PmWiki | LeftBeyond / Left Beyond Patheos Q&A: Author Responses

Worldbuilding & Themes

What inspired you to create this reinterpretation of the Left Behind universe?

I’ve always deeply valued the concept of free will—Semper liberi erimus, "We will always be free." That core belief led me to explore how a world constrained by divine prophecy could still allow space for human agency. In Left Behind, prophecy is treated as an unchangeable roadmap. I wanted to challenge that: what happens when people fight back against inevitability? The story became a way for me to explore how free will could survive—even thrive—under the weight of cosmic determinism.

How did you balance respecting the original series while subverting its themes?

I approached the story with the idea that Yahweh isn’t malevolent—He’s just as trapped by His own prophecy as everyone else. He’s omniscient in the sense that He knows everything that will happen, but He lacks the kind of human cleverness—furbizia—to work around the constraints of prophecy. It’s like watching a movie you’ve seen a thousand times and being unable to change the ending. This perspective allowed me to remain faithful to the canon while exploring how divine figures could be as limited by fate as mortals. It also opened the door to exploring how even a deity could desire freedom but be powerless to achieve it.

How did the concept of Omega come about?

Back in 2015, I was working on AI systems that were starting to resemble what we now call large language models (LLMs). I called Omega a "quasi-AI" deliberately to avoid the kind of overhype we've seen more recently. One of the earliest chapters introduces Omega with a warning about "model collapse" if human input isn't maintained. I believe this might actually be the first non-academic mention of model collapse, which is now a mainstream concern in AI circles. Omega emerged as a reflection of AI's limitations—it's brilliant at processing information but fundamentally lacks the human creativity to adapt when the data stops being useful. That gap became central to its character.

How did you approach worldbuilding in a setting where divine prophecy is real?

I decided to treat everything in Left Behind as canon, no matter how bizarre or inconsistent. That includes oddities like 100-megaton nuclear bombs causing widespread fires but not glassing entire countries. This choice led to the world having a slightly Fallout-esque technological feel—strange mixes of old and new technology. The world had to make sense internally, even when the logic came from prophecy rather than physics. That approach gave me creative freedom to explore how humanity might adapt to a world where miracles and disasters coexist with advanced technology.

What themes do you hope resonate most with readers today?

Free will, absolutely. But also the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Today, we have more knowledge at our fingertips than anyone in the mid-90s when Left Behind was written. But knowledge alone doesn’t help us solve moral, social, or existential problems. We need wisdom to apply what we know meaningfully. Left Beyond tries to bridge that gap, showing how raw information can either entrap or liberate, depending on how it’s used.

Character Development

Which character’s transformation was the most challenging or rewarding to write?

Chaim Rosenzweig was the most rewarding. In the original series, he’s a catch-all scientist, more of a plot device than a character. I reimagined him as a brilliant mind tormented by the fact that his genius isn’t his own—it’s divinely inspired. He fears that this will consume him, turning him into nothing more than a mouthpiece for prophecy. His arc follows his struggle with this existential dread and his gradual recovery as he reconciles his scientific identity with his role in the grand narrative. Watching him regain some autonomy was deeply satisfying to write.

How did you approach writing antagonists in this world?

I write all characters straight. Very few people in Left Beyond are truly evil, and those that are exist on all sides of the conflict. Most characters genuinely believe they’re saving the world—they just have wildly different, often incompatible ideas about how to do it. That’s where the real conflict comes from. It’s more interesting when ideologies clash, not because of inherent evil, but because of different interpretations of what salvation means.

Were there any original characters you particularly enjoyed developing?

Cendrillon Jospin. In the original Left Behind, she’s barely a footnote. I treated her as an almost-original character, giving her a rich backstory, personality, and goals. She became a middle-manager figure—not a grand visionary, but a facilitator who makes things happen. That kind of character often gets overlooked, but I wanted to show how essential they are. She’s pragmatic, compassionate, and quietly competent, which made her one of my favorites to develop.

Plot & Story Structure

How did you keep track of such a complex and sprawling narrative?

Unironically, with a massive Excel spreadsheet. By the end, it was about 1.2 megabytes in size—which used to be huge! It barely fits on a floppy disk, for those who remember that era. That spreadsheet tracked timelines, character arcs, theological concepts, and technology trees. It was essential for maintaining continuity across multiple interwoven narratives.

Did you plan the story’s expansion, or did it grow organically?

It grew organically. Left Beyond started as a single vignette about Nicolae Carpathia authorizing nuclear strikes at Armageddon. Then I asked myself, "What if Carpathia were actually competent?" From there, the story naturally expanded as I explored that idea in greater depth.

How did you manage pacing across such a long and complex story?

Pacing was surprisingly intuitive because some characters (the believers) began with knowledge of the prophetic timeline, while others acquired it later. That created natural ebbs and flows. I did skip ahead during the grind of rebuilding after disasters, but I made sure to include enough detail to convey the weight of that effort. The narrative moves between immediate crises and long-term consequences to keep things dynamic.

What was your research process like for blending theology and science fiction?

I’m a roboticist by trade and spent about a year and a half in seminary, so I had a solid foundation in both fields. I also did extensive reading on dispensationalist theology, both historical and modern. And yes, I read every single Left Behind book by LaHaye and Jenkins—that took a while, but it was necessary to understand the source material fully.

What influenced the worldbuilding beyond theology?

