The first tale in The Artama Legend series of speculative fiction is Artama & The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom.
Artama, a young boy, lives in The Town, where the people are almost always content. But Artama is not content, and he challenges the conventional wisdom. Determined to discover the truth for himself—against the dictates of The Readers and The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom—Artama undertakes a journey across The Plain, where he meets Kora, a wondrous and mysterious girl, and he is changed forever. Upon his return to The Town, now a young man, Artama brings words of knowledge and wisdom . . . and a miracle.
A charming, provocative, and revolutionary parable, Artama & The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom is a timeless tale with a message for all ages.
The writing of Artama & The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom began simply enough: My brother, Alan, a very talented artist, was visiting me, and we would stay up late philosophizing, playing the guitar, and singing. Somewhere, in one of our late-night sessions, I mentioned an idea I had for a children’s story, a parable—not necessarily a feel-good children’s story—but an important lesson for children. Where the idea came from, I will never know. Where do ideas come from? That question and similar questions are explored throughout the Artama Legend series.
My brother enthusiastically volunteered to illustrate the parable, and I was inspired to write the first version of Artama & The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom. But, unfortunately, Alan, a wandering soul, left town before the illustrations were completed.
I filed the manuscript away, and there it stayed for decades. Eventually, I pulled it out and passed it around. Everyone liked it. So, after some revisions, I published it.
People liked the book and wanted me to write another. I had written many songs but never thought about writing books for children. Artama & The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom was a one-time affair.
Then, the idea came to write a series of books following the lives of the original characters as they grew older. As the characters matured, so would the style and complexity of the books. The second book would be a YA novella (now Artama & The Watchtower Portal), and the third book (now Artama & The New Kingdom) would be a novel for adults.
Eventually, there may be a final book—a collection of short stories—for adults of advanced age.
A child can read Artama & The Book of Knowledge & Wisdom—or it can be read to a child by an adult. Then, as time passes, the youngster can follow the heroic adventures of Artama as both the reader and the character mature.
Hopefully, the child is inspired to lead nothing less than a cosmically beautiful life.
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