Imagining Tomorrow: The Story Behind Writing 'Feierabend'
How Artificial Intelligence and Human Labor Inspired My Leap into Near-Future Sci-Fi.
“‘Finally relieved from the hassle of work? Congratulations, and welcome to the true Age of Enlightenment!’ Verse advertisement, Summer 2042” Feierabend, by Max Malterer
Why I wrote Feierabend
I remember vividly how the desire to write a novel has grown in me over the past years. First, it was a faraway glimmer somewhere in my mind. Then, when I went on a mental health journey, and started embracing my creative soul more fully, the glimmer grew into a bright fire.
Last summer, I finally decided to do it. I had recently decided to take a career break, and found myself with enough time and mental freedom to focus on a serious creative endeavor. There was no space left for excuses. I set out on the most exciting, and passion-fueling project I have done in many years.
My inspiration for the book came from three main sources.
First, my fascination with artificial intelligence. While a lot of media hype was and still is being made about the technological element of recent AI advances, I found the more interesting aspect of what these reveal about human nature.
Second, my love for near-future sci-fi that lets one explore realistic what-if scenarios at the intersection of technology and society. Classics like Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars trilogy, or newer novels such as American War by Omar el Akkad, are thought-provoking reads that allow to explore possible futures, and how those reflect on our current state of human affairs.
Third, my personal struggle over the past years with finding meaning at work.
All these three came together in an idea for a near-future sci-fi novel that would allow me to explore the impact of AI on work, meaning, and a fulfilling life.
“Bert couldn’t wait to tell his two best friends from his time at university about Liz at their annual reunion this afternoon.”
How I wrote it
Last August, I wrote the plot for Feierabend. 20 pages with a rough idea of the world, characters, and major plot twists. Then I took six weeks off to go hiking and spend time with my family. In mid-October, back at home in Berlin, I finally kicked off writing the book and filling the plot with life.
It has been such an incredibly rewarding process! With many lessons for myself, not just as a writer, but also as an individual. At times, it felt as if the story was shaping me more than I was shaping the story.
When I started out writing the book, I found myself for the first time since my childhood doing something purely intuitively. Initially, I checked out a few articles and courses on story structures and writing processes, but quickly found my creative energy worn down by those. Since I had no intention to publish the book and rather write it for myself, I put all the How to Write XYZ guides aside, and just went with the flow. There was no external pressure to deliver, no expectations to be met. This mindset set me free.
Still, getting started each day wasn’t easy. It felt similar to pushing myself to do sports because I know it’s good for me. But once I got started typing, there was no more need to push myself. The hours just flew by. The words poured out of me. New ideas popped into my head all the time. How to let Bert experience his work? What if the antagonist is more like a fellow protagonist? Why does society react this way? Creating and shaping a world that might come about in the future, is a fascinating experience. It put me into flow state. Four, five, sometimes six hours until my creative battery for the day was empty. For almost two months.
On a sunny, yet freezing mid-December day, and after countless hours of writing, editing, and rewriting, I had the first manuscript in front of me. 70,000 words. A cool story, with big themes, in an intriguing future world. I went to our balcony, grabbed a bottle of ice-cold Augustiner beer, my favorite from my hometown Munich, and celebrated this major milestone, feeling simultaneously exhilarated and incredibly at peace.
But the writing didn’t stop there. It was time to get the manuscript in front of some readers. Luckily, I had the privilege of seven dear friends volunteering to read my book over Christmas. The conversations with each of them about their impressions, their questions, and their feedback were just wonderful. I believe any fiction writer will understand that magical feeling of hearing others talk about your characters and world, making your world their own.
My test readers gave me a lot of inspiration for how to improve my first manuscript — bring out the characters’ development better, add more descriptive style elements, sharpen some themes. I even changed the ending of the book, with major revisions and additions in the final chapters. Almost 20,000 words later, I found myself with the final manuscript in my hand. It was a step-change compared to the first one. The whole story got even more exciting to read and talk about. With this final manuscript, I was ready to start my journey of finding an agent.
“‘Come on, Bert, stop that missionary bullshit. What are you, a HRP priest now, telling me to just blindly believe? People won’t take that shit anymore.”
An agent?
Yes. Throughout my writing, the desire grew in me to share the book with a broader audience. So I decided not to just write it for myself, but to publish it. After a thorough comparison of the pros and cons, I opted for doing so with a traditional publisher, which for the bigger ones requires me to work with an agent. Of course, an agent also has the benefit that I will work with a professional who will help me make the book the best that I could write.
Now, finding an agent isn’t easy. I’m hardly the only new writer on the block ;) But I truly believe my book can entertain and inspire people. Maybe even provoke a public conversation not just about AI, but the broader meaning of work for us.
I’ll write a separate post one day on my journey to pick between traditional publishing and self-publishing. There are still days, when self-publishing tempts me, especially when considering that traditional publishing can take up to three years for your book to be out there.
(If you know an agent, or even an editor at a publishing house, that is working with authors in genres such as near-future sci-fi or speculative fiction, let me know!)
Max, what is Feierabend about?
Oh yeah, time to tell you more about it.
Feierabend is a near-future sci-fi novel that plays in a world in the late 2030s and early 2040s where advancements in artificial intelligence are rapidly rendering human labor obsolete. At the heart of this transformation is the Human Relief Project (HRP), an organization aiming to liberate humanity from the toils of work. Bert, a simple HRP frontline employee, initially embraces this new era with missionary zeal. However, as he oversees the relief of diverse professions, from hairdressers to researchers, he begins questioning the implications of this utopian ideal. His personal life, strained by a partner grappling with her role in this new society, friends despising his work, and a father capitalizing on anti-AI sentiment, reflects the broader societal conflict.
Parallel to Bert's story is Alex, the Chief Relief Officer of the HRP. Her vision of a perfect society is burdened by political challenges and ethical dilemmas, making her a compelling and multifaceted character.
Bert’s and Alex’s interwoven stories delve into themes of identity, the role of labor in human fulfillment, and the impact of technology on society, as both of them head towards a shared disaster that changes the very fabric of their lives.
Feierabend offers a narrative that is as much about personal discovery as it is about societal evolution. Its blend of speculative fiction, human drama, and social commentary echoes works like Gary Shteyngart's Super Sad True Love Story, Matt Haig’s Midnight Library, and Ling Ma's Severance.
I will share more about my writing process and publishing journey in the future. Maybe even a whole post on my choice of book title.
If you haven’t yet, make sure to subscribe to receive new posts, as well as of course the exciting news when I have found an agent and a publisher :)
What do you think about my writing journey and the themes of the novel? Any questions about Feierabend? Share your thoughts in the comments :)