clearly subjective and highly biased effort. Given this, I believe the most authentic approach is to own up and proceed in the first person.
I don’t remember being born, nor do I trust what appear to be my earliest childhood memories, nor, at times, even memories from events that took place only moments ago. So, I can only conclude that what I am about to present will be as fictional as anything else I’ve written. Then again, hasn’t everything ever written been filtered through one’s imagination, if only to seek out the words and phrases to express best what we believe to be true? Or hope we can convince you to believe it is true.
Not my first memory, of that I am fairly certain, perhaps not a memory at all, but a clear recollection nonetheless, was the subject of sex seeming to be such a taboo topic in our household that I became so fixated on learning what was behind such a whispered about behind closed doors, dark, secret, sin-ridden mystery that its eventual discovery alone would surely send me directly to hell. I’m not sure I’ve ever escaped that sense of forbiddenness, nor, clearly, even at my advanced age, the fixation.
Another event I don’t remember, but according to my mother, I must have been a natural-born storyteller even as a child, since I persuaded the rest of my kindergarten class that I could tell a better story than the teacher. I apologize for not remembering whether I ever told the story I promised, let alone recall what that might have been. I suspect I intended to make it up, since that is what I do.
The teacher, being new and flustered by such a brazen challenge to her authority, told my mother that she didn’t know how to handle such behavior. To her horror, being strongly opposed to corporal punishment, she witnessed my mother promptly demonstrate what she called “butt shock therapy.” Whatever the teacher’s beliefs, I bet that I never disrupted her class again, whether or not I believed I had a better story to tell.
I repeated first grade, thanks to my inability to pay attention in school, whether from boredom or having more interesting stories floating through my imagination than those I promised my kindergarten classmates. Even though I was a year older than my classmates, I remained smaller than most and wore glasses, making me a natural target for bullies. Add having a mouth that, as I was to discover, would have been far more clever had I learned to keep it shut, since, together with being smaller and wearing glasses, it was not a good combination for navigating grade school unscathed, with the unsurprising consequence of regularly suffering one of my classmates’ version of “butt shock therapy.”
Like other bored-to-death, imaginative children, I spent more time daydreaming than paying attention in class. However, for some unknown reason, while not deluding myself about my undersized prospects in professional sports, I also read an entire set of encyclopedias, cover to cover, front to back, in alphabetical order, as well as many of the other books in our home. The Old Man and the Sea half a dozen times before I was twelve, and I can’t begin to calculate how many other titles, but a decent enough swathe through the classics, that, despite my best efforts to make no effort, I didn’t emerge from grade school utterly illiterate and uneducated; a fact which also didn’t go unnoticed by my mother or other adults in my life, who continued to remind me how if I’d only apply myself, I could be anything I wanted to be. More on that later.
Fast forward through junior and senior high school; to keep this brief, I graduated, if barely. After which, with a red-flag combination of poor grades and high standardi
I don’t remember being born, nor do I trust what appear to be my earliest childhood memories, nor, at times, even memories from events that took place only moments ago. So, I can only conclude that what I am about to present will be as fictional as anything else I’ve written. Then again, hasn’t everything ever written been filtered through one’s imagination, if only to seek out the words and phrases to express best what we believe to be true? Or hope we can convince you to believe it is true.
Not my first memory, of that I am fairly certain, perhaps not a memory at all, but a clear recollection nonetheless, was the subject of sex seeming to be such a taboo topic in our household that I became so fixated on learning what was behind such a whispered about behind closed doors, dark, secret, sin-ridden mystery that its eventual discovery alone would surely send me directly to hell. I’m not sure I’ve ever escaped that sense of forbiddenness, nor, clearly, even at my advanced age, the fixation.
Another event I don’t remember, but according to my mother, I must have been a natural-born storyteller even as a child, since I persuaded the rest of my kindergarten class that I could tell a better story than the teacher. I apologize for not remembering whether I ever told the story I promised, let alone recall what that might have been. I suspect I intended to make it up, since that is what I do.
The teacher, being new and flustered by such a brazen challenge to her authority, told my mother that she didn’t know how to handle such behavior. To her horror, being strongly opposed to corporal punishment, she witnessed my mother promptly demonstrate what she called “butt shock therapy.” Whatever the teacher’s beliefs, I bet that I never disrupted her class again, whether or not I believed I had a better story to tell.
