Concepts like vanity publishing and creative services by freelancers on social media platforms like X, Bluesky, or Instagram, for example, offer an alternative, but unlike a contractual relationship with a major publisher, these small-time agents and agencies become red flags when their packages are peddled as one-time offerings or open-ended subscription rates.

When these shadowy organizations or salespeople come out of left field, making lofty promises based on self-serving evidence, it begs the question: are frustrated, unseen writers like me being played for fools?

Enter generative and assistive A.I.

We need to be honest with each other. A.I. is quickly becoming part of our lives, whether we like it or not, and whether we agree with its use or not. That is not to say there isn’t a greater responsibility to be aware of what exactly its integration into the literature industry will affect the flow of genuine content by human hands versus computer algorithms.

I write this introspective edition of my newsletter to let you in on the adventures I’ve had with both generative and assistant A.I. I will not be trying to prosecute or exonerate myself, nor the creators of the tools available on the market, just an offering of honesty and an insight into my experiences. It is ultimately your decision to draw any conclusions, whether positive or negative, based on my testimony.

Let the record reflect that I am in complete agreement with my indie colleagues that Gen-A.I. is an unacceptable method for creating original narrative content. I have conducted several experiments to understand what such decisions would lead to. And I find the results uninspiring and flat, both in tone and craft.

I would like to offer a further comment on the second-most-common tool writers are being petitioned to use: assisted A.I. During my author odyssey, I have engaged with some of these programs, and in my humble opinion, their intentions are not nefarious. However, after spending time using Grammarly and ProWritingAid, I understand that these tools are not the only methods to use for editing, outlining, or writing my novels.

To those who believe they are not helpful, fake, or not worthy of consideration, I ask you to consider, much like I do to the vanity presses and agents, that like to email or text me about their superior services and vast experience, do you not understand that the indie author is poor, and forced by default to think outside of the box to produce their final offering?

This is where the temptation to embrace some or all forms of A.I. comes into play.

Item #1: Making Covers.

Several years ago, when all I had was a Kindle Direct Publishing account, I, of course, availed myself of their user-friendly interface, which let me begin building a viable product. I believed that was the book cover.

At the time, I was working under the working title Arkangel.

Up until a certain point, the simplicity of this process was more than enough to satisfy my basic dream of being published, no matter how high or low the number of readers or reviewers.

The Trekker with Michael J. Byrne

The Trekker with Michael Byrne

I apologize in advance; the weather has gotten the better of me recently. Today’s newsletter is going to be a simple Netflix-style menu of “episodes” in place of chapters in my book. Head to the foll…

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2 months ago · 4 likes · Michael J. Byrne

The examples featured were what I believed were innocent attempts to understand how GenAI works. It was fun and entertaining at the time, but not helpful in finalizing a high-quality, potentially attractive read.

Asking for a cover that alludes to Tinseltown wheeling and dealing, blackmail, forbidden romance, movie stars, and mayhem, as you can imagine, came with mixed results. The GenAI seemed to think I wanted a 1930s noirish gangster-themed cover. While this was not true when I typed the parameters of my request, it did give me an idea.

What if I transformed a published work into a slightly different one but changed the time period it was set in, which would, of course, mean rewriting the atmospheric and immersive details, a major undertaking for an indie author struggling to sell, let alone market to a wide audience.

So, I pivoted.

Item #2: Characters represented by A.I.

WARNING: Minor spoilers for the novel The Elysian Hegemony. Please scroll with caution.

The vampiric Arkon.

The Leviathan Sentinel.

The Oracle.

Finally, to visualize my main cast of human characters, I naturally asked for a rendering based on basic details regarding sex, age, disposition, and other factors.

I debate internally day by day what exactly the images here truly represent. Are they harmless questions for an alternative search engine? Or are they indicative of make less to make more culture, a plot to cut corners, avoid high-cost maintenance on a manuscript, the book itself, and marketing costs?

Often, and I can attest to this, the ability to hire a professional to design a cover, format a document, and line-edit can seem astronomical to a man with a tight budget, yet who refuses to surrender to low odds at the poker table.

To the best of my knowledge, the creators of the promotional material above used the best graphic design and editing tools available to them, not A.I.

Should that somehow not be true, they did not act with my consent.

Item #3: Locations in the Book

The following are some locations I imagined while writing The Elysian Hegemony and applied to a GenAI request.

The scientific haven of Jericho.

The Citadel of the Arkon Empire.

The Leviathan Pyramid.

One possible caveat to GenAI could be a bridge between our right brain and the page. Painting a picture often brings an artist’s perspective into focus, a clarity that allows a vision to be realized.

Could it be labeled an unreasonable workaround?

Yes.

Ultimately, the individual artist, writer, composer, whatever the case may be, must form their own ethical impression and abide by it.

Item #4: To assist A.I. or not to assist A.I.?

After seeing the quality that a basic GenAI can produce in terms of a coherent (or lack thereof) narrative, I faced an unexpected conundrum. Was the use of assistive A.I. software through subscriptions to Grammarly and ProWritingAid an implicit violation of a yet-to-be-written indie writing ethical code?

Social media has been flooded with concerns over this question for years. And most of the debate seems to center on what constitutes generative A.I. and what doesn’t.

In reference to Grammarly, some seem to find it an advanced version of spell and grammar check by Microsoft Word or Google Docs. PWA is another story. Again, I haven’t been able to ascertain any clear opinion on it. On the surface, it seems quite helpful for a man without access to top-tier review sources.

This breakdown was requested after my first draft of TEH was submitted. I didn’t necessarily endorse the feedback given. I choose to embrace a few points of interest and disregard others to maintain full creative control. I think back on a line from Pirates of the Caribbean.

They’re more like guidelines.

Because I had entered into a year-long commitment to both tools, I decided to press forward. I was among the first to try some of PWA’s pilot programs in manuscript analysis and reader impression. I realize now that the latter is somewhere between a beta reader and an ARC reader, a step commonly taken by authors before releasing their work.

I did make an honest attempt to solicit beta and arc participants, but to no avail.

So, what was I to do?

Well, the answer was to work with the resources both available and affordable. I assure anyone who is troubled by my activities regarding A.I. that I am not trying to deceive or trivialize your feelings on the matter. I only ask that you take a moment and realize the struggle for me (and others) is real.

Item #5: The dream of screenwriting.

When we were children, at some point or another, it’s likely you and I wanted to be an astronaut or perhaps an athlete. Those are potentially enlightening, prosperous, and enriching professions, which is why they are attractive.

Some of us, when we grow up, expand upon our interest in film and television by becoming curious about the creative process behind the silver and small-screen productions that dazzle us week after week.

And I think it is true of screenwriting that enthusiasts like me believe, within our hearts, that if properly motivated and stimulated, we can produce a high-quality treatment that accompanies a standard 120-page script and brings a story dear to our hearts into the spotlight.

Once that is done, however, reality sets in and brings us back to a place where the ethics of writing and editing, with or without A.I., come into play. By sheer happenstance, I stumbled across what I believed to be a new start-up called Voyage Media, which was seeking ideas from unrealized creators to possibly take up.

After entering what they called a pitch a producer program where I pledged an amount to commission a review of my source material by a qualified movie producer, the result was an interesting interaction where it seemed they were genuinely interested.

I dream of…Lionsgate presents a Christopher Nolan film from a story by Michael J. Byrne…

OR

An Apple Original from Bad Robot Productions (JJ Abrams), adapted from The Elysian Hegemony by Michael J. Byrne…

Once mutual interest in a collaboration was established, they offered me the full resources of their operation, but at a price: a minimum of a few thousand dollars to hire a professional scriptwriter. I counter-offered to forgo the hiring process in favor of producing a first draft on my own. And as a result, both parties agreed to revisit the question in six months.

Along the way, after finishing the adaptation, I began seeing ads on Meta social media for an outlet called Greenlight Coverage. For weeks, I read their interpretation of films like The Godfather, Oppenheimer, Pulp Fiction, and many others. And naturally, I wanted to know what their formula thought about my admittedly amateur concept. Like Grammarly and ProWritingAid, Greenlight offered a free trial period.

What harm could it be to run my draft through their software and see what happens?

These were the results.

Regrettably, the producer and, later, the potential project manager and I couldn’t agree on the best way forward despite meeting the six-month deadline to produce an industry-standard screenplay. To proceed, I would need to pledge a sizable amount for budgeting purposes. At that point, I concluded that Voyage was not the right fit for me, and I opted out of further communication.

I continue to develop the treatment in case another opportunity presents itself.

Item #6: Summary

I was initially going to label this section “conclusions,” but while thinking it over, I realized I haven’t concluded anything definitively about A.I., except for pledging, like many indie authors, not to use GenAI to create narrative passages.

