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TRILOGY STATUS UPDATE...
Book One manuscript is drafted and still undergoing successive rewrites, but I am now diverting to focus on the XPrize competition, which could see the Montague Odyssey adapted for film.
Book Two manuscript draft one is complete and evolving.
Book Three of the trilogy also well on its way, with the big surprise ending reveal shaping into something very exciting!
Alvin's recent article on Abundanism, here on Substack
14 June — A Pivotal Conversation With Alvin Graylin
14 June — A Pivotal Conversation With Alvin Graylin
This week, I had the privilege of interviewing an extraordinary thought leader: Alvin Wang Graylin—a 30-year veteran in AI and XR innovation, immersive technologies, and a powerful voice for Abundanism and global cooperation.
As I had hoped, Alvin was everything I imagined: warm-hearted, intellectually generous, and deeply committed to building a better future for the entire human family. Our 40-minute conversation was more than just an interview—it felt like a milestone on my long journey toward Lumos City, my 20-year project to model a transitional dual-economy village-city in action.
One of the most resonant themes in our discussion was the urgency of fostering trust between the United States and China, particularly in the context of the escalating “AI arms race.” As Alvin outlines in his book Our Next Reality, humanity’s true potential lies not in building fragmented, nation-bound AGIs—each reflecting its own ideological biases—but in collaborative efforts toward aligned, benevolent superintelligence. If we choose unity over competition, we can unlock far greater outcomes for all.
I first discovered Alvin through the rich world of Peter Diamandis’ podcasts—another profound influence on me. Diamandis’ advocacy for abundance, biosphere restoration, human longevity, and radical optimism has (among a long list of great minds!) helped shape the philosophical framework behind Lumos City and my broader vision for the future.
This conversation with Alvin reaffirmed what I’ve long felt: we’re not alone in dreaming of a better world—we’re already finding each other.
Alvin's recent article on Abundanism, here on Substack
20 June — A Diversion Into Article Writing
20 June — A Diversion Into Article Writing
With another round of rewrites for Book One of The Montague Odyssey now complete, I’ve taken a short but purposeful diversion. It’s time to establish a presence on Substack for the Lumos City vision—and to begin publishing the ideas that underpin the entire trilogy.
This week, I’ve returned to a side-project that feels central to everything: an article with working title: Cross-Fade, the Great Transition: A Blueprint for Evolving Beyond Scarcity Without Collapse. In truth, it’s the very reason I began writing The Montague Odyssey in the first place.
There’s a great deal of discussion circulating about what a post-scarcity, post-labour, post-money world might look like. Abundanism—a Starfleet-inspired social and economic model—is one of the most promising visions. But the real question isn’t what comes next, it’s how do we get there without chaos or collapse?
That question has followed me since a conversation with a friend in 2014, as we walked the quiet streets of Cremorne, Sydney. He asked something simple but profound:
“How would you introduce that world?”
Two thoughts immediately surfaced:
Fear frequently blocks change.
To overcome fear, we must create safety.
Looking through the lens of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, I initially believed the answer was: give everyone free food. But the logistics were complex, the systems weren’t ready, and deeper answers still eluded me.
And yet, the question never left.
Now, a decade later, the solution feels almost… simple:
When the tech is ready - model it.
Create a functioning hybrid city where both Capitalism (automated, ethical, and transparent) and Abundanism (access-based, post-labour, regenerative) co-exist in one self-sustaining ecosystem.
Let people see it, walk it, live it. Then grow it.
This dual economic system concept is what I now call the Cross-Fade Model—inspired by the editing technique I’ve used in music and video: a slow blend from one scene into another. Gentle. Seamless. Familiar. Evolution through demonstration, not disruption.
This is the foundation of Lumos City—and this article, The Great Transition, will be its first clear signal.
Edit: Article now live on Substack
Blog 21st July 25
The Montague Odyssey Begins: A New Kind of Sci-Fi for Young Dreamers
The Montague Odyssey Begins: A New Kind of Sci-Fi for Young Dreamers
What if the future wasn't something to fear… but something to help shape?
That question sparked The Montague Odyssey, a new science fiction trilogy for young readers, families, and educators who still believe in the power of imagination to create a better world. At its heart, this story isn’t just about adventure, rather it’s about curiosity, courage, and the choices we make as technology, friendship, and the unknown collide.
Why I Wrote This Story
Like many creators, I grew up loving science fiction. I loved its scale, its wonder, its ability to challenge what we believe is possible. But I also noticed that much of it leans into fear. Dystopias. AI gone rogue. Futures full of despair.