I repeated first grade, thanks to my inability to pay attention in school, whether from boredom or having more interesting stories floating through my imagination than those I promised my kindergarten classmates. Even though I was a year older than my classmates, I remained smaller than most and wore glasses, making me a natural target for bullies. Add having a mouth that, as I was to discover, would have been far more clever had I learned to keep it shut, since, together with being smaller and wearing glasses, it was not a good combination for navigating grade school unscathed, with the unsurprising consequence of regularly suffering one of my classmates’ version of “butt shock therapy.”
Like other bored-to-death, imaginative children, I spent more time daydreaming than paying attention in class. However, for some unknown reason, while not deluding myself about my undersized prospects in professional sports, I also read an entire set of encyclopedias, cover to cover, front to back, in alphabetical order, as well as many of the other books in our home. The Old Man and the Sea half a dozen times before I was twelve, and I can’t begin to calculate how many other titles, but a decent enough swathe through the classics, that, despite my best efforts to make no effort, I didn’t emerge from grade school utterly illiterate and uneducated; a fact which also didn’t go unnoticed by my mother or other adults in my life, who continued to remind me how if I’d only apply myself, I could be anything I wanted to be. More on that later.
Fast forward through junior and senior high school; to keep this brief, I graduated, if barely. After which, with a red-flag combination of poor grades and high standardi
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 30, 2019
Brilliant and mind-bending, I begin the story with the third book. I'm sure I've missed a great deal within the first two books, however, the concepts and ideas presented within this story are nothing short of revolutionary. I really enjoyed it!
March 2, 2019
Characters
This story continues the story of "God" aka the "Creator of our universe." It also brings in Sammy and Eve. Sammy is related to the writer who was practically overcome in the first two books while writing the blog about the Creator's life. Unlike the first two books which had a good balance, this book was dominated by the blog/book, while Sammy and Eve's story fell by the wayside. It was like a tablespoon in a gallon of words. That imbalance caused a lot of issues for me. I found I enjoyed neither narrative very much. That being said I did like the addition of Mary.
Plot
The Creator's story, which ended so well in book two, picks up and runs millions of years into the future. Although enjoying at parts, it does stretch the imagination. At the same time Sammy Fry is brilliant and inspired by the book his great-grandfather wrote. He is enamored by a girl who is good at biology. Deciding to work together to emulate the book, they find out a lot about forever and about themselves. And I can be honest in saying most of it isn't good. The theme of sex and the need to connect with others continues. I found Sammy and Eve's story to be hallow and felt like filler with its rampant sex scenes and little dynamic. There are still compelling themes and very graphic sex, but this one felt less fleshed out.
Overall
Although the transition from book 2 to book 3 was seamless, I found it to be an overall disappointing addition to the series. It had a strong start that was as interesting as the first two books. The dark edges of the story surprising but flowed. After about half way I found the writing lagged like a boat that was too heavily loaded on one side. Until it felt like I was pulled into unnecessary circles. As though it were a platform to showcase information rather than progress the story.
I would 100% still recommend the first books in the trilogy but I wished I'd stopped there. Book 2 has a poignant end that grips the soul and has the same points that book 3 had. There were aspects of book 3 I did enjoy, so perhaps it will float your boat rather than pull it in listless circles. That begin said, I'd absolutely pick this author up again.
Rating
3 Stars
After the first two books were amazingly imaginative and compelling, I found this one disappointing. Still a good book, just not a great one.
Where did I get a copy?
The author provided me one. This is a voluntary review. More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com.
This story continues the story of "God" aka the "Creator of our universe." It also brings in Sammy and Eve. Sammy is related to the writer who was practically overcome in the first two books while writing the blog about the Creator's life. Unlike the first two books which had a good balance, this book was dominated by the blog/book, while Sammy and Eve's story fell by the wayside. It was like a tablespoon in a gallon of words. That imbalance caused a lot of issues for me. I found I enjoyed neither narrative very much. That being said I did like the addition of Mary.
Plot
The Creator's story, which ended so well in book two, picks up and runs millions of years into the future. Although enjoying at parts, it does stretch the imagination. At the same time Sammy Fry is brilliant and inspired by the book his great-grandfather wrote. He is enamored by a girl who is good at biology. Deciding to work together to emulate the book, they find out a lot about forever and about themselves. And I can be honest in saying most of it isn't good. The theme of sex and the need to connect with others continues. I found Sammy and Eve's story to be hallow and felt like filler with its rampant sex scenes and little dynamic. There are still compelling themes and very graphic sex, but this one felt less fleshed out.
