PEER INTO THE FUTURE. Local teacher and author, Erik Meyer, recently released his science fiction novel, Cryptoamnesiac. (Background photo via Unsplash)

With our real world slowly drifting towards all things Artificial Intelligence (AI), it only makes sense that science fiction books continue to delve into that world. Erik Meyer, an Eau Claire local and substitute teacher in the area’s schools, recently self-published his sci-fi novel, Cryptoamnesiac.

Following the character Cosmas Redstone in a post-capitalist world set in Wisconsin where AI creates a schedule for every person in society, referred to as the OneGov citizens. The world has stopped aging, but still with a finite level of space in a person’s brain, Cosmas administers memory pruning treatments to create room for new memories and knowledge. When this seemingly perfect society begins to crumble, Cosmas also begins to look inward to uncover a family feud he had mostly forgotten.

The novel first began as one chapter that Meyer wrote while experimenting with a sci-fit world set in Wisconsin, diving into ideas of how our society could likely change within the next few decades. “Sometime in the next 30-40 years, we may hit a point where we can actually effectively stop aging, we may cure cancer. We may do these things, but what happens then?” Meyer mused. “It was just like giving myself permission to sort of imagine that, but then to put the craft of writing it well so that it was something that anybody with a reasonable reading level could connect with.”

"I feel like the Midwest is its own take on weird, but in a way that I enjoy."

erik meyer

author

After the first chapter was written, Meyer said the rest came with relative ease. He had planned to  create just a few copies to give to loved ones, but after people suggested he try a broader audience, Meyer printed several copies at EC Printing and brought them to local bookstores including The Local Store, Dotters Books, and Dragon Tale Books.

Earning his MFA in Creative Writing from Minnesota State-Moorhead and working as an English instructor at CVTC, writing is certainly a facet of his personal life as well. He has written pen and paper role-playing games, created a video game called "Church of the Midnight Sailor," and is working on another science fiction novel in a different universe than Cryptoamnesiac, but still set in Wisconsin.

“I feel like the Midwest is its own take on weird, but in a way that I enjoy,” Meyer said. “I feel like everybody knows Wisconsin for the Packers, senators, and serial killers, and that’s already a fair amount to unpack.”

Pick up a copy of Cryptoamnesiac at The Local Store (205 N. Dewey St., Eau Claire), Dotters Books (307 S Barstow St., Eau Claire), and Dragon Tale Books (216 Main St. E, Menomonie).