In terms of assistive A.I., I believe there is potential, but only through limited, disciplined measures. The reader impression and manuscript analysis features in ProWritingAid gave me invaluable feedback to consider for the final drafts of Hegemony.

Some topics that the program covered in the impression.

1. First impressions

2. The Heart of the Story

3. Emotional Journey

4. Characters

5. The Climax / Resolution

6. Pacing

7. Tension

8. Central Conflict

9. Original elements

10. Cliched elements

11. Implicit themes

12. Dialogue

13. Who is this story for?

14. Title suggestions

15. Similar books

16. Similar characters

As far as manuscript analysis…

1. Story overview

2. Plot outline

3. Narrative elements

4. Themes & motifs

5. Potential readers

I accepted all the specifics of the above categories as general feedback, considering some suggestions but ignoring others based on my instincts.

I’m honestly not sure if I will ever use ProWritingAid again. The biggest takeaway from my experiment is that all the tools I used taught me how a real editor and reader might think. While generic and theoretical, having a resource that simulates the alpha, beta, and ARC phases of the process was essential to completing my book.

The worst argument of the A.I. debate is hiring the best at the price point they offer, because that’s how it’s done, does absolutely nothing for me. I’m poor. I can’t afford the best trad publishing resources. I wish I could with all my heart.

What I can afford is the best solution available.

I’m happy to entertain fair offers for commission. But I have been deceived by some whom I once trusted. That said, there are those, and they know who they are, who have been amazing, thoughtful, and resourceful with their endeavors in my name.

Furthermore, my personal system is to handwrite whenever possible and transfer those notes and scenes into chapters that advance my stories. I believe strongly in outlining, mapping the plot with bullet points, and perhaps even illustrations.

KDP concept cover

Bottom line, my books are completely 100% dreamt up in my head, and they’ll continue to be as long as I live, whether I sell a million or a dozen copies.

This much I vow.

Best,

Michael J. Byrne

Copyright 2002-2026 By Michael J. Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve decided that it is no longer the case.

The Trekker with Michael J. Byrne is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, please consider becoming a free or pledged subscriber.

The principal reason TEH became what it is today is that events taking place in real time, as I write articles, notes, re-stack past posts, and engage with my audience, affect my home country, the United States of America, its people, its culture, and its sovereignty, immeasurably.

All of the above came into play within the plot of TEH, and after listening to its audio version several times as I drive myself to work or my son to pre-K, it became clear to me that if I’m promoting honest content from my end and vice versa from the audience, no theme of my work should go unscrutinized.

So here I am bearing my soul to all of you. I know opinions could vary, and they should. Tough (but honest) questions are welcome and entirely necessary, as well as honest answers or feedback from me. You deserve that much.

All I ask is that you bear with me as life takes several strange turns each day. And, as a final request, please be civil and constructive in your analysis, if you choose. The last thing I want to be labeled a member of an echo chamber.

Who was I kidding? TEH was always a political fable (even before I knew it).

This post is pinned to most of my social media accounts.

The best Science Fiction, in my view, brings perspective to real life, whether it’s through a futuristic lens or an allegory for the present. By the time of publication, TEH had evolved into a critique of the Make America Great Again populist movement, coinciding with the rise of current US President Donald Trump.

On the other hand, good Sci-Fi is not only informative but also entertaining with a high-stakes plot and memorable characters who are authentic and relatable.

In the book’s principal cast, the protagonist, Michael Sheppard, is a veteran of US Special Forces. For the antagonist, Hans Muller, aka The Man Upstairs, is the leader of a cult that worships inside a supposed extraterrestrial relic at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, smack dab in the middle of the “Devil’s” Triangle.

*The evolution of the cover.

In the beginning, TEH might have been a space-based planet-hopping adventure. I grew up on classic Star Trek and Star Wars. I’ve dreamed of watching astronauts land on the Moon and Mars. As I write this, Artemis II is returning from a lunar flyby. I’ve been more emotional than usual of late, grasping the meaning of life and why we are here.

And because I have experience soul-searching, from Sunday School as a child, to a curious student at the Patee/Paterno Library and classrooms of Penn State University, I studied my own Christian upbringing and other monotheistic faiths, including Judaism and Islam, as well as the eastern disciplines of Hinduism and Buddhism.

When I realized my story could be meaningful, tying in such experiences not just in religious or political scholarship, but also in world history and western mythology, from Ancient Egypt to World War II, during which both my Grandfathers served to extinguish the threat of the fascist Axis powers.

J. Charles Miller.

USS New Jersey. Pacific Theater.

Edwin V. Byrne.

Infantry. European Theater.

*Dedicated to two of the best men I ever knew. <3.

As I said to my father recently, I’m glad they didn’t live to see what’s become of their land of the free and home of the brave, to which they were gatekeepers and shepherds.

And mine too.

Suddenly, I found true purpose behind the effort to produce TEH. And there’s nothing stopping me from returning to the space-hopping angle for a sequel. The possibilities are already beginning to propagate in the creative center.

*Concept cover from KDP.

Rewinding approximately 20 years, I got into the grassroots business of independent fiction because of this…

I watched both my news idols, Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings, anchor live and recap coverage for hours following the horrific attacks on a Tuesday morning in autumn 2001, only hundreds of miles from my home in suburban Pennsylvania.

First, it was my science teacher receiving a phone call from his spouse, the frozen face of fear visible to the class. My instincts told me something serious had occurred. He hung up the phone, paused, took a deep breath, and told us, “Terrorists bombed the World Trade Center.”

I had seen the Twin Towers from Liberty Island a few years earlier, while on a field trip to Ellis Island. By the time I arrived at my next class, freshman English, walking into the room and seeing bodies falling from a thousand feet repeatedly, 110-story edifices falling to the ground in a dense silver fog, I lost my footing into my desk while others paused in shock.

Why had this happened?

Who did it?

What next?

How had this been allowed to happen?

When would we respond?

That turned out to be almost a month later, while I sat in the 700 level of Veterans Stadium, taking in my first Philadelphia Eagles’ football game in person. On the Jumbotron just before kick-off, the president announced a military intervention in Afghanistan, where it was believed the culprits of 9/11 were hiding.

Four years of high school paralleled President George W. Bush’s first term.

The Patriot Act.

The creation of the Homeland Security Department, headed by my home state’s former governor, Tom Ridge.

The 2002 State of the Union speech where Bush suggested Iraq was in hot pursuit of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

General (and then Secretary of State) Colin Powell’s plea to the United Nations for a coalition to relieve Saddam Hussein’s regime of said weapons, with CIA Director George Tenet sitting right behind him.

And finally, the ground invasion of the Persian Gulf, for the second time in as many decades.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

Every significant event from that tragic day to the present, I have observed as a trained newsman with curiosity, intrigued by geopolitics and how my country played its role.

While watching our brave soldiers attempt to rid the rogue Iraqi nation of WMDs and terrorist factions, I began writing a tale of secret agents protecting the American homeland.

Soon, I intend to bring the very first novel concept I composed to the masses. It will be a testament to how far I’ve come in 25 years of writing in long form. This book or Substack miniseries, I have yet to figure out which is better, will showcase how little I knew going in on page one back in the day.

In 2002, it was 9/11.

In 2022, it was January 6 and COVID-19.

Watching live on CNN, the 1.6.21 insurrection reminded me of that freshman seminar on 9/11 and why I started writing soon after.

The COVID pandemic in the early 2020s felt like living through a long, fluffy episode of The Walking Dead. Just strolling to my neighborhood pizza parlor, hair salon, or convenience market, I saw both neighbors and strangers masked up, passive, and quiet, going about their business in silent defiance.

Fear had gotten the better of me, my family, and the nation as a whole.

Writing TEH, in part, was an attempt to alleviate that fear.

Channeling real-life events, places, and people

Fast forward to today, and I believe my most recent novel, a Sci-Fi espionage thriller, The Elysian Hegemony, represents the decades-long journey of learning the craft of writing, world-building, and character construction, among other things.

And this time, having written four novels between 2002 and 2021, as a hobby, I believed strongly that then was the time to launch an endeavor to bring my interpretations of real-world events and people into a Science Fiction narrative that would help willing readers to grasp the stakes of the decade 2015 to 2021, and now 2025-present day.

Nestled between 2002 and 2021 was the so-called Great Recession, which kicked off the presidency of Barack Obama, the first African American president of the USA. I graduated from university during the economic upheaval following the 2008 financial crisis.

Jobs in Journalism were either scarce, obsolete, or unpaid freelance.

I came very close to landing an internship at a local newspaper where I live in mid-2009. Sometimes, I wonder where I might have gone in my career had I been able to learn from the Philadelphia Flyers’ beat writer for the Delaware County Daily Times.

C’est la vie.

