The Art of Saving the World

Can I have a review copy?

Perhaps! Contact my publisher; they’re in charge of these decisions. If you contact me directly, I probably won’t be able to help. I only get a limited amount of copies for personal use, and sending them abroad (which is nearly always the case) costs an awful lot of money. I’d have to spend easily €30-50 of my own money for each requested book, which I can’t afford. Sorry!

Will your novels be available in my language?

If an edition isn’t listed in the “editions” section of the book’s individual page (or if no such section exists), it either means that no translation is forthcoming, or that I’m not yet supposed to talk about it.

Either way, the page will have all the information I’m able/allowed to give you.

If you’d like to see a book translated in your language, the best approach is to reach out to local publishers to bring the book to their attention and express interest in a local edition.

What’s the proper terminology when talking about you or Denise in On the Edge of Gone?

Thank you for asking. Although I never want to dictate reviews or articles, a lot of people seem unsure about what words are or aren’t okay to use, especially with regards to disability or autism.

Autism: For both Denise and myself, feel free to use “autistic” or “with autism.” I’m fine with either term. That said, I prefer the former, so please don’t go out of your way to use person-first language. There’s also no need whatsoever to correct anyone else who uses person-first language to refer to either Denise or myself.

Disability: The same applies. Either “disabled” or “with a disability” is acceptable. I lean toward the former even more strongly in this case.

Other phrasing: I’d appreciate it if you avoided inherently negative phrasing like “suffers from autism” or “afflicted with autism.” Depending on context, phrases like “struggles with autism” may be fine, as Denise does in fact struggle with her autism throughout the book – just like she struggles with people’s reactions to her autism.

Conversely, seemingly positive phrases like “overcoming autism,” “inspiring,” and “high-functioning” are loaded terms within the disability community. I would ask people to consider those terms carefully and read up on the context.

The diagnosis of “Asperger’s” is no longer in use at the moment, and certainly wouldn’t be in 2035, which is the year the book is set. That means Denise should not be referred to as such. I do not use the term for myself, either.

If you’ve already used these terms, please don’t worry; I’m not trying to call people out. I’m delighted about anyone choosing to talk about the book in the first place! But since a lot of people have asked me about terminology, I thought I’d have my thoughts out in the open.

Are your books part of a series? If not, are there sequels planned?

As of this moment, all my books are standalones; there is zero overlap in world or characters.

There are currently no sequels planned, either. I’m always open to the possibility of sequels or companion novels if I get an idea that works, but it’s not something I’m currently pursuing.

I have written a companion short story to On the Edge of Gone, however, which was released in the Defying Doomsday anthology in 2016 and reprinted in the Wastelands: The New Apocalypse anthology in 2019. The story, titled “And the Rest of Us Wait,” is set in a temporary shelter in the Netherlands and takes place during the same time period as On the Edge of Gone. The novel/story be read independently of each other, and any order.