Overall
Although the transition from book 2 to book 3 was seamless, I found it to be an overall disappointing addition to the series. It had a strong start that was as interesting as the first two books. The dark edges of the story surprising but flowed. After about half way I found the writing lagged like a boat that was too heavily loaded on one side. Until it felt like I was pulled into unnecessary circles. As though it were a platform to showcase information rather than progress the story.
I would 100% still recommend the first books in the trilogy but I wished I'd stopped there. Book 2 has a poignant end that grips the soul and has the same points that book 3 had. There were aspects of book 3 I did enjoy, so perhaps it will float your boat rather than pull it in listless circles. That begin said, I'd absolutely pick this author up again.
Rating
3 Stars
After the first two books were amazingly imaginative and compelling, I found this one disappointing. Still a good book, just not a great one.
Where did I get a copy?
The author provided me one. This is a voluntary review. More reviews at creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com.
May 20, 2019
This was an excellent conclusion to the Ghostwriter series. I found myself loving Mary's character the most out of the three books. The two immortals found themselves a god and goddess amongst evolving humans and other species, including intelligent dolphins and dogs. The dialogue was realistic and engaging, and the questions that arose regarding immortality and the meaning of life were interesting. I loved the story of how the two immortals managed to stay alive, together, and never bored throughout generations, and eventually going beyond a billion years of life. The sex scenes, though very well-done, occured every few pages and were too distracting from the sci-fi content, in my opinion. Otherwise, loved this conclusion to the trilogy.
March 9, 2018
I've read the first two books in this series, and this was a fine continuation of the story. Douglas carries on with the mind-bending of possibilities from his original premise, the question; "What if God was one of us?"
I found it a compelling read.
I found it a compelling read.
April 26, 2018
Majick with a "k"...
Having read the first two installments in the Ghostwriter's series, I looked forward to where the third book would take us, and it does not disappoint. In fact, in many ways, it is the crown jewel of the three, the perfect addition to the first and second. For those who are worried they won't get a heaping helping of the graphic sex scenes prevalent throughout books one and two, have no fear. It would be a Debelak novel without plenty of orgasms, lingerie, soaked sheets, and showers. How does so much sex tie in with weighty philosophical questions and spiritual concepts, God, the creation of the universe, and living forever? How can it not? Sex is a celebration of the life force, and as the author (as God) says, "I did not invent sex. I can't take credit for that. It predates me, but it is one of my favorite things."
We start out with Sammy the teenager and join him on his journey into adulthood. Along the way, he loses his wife and, after a lengthy spell of grief, he takes advice from someone we suspect we met in the first two novels (or does he simply just bear an uncanny resemblance to Jonathan, his great-grandfather?), and he ultimately finds joy again in the arms of a young virgin named Sara.
Jonathan and Sammy seem to have more in common than not. Sammy shares his "papapapa's" curiosity, love of computers, and thirst for knowledge, so putting "The World of God" in his hands seems right. He does not recreate Virtuality because he wants to avoid mistakes made in the past, but he does build a telepathic collaboration engine, powerful enough that people can create and share their own virtual realities if they so desire. (Simultaneous orgasms with a dozen friends scattered across the globe, anyone?) There are fine lyrical, dreamlike passages in the novel, such as, "I found myself hanging on for dear life to a huge spherical structure. As I got my bearings, I realized that I no more needed to cling to the sphere beneath me than I had the Earth. I stood on an enormous transparent tube and looked down. Within the tube, I could see the countless fine threads of smaller transparent tubes twisted about one another. The larger tube was wrapped around itself like a massive ball of yarn. Although words, such as huge, enormous and massive, no longer felt nearly adequate. I was less than a speck next to whatever this was. Within each of the smaller inner threads I observed what appeared to be an incomprehensibly complex movie, with billions of players moving and interacting on a set that was as large as the entire universe."
As Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution," and this novel is a testament to that.
Having read the first two installments in the Ghostwriter's series, I looked forward to where the third book would take us, and it does not disappoint. In fact, in many ways, it is the crown jewel of the three, the perfect addition to the first and second. For those who are worried they won't get a heaping helping of the graphic sex scenes prevalent throughout books one and two, have no fear. It would be a Debelak novel without plenty of orgasms, lingerie, soaked sheets, and showers. How does so much sex tie in with weighty philosophical questions and spiritual concepts, God, the creation of the universe, and living forever? How can it not? Sex is a celebration of the life force, and as the author (as God) says, "I did not invent sex. I can't take credit for that. It predates me, but it is one of my favorite things."
