When charisma is a superpower,
it's a mind-bending force.
“With Universe of Lost Messages Stilson shows herself to be one of the very best of new SF writers. This is a terrific thriller but it’s also a deeply incisive political novel.”
—Jonathan Oliver, multi-award winning editor and the author of The Language of Beasts.
About Janet
Janet Stilson lives in two worlds. She is a creative writer whose body of work includes novels, short stories, scripts and a short film. She is also a journalist who has served as an editor and correspondent for many fine publications.
About Universe of Lost Messages
2024 NYC Big Book Award, Science Fiction Category
What if your child has extraordinary powers of charisma and can get people to do almost anything? What happens if that child is abducted?
Izzie and Tristan were never mere humans. They are Charismites, with almost god-like powers of magnetism. Their worlds explode when they are abducted by The Fist, a power-hungry political group with a master plan to control the hearts and minds of all people on Earth and satellite colonies beyond. But the plan only works with the help of Charismites. This new release is a stand-alone sequel to The Juice.
About The Juice
A dystopian, cyberpunk novel about media set a few decades into the future
Jarat Ellington was just an exile from Elite society, trying to lead a simple life, when a genius friend dropped an explosive mystery in his lap. The old pal, Thom Tseng, created a priceless chemical substance called the Juice that turns mildly charming people into almost god-like presences, known as Charismites. But the Juice is stolen, and Thom killed.
Praise
About Universe of Lost Messages: "Believable technology ... makes this an engaging, plausible future world. A deliberately paced, engrossing tale set in a politically motivated, tech-heavy universe."
“An interesting science fiction cross dystopia story that is sure to open some eyes, especially with its political cross references. I’m looking forward to reading more of Janet’s work in the future!”
—The Nerd Daily
“Janet has written some incredibly original script concepts. She has great instincts and an undeniable talent for writing.”
— Felipe Machado, Independent Producer (“Don’t Breathe,” “The Grudge,” “Crawl”)
About The Juice: “An energetic vision of a dystopian near-future America … This cyberpunk adventure delivers plenty of future tech and social commentary to please genre fans.”
“The Juice is a rollicking, inventive, and insightful read — heady, heartfelt but never heavy-handed.”
— Elizabeth Guider, Novelist, former executive editor of Variety and editor of The Hollywood Reporter
“The Juice is ambitious and genre-bending, blending cyberpunk, espionage, romance, and social commentary in a fast-paced story … The main thread is entertaining, tech-centric, and action-packed enough to keep readers engaged to the end.”
— Booklist
Major Themes and Threads
Janet writes personal, human stories set in larger sci-fi and fantasy worlds.
She explores:
- Who we trust, and who we simply can’t;
- The intoxicating power of charisma and magnetism;
- How advertising and media increasingly influence our opinions and behavior;
- The ways in which political figures shape public perceptions;
- How we stay humane in the face of injustice.
Featured Podcasts & Interviews
The podcast Sci-Fi Talk featured Janet speaking about her new book 'Universe of Lost Messages'
Sci-Fi Talk also featured Janet, chatting about 'The Juice'
Janet talks about The Juice on The Reading & Writing Podcast
Janet describes some of her favorite sci-fi novels on shepherd.com
Latest Blog Post
How To Mine A Distant Asteroid When Your Boss Is A Ruthless @#$%
Given the avalanche of news that hits us on a daily basis, the feat that SpaceX achieved recently might seem like a distant blip on the screen. A skyscraper-sized rocket went to the edge of space, then returned to Earth and was captured for reuse by the relatively slender arms of a huge tower. It’s a big deal for the space junkie crowd and a lot of other people too. That’s the kind of news story that sci-fi writers love.
