Q: This is an unusual combination, Buddhism and sci-fi. What inspired this new approach?

A: I wanted to find a way to bring the spiritual into a format that would reach out to more people. I particularly wanted to appeal to younger people who feel that technology and modern life has left them feeling like something important is missing. By integrating the technical and spiritual, a generation brought up in a fast-paced, internet/multimedia world may relate to the work, and might take some of the Buddhist philosophy presented in the book to heart.

Q: So you're trying to get the Buddhist concepts across in a less "boring" way for young people?

A: Let's just say that this basic wisdom has been around for 2,500 years, that there is something valuable about it, and I felt that going to a monastery or reading typical Buddhist literature is not something that non-Buddhists will just do of their own volition.

A: The book is a modern parable of sorts. It's the story of a modern Buddha, a fully enlightened being, who realizes that to really impact the modern world, he must embrace technology, and employ it for the greater good. He takes the mental, meditative accomplishments of an adept and makes them accessible to all, through clever use of technology and the incredible communicative potential of the internet. The reader can expect to be entertained, involved in a good simple story, and at the same time to learn a bit about the basics of Buddhist philosophy.

Q: So you've made learning Buddhism painless?

A: I've tried to make the basics palatable and accessible. Everybody wants everything to be instantaneous and easy, but spiritual growth is not that way. It's a bit of the Trojan Horse approach, really. I just think it's easy to read the book, and maybe the concepts will settle in somewhere and invoke some curiosity, or stir up some interest in a subject that many people aren't usually exposed to.