Turning to writing first crime fiction with the DON HOLLYWOOD series, presently a trilogy, with one and possibly two additional sequels in the years ahead, was written as a testament to the greed of the wealthy versus the angst of the poor.

For The Elysian Hegemony, a wealthy social media tycoon, The Man Upstairs, also the antagonist of the book, seeks to spread his Word and ministry globally by constructing an outlandish, yet plausible in his view, concept, similar to the Nazi Aryan theory, that humanity has a deep-seated connection to extraterrestrials.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-elysian-hegemony-michael-byrne/1147595479?ean=2940182039208&st=AFF&2sid=Linktree%20Inc_100589976_NA&sourceId=AFFLinktree%20Inc

The Man Upstairs conducts his ministry like a cult leader, actively recruiting followers, as social media often does. The followers then travel to his LEVIATHAN outpost in the Bermuda (Devil’s) Triangle to join his venture.

Enter the hero, Michael Sheppard, tasked with infiltrating the undersea oasis, thinking he is simply on a rescue mission.

And around every corner of the station, a new mystery awaits…

Shout out to all my subscribers and followers who are making my Substack experience both engaging and enlightening.

Thank you for the privilege of presenting.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Byrne

Copyright 2002-2026 By Michael J. Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

I quickly realized that, by accepting this open-ended contractual appointment, my responsibilities included pitching and writing my own articles, a practice I found very stimulating.

The downside was little monetary benefit. In the end, what I found was not financial security but a rekindling of the reason I loved writing, in short and long form, to begin with. And that was for introspective and therapeutic benefits.

Binge-watching modern, classic films, and television after hours for extra cash was a dream come true.

In six months, I relied on Star Trek to stabilize any feelings of writer’s block or lack of interesting pitches.

My first Trek-related article was an examination of Redditors and their ranking of the Star Trek films from 1979’s Motion Picture to 2016’s Beyond.

As of press time, the webpage for the piece displays an error message. However, the following represent the range of ideas I explored through Screenrant’s engaging ranking formula.

Item #1: 10 What If Star Trek storylines.

I debated with my editors on this one. They told me SR wasn’t in the habit of writing theoretically, but I persuaded them that the comparison to the hit Marvel series What If? was applicable.

1. What if Edith Keeler lived?

2. What if Khan had won?

3. What if Capt. Sulu succeeded in rescuing Kirk and McCoy from their trial on Kronos?

4. What if the USS Voyager hadn’t been pulled into the Delta Quadrant?

5. What if Ro Laren hadn’t joined the Maquis?

6. What if Capt. Pike resigned?

7. What if Wesley Crusher returned to Starfleet?

8. What if Edward Jellico had remained captain of the Enterprise-D?

9. What if Capt. Kirk survived in Star Trek Generations?

10. What if the Dominion won the war of the Alpha Quadrant?

https://screenrant.com/potential-what-if-star-trek-storylines/

Item #2: The 10 Most Profound Star Trek Quotes, According to Reddit

1. “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose.” - Capt. Jean Luc Picard

2. “There’s no such thing as the unknown, only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood.” - Capt. James T. Kirk

3. “The first duty of every Starfleet Officer is to the truth.” - Capt. Jean Luc Picard

4. “It’s not linear.” - Cmdr. Benjamin Sisko

5. “There are FOUR lights!” Capt. Jean Luc Picard

6. “The act injured you and saved me. I will not forget it.” - Data

7. “I have been, and always shall be, your friend.” - Spock

8. “Every time you feel love, it’ll be different.” - Guinan

9. “There are many parts of my youth I’m not proud of.” - Capt. Jean Luc Picard

10. “Like you always say, if something’s important, you make the time.” - Scotty

https://screenrant.com/profound-star-trek-quotes-reddit/

Item #3: The Ten Most Popular Live-Action Versions of The Starship Enterprise, According to Reddit

1. The Refitted NCC-1701 (A)

2. The Enterprise D

3. The Enterprise E

4. The Discoprise

5. The original NCC-1701

6. The Enterprise B

7. The NX-01

8. The Kelvin Universe Enterprise

9. The Enterprise C

10. The Future Enterprise D

https://screenrant.com/most-popular-starship-enterprise-reddit/

Item #4: Star Trek: The 10 worst episodes of the entire franchise, according to Reddit

1. Code of Honor - NextGen (Racism)

2. Threshold - Voyager (Salamanders)

3. These Are The Voyages - Enterprise (Series Finale)

4. Tuvix - Voyager (The one where Tuvok and Neelix had a transporter accident)

5. Sub Rosa - NextGen (Dr. Crusher’s ghost lover)

6. Spock’s Brain - TOS (The title speaks for itself)

7. The Paradise Syndrome - TOS (Kirk the Medicine Chief?)

8. Shades of Gray - NextGen (Clip show)

9. The Way To Eden - TOS (Space Hippies)

10. Move Along Home - DS9 (An annoying tune)

https://screenrant.com/star-trek-worst-franchise-episodes-reddit/

Item #5: Ten examples of social commentary on Star Trek: The Next Generation

1. Gender identity in “The Offspring.”

2. Addiction in “The Game.”

3. Alternative Communication in “Darmok.”

4. Ritual Suicide in “Half-A-Life.”

5. Eccentric Personality in “Hollow Pursuits.”

6. Exchange of Cultures in “A Matter of Honor.”

7. The Implementation of Justice in “Justice.”

8. Learning to cope with Trauma in “Family.”

9. The Definition of Humanity in “The Measure of a Man.”

10. Pollution in “Force of Nature.”

https://screenrant.com/social-commentary-star-trek-next-generation/

Item #6: Every Star Trek Television Series Ranked, According to Rotten Tomatoes

1. Strange New Worlds - 98%

2. The Animated Series - 94%

3. Prodigy - 91%

4. The Next Generation - 91%

5. Deep Space Nine - 91%

6. Picard - 86%

7. Discovery - 86%

8. Lower Decks - 83%

9. The Original Series - 80%

10. Voyager - 76%

11. Enterprise - 55%

https://screenrant.com/every-star-trek-television-series-ranked-according-to-rotten-tomatoes/

Due to the article’s 2022 publication, the recent Starfleet Academy was not included.

Item #7: A wrap-up

It was a thrill and privilege to analyze and muse about my favorite Science Fiction franchise and earn a few dollars doing so. It’s a pity the pay was minuscule, but it was a great experience, nonetheless.

We should all be so lucky.

Live long and prosper,

Michael J. Byrne

2002-2026 By Michael J. Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

After contemplating a possible plot on and off for several years, I received a rating of high concept for the first 10,000 words at an indie author’s boot camp sponsored by Writer’s Digest in autumn 2021. Fast forward to summer 2025, and I selected Draft 2 Digital to distribute this hybrid Sci-Fi/thriller, with elements of espionage and horror, that I am extremely proud of.

Item #1: Getting the word out

My first podcast interview was with Victoria Hopkins of Book Shop Chats, a program accessible on popular audio streaming outlets such as Spotify. We had a terrific conversation about my work through fall 2024 and what I wanted to achieve with Elysian. Naturally, we found other topics of interest to talk about as well.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-twenty-micheal-byrne-studio-city-series/id1681630807?i=1000670991391

Item #2: Defining Elysian

The word Elysian, from ancient Greek, means paradise. The title Elysian Hegemony is intended as irony. A dominated or controlled paradise is a familiar premise in literature.

Speaking of which, I’d like to share a few examples from classic literature that helped me world-build.

I doubt it comes as any surprise that, when world-building a dystopian timeline in which ancient aliens and indoctrination conspiracies factored heavily into Elysian’s plot, the logical starting point would be George Orwell’s 1984.

There are many Easter eggs in my novel that reference recent world history and popular culture. However, when using the art of metaphor and symbolism, I leaned even further into classics such as Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

In the novella, a man named Marlowe is intrigued by stories about another man named Kurtz. And the story is Marlowe’s journey to find Kurtz and what he encounters along the way. Elysian features a military spy named Sheppard in pursuit of a cult figure who calls himself The Man Upstairs…

As I worked my way through the first draft in 2022-2023, I began removing direct references to Dante’s vision of Hell and pivoting to a metaphorical voyage through the human mind, as Conrad confronted in Darkness.

Michael Sheppard, the protagonist of Elysian, and I, as his guide, traveled along this road together, seeking the Jungian shadow within us all.

Item #3: Advertising

Being an indie writer comes with many advantages. I set my own schedule and expectations. However, the one disadvantage is not having the financial means or support to execute the finer points of selling your final product to the right audience.

The results I’ve achieved to this day probably place me in the enthusiastic amateur category. That is not to say I haven’t tried to find a middle ground.

In spring 2025, I commissioned some affordable pre-release material that I believe did help achieve slow but respectable results since Elysian’s unveiling.

