KAOS sci-fi novel/screenplay due out May 2003

[chess_sess]

I am working on a sci-fi novel labeled KAOS, where in the year 2080 A.D. America and all other countries over the world are over run with prisons by covert dictatorships, and the main population of these prisons are controlled by behavior modification chips embedded in their skulls. Until one of the creators of the system overides their controlling chips. My main character who works for the "government" must go back through time via retrocognition,since physical time travel seems to be theoretically impossible without causing a paradox or the destruction of our known universe and the creation of another simultaneously because of the direct contradiction of reality. Anyway since he goes via retrocognition he can not meddle in past events, his consciousness just animates another persons body in the past simultaneously without the host knowing. He can see, feel, hear, taste, etc. but just can not participate in the host decisions or actions. As my story goes my main character must inhabit this body until he finds out the password to overide the Kaos system that the creator/hacker of the system has unleashed on the world through release of billions of resentful killers/prisoners. In the original scene where the main character infiltrates the KAOS system before time travel, he encouners what is the equivalent of the Devil who gives him a clue on how to shut down the system. The main character only has 12 hours to complete the mission, but when he retro's time is no longer relevant, because time in the unconsciouss "conscious" is non existent, therefore two weeks to months in the host body is equivalent to however long he needs to stay. The main character must stay fully alert and find the password and come back to his current reality and save the world. chess_sess, is this Plausible? would you go see it or read it?

 

[TimeTravelActivist]

And let me guess, Jean Clude Van-Dam will star in the movie make of the book

?

 

[Raidzuo]

Most production and publishing companies aren't taking post apocalyptic and/or sci-fi/religous stories right now. Everyone is eating up action/war fliks, and extreme comedies. If you wanted to make this into a screen play I'd take the sci-fi aspect of the story a back drop too: the mood, the setting, and the character development. 12 monkeys put a twist on a time travel story and made it a pyscho thriller of sorts. The sucess of movies and books show that people are far more interested in character development than they are a plot. Matter of fact most people could care less about a plot and won't even remember it.

I have some ideas that might spice your book. Tell me what you think. I'm just throwing these out don't he table so don't judge too harshly.

Perhaps the process to time travel and/or occupying someone's body would be extremly dis-orienting, to the point of leaving the traveller with severe amnesia.

The beginning could start out as you've planned, but make it dark and gritty. We don't really know what is going on, but it's vital for the portagonist too meet the antagonist in the first few pages of the story. Afterwards the main character "awakens" inside someone else's body, unaware of what's happening. It would be a good idea if we never even saw the main character cleary at the beggining of the story, so we think he is the host body instead. The main character would seem confused and helpless, which would strenghten our connection with him. From there you could give clues as to what is really happening in the story to feed the audience too keep they're interest. Only until the end would you reveal that the setting is 80 years in the future, and the character traveled back in time to get the code. It would be intersting if the main character somehow already knew the code.

Also too note the best way to develop a character is too have him interacting with others on a very emotional level to show his/her vulnerability. The most common way this is done is of course a love interest. Try to create something your familiar with. If you have a closer relationship with a best friend than you do a boyfriend/girlfriend, base the supporting charcter of of those experiences.

I think it would be interesting if he fell in love or formed a strong relationship with someone while in the host body, but is not really able too do anything about it. Maybe he meets them later in his original time line. Also it would be neat if he met the "devil" when he was younger. This could be another way he gets the code.

Producers are looking for a twist in any story now adays as everything has almost been done. Including the synopsis you've posted. I like your plot but it's not very original and it's been done before. Maybe you could pioneer the genre and do it in a completely different way. Also if your creating your story with making "logic" a priroity don't do it. Like I said most people won't care if your book or movie makes sense. They're more interested in being enchanted and entertained. It's much harder to enchant our generation with technology and time travel like it was when star wars and terminator came out.

Another thing, you shouldn't post your story synopsis until it's been copy righted... even then you should not. It's not safe. If a publisher finds out that you've been sharing your story with allot of people they might not publish you because the story is already "out". This happened with the Alien V.S. predator script. It got on the internet and was dropped from production almost right away (even though the script sucked anyway!). You might want to delete this post.