We start out with Sammy the teenager and join him on his journey into adulthood. Along the way, he loses his wife and, after a lengthy spell of grief, he takes advice from someone we suspect we met in the first two novels (or does he simply just bear an uncanny resemblance to Jonathan, his great-grandfather?), and he ultimately finds joy again in the arms of a young virgin named Sara.
Jonathan and Sammy seem to have more in common than not. Sammy shares his "papapapa's" curiosity, love of computers, and thirst for knowledge, so putting "The World of God" in his hands seems right. He does not recreate Virtuality because he wants to avoid mistakes made in the past, but he does build a telepathic collaboration engine, powerful enough that people can create and share their own virtual realities if they so desire. (Simultaneous orgasms with a dozen friends scattered across the globe, anyone?) There are fine lyrical, dreamlike passages in the novel, such as, "I found myself hanging on for dear life to a huge spherical structure. As I got my bearings, I realized that I no more needed to cling to the sphere beneath me than I had the Earth. I stood on an enormous transparent tube and looked down. Within the tube, I could see the countless fine threads of smaller transparent tubes twisted about one another. The larger tube was wrapped around itself like a massive ball of yarn. Although words, such as huge, enormous and massive, no longer felt nearly adequate. I was less than a speck next to whatever this was. Within each of the smaller inner threads I observed what appeared to be an incomprehensibly complex movie, with billions of players moving and interacting on a set that was as large as the entire universe."
As Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution," and this novel is a testament to that.
June 19, 2019
When a doctor takes someone’s pulse, critical information is gained; slow, rapid, strong, weak, regular, sporadic; all of it indicative of the patient’s health. What about taking the pulse of humankind, our indulgences, foibles, hopes? Ghostwriter’s Legacy captured humanity as well as any doctor and as well as any philosopher.
It would not be inaccurate to say this is a bible story. It has a creator, a creation, a devil hidden everywhere, there is sinning, salvation and everlasting life. But it’s no bible most of us could think of. Ghostwriter’s Legacy is a human story, first set in a computer dependent world and then in a series of global destruction and rebuilding.
The narrator sought to live forever, succeeded and shares his experience with the reader. Writing style is sparse, settings hardly set, character descriptions slight and metaphors invisible as ghosts. Which is fine. Pace is nearly perfect. Internal consistency was admirable for such a complex story, if something occurred at “X” there were consequences at “Y” no matter how much later. Sex scenes were bold, natural (often enough, anyway), and fun.
Although this was the third in a series, I would have liked to know more about the AI bad guy, how the narrator kept his wealth during the bad times and the book by great-granddad that drove the quest to live forever. Although editing was good throughout, the proofreader lost focus for a while about two-thirds through. And there was a slightly heavy hand with information and sex. And some will not like the dual story approach.
Reading Ghostwriter’s Legacy, Ayn Rand would be happy, Nietzsche impressed and the rest of us fascinated. Author Douglas Debelak created a brilliant work.
September 29, 2019
The Ghostwriter's Legacy is a good ending to Debelak's The Ghostwriters Series.
Told with chapters alternating between the mysterious "Creator" and Sammy, Jonathon Fry's great-grandson, we learn the factors that shaped the Creator and how Fry's book shaped Sammy's and the world's future.
This installment of the series took me a while to get into because of the time between reading it and the second book and that Debelak's work isn't dialogue heavy. There were also times I wanted longer Sammy chapters. But, as I approached the middle of the book, I got more emerged in the story and it flowed much better for me.
Overall, it's a good tale that makes the reader question the world and how they perceive it.
Told with chapters alternating between the mysterious "Creator" and Sammy, Jonathon Fry's great-grandson, we learn the factors that shaped the Creator and how Fry's book shaped Sammy's and the world's future.
This installment of the series took me a while to get into because of the time between reading it and the second book and that Debelak's work isn't dialogue heavy. There were also times I wanted longer Sammy chapters. But, as I approached the middle of the book, I got more emerged in the story and it flowed much better for me.
Overall, it's a good tale that makes the reader question the world and how they perceive it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews