7 inspirations for my dystopian survival thriller

You’re not getting typical inspirations for this dystopian survival thriller. Some are familiar, and others came out of left field.

Beyond the Lost might’ve come to me in a dream, but as I contemplated writing the trilogy, seven influences came to me at different times. One was a given, and another, I didn’t see coming. But the work wouldn’t exist like it does today without any of them, so enjoy this little rundown.

1 – Red Dawn

Yeah, when a bunch of men (and some women) with guns invade the country and start shooting, you’re getting immediate Red Dawn vibes. But instead of parachuting in, these terrorists laid low in America’s vast wilderness and simultaneously attacked concerts, gatherings, sporting events, and even military bases in one cataclysmic moment.

2 – Off-the-grid colonies

I’ve heard of a couple that are out there. Not telling you where, but when you talk to people, you find a few things out. Like those terrorists, you’ll locate them within America’s forests. They just never crossed one another, or else there would’ve been a massive firefight.

3 – Nostalgia

Quinn Cozens, despite his chaotic personality, reminds me of a young Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter. Like Dumbledore, Quinn spurned his family to chase ambition. And in Beyond the Lost Horizon, he’s a 29-year-old man living in regret, with only memories that occurred over a decade before the events of the book.

4 – Western and Eastern civilizations

Quinn Cozens and Yui Kikuchi are walking metaphors. Quinn’s backstory, for all of its shortcomings, represents the West’s grit, toughness, and individualist mindset. Yui represents the East, given the submit and obey mindset her agency forced her to adopt. But don’t worry, these characters aren’t flat stereotypes. They evolve.

5 – Indie dystopian fiction

Tracy Lawson’s Resistance Series and Kate L. Mary’s Beyond Trilogy shaped my dystopian survival work. While those two series lean more into pure dystopian fiction, you’re still getting love affairs, alternative systems, and self-reliance apart from the status quo.

6 – Globalism

Spoiler Alert: Unlike Red Dawn, neither Soviet Russia nor North Korea is behind these terrorist attacks. Nope, not China, Iran, or even drug cartels. You got a small elite seeking chaos and bringing about a new global order. They just needed foot soldiers.

7 – Surveillance capitalism

Surveillance capitalism’s an arm of the state. Real capitalism is voluntary exchange; surveillance capitalism survives only through state-granted privileges, subsidies, and coercion. Strip away the government’s backing, and the entire industry collapses overnight. Quinn knows that, but, unfortunately, he’s in the small minority.

If you’re libertarian AF and you crave works that flip off globalism and surveillance capitalism, yet crave fast-paced and emotionally-jarring dystopian survival fiction, then buckle up. You’re the perfect reader for Beyond the Lost Horizon.