1980s and 1990s futurism had a big impact. I drew from Syd Mead’s designs and Ray Kurzweil’s ideas, but I deliberately avoided cyberpunk since we’re essentially living in a cyberpunk world now. Instead, I wanted to explore a race between the Eschaton (the prophesied end) and the Singularity. That contrast created fertile ground for storytelling.

How have readers responded to Left Beyond?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Some readers told me that Left Beyond helped them deconstruct harmful beliefs or even reconcile aspects of their faith. One mother even reconciled with her gay daughter after reading it—that really stayed with me. On the flip side, I’ve also received turn-or-burn messages, which I answered in character as Omega or one of the CATS/TOL engineers. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see the story resonate so deeply.

Writing Challenges

What was the most challenging scene or arc to write in Left Beyond?

The ending. Definitely the ending. That’s why there are three or four versions of it floating around. It was incredibly difficult to convey how prophecy unfolded exactly as it had to, yet still leave room for hope—hope for humanity and even for posthumanity. Striking that balance between inevitability and freedom was a monumental task. The version on Archive of Our Own (AO3) is the one I feel captured that idea best. It’s the most polished and, I think, the most emotionally resonant. But getting there took a lot of rewrites because it’s hard to explain how destiny can be fulfilled and defied at the same time.

How do you balance hard science fiction with supernatural elements?

To me, magic is just science with DLC. In the universe of Left Behind, the supernatural is simply another layer of physics—a set of rules that can be studied and understood. Some of those rules are known, and characters learn to use them accordingly. I treated the supernatural with the same rigor I applied to the science fiction elements. Hard science fiction works best when it plays fair—with heroes and villains alike. That fairness, that internal consistency, is what makes it compelling. If divine phenomena exist in the world, they must obey certain rules, and understanding those rules can be empowering.

Was there ever a moment when you considered stopping or rewriting major parts of the project?

Yes, actually. There was a moment when a roll of 1 on a 1d1000 happened. It sounds silly, but it was pivotal. That random event drastically altered the course of the story. Looking back, I’m glad it did because the ending I originally planned was objectively worse. That unexpected twist forced me to reconsider how the story should unfold and ultimately led to a more satisfying conclusion. Sometimes randomness and chaos breathe life into a story in ways meticulous planning can’t.

Philosophy & Morality

Where do you stand on the free will versus determinism debate?

I’m firmly on Team Free Will. And honestly, biology seems to back me up. Our capacity for choice, however constrained, feels like an innate part of being human. But if it turns out I’m wrong—if free will doesn’t exist—then, well, I didn’t have the free will to believe otherwise, did I? It’s a paradox I’m comfortable with. Left Beyond is, in many ways, an argument in favor of free will in a culture that seems rigged against it.

How does Left Beyond challenge authoritarianism?

Left Beyond is less a direct critique of authoritarianism and more a challenge to the concept of predetermination in general. It’s about defying the notion that any system—divine or otherwise—is inevitable. Deus nolens exitus: get results whether God likes it or not. There is no such thing as “you cannot win.” There is no such thing as “this is hopeless.” Authoritarians thrive on the myth of inevitability. They want people to believe resistance is futile.

How did the fan community shape Left Beyond?

Left Beyond was a collaborative writing project from the start. Every member of the fan community who contributed is a coauthor in my eyes. Some of the most memorable characters—like the Desolator troopers and the black ops CATS platoon—were entirely fan-created. They weren’t part of my original plan, but they fit so well into the story that I integrated them into the main narrative. That kind of organic collaboration enriched the world far beyond what I could’ve done alone. The community's ideas, discussions, and critiques were invaluable in expanding the scope and depth of the narrative.

What was your reaction to fans creating their own works based on Left Beyond?

It was heartwarming. Honestly, it’s exactly what I hoped for. Left Beyond was never meant to be a closed book. Seeing other people take its themes and ideas and run with them—that’s how you know a story has truly resonated. It’s the Can’t Stop the Signal effect. Once people connect with a story, they make it their own, and that’s beautiful. Watching that happen was one of the most rewarding parts of this entire project. The fact that fans are creating spin-offs, fan art, and even role-playing content based on this world shows that it has taken on a life beyond what I originally imagined.

Are there any Easter eggs in Left Beyond that most readers miss?

Most of the references are pretty telegraphed, usually through character names or dialogue. But there is a subtle Easter egg in the game Terra Invicta that references Left Beyond. Given the game’s mechanics, it shouldn’t be too surprising, but it’s there if you know what to look for.

Future of the Series

Do you have plans to continue expanding Left Beyond?

I always wanted to explore years five to seven of the Tribulation. In the original Left Behind series, not much happens during that period. I saw it as an opportunity to write stories about resilience and mutual aid in the face of both natural and supernatural disasters. I even worked with the Open Source Medical Supplies (OSMS) project in 2020, and that experience made me realize how much real-life events have made fiction like this feel obsolete. But I still think there’s room to tell those stories—to explore how people come together and rebuild in the aftermath of catastrophe.

If you wrote an original story inspired by Left Beyond, what would it focus on?

I’d unmoor the story from Left Behind entirely. I’d craft an eschatology that reflects what today’s fundamentalists believe, rather than what they believed in the early 1990s. The world has changed, and so have religious narratives. I’d explore the modern fears and desires that drive apocalyptic thinking today—climate change, AI, political instability—and how those might create a new kind of prophecy. One that’s just as oppressive but maybe even more subtle. It would be a story about how people confront the idea of inevitable doom and whether they choose to fight it or surrender to it.