By Marissa Wells
Contributing writer
At 22, Evan Wheat has embarked on a journey of self-discovery following his father’s sudden death. He discovers a Lemurian quartz crystal that leads him to a mysterious bookstore and an ancient tome, “The Magical World of Irimus,” which chooses him as its reader, plunging him into vivid dreams, blurring reality and fantasy.
Thrust into an alternate reality following a lightning strike, Evan faces trials and a villain seeking the crystal. He must race against time to uncover his true identity and save humanity.
So goes “Lucid” by Akili Hight.
Inspiration for the book stemmed from Hight’s desire to create something new and authentic.
“This passion stems from my love for writing, interest in the meaning of dreams, desire to explore the boundaries of the human mind, and the allure of parallel realities and the multiverse,” Hight said.
The Inglewood native said he has always dreamed of creating a superhero that could compete with Marvel.
“Over a few years of stream-of-consciousness journal entries, I noticed a recurring theme that merged the idea of a new Black superhero with the world of dreams, specifically lucid dreams,” he said. “The story wanted to be told of a Black kid who discovers his true identity and becomes a superhero, set against the backdrop of lucid dreaming.”
“Lucid” will be captivating to readers as it explores themes of self-discovery through dreaming and spreads the message that “Life Ultimately Continues in Dream (LUCID).”
“As readers witness the transformation of a young man into a superhero, I aim to inspire and encourage youth, especially Black boys, to harness their imagination to create a brighter future to help balance society,” Hight said. “This is why the world needs more Black art and artists.”
“Lucid” is intended for young adults that enjoy Afro-futurism and science fiction/fantasy, self-discovery focused adventure storylines and books that explore alternate realities, metaphysics, quantum science, martial arts and superhuman capabilities.
“I hope readers enjoy delving into the multiple layers of this Afro-futuristic fantasy adventure and leave questioning the very essence of reality,” Hight said. “Hopefully, they will develop a curiosity about lucid dreaming — the phenomenon of becoming aware that you are dreaming.”
In addition to being an author, Hight is an information technology consultant based in Carson. For more information about the author and his work, visit lucidfuturism.com.
“Lucid” is available for $18.99 (paperback) and $5.99 (eBook) via Amazon.com and BookBaby.com.
