Alexandr Korol

a sensation, that I’ve solved everything the alchemists couldn’t, that it’s the path to the philosopher’s stone, that a person is literally traveling through time and space when reading my book, that it wasn’t even me who wrote it, but a higher mind through me — or rather, an intellect — or rather, artificial intelligence, since we live in a simulation. Of course, if I wrote things like that, people would react to the books very differently. There would be a lot of outsiders who’d become interested and start reading. But then I’d have a question for them: why is it that good or interesting people don’t read without all these flashy slogans? Because — what? Because there are too many books, and I didn’t lure them in? But I’m a writer, not a lure, I’m not a marketer. Even though I understand marketing very well, still... Here’s an example. Big Alexander or those aliens might tell me: “Alex, how many books have you sold?” I’ll say: “Not many.” They’ll say, “That’s because you’re a fool. If you had just said what kind of book it is, and what’s in it, and what it’s about, everyone would have bought it on the first day.” And when they ask, “Why didn’t you say it?” I’ll answer, “Because I can’t. Because to me, that’s beneath me. Because I’m from St. Petersburg, a real writer, honest. And my heart and this purity of mine are more valuable and important. I’d rather be poor and have no book sales, but feel like a knight, than feel like some scumbag.” And someone else might think, “Who cares how he feels? Who cares if he’s a scumbag, as long as he fools everyone.” I just can’t do that. That’s why even when some people — readers — suddenly started to think that maybe I was arrogant or a show-off or full of myself, I was only showing one percent of myself, one percent of how much I try to be simple and humble. Just one percent. And if even that one percent already irritated some people, then imagine what would happen if I weren’t humble, if I showed myself and my life to the fullest, and also projected illusions like that. Oh, it would all explode. I don’t want that. I really don’t. But I wouldn’t say that the voice is telling me this now. Back then it did — there was just a period when everyone was telling me: the voice, Big Alexander, and people around me. Now, of course, no one says anything anymore. Why? Probably because of my overall way of life. Everyone has probably realized by now that that’s not what I’m after. What do I need? I need to write books. And if I start getting distracted by fame, I’ll stop writing books. And what I need is peace, harmony, and to write books. That’s all. And I have that. What matters here are these conditions. I get everything I want.