I’ll be the first to admit that the most far-flung bit of speculation I indulge in in The Kabrakan Ascendency (aka The Antithesis Progression)is the Persian Empire having Zoroastrianism as its state religion, rather than Islam.

I had to imagine a pretty convoluted scenario (and a nuclear war) to pull it off in the story-verse, but the ideas and themes I’m exploring in these books would be much less accessible if I’d brought Islam into the picture. It’s a political hot potato, and everybody has opinions about it–at the time I started writing, I couldn’t imagine that baggage adding anything to the story, and that’s doubly true now.

Of course, that means that I have Zoroastrianism to deal with–the big disadvantage of which is that Zoroastrianism is one of those religions you just don’t hear about unless you study religious history or philosophy for fun.

However, one of the listeners clued me in to this video, which gives a concise peek at what Zoroastrianism is, where it comes from, what its prospects are for survival, and how its legacy remains a political football in the modern-day Middle East.

Thought you’d enjoy it 🙂

By the way, don’t forget, there’s only one day left to take advantage of the Extreme Science Fiction bundle I put together over at Storybundle.com. If you like my stuff, you’re going to love these stories–loads of fun, filled with humor, wonder, and darkness all at once. Don’t miss it!

Extreme SF Bundle