Who doesn’t love a teaser trailer?

https://www.threads.com/@author_michael_byrne/post/DNRg18aA5TQ?xmt=AQF0r0Ry2_7o1o6K-twBH8ql6JrGBQ8Xj20odMYiFI1Wdw

Item #4: Launch Day and beyond

After careful consideration, I chose Draft 2 Digital for the launch of my magnum opus. Their distribution reach provided access not only to Amazon but also to the Apple Books and Barnes & Noble digital stores. Over time, the work would further disseminate into many smaller outlets connected to D2D.

The following represents the options available today for the eBook edition.

An audiobook was created exclusively for Apple devices through a generous grant.

https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/the-elysian-hegemony/id1862812836

The primary American channels for paperback books are Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Those are available through my universal link @ linktr.ee/mbyrne2450

I have seen a listing for Walmart, but it’s only for shipping.

Internationally, Google confirms Elysian is available in Australia https://www.dicksmith.com.au/da/buy/the-nile-the-elysian-hegemony-9798231400379/ and the U.K. https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Elysian-Hegemony-by-Michael-Byrne/9798231400379?srsltid=AfmBOoqDq09vHTbdMt8s2G54qHw-r0aGwdtD42V_bNbZDmdmWqA1R66A

Item #5: The future of the Elysian franchise

I have decided, more or less, to write a sequel to Elysian, utilizing, in part, its original working title.

*Concept cover courtesy of Kindle Direct Publishing.

Here is a preliminary blurb that will no doubt be changed and rewritten a dozen times over:

Michael Sheppard is resolute in his quest to rescue a fallen angel while protecting his kin by establishing an alliance millennia in the making, the Arkangel Allegiance.

Together, they venture back into the depths of the Atlantic to retrieve an artifact nestled within a submerged Leviathan Station, possessing the power to unlock a path to the Arkon citadel on Mars.

In their mission to rescue a pair of hostages, Sheppard and his band of protohuman heroes will traverse the desolate Martian surface in search of a fellow celestial being’s stronghold.

Within the capital city of Arcadia, their choices will forever change the course of humanity’s destiny.

My original working title for Elysian was Arkangel. However, by chance, I discovered in the summer of 2024 that a well-known author was about to release a title under the same name.

https://www.threads.com/@author_michael_byrne/post/C9X0m6VRqwP?xmt=AQF0r0Ry2_7o1o6K-twBH8ql6JrGBQ8Xj20odMYiFI1Wdw

To my knowledge, there is no specific novel titled Arkangels currently circulating, but I will be on the lookout between now and publication, whenever that may be. In light of beginning work on Quantum Gridlock and plotting the next edition of the DON HOLLYWOOD series, I’m imagining a minimum of five years from today.

Please remember to LIKE, SHARE, and RE-STACK these newsletters so that I may build my audience through this application. At present, my Substack is 100% FREE, and by pressing the SUBSCRIBE button, you help ensure the algorithm gives me a fair chance to reach the right audience.

As always, many thanks.

Michael J. Byrne

Copyright 2002-2026 By Michael J. Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1BN5BG?binding=paperback&ref=dbs_m_mng_rwt_sft_tpbk_thcv

You’ll find, however, inside each DON HOLLYWOOD series book that each chapter is, in fact, “Episode One…Two…” and so forth.

This creative decision was intended to ease the reader into the story by giving them the feeling that they are invited to binge-watch an exciting crime drama in their mind’s eye.

Without further ado:

16 chapters. 16 episodes.

*For fans of classic television and cinema where the line between hero and villain is blurry at best…

Intrigued?

Here’s a sneak peek! https://michaelbyrne1701.substack.com/p/the-trekker-with-michael-byrne-a8f

Copyright 2022-2026 by Michael J. Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.facebook.com/philphansports/

The first words I committed to paper as an author were in a summary of my high school varsity football team’s 2001 season. Seeing my writing underneath a byline and dateline was one of the most exciting and meaningful days of my life. And it came at a time when my psyche was at its most vulnerable. Only weeks earlier, I had seen airplanes smash into buildings, create craters, and mass suicide broadcast live in my freshman English class.

My first assignment as a sportswriter for The Lion’s Pride for Penncrest High School in Delaware County, Pa., offered me solace that continues to this day. When my fingers hit the keyboard, whether at noon or 2 am on a random night, I am transported to another place where nothing in the outside world matters and everything on the inside can come out to play.

In high school, I covered Football, Basketball, and the state champion Hockey team in my senior year. The practice continued with national sports content for The Lion’s Eye just a mile down the road at the Brandywine branch of Penn State University. I wrote editorial commentaries on local sports and analyzed national topics of interest, from critiquing broadcasters to predicting the NCAA Basketball tournament.

In the fall of 2008, my Philadelphia Phillies were on the verge of completing an improbable march to a World Series title. Whilst the second half of game five commenced, I was typing away on my Compaq laptop as a bunch of good friends and I, some of whom were later groomsmen, witnessed city history as Brad Lidge threw the final strike for a championship cemented for all time by the team’s legendary voice, Harry Kalas.

In honor of baseball season 2026 beginning, here is a recounting of that night…and much, much more.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AeM4JLfUH/

By 2018, it was clear to me that any self-respecting Philly sports fan used social media to contribute to the conversation. Through Facebook, I began putting together material designed to entice fellow fans.

My formula included different types of articles and quick-bite posts, with the idea that unique twists and perspectives on news would engage readers. Some examples included traditional analysis of current sports trends, a hodgepodge, a collection of short hard news stories centering around the big four Philly teams with the occasional collegiate headline, and my personal favorite, rabble rousing, where I picked a subject and took a position.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BjzFV6V57/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18QzmJpSkb/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17Sa2pyggF/

There’s nothing like opening day of baseball season. Every team is 0-0 with a clean slate. That said, the Phillies are a perfect example of insanity; they continue to recycle the same lineup, bench, and pitching staff in the hope of achieving better results. Instead, they keep falling further each year.

However, despite this, I continue to grow more appreciative of the first sport that rewarded my commitment to Philly sports glory, so much so that my fairy-tale marriage has roots on the diamond.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17uFaxLJxi/

I acknowledge that 99% of this post has been recounting my fondest memories of the Phillies, so let me pivot for a second by confirming that the first Eagles quarterback I have any memory of was Jim McMahon. As a teenager, I seldom missed a 76ers game featuring Allen Iverson. Being 5’7, watching a six-foot guard do the things he could do was both thrilling and inspirational. Finally, even before the misfits of 1993 at Veterans Stadium, I pretended to be Gene Hart calling Flyers’ hockey matches from section five, row 16 at the Spectrum when coach Rick Tocchet wore the C.

Entering 2026, possibly the last full season before a labor shutdown, I welcome back America’s favorite pastime with “high hopes.”

Copyright 2002-2026 by Michael J. Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

Many commercials referenced random “winners to see the new Star Trek five.” Star Trek V: The Final Frontier premiered in June 1989.

My very first memory of the original series was this.

And a year or so later…

The Next Generation and I, only a few months older, grew up together on weeknight reruns and Saturday night first-run episodes.

Thanks to my mother, who sat me down at a young age in front of a rabbit-eared TV with two knobs and four channels, Star Trek became a companion throughout childhood.

Since 1994, I’ve gone to see every Star Trek film on the big screen, beginning with Generations.

I watched Deep Space Nine and Voyager as often as I could and Enterprise sparingly.

My second date, with she who became my imzadi, consisted of screening Into Darkness in May 2013.

We often refer to each other as Riker and Troi, not only as pet names but also because, as the years went by, we came to realize that their emotional connection and spiritual bond mirrored our own love for one another.

After thousands of hours of family time and personal introspection over the years, the franchise has found a place in my heart, a concept that helps me understand life among many other things.

In 2004, before it closed, I had the privilege of visiting an extremely immersive Star Trek: The Experience exhibition in Las Vegas.

There, I stepped onto the bridge of my favorite starship and lived a series of adventures fit for only Starfleet’s finest, followed by a VIP table at Quark’s Bar on an authentic rendition of the promenade on DS9.

And as you can see, I became an honorary crew member.

By 2023, the Paramount Plus era of Trek had brought out the best yet again, culminating, in my opinion, the greatest comeback story in science fiction: the Enterprise-D’s swan song from Picard.

I couldn’t hold back the tears. When I was seven, I watched from a second theatre row as the D plummeted to the surface of a deep-space planet, never to lift off again. Resurrecting it was the best creative decision since transferring Mr. Wolf from NextGen to DS9.

Thank you, Terry Matalas, for giving us First Officer Seven of Nine, the Titan-A, Captain Liam Shaw, a Wrath of Khan-style tie-in with the Borg and the Dominion, OG Trek movie music, and most of all, the perfect reunion season of a legendary series a lifelong trekker could wish for.

