About the author

Robert J. Muller

<p>I stumbled into writing through technical documentation. I had just discovered the work of Robert B. Parker, the great detective novelist, and I wondered: could I write a detective story that helped somebody learn how to use regular expressions? It turned out I could, and that article was very popular. Years later, I had the opportunity to ghostwrite a technology book that conveyed database management system technology through a story about a nineteenth century farm ledger, which was a best seller. Why not inject technology into fiction?</p>&#13; &#13; <p>Over the years, I developed many interests: science, technology, mathematics, ancient and modern history, archaeology, cooking, psychology, and classical literature. So many great writers, so many excellent books! I use the encyclopedia of knowledge I acquired over those many years to inform my fiction, written in the mystery, historical, and science fiction genres. I create alternate histories that upend the assumptions we make about our own history. I use language (ancient Egyptian and its hieroglyphs, slave dialect, and so on) to take people out of their own world and into somebody else's' world. I use historical characters to explore both their moral character and their actual role in history, writing about themes like civil rights, political compromise, public and moral duty, and slavery. I use science and technology to inject reality into mysteries, thrillers, and science fiction, both to inform the reader on the subject and to show how the science and technology affects the world in which we live, or in which we could live.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>I discovered Jane Austen in graduate school and learned that a fine brush is often better than a huge canvas at conveying the relationships between people and the world in which they live. How the world works, how people construct it, how people live and die in it, and why they live the kinds of lives they do.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>I live and work in San Francisco with my wife and illustrator, Mary L. Swanson.</p>&#13; &#13; <p>You can connect with me through my Author Page at http://www.poesys.com.</p>