A first reading and brutal self-analysis of XBook, a surreal alien invasion novel written in the early 2000s.

Chapter 1 - So Might It Be

The chapter frames a vast, chaotic universe where destruction and creation coexist, narrowing from cosmic scale to Earth. It introduces post–World War I Earth (1918) alongside alien travellers fleeing a dying star, both shaped by power, survival, and loss. The story sets up two protagonists—a traumatised human soldier and an alien leader—observed by a conceptual narrator, as their choices will determine the fate of worlds.

… Or Opening Chapters Should Suck, Right?

I, author Daniel's Nemesis, begin a chapter-by-chapter reading and post-mortem of my own debut novel, XBook — an unpublished, surreal, genre-clashing novel written in the early 2000s.

This episode features Chapter One: So Might It Be, a long, abstract introduction that establishes alien evacuation, post-World War One trauma, and themes of obsession, isolation, and conflict — while doing almost nothing that writing manuals recommend.

XBook is a surreal, character-driven alien invasion novel set immediately after the First World War. Rather than focusing on plot mechanics, the novel explores internal conflict, obsession, identity, and psychological fragmentation through first-person narration.

This podcast is not about celebrating literary success — it is a retrospective autopsy of ambition, ego, ignorance, and the creative process.

Running Away From Myself, the debut novel by Daniel's Nemesis, available wherever you buy your ebooks. https://www.danielsnemesis.co.uk/ for more information.