Underground Knowledge — A discussion group discussion

I’m always interested in books that challenge the mind or offer alternative perspectives.
If you’ve encountered a title that changed the way you see the world, I’d love to hear it.

Some books don’t just change what we think — they change who we are.
I wonder which ones did that for you.

Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

Disgrace JM Coetzee

Hello fellow seekers,

What a fantastic and essential thread. This is the very reason I love to read and write.

The most profound perspective shift, for me, is the one that my debut novel, The Sentinel Project, is built on: the idea that our "official" history is not just incomplete, but is a comforting lie.

It's a book for those of us who have looked at the Giza pyramids, at Göbekli Tepe, or at the ruins of Machu Picchu and felt, deep down, that the story we're being told just doesn't add up.

My novel is a philosophical sci-fi thriller that explores that "what if." It asks: What if our most ancient myths are not just stories, but the fragmented, misunderstood user manuals for a lost global science? And what if the key to that science—the key to our true history—is still locked inside our so-called "junk" DNA, waiting for the right mind to turn the key?

I wrote it to be a gripping, fast-paced thriller, but at its heart, it was designed from the ground up to be a true "perspective-shifting" read. It's a story that presents an alternative, and perhaps more plausible, angle on our human story.

I would be honored if you would consider it for your list.

And on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Sentinel-Proje...?

With respect,

Soren K. Blackwood
The Sentinel Project

Hello Soren,
Thank you for such a thoughtful and passionate contribution — I truly appreciate the depth behind your perspective. Your exploration of hidden histories and the idea of “comforting lies” in our official narratives is fascinating, and I can see how The Sentinel Project emerges from a genuine intellectual curiosity rather than from storytelling alone.

I’m always drawn to works that challenge what we think we know and invite us to question the foundations beneath our inherited truths. Your novel seems to navigate exactly that space — the intersection of myth, science, and the mysteries we often overlook.

I’ve added The Sentinel Project to my reading list; it sounds like the kind of story that expands one’s inner landscape.

And as a fellow writer, I admire authors who aim to shift perspectives rather than simply entertain. It’s always inspiring to see voices committed to asking the deeper “what if.”

Wishing you continued success on your journey — and thank you again for enriching this discussion.

— Raphaël Zéla

Thank you, Irene — Disgrace is a powerful choice.
Coetzee has a rare ability to expose the uncomfortable truths beneath human behavior, and I admire how his work lingers long after the final page.

I appreciate you sharing this recommendation — it’s exactly the kind of book that reshapes a reader from within.

— Raphaël