It will take many more posts to fully explain why Star Trek means so much to me.

Those will materialize as I build my platform here on Substack.

Live long and prosper,

Michael J. Byrne

2002-2026 By Michael J. Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

I began writing this series in 2005, mostly on weekends in the middle of the night while kicking back to reruns of favorite TV shows like E.R., 24, Prison Break, and an ‘80s “soap” featuring one of the most recognizable villains in entertainment history, Dallas.

J.R. Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, in Dallas on CBS and TNT from 1978-2013.

The foundation for DHS was built on a hybrid premise, an ethically and morally challenging protagonist who leans into the dirty underworld tactics of big business and organized crime. To help me craft the character and the world itself, I leaned into The Godfather and its source material.

I settled on a family-oriented business model and industry: entertainment. And next, a setting: Hollywood.

Enter the Cruise family of Studio City, California, and Cruise Independent Studios.

Their ultimate goal is to gain access to an elite group of conglomerates known as the Club of Six.

However, the government is in their crosshairs. And their technological prowess makes them ambitious for breaking barriers previously thought to be unimaginable.

Let me introduce you to some of DHS’s principal cast.

R.I.P. James Caan (Sonny Corleone)

While the first eight years of the DON HOLLYWOOD series have received only modest critical praise, it has enjoyed favorable reviews.

Copyright 2022-2026 By Michael J. Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

*Concept cover courtesy of Kindle Direct Publishing.

Recently, I began work on a new WIP (work in progress), as it is referred to in the writing community, entitled Quantum Gridlock.

The original idea was born several years ago, of a simple question: what if an A.I. experienced road rage?

Today’s concept has evolved well beyond the scope of an A.I. malfunction. However, the plot point remains for the time being.

Item #2: Blurb

In the 22nd century, life as we know it has undergone apocalyptic changes.

The coastlines of the dissolved United States have been engulfed by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Most citizens have retreated to "mega" cities nestled in the mountains, wilderness, and plains of the region formerly known as "Tornado Alley."

In one burgeoning oasis, New Eden City, a "private journalist" named PJ lives. They are an investigator-for-hire, tasked with uncovering the truth or fabricating it for clients. When an anonymous tip provides them with a story about how artificial intelligence has corrupted the desolate landscape, PJ sets out to eradicate the corruption within a fringe group of oligarchs who have taken over Sin City.

Their mission is fraught with danger, as the technology they are about to expose is the linchpin of all operations across fractured America, and those in power will do anything to thwart an agent of a bygone profession, unleashing turmoil in their wake.

Item #3: Timeline

Feeling momentum from the release of The Elysian Hegemony, a big conundrum presented itself. Should I explore continuing into a direct sequel or proceed with a new intellectual property?

I had already begun composing a first act on a trial basis to help determine an answer to the question above.

When I composed 5,000 words within a short span of time, the weight of the decision I had to make became clearer.

I think it’s safe to say that many cyberpunk concepts draw on elements of 1982’s Blade Runner as direct or indirect inspiration. So shall my future project. However, I am exploring other avenues in film, television, gaming, and literature to research this effort.

At present, Quantum Gridlock will incorporate themes of neo-noir, dystopian science fiction, and, of course, dirty, damp, and neon cyberpunk tropes.

And I have no doubt I will add and subtract as I move forward.

With that being said…

Item #4: Page One of First Draft

“Tonight’s episode of Quantum Gridlock is essential viewing, so buckle your seat cushions because you’re in for an adventure of a lifetime.”

The Vis was devoid of any meaningful or satirical content for the midnight hour. Eyeing the video box, P.J. began to feel herself slowly coming back to reality. Switching to and from her alter ego became more difficult with each occasion she used it. She functioned as a lady of the evening with the big picture looming over her like a cumulus cloud threatening acid rain upon her fragile psyche.

P.J. spied her dresser from across the common room of a derelict excuse for an apartment, spotting a wig atop a mannequin head. In her field of vision, her toes were painted black and were cold and clammy. She shivered in fear for her life, which had begun to unravel in the past hour. First, a client had attempted to intimidate her, and that same client had left a suspicious voice message on an archaic system of communication that startled her, a coded signal that the client knew not only her true identity but also her life’s pursuits, threatening to expose the truth.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door, and PJ froze with dread.

“Territorial Marshal! Open up!” a voice said in a stern, menacing voice.

In a matter of months, perhaps years, everything you’ve just read might appear drastically different in the final draft.

I welcome your feedback in the comments section.

Item #5: Part Four of the DON HOLLYWOOD series.

*KDP concept cover

Blurb:

Jim Cruise has emerged (spoilers).

With his daughter Jessica (spoilers), he is poised to execute the ultimate power move: ensuring the election of the next U.S. President.

Cruise’s ambition extends to transforming science fiction into reality by securing exclusive filming rights to the inaugural manned mission to Mars.

As he moves to consolidate his influence, an FBI agent and a special prosecutor are probing the depths of the Cruise dynasty, seeking to unearth their concealed truths in an urgent bid to avert a global disaster synonymous with their legacy.

*Book One (2018)

*Book Two (2020)

*Book Three (2024)

*Book Four (Goal - 2028)

The proposed date is subject to change.

Thank you for stopping by!

I kindly ask you to consider pressing the SUBSCRIBE button, as this Substack is 100% FREE. And please, if you will, LIKE, SHARE, and re-STACK posts like this one so the algorithm can bring more readers like you to my attention.

Until next time,

Michael J. Byrne

Copyright 2002-2026 by Michael J. Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

I truly wish for more reviews like these. And I ask those reading this to consider picking up a copy and leaving a rating and review on a platform of your choosing. Doing so helps me immeasurably, and you will earn my eternal gratitude. Thank you to those who have already taken a chance.

Please consult the following link for access to my Sci-Fi espionage thriller.

linktr.ee/mbyrne2450

Item #2: Origins

There are many inspirations from various media that helped me unlock the vision that became TEH. However, there was one source that slowly took up residence in my imaginative center after a long 2014 weekend of third person shooting and processing.

The primary setting for TEH is a mysterious pyramid-shaped complex named LEVIATHAN, reminiscent of the game’s metropolis, RAPTURE, both of which are housed beneath the Atlantic Ocean. For my story, the suspected extraterrestrial relic rests in the dead center of the Bermuda Triangle.

The protagonists of both stories are placed in similar circumstances. They are confronted with two charismatic men who have set up shop in these undersea sanctuaries to subvert the outside world.

One, Andrew Ryan, seeks distance from mid-20th-century sociopolitical dogma that, in his view, has plagued the mainland. For me, Hans Muller, aka “The Man Upstairs”, wants the exact opposite: to utilize the dogma as a weapon.

The game’s storytelling is philosophical, inviting the player to ponder the ideology that makes this oasis possible. In contrast, Leviathan is a mystery rooted in Western mythology, conspiracy theories, and world history.

Other video games that helped me with the worldbuilding for TEH.

In the future, I will dive into the other sources of inspiration for TEH, mainly film and literature.

With the exception of Bioshock, no other video game gave me the power to brainstorm a path that the story of TEH would eventually take, except Konami’s Metal Gear Solid series by Hideo Kojima.

If it hadn’t been for a random click on a YouTube video entitled “The Most Profound Moment in Gaming History,” by Max Derrat in February 2021, I may not have written TEH at all.

Watch at your own risk if you haven’t played. Spoilers.

MGS inspired me to make the protagonist of TEH a military spy. Thus, a rudimentary Sci Fi concept morphed into something else entirely, a voyage into the depths of Hell through the eyes of a prophesied hero (and me).

Item #3: A chronicle of the adventure.

The breakthrough came in November 2021 when I virtually attended a “boot camp” for independent authors.

This is the feedback I received.

Feeling extremely encouraged, I continued to develop a plan to bring a potentially epic story to life.

By the summer of 2022, I was in business! And I had established a working title.

From Summer 2022 to Winter 2023, I was on fire.

After spending some time in 2023 soul-searching for personal reasons, I was back to work by autumn.

Throughout 2024, I completed the first official draft and began revising, editing, and rewriting immediately. By early 2025, I was finally in a position to make TEH a reality.

Most recently, TEH is now an audiobook!

Copyright 2002-2026 By Michael Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

Shop THE ELYSIAN HEGEMONY here: linktr.ee/mbyrne2450

All other works found on Amazon.

FORWARD

The following is Don Hollywood’s original concept draft, which combines Studio City and The Battle of Studio City into one volume. I love movies and television. They have inspired my imagination to create this story and others like it. As its author, I hope this extended edition rewards whomever reads it with pleasure. May it spark your creative intuition and appreciation for the oldest form of entertainment.