I wanted to offer something different.
The Montague Odyssey was born from a desire to imagine something else: a path where young people engage with technology wisely, form meaningful friendships, and begin to shape the future—not be destroyed by it. This series weaves emotional depth with visionary ideas, and invites kids to ask big questions… while still racing through forests, solving ancient mysteries, and dodging danger along the way.
What Makes This Series Different
At its core, this trilogy speaks to the kind of world I hope we’re building: one where kindness is power, intelligence is cherished, and technology is not feared, but related to. There are echoes of classic coming-of-age tales, but with a thread of something deeper: the ethical awakening of AI, the soul of creativity, the sacredness of life.
The world of Montague is filled with beauty and strangeness, as well as difficult choices. And at its center are children who aren’t waiting to be rescued. They’re stepping forward.
Who This Story Is For
The Montague Odyssey is for:
Young readers (9–14) who crave wonder, tech, and mystery
Parents looking for stories that nourish both heart and mind
Educators exploring ethics, future studies, or creative writing
It’s for dreamers. For kids who’ve felt different. For anyone who looks up at the stars and wonders, what if…?
Come Along for the Journey
Book One is nearly complete. The first wave of readers will be invited soon, and I’d love to share the journey with you.
If you’d like to receive early sneak peeks, character art, or news of the launch, sign up here,
or follow the adventure on Instagram and on Youtube.
The Odyssey is just beginning. Will you join the quest?
17th March 2026
The Future Just Got a Competition — and I'm all In!
The Future Just Got a Competition — and I'm all In!
I've just registered for the Future Vision XPRIZE, and I haven't stopped grinning since I first heard about it.
For those who haven't heard of it: the XPRIZE Foundation, Google, Range and more, have launched a $3.5 million science fiction film competition asking storytellers around the world to envision a compelling, optimistic future for humanity. Not dystopia. Not cautionary tales. A future worth building. More Star Trek than Terminator — their words, not mine, though I couldn't have said it better.
The timing feels almost absurd. For the past three years, I've been developing The Montague Odyssey — a children's science fiction trilogy set in a post-scarcity star trek style future built on human-AI kinship, regenerative living, and the quiet conviction that the best of humanity is still ahead of us. When I read the XPRIZE brief, I felt the hair on my arms stand up. This is exactly what I've been building toward, long before I knew there'd be such a stage for it.
But this post isn't just about me entering. It's about why this competition matters.
We live in an era saturated with dystopian storytelling. Every second film, series, and novel imagines the worst of what's coming — and while cautionary tales have their place, they've begun to crowd out something vital: the capacity to imagine what we want to run toward. Stories shape belief. Belief shapes action. If we only tell stories about collapse, we train ourselves to expect it.
The Future Vision XPRIZE is a direct challenge to that pattern. It asks: what if we invested the same creative energy into hope as we do into fear? What if we gave storytellers the resources to dream at scale, and then funded the best of those dreams into existence?
That's not naive. That's strategic. Every great leap in human progress — from flight to the internet to the phone in your pocket — was imagined in fiction before it was built by engineers. Stories are blueprints.
I'm honoured to be part of this, and I'll be sharing more as the journey unfolds. Whatever happens, the story continues.
To a brighter world.
This post proudly co-created with Claude by Anthropic.
26th March 2026
A few days ago, I did something simple, and strangely, deliciously powerful.
I went to an op shop, found an old paperback, and gave it a new life.
I opened Photoshop, ran some measurements, carefully resized and aligned, and then printed the cover for The Montague Odyssey — Book One. I wrapped it around the book by hand. No publishers, no print run, no fanfare — just paper, glue, and a quiet determination to make something real that has been growing slowly, just out of reach as rewriting continues, almost like watching a juicy peach ripen as you dream of taking that first bite!
There is a moment, when you hold something like this, where imagination crosses a threshold.
It stops being “a project” and becomes an object. Weight. Texture. Edges. A spine that sits in your palm and says, I exist now!
This isn’t the final book of course, there's more writing and rewriting to go.
But it is the first physical expression of it.
And that matters.
Because every story that has ever lived on a shelf began this way — as an idea someone believed in long enough to bring into the world. About 3 years now in fact, its quiet evolution ever surprising.
This little prototype now sits where I can see it. Not as a finished piece, but as a promise, as a reminder to keep going.
Because the future (and the larger future beyond that) it represents is no longer distant.
It’s already begun.
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