Matthew’s Comments (group member since Feb 20, 2012)

Matthew’s comments from the Q&A with Matthew Alexander group.

Thanks for the question!

At the moment, I am working on a non-sequel, though it is still science fiction. I am about 50,000 words in and hope to be finished by autumn of 2013 or so. We'll see how it goes.

I do think I will eventually write a sequel to Withur We, though I am not sure when that will be. I have another idea for the project after the present one, so we'll have to see which way I'm inclined.

I do have a basic idea for the sequel to Withur We, and I even have a title (something I did not have for WW until I was nearly finished with the first draft). I'd love to be able to work on these projects full time, because at the present rate, I think the WW sequel would probably be coming out around 2019 or so. Maybe I can speed it up.

Thanks again for the question, Joe!

Thanks for stopping by, Joe! And thanks for the spoiler alert.

The reason I left the ending uncertain is because it reflects the book's theme and title. Withur We, phonetically, can be taken either as Whither We? (Where are we headed to?) or Wither We (We are withering). It asks the question, where are going as a species, and how are we going to treat each other?

At the end of part II, there has been a massive but temporary setback, really the only way it could have ended given the forces arrayed against them. But the ideas are out there, people have seen it work, the cache of weapons is in Darion's control... I think the speech at the end of part II, by Angus, sums up my feeling and intent.

And I definitely feel that such a society is possible. There was a point in time when democracy was not practiced, and now it is. This is not to say that every society will evolve into a democracy, nor that every society is now capable of being democratic. I think libertarian anarchy is the same way. In fact, many of the qualities that need to reach critical mass in order for a society to function under a democracy are pretty much the same ones I believe are needed for an an-cap society.

I think once it got up and running it would be a marvelous thing, and I think our descendants will see it one day, probably multiple times and in multiple forms. They'll see a lot of other things too. There is no end to history.

Excellent question!

Those interested in the author's influences (literary, cinematic, philosophical) can get a discussion going on this thread.

Anyone who wants to know more about Withur We, feel free to post your questions here.

If you've read the book and wanted to discuss it, post your comments and questions here.

Hello, everyone, and thanks for stopping by! Take a moment to introduce yourselves, if you like, and let me know how you heard about Withur We.