EPISODE ONE

Jim Cruise gazed out his office window on the fifth floor of the Cruise Independent Studios office building. The sun was fading behind the famed Hollywood emblem on a warm summer evening in Studio City. Forty-four years old, six feet tall and a hard Irish head on his shoulders, he was a man who believed deeply in the American dream.

His father, James Cruise Sr., founded CIS as an independent and family-owned film and television workshop in 1987 and turned it into a real American success story. In its three decades of existence, Cruise Studios had become the most powerful non-major film distributor in Tinseltown placing it at the epicenter of the American entertainment industry surrounded by the biggest and most successful movie and television studios in the world. His secret was the forming of alliances with those above him and squashing those below.

Those neighbors included Warner Brothers, with its distinctive water tower and Disney to the north in Burbank, Twentieth Century Fox in Chatsworth, Universal City to the east, Sony to the south in Culver City, and nearby Paramount Pictures situated in West Hollywood. Together they formed what was referred to by insiders as the Club of Six. Someday, Jim intended to make it the Lucky Seven.

James Cruise, Jr. was a man of vision. He believed in big business and John F. Kennedy’s words “Ask, not, what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” He was as independent in politics as he was in filmmaking.

Movies in California were like barrels of oil in Texas. If pumped correctly, it would generate an infinite source of wealth, which spawned power and ultimately it was influence that entrepreneurs like Jim Cruise craved.

Tonight, marked the thirtieth anniversary of the day the Cruises made the nearly 2,800-mile journey from South Philadelphia in search of fortune.

PREVIOUSLY on studio city

Gene Byrnes was busy in his office going over the weekly care packages that Jim Cruise had been sending him ever since he had agreed to help him dismantle Federov’s plan to intrude on the Cruise’s venture into the sports industry.

Although Gene saw it as another example of Jim Cruise’s swindling he did have a piece of the pie, the Los Angeles Sharks, this time. A twenty percent stake in a professional football franchise was nothing to laugh at. It would restore Byrnes Productions to a power in Studio City and who would have thought that it would be courtesy of the family he used to loathe.

It was just past three o’clock and Gene’s secretary was packing up to go home. She stuck her head in her bosses’ office to let him know she was leaving early.

“I’m heading out, Gene.”

“Okay, Vicky, see you tomorrow.”

Victoria turned around and walked toward the stairs. She was afraid of elevators because of fires and earthquakes.

Gene was on the internet reading the latest gridiron news sent to him via several news outlets. There was a lot of chatter on the World Wide Web and local radio about this new team that had just popped up so suddenly. The public still didn’t know who was behind it but they would soon enough.

Outside his office, footsteps came towards the door which was opened a crack. Gene reached across his desk to pour himself a shot of vodka. He smiled as he sipped it. In a few weeks he’d be a proud co-owner of a professional football team and the coming summer his “independent” movie studio along with Cruise Independent Studios and the rest of the alliance would be advertising their future endeavors at the Olympic Summer Games in St. Petersburg, Russia.

However, the person who kicked down the door had other plans. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as all Gene Byrnes saw was a tall man wearing all black with a ski mask to hide his face hold up a silencer pistol and fired a shot into his shoulder. Gene let out a loud cry and started to fall backward than another shot hit him in his pelvic region and he collapsed behind his desk.

Episode Twenty-Six

Rebecca Byrnes Cruise snuck a peak out the driver’s side window of her Chevrolet convertible as she cruised down the famous 110 freeway into downtown Los Angeles. It was a particularly dark day. A typhoon had come up the Pacific coast and slammed into the Yucatan Peninsula, showering the region with gale-force winds and a dozen inches of rain, the most seen in the area in decades.

Luckily, the City of Angels, built to withstand an 8-point earthquake, never gave it a second thought.

Today, the winds were strong. Another storm was coming.

Typically, Rebecca wouldn’t even have come into the office. She would have preferred to have tossed and turned in her luxurious apartment, bought and paid for by the settlement between her ex-husband, Jim Cruise, and her older brother, Gene Byrnes when he involuntarily turned his company over to the Cruise family.

At first, she felt secure knowing that her blood had been given the reigns at Byrnes Productions, which her daughter, Jessica, later renamed Death Valley LLC. For the first year, Jessica’s success grew exponentially. She became an executive producer on her father’s drama series and co-wrote three episodes. Freedom Fighters was now in its sixth season and winner of 12 Emmy awards, including two Best Drama honors.

However, as expected, Jessica’s life became divided between her work and personal life.

prologue

The year is 2021. It has been two decades since September 11, 2001. The United States’ war on Terrorism is still raging across the globe and has never been worse. American troops are still in Afghanistan fighting insurgent groups bent on their removal from the Holy Land. A civil war has broken out between rival factions and the central government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan…

The United States has pledged to remain an ally of the elected Afghan government and is attempting to negotiate a ceasefire. Every day, another soldier, journalist, or diplomat is killed in terrorist attacks that further delay the goal of making Afghanistan a faithful ally.

In America, the federal government and its citizens have become estranged. The people no longer trust their leaders. From this angst, in late 2019, small organizations began mobilizing for an event that had not occurred since America’s Civil War: a revolt. They started with simple First Amendment protests, but these demonstrations became violent over time. These attacks were the first signs of anarchist factions in America…

In 2020, one of these factions, “The Black Eagles,” took hostages in the Empire State Building. For twelve hours, the New York Police Department and the FBI pleaded with the six men holding over fifty people in the building’s premier restaurant to let the hostages go free in exchange for clemency. The six refused and detonated suicide vests that decimated two building floors. Thirteen people were killed, and several others were wounded. A manifesto found in the restaurant stated that this incident was only the beginning…

In the months following the attack in New York, a small plane crashed in the parking lot in New Orleans where the Super Bowl was being held. Plastic explosives went off at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, injuring over 100. A church in Boston was set ablaze, killing a Priest and several people who had come to confession. All these attacks were minor compared to 9/11, but sufficient that the American people demanded decisive action. For the first time, a President resigned because the people demanded it on social media. In February 2021, the Vice President, Kimberly Crowe, became the first female President of the United States.

During her first six months in office, President Crowe worked tirelessly with Congress to create a nonpartisan policy to combat terrorism in the homeland.

***

CHAPTER

1

July 2021: J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building

It was the week after the Fourth of July, the day that America celebrated its liberation from the British Empire some 240 years past. Special Agent John Miller was a top FBI agent chosen for the top-secret ACID agency. He was a highly decorated veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns. The bureau recruited him for his experience as a military police investigator and the unique tactics he gained as a Green Beret. He was one of the best field agents and analysts the FBI had seen in a long time. Married and friends with two other senior agents were also selected, he was an ideal candidate for the mission.

One day, Miller was sitting at his desk when Dan Cross, one of his best friends and the best lawyers in the bureau, walked in.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hey, what’s up?” replied John.

Dan held up an envelope with his name on it. He smacked it as he sat down on top of Miller’s desk.

“Transfer orders just came through; Harry and I are out of here.”

“I know. I just got my orders this morning.”

“Do you know where we’re going because I’ve never heard of ACID?”

“It means you’ve been promoted to a top-secret government agency field agent. It’s a hush-hush operation against terrorism.”

“Well, it’s about time.”

“Harry wants to celebrate later at our usual hangout. Are you in?”

Dan shook his head yes. They left the office smiling and excited about their new assignment.

***

COMING SOON to this SUBSTACK.

An A.C.I.D. miniseries event!

May 2026

One of many inspirations for this tale was a 1993-2005 police procedural.

THIS POLICE DRAMA CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE AND PARTIAL NUDITY. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

IYKYK.

Please enjoy these FREE samples. And if you’re feeling generous, please consider hitting that SUBSCRIBE button and purchasing one of my works. At this time, my Substack is 100% FREE. Help me, if you will, spread the word across the web. It will help me gain recognition, visibility, and trigger those infamous algorithms we hear so much about.

Thank you!

Best,

Michael J. Byrne

Copyright 2002-2026 By Michael Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

Thus, in between shoveling snow and salting my sidewalk, I want to share some of my greatest hits. Well, at least, to me, they are. I believe Substack can give my favorite topics from years past a second chance.

While on paternity leave in 2018, I developed an itch to write freely from time to time. I began writing about pop culture and sports on Facebook as a result.

https://www.facebook.com/mbyrnepub/

Today, blogging has taken a back seat to my Science Fiction author pursuits. However, before that urge materialized, I was enamored with being a voice on movies, television, video games, and Philadelphia professional sports.

The following is a first collection of some of my favorite pieces. Perhaps, in the future, or the next blizzard, I shall pass along some more…

Item #1: Speculating on Star Trek 4 of the Kelvin Timeline

Headline: WHY KELVIN STAR TREK 4 MUST TAKE THE CREW BACK TO THE ‘MIRROR UNIVERSE’

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BpsQ3b9AJ/

Item #2: Defending two notorious Sci Fi movies.

