"AL T" is the debut novel of Aleksandar Nedeljković, born in Arilje, who graduated from the Faculty of Philology and went to America and became an editor for American and European programs and independent film companies. Two years ago, "Alt" was published there by the American publishing house "Atmosphere Press".
Last month, the Belgrade publishing house "Besani" promoted "AL T" in Serbian translation.
Change and reality
"AL T is a little game with words and meanings that probably works better in English, but I think it works in Serbian as well," Aleksandar Nedeljković told the "Vremena" portal.
He explains that "Alt at the root of the word alternative, alternatively, means different from the established one" and that the word itself "has a large number of connotations that could be summed up in something that means a change, a different register, the replacement of something... Specifically in the novel, represents an alternative future where the action takes place and whose main theme is alternative energy and the search for an alternative way to get out of this hole that we seem to be digging ourselves deeper and deeper into."
He notes that “there's another level of play with the meaning of that title. You will notice that the space between the letters AL and T is blackened. If the parts that are covered in black (denoting something that is censored or hidden) were revealed, the word REALITY would be obtained, which of course means reality. The idea is that everything that is in the book already exists in our reality, but we cannot see it clearly."
A second is enough.
Genre-wise, the novel is a science fiction thriller, which begins like this:
"A lot can happen in a second. You can decide whether you will love someone for the rest of your life in one second. A second is enough to recognize an idea that can elevate a civilization or start a war that will destroy countless lives.
It is so necessary that the Newseam Neural Network with its artificial intelligence compiles a dedicated news story that fits this headline: Systems that are not born are systems that die.
A second is the measure of singularity closest to zero where past, present and future are made into one, where what was, what is and what may be can still change each other.”
Oil shortage
The plot of the novel is set in the near future (30-50 years from today), in America, which is a group of independent states gathered in some alliances. The power of large corporations has grown to such a level that a number of them have their own states where only the richest live.
The world of ALT is shaken by a major energy crisis caused by a permanent shortage of oil, a crisis that threatens to collapse the entire civilizational model in which we live. Moreover, the negative effects of climate change are a reality that can no longer be ignored. The only way out is to find a new, alternative source of energy that will simultaneously solve both problems.
Warning
The novel's protagonist, computer engineer Theo Smith, attempts to recreate his father's long-lost invention, the Chorus, a solar panel that converts sunlight into electricity. solar energy collection and delivery system that promises to solve two of the biggest challenges facing civilization: the global energy crisis and climate disruption. When the private security service Sheng Long gets involved, Theo's world is turned upside down, putting the realization of "Sundance" in jeopardy.
Can humanity save itself from itself before it is too late, is probably the main of many questions that Nedeljkovic's novel raises, and, at the same time, it warns of what awaits him if he continues to ignore the signals that indicate that the planet is in danger, urging him to change it.
