Libbie's thoughts on The Ended World:

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This book means more to me than any I've written so far. It came about through a series of strange, almost mystical experiences and I had to fight hard for several years to bring it to my readers, working uphill against some frustrating circumstances within the publishing world.

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Since it deals with the relationship between humanity and technology, it's technically sci-fi... though unlike most sci-fi, it's not set in the future. In fact, it's set in the past, with the majority of the action taking place between 1996 and 2000. Since it leans strongly toward the literary end of the spectrum, it will probably appeal to fans of the work I do under my Olivia Hawker pen name... though it's also very different from the Olivia books in ways that are hard to articulate. It's just so unusual, difficult to pin down in terms of genre.

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As soon as I learned about Galiot Press--a new, independent publisher run entirely by women--I knew they would be the right house to bring The Ended World to readers. Galiot's mission is specifically to publish books that are "essential to our changing world," books that "defy categories or take artistic risks." The Ended World certainly ticks all those boxes! I was beyond thrilled when I submitted the manuscript for their consideration during one of their open sub periods and they enthusiastically accepted.

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Here is what Galiot has to say about this novel: "THE ENDED WORLD is a novel for our times. It’s about a sentient AI, the atheist programmer who helped create it, and an ex-nun whose converging road trips reveal to them what each must do to bring humanity safely into a new reality. Yes, you read that right: a sentient AI. Steeped in philosophy, theology, and computer science, THE ENDED WORLD unfolds around questions like: What responsibility do we humans have for our creations? What even defines us as human? What would we be willing to sacrifice for peace and order? The novel is in conversation with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and, like Shelley herself, with Milton’s Paradise Lost. Plus, it’s written in gorgeous prose, it’s funny, and it includes a cat with a . . . significant name and a saint who is mistaken for a hologram.

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"We’re already collecting links to the many think pieces that come out seemingly daily about AI and its scope and its costs. We’re thrilled that we’ll be bringing Libbie’s THE ENDED WORLD into that conversation."

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I am equally thrilled! Working with such a dedicated publishing team has been a dream come true for me, and I am tremendously excited to see what comes next for The Ended World and for all of us who are so committed to bringing this unusual story to the public. 🤖

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