Page 13 - Reader's House Magazine Issue 53

repression. Growing up in that environment,
I learned to keep my thoughts, words, and actions separate. When I was old enough to understand more, my mother opened my eyes to the lies of the system. I became suspicious of the constant propaganda and of the pretense of teachers and others. I forced myself to distinguish between reality and hollow words. Having experienced life under this regime, I aspire to expose in my writing the hypocrisy of both far-left and far-right governments. I want to warn readers, especially those who take freedom for granted, mesmerized by the promises of a utopian society, that the dark side of human nature can push us back into the abyss of oppression at any time.
“The Soul Machines” intertwines historical truth with imagination. What inspired
you to set this story in 19th-century Transylvania?
The end of the 19th century and at the dawn of the 20th century were shaped by extreme ideology. The idealization of the oppressed led to communism and nationalism paved the way for fascism. I noticed the unfortunate similar- ities between the societal turmoil of that time and the disturbance of our age. Once again, we witness the exacerbation of extreme thinking in politics, a deep division in society, and the acute loss of common sense.
Transylvania was an ideal setting for this novel, both because I was born there and I know it well, and because it represents a melt-
Alexandru Czimbor’s masterful storytelling and profound insights into human nature elevate him as a truly remarkable voice in contemporary literature.
We are now experiencing an AI resurgence, due to the unexpected success of generative AI. Just like, as a child, I was lured by the illusion of a conscious being chatting with me, today we routinely anthropomorphize tools like ChatGPT. We speak of computer programs displaying “general intelligence,” “creativity,” “will,” or “consciousness.” With Sentience Hazard, I wanted to show both how far we are from true, human-like intelligence, and how machine intelligence, if unchecked or exploited by malicious actors, can have devastating consequences.
Your novels blend genres like fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction. How do you approach combining these elements in your storytelling?
I like to make my fiction as plausible as possible.
In The Soul Machines, I intertwined ele- ments of mystery and a touch of fantasy with the realities of 19th-century Transylvania. My goal wasn’t to create a fantasy novel but to craft a believable story with exceptional characters driven by love, hatred, loyalty, and passion. The “machines” that amplify human emotions merely symbolize the corruption of our souls, while I built the story around the people influenced by them.
Sentience Hazard is more clearly defined as a specific genre, but in it, too, I aimed to present the development of AI and the global tension as they impact people’s lives.
Themes such as the rise of extreme politics and the conflict between religion and naturalism are present in your work. What draws you to these subjects?
Our propensity to create stories for phe- nomena that we can’t understand has always fascinated me. Religions are full of powerful stories, some of which should be taken literal- ly and others figuratively. Over the last couple of centuries, we’ve made incredible scientific progress. We now find ourselves trapped in this perpetual dance between reason and faith. As humans, we are inexorably drawn to a be- lief system, whether based on the supernatural or on intellect. Once committed to it, we lose objectivity. I challenge my readers to question their beliefs, especially the ones they are most sure of, and to try to understand the perspec- tives of those they disagree with.
How has your experience in academia and the software industry influenced your writing process and the subjects you choose to explore?
Throughout my career, I’ve worked in many different environments—teaching, program- ming, entrepreneurship, management. I’ve launched software products and led teams providing software development services for large U.S. companies. This broad experience has allowed me to meet people from all kinds of backgrounds, giving me a strong under- standing of how people think, feel, and act. This helps shape my writing.
The Soul Machines by Alexandru Czimbor is a compelling tale set in 19th-century Transylvania, exploring friendship amid societal strife. With themes of political extremism and forbidden love, the narrative weaves romance and mystery seamlessly. Czimbor’s evocative prose captures the era’s turmoil, making this a thought-provoking read. Highly recommended.
Your books have received several awards. How have these accolades impacted your career and approach to writing?
When I started writing, I hardly had any readers. I submitted my work to various writ- ing competitions mainly to attract more. I am both surprised and overjoyed that my novels have placed highly in so many prestigious competitions. Literary awards certainly make me set a higher standard for myself.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who wish to blend complex themes into their narratives?
Authors who want to tackle complex topics should read across a variety of genres to widen their horizons. They need to understand the bigger picture, yet be able to focus on relevant details. They need to hone their inquisitive skills and choose their subjects carefully. Then, they should fully commit to the creative process.
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ing pot of ethnic groups, including Romanians, Hungarians, Saxon Germans, and Gypsies. I wanted to illustrate how people of different origins, races, and social classes can coex-
ist, despite all the life challenges. The Soul Machines is a call for a return to the political center and to the core values that unite us.
In “Sentience Hazard,” you explore the boundaries between human and machine. How does your background in computer science inform this narrative?
I became passionate about Artificial Intelli- gence in the ‘80s. My mother used to work for the Computing Center of the Romanian Post. One day, while visiting her, I was introduced to one of the first chatbots created at MIT, which had made its way into the computers available there. The idea of a virtual “person” with whom I could converse immediately captured my imagination. The desire to learn more about AI was one of the main reasons I pursued computer science. Since then, I have read extensively on the topic and gained a deeper appreciation and respect for the com- plexity of the human mind.