Headline: MOVIES WE LOVE TO SH*T ON: IN DEFENSE OF ‘LAST JEDI’ AND ‘FINAL FRONTIER’

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C3KGYvzP7/

Item #3: Why being a casual video game player is OK.

Headline: IT'S OKAY TO LOVE VIDEO GAMES. MY MOMMY SAID SO!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Kom6nJtkV/

Item #4: A deep dive into my favorite game trilogy.

Headline: MASS EFFECT REDUX

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BwKWgya9n/

Item #5: Analyzing Rockstar Games, the Grand Theft Auto Definitive Edition fiasco, and the video game industry.

Headline: ROCKSTAR AND AN INDUSTRY AT A CROSSROADS

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17zpQFVKSy/

In summary, these choices are just a few of many articles I wrote, first for myself, and then for a wider audience. Fanfare has been my number one challenge since becoming a part-time author in the winter of 2018 with my first published work, STUDIO CITY.

Link to Amazon: https://a.co/d/01pf9Noy

I’m enjoying musing to you here on Substack and plan to continue in the weeks and months ahead, sharing thoughts from the past and presenting new ideas.

You can help me by pressing the LIKE, SHARE, and SUBSCRIBE buttons found here. The sign-up is FREE.

Once again, thank you for stopping by.

Best,

Michael J. Byrne

Copyright 2002-2026 By Michael Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

Today, I want to share with you some details regarding the very first long-form writing project I composed 24 years ago.

The effort commenced in the winter of 2002, just a few months after the horrific terror attacks of September 11, of which I experienced in High School, a newly minted freshman at that.

What I saw that day I won’t recount here. If you know, you know. I, my classmates, Millennials, and anyone who still relives the worst memories of that day will still understand, I hope.

I’m getting off track. Returning to the manuscript above, the primary purpose of writing it was a therapeutic attempt to reconcile with the worst of the attacks. In December of 2001, I rode with my parents to Florida instead of flying. And many other Americans were right there with us on Interstate 4, trying to access the fantasy worlds of Disney and Universal in a desperate attempt to escape the ever-changing world around us.

So, by mid 2003, we were at war with Iraq and conducting operations in Afghanistan in search of Usama Bin Laden and his al Qaeda network of fugitives who escaped justice after 9/11. My personal fear was that my favorite year-round pilgrimage to Disney World would either be disrupted or outright canceled indefinitely. Thankfully, neither my parents nor I gave in to fear.

Naturally, I projected my fears onto an old Apple Macintosh laptop, crafting, very slowly, a narrative story concerning a band of secret government operatives who kept vigil near Disney to keep it safe. Years later, I altered the names, people, and geography to avoid legal penalties.

The basic formula was a cross between films like The Fugitive and television shows like 24 and NYPD Blue. I wanted the book to be gritty and dark because that’s how I perceived the world at the time.

Due to the limitations of Substack, I will be working diligently to figure out the best method of releasing this unaltered, except for copywriting and editing, original concept in all its strange, janky, and uneven writing style. The reason is that, in 2003, I had not yet trained professionally to write in narrative format.

Item #2: A release proposal

My goal is to call forth the old TV marketing strategy of “sweeps” month to attract the most attention. My next opportunity would be in May.

In terms of the story itself, in the past few years, I’ve noticed many authors tie their books together in the same universe. With this in mind, I believed I could follow this trend by dropping the protagonist of this story into the first act of The Elysian Hegemony. Perhaps it was vanity. I will let you, the reader, be the judge.

The long and the short concerning the connection between the two books is one character, Agent John Miller. A.C.I.D. will serve as both a spin-off and a pseudo-prequel to TEH. Without spoiling the story’s details, Agent Miller is a member of a covert task force fending off homegrown terrorism during a fictional, turbulent period in American history. Despite its initial rendering in 2003, post-9/11, I tried to imagine what the world would look like 20 years later.

Item #3: An author interview.

I invite you to know me better through this and future interviews.

Item #4: Future projects

The cover is a Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) freebie.

I’ve recently written the beginnings of a first act for Quantum Gridlock, a neo-noir and dystopian detective thriller.

A brief synopsis that is subject to change:

In the late 21st century, life as we know it has undergone dramatic changes.

The coastlines of what was once the United States have been engulfed by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Most citizens of the former nation have retreated to “mega” cities and “territories” nestled in the mountains, the wilderness, and what was once known as “Tornado Alley.”

In one burgeoning oasis, New Eden City, resides a “private journalist” named PJ. Their role is straightforward: they are an investigator for hire, tasked with uncovering the truth or fabricating it for clients.

When an anonymous tipster tells them a story about a murder connected with the disruptive oligarch government, their mission is fraught with danger, as the technology they are about to reveal is the linchpin for restoring America to its former glory. Those in power will do anything to thwart an agent of a bygone profession.

A Special Edition of The Elysian Hegemony

If I can manage it, I plan to release an alternate publication that adds and removes elements from the original.

The thought being along the same lines as a film director’s “cut” of their work.

Take Blade Runner, for example. There are seven different versions of that film floating around. The most common is the “final” cut, which removes narration and makes subtle yet meaningful changes to the story.

I plan to explore the possibilities with TEH.

And speaking of special editions. I can offer a one-volume set of the DON HOLLYWOOD series, combining the first two books.

Follow this link: https://a.co/d/03qlxUS0

Currently, it is only available in paperback through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

And last but not least, for those who have followed me for the past few years, I do intend to return to my crime fiction roots to take up, at a minimum, the ending of the Jim Cruise saga that is DON HOLLYWOOD.

Book #4 of the series will continue the pursuit of ultimate power among the independent movie houses and the elites who would seek to eliminate any competition to the majors.

A brief synopsis, subject once again to change:

Jim Cruise has (spoilers) in the struggle for dominance, now known as (spoilers).

With his daughter Jessica (spoilers), he is poised to execute the ultimate power move: ensuring the election of the next U.S. President.

Cruise’s ambition extends to transforming science fiction into reality by securing exclusive filming rights to the inaugural manned mission to Mars.

As he moves to consolidate his influence, a special prosecutor is probing the depths of the Cruise dynasty, seeking to unearth their concealed crimes in an urgent bid to avert a consolidation effort with global implications for the entertainment industry.

Item #5: Personal notes

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patronage.

These stories I speak of here are very dear to my heart. They represent two and a half decades of reflection upon many subjects. My paternal grandmother always told me that life itself is a continuous education, a search for answers to the questions we cherish the most.

The ideas I am dreaming up each day will be a monumental undertaking.

With your help, I will continue to strive for excellence and maximum visibility so that other authors’ journeys can begin.

Join with me for FREE today.

I’ll see you around.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Byrne

Copyright 2002-2026 by Michael Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

Hello.

First, I’d like to thank those of you who have signed up to follow my small corner of Substack. It is my goal, with your help, to grow into a place where I can join a fast-moving sector of the writing community: the independent wing for authors.

With so many talented personalities vying for our attention, I want to put my best foot forward as I pursue my ultimate goal of advancing from a rudimentary content creator to a full-time author.

This pursuit will be an uphill battle, and I cannot do it alone. My only ask is if you are reading this, please LIKE, SHARE, and REPOST my material as often as possible. This will increase my visibility and trigger social media algorithms.

Without further ado, let me break down the first edition of my aforementioned newsletter.

P.S. I’ve used the word “Trekker” because I find “Trekkie” a childish-sounding label. Additionally, I believe it’s trademarked. With that said, I will not be using it.

Item #1: The Elysian Hegemony

Synopsis:

Navy SEAL and celestial being incarnate MICHAEL Sheppard has twenty-four hours to defuse a plot to unleash an extraterrestrial plague from the depths of the “Devil’s Triangle.”

When TASK FORCE ARCHANGEL goes missing on an expedition to a supposed ancient alien relic, SHEPPARD is called out of retirement for one last mission: to infiltrate the undersea oasis undetected.

Inside, he’ll discover THE MAN UPSTAIRS, a social media tycoon, his cohorts, and extensive corporate assets, on the verge of releasing a novel pathogen, ELYSIAN, poised to trigger a global paradigm shift for humanity.

Furthermore, Sheppard learns that this utopian haven is far from what it appears when he stumbles upon a revelation that calls both Western history and mythology into question, forcing him to face his past and the essence of what it means to be human.

The following has been approved for all audiences…

The M rating indicates a “mature” level of content for the book. It features acts of violence, strong language, and some sexual content.

The story is written as a fictional critique of many events and their participants seen in the news and popular culture over the last decade.

The reader may interpret some ideas, events, and characters as political.

