The first version of Boom!, written in 2006, was titled A Short Story of Humankind, then Diagram of a Brain (in three acts). The different parts (the being from elsewhere, the island, the archivists) weren’t intertwined then; they came one after another. What’s more, this first version was written in a conceited style, and wasn’t easy to follow, or to understand, at times.
Fifteen years after the first version, I took up the project again; I now had more experience, and had decided to be humbler. The title I had in mind was Draw me a Brain.
I finally chose Boom!
Along with the title Boom! came the idea for the cover; I asked my friend and talented graphic artist to start working on the concept; an atomic mushroom combined with … other ingredients we will not divulge. Then the Beirut Port explosion happened, as she was working on the cover, and we had to decide whether to keep the same concept or not, as it could potentially hurt people. We finally decided not to change it, and, whether someone has made the connection with the explosion, or not, no one ever said anything.
Many have read the different versions and have helped me to perfect this novel. I thank them with all my heart.
Finally, and I do not say this often, to me, this novel is first and foremost an ecologist cry, a howl of rage, yet, still, a cry of hope.
TRANSLATORS’ NOTE:
Coming soon
ABOUT THE COVER:
The author’s request was as follows: something emerging from Earth that would be an undefined mix of an atomic mushroom cloud, a brain, and maybe even a tree, allowing each person to form their own interpretation. Gathering the assets (from online asset banks) and combining them was extremely challenging for the graphic designer. In a tragic irony, in the middle of the creation process, the Beirut port explosion occurred. The images were so shocking that we even considered changing the cover. But when we saw the work done by the graphic designer, we realized it had such a strong identity that we decided to keep it.