MV Ravi Shanker, a computer hardware and networking engineer by profession, comes across as an unlikely author. But his keen interest in Physics, a fascination with Astrophysics, coupled with an irresistible urge to write has impelled him to weave an absorbing sci-fi, his first novel, titled Collision of Dimensions. “I have always loved reading mystical stuff and wanted to write something of my version on it. As a kid, Physics appealed to me and the whole concept of Astrophysics fascinated me,” he recalls. The Far Journey by Robert Monroe, Cosmos by Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time and The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahamsa Yogananda whetted his apetitite.
And the idea that took shape in the summer of 2009 for the debutante author resulted in the Collision of Dimensions. He finished writing it in one year and 9 months and then took some more time for hunting a publisher and printing. Leadstart loved the story and the sci-fi hit the stands. But what is it all about?
It is about an energy radiating object, called the Force, which descends into the hands of an IT professional Mukund Matondkar. The author has linked this part of the story to the Ghoras cult, who have been waiting for almost 360 years to attain the Force, and are upset that the Force is in the hands of a mortal now. Also tagged along are a physicist and a research student Vani Vaidyanathan and a psychic Arunav Khandelwal who discover that the evil powers of the Ghoras cult, in collusion with underworld elements, are hell bent on getting their hands on the Force.
Shanker explains, “Mukund, Vani and Arunav together follow the clues provided by the Force to discover a hidden, mystical portal in a remote mountain in Rajasthan and protect it from an evil cult. The book has a lot of eye-openers that can convince a practical character like Vani Vaidyanathan.” A major part of the story is set in Mount Abu and the novel portrays his tryst with the place in every detail. “My dad was posted there in the Aravalis in 1979. I have very fond memories of Mount Abu, which I wanted to inculcate in my story,” Shanker reveals.
Emphasising on the choice of the title, he says, “I wanted to call it Collision of Dimensions as the story talks about a collision of two psychic forces, the evil and the benign ones and not a collision between physical bodies. And when I say dimensions, it is a realm which has its own set of energy levels.”
The work perfectly blends science and mystical stuff and give the reader a gripping experience. “Scientists these days are going beyond the 3-dimensional world. Now we have 4 dimensions and they are also predicting that there are 11 dimensions, whose particles vibrate at a much higher frequency which cannot be recorded and are invisible,” Shanker points out. On criticism from some quarters that the novel resembled a documentary, Shanker replies, “I believe it is definitely gripping and it will appeal to a larger section.”
The author is already working on its sequel. “I have completed writing about 60,000 words. The same characters will continue and this time, they will be dealing with far-worse situations.”
Shanker is working with Mahindra Satyam and lives in Secunderabad with his wife Sri Satya and two daughters, Nandini and Sivani.