The author has borrowed, with due respect, from mythology, real-world history, current events, people, places, and concepts, both in the real world and similar works of art discussed in our national discourse (USA). They are intended as intellectual stimulus and not as a political advertisement.

As an American, I have beliefs and opinions, but they did not influence the content; they helped inspire it.

I have been working at the grassroots level on social media to promote my most recent novel.

Recently, thanks to a generous initiative between Draft 2 Digital and Apple Books, I made TEH available as an audiobook on a limited basis via Apple devices that support the Books app.

For full disclosure, Apple used a digital narrator to create the work, which kept costs down for me, a struggling indie author. In the future, I will work to make it available on as many audio outlets as I can afford. Please enjoy if you have access to an Apple device today!

For other media formats, please follow the link in my bio. Thank you for your patronage.

The following link (linktr.ee/mbyrne2450) will provide access to every available version of this Sci Fi espionage adventure, and my complete novel library. Use the Amazon tab to investigate the work I completed in crime fiction between 2005 and 2018, a collection entitled DON HOLLYWOOD.

Item #2: The DON HOLLYWOOD series

Book One: STUDIO CITY

Jim Cruise is a rising executive in the film and television establishment. Naturally, he has enemies: an ex-brother-in-law, who holds him responsible for his lack of success in business and personal life, and an ex-wife, whom he left for a young starlet. They'll stop at nothing to destroy him. While they prepare, their adversary, with dreams far beyond Hollywood, is plotting behind the scenes, events that will forever change the face of Southern California, the nation, and the World.

Book Two: THE BATTLE OF STUDIO CITY

What started as a feud between longtime friends has now escalated into a street war for supremacy among small studios in the heart of Hollywood. Whether it be covert guerrilla tactics or direct intimidation, Jim Cruise will stop at nothing to be the last man standing. However, he will have to outsmart opponents who respect no rules of engagement. The victor will enjoy the unofficial title of DON HOLLYWOOD.

Book Three: TO LIVE OR DIE IN STUDIO CITY

Five years after "The Battle," the Cruises are (spoilers) making movie magic into reality. However, there is a shadow organization composed of high-ranking Hollywood executives whose sole purpose is to take down Jim Cruise and his "Future" endeavors. Their plan involves raising a specter from Jim's past that even he won't see coming!

Special Edition: DON HOLLYWOOD

This 2021 release features books one and two of the DON HOLLYWOOD series, which were originally one manuscript.

For the first time, relive the first two books of the Studio City series the way the author intended them. Encompassing STUDIO CITY and THE BATTLE OF STUDIO CITY, The Don Hollywood Saga retraces the epic story of the Cruise family as an improbable proposal by the U.S. government sends them down a path that will result in their ascension among the elite of HOLLYWOOD. Furthermore, it will open even riskier opportunities for global domination of the entertainment industry and beyond...

Item #3: Personal note

Please follow my Amazon Author Central account @ https://www.amazon.com/author/michaelbyrne for access to all my creative works currently on the market.

Through linktr.ee/mbyrne2450, tabs will take you here on Substack, to Amazon and other outlet listings, and to my presence on other social media.

I thank you, immeasurably, for your support. And I look forward to interacting with everyone!

Sincerely,

Michael J. Byrne

Item #4: Next time…

In my next newsletter, I hope to discuss “downloadable content” I am assembling for The Elysian Hegemony, the details surrounding it, and a timetable for its release.

Copyright 2002-2026 By Michael Byrne. All Rights Reserved.

Good morning,

I have been agonizing for over a year trying to find a way to break into the Substack wing of social media.

With so many talented people on this platform, I became discouraged fairly quickly about my confidence for standing out amongst some of the aforementioned talent.

With that said, I have the beginnings of an idea. Substack, it seems to me, is best used for quick bite videos or fast-paced reads.

Below is a KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) impression of my very FIRST novel attempt. It represents a very turbulent period of my life, circa 2002-2003. I was a high school underclassman in search of an identity. The news business provided me with a forum to write about subjects I cared about, such as sports.

Quickly, being a reporter for the school newspaper sparked an interest in other topics, such as politics and pop culture. With A.C.I.D. I wanted to convey my concerns about the post-9/11 American experience firsthand by utilizing the classic “cat and mouse” trope in a fictional story that is patriotic in origin but shines a light on the darker aspects of that time period.

I was a young man with minimal education in political theory and long-form writing. I have preserved this work in its original, unaltered state, except for basic proofreading and copyediting. Some references to real locations have been cut or rebranded for legal purposes.

Subscribe FREE today for further updates regarding the release of this journey into the mind of a Millennial.

Should you embrace this experience, please understand and forgive the janky, uneven, and abrupt writing style. In the 25 years since, I have strived to learn the art and craft of writing down to the finest detail. I have much to learn still. I only ask you, the reader, to bear this in mind when issuing any and all feedback that is appropriate and encouraged

With all appreciation,

Michael J. Byrne

Find it today on many major digital book outlets, including but not limited to:

Apple Books

Amazon Kindle

Barnes & Noble NOOK

And many more!

Find it through this link:

https://books2read.com/u/b5PN8O

Also available on Spotify.

July 7, 2021

What a difference my birthday gift of a PlayStation Classic made!

Being unable to fool Psycho Mantis was the breaking point in a frustrating experience with the PS3’s port of 1998’s Metal Gear Solid.

Several Reddits, wikis, a strategy book, and a PS1 later, and I finally conquered the Shadow Moses base!

I finally lived the legend described in MGS 2.

And some more puzzle pieces fell into place.

I imagine this game was cutting edge mechanically and graphically advanced for the late 90s. Today, it looks like a relic from a distant past, appearing to be more of a Nintendo 64 heavily pixelated presentation.

The arcade overhead camera angle is both amazing and damning at the same time. It took some getting used to.

I have never been much of a stealth-minded player, so I struggled to sneak up on guards throughout the campaign. The M4 featured in Sons of Liberty came in handy.

Minus that, no first-person shooter mode (POV only), and suddenly, improvisation and creativity become paramount.

Nonetheless, once I had practiced long enough with the controls, most of the game became easier to navigate.

Defeating Mantis and Vulcan Raven on the first try after switching to the original PS1 version of the game was a welcome accomplishment!

With each boss that fell, my confidence grew.

Sniper Wolf proved tedious, but with trial and error, finishing her off only took a few extra respawns.

And then came the big kahuna, Metal Gear REX.

MGS 4 had already shown me what the result of my struggle with it would produce, but the route to sync up the timeline was full of snap decisions, some good, some bad. Finally staying out of range underneath the damn thing produced the correct results.

The story of both MGS the game and the overall series is the most unique I have ever encountered as a casual gamer devoted mostly to rich and informative story campaigns.

Mei Ling's wisdom during frequent saves was just the tip of the iceberg. An interesting aspect of the saga is how the hero(es) are sometimes hinted to be anti-heroic, and the villains could be victims.

Google Les Efants Terribles.

Put it simply, MGS turned out to be right up my alley!

I conceded that without my resources, I did not stand a chance. My patience often dwindles quickly after many consecutive “game over” notifications.

What I liked most about MGS was the map itself. The game was confined to only a few structures or game areas.

Timely saves after covering a certain amount of ground saved me much aggravation.

Retreating through the cave back to the Tank Hangar several times to scrounge for supplies felt like forever.

And I really do want games to stop pressuring me to hurt animals! Call of Duty MOD Warfare made me angry long ago with that shit and next time I want to make sure I have stun grenades because I love dogs too much to even slap them around to advance.

However, the side excursions to collect loot paid dividends at the climax. I never wanted for extra chaff grenades to sidestep gun cameras in the Communications Towers and Underground Base.

The boss fights helped break up the story. Conquering them brought me pride and vindication that I had made a wise decision to accept this challenge.

The easiest was probably Raven when he was driving the tank in the Canyon. The hardest was probably Sniper Wolf until I got the hang of the PSG sniper rifle.

It’s a far cry from the epic frowning I gave my TV after hours of chasing a sniper, The End, through the jungle in MGS 3.

Do I get an A for effort, Mr. Kojima?

More on that game another time.

The experience I gained from other Solid Snake outings provided valuable intuition and muscle memory that helped me anticipate danger during this past adventure.

I had a premonition that I would reach MG Rex at the end of ’98 and want to play until I finished.

I had previously pulled all-nighters to conclude MGS 2-4.

This time, I listened to my conscience and waited 24 hours before engaging in that battle. Pat me on the back.

This is how I know I have stumbled onto something special and meaningful: when the yearning to continue feels overwhelming.

Bioshock. Mass Effect. Halo. These (and others) have tempted me to give back sleep to uncover the final mysteries that shape their endings.

I agree with the YouTuber who first inspired me to explore MGS because this person felt they were works of art.

I too am now convinced.