By Gideon Cross
This novel, which, as the title would suggest, is thematically diverse, occasionally ad-libbed, and doesn’t fit neatly into any one genre, was a labor of love born from two very close friends who loved to read together and one day asked the question: “Wouldn’t it be fun to create a story of our own?”
It began as a fun way to express our creative impulses and put our imaginative energies to work, but, as the story developed, it became a years-long investment for both of us, as these characters, their emotional bonds, and the trials they faced breathed a life into them that made them far more, at least to us, than simple words on a page. For instance, Alexander, Cynthia, their shared past, the circumstances, both jubilant and tragic, that carried them forward as their journey progressed… This was their story, not ours, and though we created the characters, their decisions and experiences determined its course.
Inspiration often comes from particular states of mind in fleeting moments - moments that shift as new events and feelings, old stories and cherished memories, coalesce and pave a new path forward.
In the case of this novel, what we happened to be reading at the time inspired much of the tonal differences that illustrate why this novel doesn’t apply to a single genre. We read no less than two dozen books throughout the nearly four-year period in which we decided to write ‘No Genre for Life.’ Probably more - and, if I were to compile a list of what we read - a mix of classic and modern fiction, poetry, books on history and psychology, even the Bible - the astute observer would probably be able to identify what we were reading at the time we wrote a particular passage.
To the extent that we played the role of “guiding hands” for our protagonists, one of the most fulfilling aspects of writing this novel was using it as a medium to express what happened to be going on in my own mind and heart at the time, which was not only influenced by what I was reading, but where my life was heading. In 2023, when my coauthor and I were still in the very stages of drafting this book, I got the job offer of a lifetime and the opportunity to move to South Korea, where my coauthor is from, to work for the U.S. government. We met in China years before, and bonded over a shared love of books and language study. In fact, the last chapter in the novel - where Alexander seized the opportunity to pursue Natalie - was in no small part derived from the geographic separation between us, and my desire to see her again; a desire that, thankfully, was realized less than a year later.
Overall, this novel, though it started out as some lighthearted fun, absorbed in essence much of what transpired in my own life over the past 4 years, encapsulating the highs and lows, anxieties and animal spirits that took hold of me in my early 30s. Like the characters it offers a world to exist within, this story came to embody something with far more gravity - for both myself and my coauthor. The blending of genres mirrors life's unpredictability, and though a departure from conventional storytelling, we hope it adds an authentic layer that resonates with readers who appreciate character-driven narratives rooted in genuine experiences.
We sincerely hope you enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed writing it.