Imagine a technology that can instantly deploy a high-speed, wireless communications network that cannot be disrupted. Designed for disaster scenarios, but, as readers soon discover, it also serves as a powerful weapon against political disaster—namely, a totalitarian regime that depends on its ability to suppress the media and free press as a way to control the message.

In 1987, my friend and mentor, Tom Vairetta, and I were sitting at a table together in Pacific Bell’s headquarters building in San Ramon, California, drinking coffee and plotting global revolution, or whatever telephone company geeks and bit weenies did when drinking coffee in the company cafeteria. Even then, I was an author, cranking out articles for local magazines and book concepts—although my first published book was still ten years away. One day, Tom and I had a conversation that started with the phrase,’ what if…’ That was in 1986; 36 years later, I released BrightStar. 

BrightStar revolves around a fictitious technology that makes it possible to rapidly deploy a high-speed communications network that cannot be disrupted. It’s designed for use in disaster scenarios, but, as readers soon discover, it also serves as a powerful weapon against political disaster—namely, a totalitarian regime that depends on its ability to suppress the media and free press as a way to control the message. 

It’s a well-established truth that revolutionaries go out of their way to first control the public media when fomenting revolution. But what if a technology came along that made that impossible, a technology that, when deployed, could instantly establish a wide-area, high-speed network, with zero dependence on ground-based infrastructure? That’s the idea behind BrightStar. 

I’ve worked in the telecommunications industry since 1981, and have written

more than 30 books about the technologies that underlie our fixed and mobile networks. Somewhere along the way, I came to a realization. These technologies just work—period. And what they really do, what we usually forget they do, is connect people to people, people to opportunity, people to hope, people to their competitive advantage. That’s what matters: who cares how fast a network is; who really cares that I can download an 8K, feature length film in 1.5 seconds? What I really care about is this: If I deploy this technology, how will it create greater human potential? How will it create economic growth? How will it strengthen the power of a free press? How will it make education and healthcare more effective and efficient? How will it empower organizations to achieve competitive advantage? And how will it create more transparent government? 

In my two most recent novels, The Nation We Knew and BrightStar, technology plays a key role. Check them out—I guarantee a wild ride! And if you like those, check out my other novel, Inca Gold, Spanish Blood. It’s a great adventure built around SCUBA diving, salvage, treasure hunting, and life-threatening treachery.

#BrightStar #IncaGoldSpanishBlood