Click Here To Purchase ITP: Future Hope

Author: David Gelber
ISBN: 978-0-9820763-0-9
Publisher: Ruffian Press

Today, Norm Goldman Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com is pleased to have as our guest, Dr. David Gelber author of ITP FUTURE HOPE. Dr. Gelber is a general vascular surgeon and he has informed me that he and his wife have lots of pets, 4 dogs, and about 24 birds of various types. He also has a strong interest in horse racing which is one of the themes that runs through his debut novel.

Good day Dr. Gelber and thanks for participating in our interview.

Norm:

Why have you been drawn to writing a Christian Science Fiction novel interweaving a religious theme into your novel? As a follow up, are there aesthetic advantages and disadvantages peculiar to this genre?

Dr. Gelber:

I started with the idea of speculating on what mankind’s future would be like in the context of man becoming like God, as promised by Satan in the Garden of Eden. This future is then contrasted with God’s perfect world before man suffered the Fall. The Christian themes flowed out of this, however the story is much more Old Testament than New. The disadvantages of this genre are the restrictions that go along with speculating on anything biblical. It is important to maintain consistency with biblical principles; depictions of God or Christ must remain true to their characters as found in the Bible. The advantages are that portraying God does allow for some entertaining events as supernatural occurrences performed by God are permissible, as long as they remain true to the Bible.

Norm:

You incorporate a great deal of technical data and description into your novel. Where did all of this come from?

Dr. Gelber:

The medical descriptions were easy for me. As a surgeon I have a strong background in medicine and it was easy to extrapolate from what medicine offers today and predict what may be available in the future. The physics was a little bit of knowledge coupled with a lot of imagination. I started college as a physics major before I changed my mind and took the easy road by becoming a doctor. The whole ITP concept of interdimensional travel was a product of my imagination, a literaty device I invented to get my character, Major Sanders, from point A to point B. There is a some basis for the concept as current physics does predict the existence of multiple dimensions.

Norm:

How did you develop the plot and characters? Did you use any set formula?

Dr. Gelber:

The plot started with my speculating on two things: the future of Earth and what would Eden have been like if man had never suffered through the Fall. The character of Joshua has been floating around in my head for years, but the other characters and story lines were developed without any set plan or formula.

Norm:

Do you agree that if you want to write a good story or novel you need to create struggles of powerful descriptive individuals and not just issues? Through their accomplishments and travail, we very much comprehend the issues? How do you feel this is applicable to ITP FUTURE HOPE?

Dr. Gelber:

ITP FUTURE HOPE is full of such struggles. I agree that this is essential for an entertaining and meaningful story. At the top of ITP is the ageless struggle between God and Satan, which started in the Garden of Eden and has continued throughout history. Most of the characters who are involved with the ITP flight all publicly espouse the “party line” of utilizing interdimensional travel to expand mankind’s influence and find new worlds, but most of them have much different motivation. It is these varied motivations that drive the story. Of course, characters that are not what they seem to be, flawed heroes, seemingly ordinary people doing extraordinary deeds make for an entertaining story.

Norm:

Did your writing career of your novel ever conflict with your career as a surgeon?

Dr. Gelber:

Writing is still a hobby. I spend 50-60 hours a week practicing medicine and this comes first. It took about two years to finish the first draft and another ten months to get it ready to publish. I mostly would write in the evenings when the rest of my family was occupied with other activities.

Norm:

In fiction as well as in non-fiction, writers very often take liberties with their material to tell a good story or make a point. But how much is too much?

Dr. Gelber:

I don’t know, really; with religious themes it is important to stay true to the source of the religion. In the case of ITP that source is the Bible. I also think there should be limits to graphic violence or sex. To the extent that these advance the plot they are permissible, but I don’t think having graphic descriptions just for the sake of having them is proper.

Norm:

Your novel seems to have a broader mission than simply entertaining or storytelling. Can you talk more about that mission and what you hope readers will take away in terms of their relationship to the Earth?

Dr. Gelber:

I did want to write an entertaining story, which I think that I accomplished, but I also wanted to make the point that God has not forgotten us and that some of the excesses that present day man embraces come with a price. The current economic crisis is a very good example. I hope that readers will realize that we are limited to what we have here on this planet and we need to take care of our resources. In addition, a variety of social issues pop up throughout the story that I hope are somewhat thought provoking.

Norm:

Do you worry about the human race?

Dr. Gelber:

I think the human race will persevere, we will always have our struggles, but we will find ways to overcome them. I do think that God exists and has a plan for us. If this were not true, then we really are in a hopeless situation. It is belief in God that gives us hope in desperate times.

Norm:

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in ITP FUTURE HOPE?

Dr.Gelber:

I don’t think so. I went through the manuscript about two dozen times writing and rewriting. I think the novel succeeds perfectly on every level.

Norm:

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Dr. Gelber:

I learned a great deal about the publishing industry and I learned that writing a well constructed story takes a good deal of work.

Norm:

Do you feel that writers, regardless of genre owe something to readers, if not, why not, if so, why and what would that be?

Dr. Gelber:

I think that writers owe their readers a well constructed, responsible story that entertains and informs.

Norm:

Can you tell us how you found representation for your book? Did you pitch it to an agent, or query publishers who would most likely publish this type of book? Any rejections? Did you self-publish?

Dr. Gelber:

I self-published the novel. I sent out a few letters looking for an agent or a publisher, which went unanswered or with a polite rejection. But, I wanted to have it published so that my father could see the finished product. He’s 93 and has been in declining health. He loved the manuscript and really wanted to see it in print.Because of this I decided to publish it myself. I created my own company, Ruffian Press, and used the wealth of resources available online to publish it. The internet levels the playing field a bit for publishing. The book is available by special order in most bookstores and of course can be easily found online.

Norm:

What is next for Dr. David Gelber and how can our readers find out more about you and ITP FUTURE HOPE?

Dr. Gelber:

I am working on a sequel which will probably take another 8 months or so to finish the first draft. You can find out more about ITP FUTURE HOPE on my web site www.itpfuturehope.com. There are some reviews and commentary, it can be purchased and there is a link to Amazon.

Norm:

Is there anything else you wish to add that we have not covered?

Dr. Gelber:

I think that we’ve covered everything, but I will tell your readers that if you are looking for an entertaining, thought provoking story then read ITP FUTURE HOPE. Ninety nine percent of the feedback that I have received has been very positive.

Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors.

Click Here To Read Norm's Review of ITP: Future Hope

Click Here To Purchase ITP: Future Hope