Longtime North Bay editor challenges himself by writing fiction

A North Bay editor turned author has released his second book.

Allister Thompson’s first book was self-published, but his second, ‘Birch and Jay: The Knowledge Seekers: Book 1’ was published by Latitude 46.

“I have been an editor for most of my life, and I had my first bookstore job when I was 16,” Thompson said.

“I edit fiction every day, all day long. Eventually, you start to think, can I do this? Have I learned from analyzing other people’s stories and telling them what to do? Can I tell myself what to do?”

He asked himself whether he could tell a compelling story. The first book he wrote was a long time ago.

“This is my first mature piece of work, I would guess you could say,” said Thompson.

“I really just wanted to see if I could do it.”

Book is set in ‘Norbay’

The main characters in his book are Birch and Jay. They are living in North Bay 100 years in the future.

“The community is renamed Norbay,” he said.

“They are two teens who are in a relationship. Jay is a member of a guild in a town called the ‘Knowledge Seekers.’ The founders of the town who were survivors of the climate collapse were very idealistic. What they want to do is gather and archive the knowledge of the previous generations.”

Thomspon said Jay is a member of the guild, but Birch is not. He said Birch is a more impetuous type who has not figured out what to do with her life.

“Birch has not figured out if she wants to join this guild, and she is in a bit of conflict.”

Thompson said that Jay is sent out on his first mission to get his feet wet on former Highway 11. He added that it pains him that this is a very realistic book.

“This is about looking at things that really could happen,” he said.

“The things you will face in a lawless society will be wildlife, dangerous animals, but more so dangerous people.”

Thompson’s book is available at latitude46publishing.com.