Alternate history
Date Published: May 1, 2021
Publisher: Freedom Thorn Press
Fifty years after a coup replaced President Franklin D. Roosevelt with a fascist dictatorship, America is a land of hopelessness. Ben Adamson, a 19-year-old farm boy in southern Illinois, wants only to spend his time fishing and hunting. But when his dead brother demands justice for his suspicious fate in a colonial war, Ben and Rachel, his brother’s fiancée, are drawn into an underground revolutionary movement.
After staging a rally against the war, Ben and Rachel are arrested by the Internal Security Service, who have perfected the science of breaking people. Ben is given a choice: betray the rebels, including his best friend from childhood, or Rachel will be lobotomized.
Although traumatized and addicted to a powerful drug, Ben refuses to doom anyone he cares about. Can he find a third option? Can he free Rachel and strike back at the dictatorship, while dodging the suspicions of police and rebels alike?
Interview with Ted Weber
For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of your book, where should they start?
In real life, there was a political conspiracy in 1933 in the United States to overthrow the government of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and install a dictator. According to retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, wealthy businessmen were plotting to create a fascist veterans' organization with Butler as its leader and use it in a coup d'état to overthrow Roosevelt. Fortunately for us, instead of going along, Butler turned them in. In 1934, Butler testified under oath before Congress on these revelations.
In the novel, the coup plotters chose a different leader, Walter Waters (who in real life, led the Bonus Army that occupied part of DC), and the coup was successful. Born in Salt is set fifty years after the coup. America is a land of hopelessness. Ben Adamson, a 19-year-old farm boy in southern Illinois, wants only to spend his time fishing and hunting. But when his dead brother demands justice for his suspicious fate in a colonial war, Ben, and Rachel, his brother’s fiancée, are drawn into an underground revolutionary movement.Born in Salt explores life under authoritarian rule, the abuse of psychology, the power of the dead, the realities of drug addiction, and how everyday people can challenge impossible odds.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
I’ve always been fascinated by history and “what if” questions that underpin alternate history. The concept for Born in Salt came in a flash while riding my bike to work—a mashup of the 1934 plot to overthrow President Roosevelt, the setting of Southern Illinois, where I briefly lived, and the music of alt-country legends Uncle Tupelo.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
As mentioned above, I explore a lot of themes in the novel, as seen through the eyes of a regular person (Ben Adamson). After staging a rally against the war, Ben and Rachel are arrested by the Internal Security Service, who have perfected the science of breaking people. Ben is given a choice: betray the rebels, including his best friend from childhood, or Rachel will be lobotomized.
Ben is a victim of forces he can’t control—until he learns that no one is truly helpless. Although traumatized and addicted to a powerful drug, Ben refuses to doom anyone he cares about. Can he find a third option? Can he free Rachel and strike back at the dictatorship, while dodging the suspicions of both police and rebels?
I wrote the first draft of Born in Salt back in 2015. But readers have told me it brought to mind the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and real-life government leaders with authoritarian tendencies and desires. The lesson of the 1930’s, 2020’s, and Born in Salt is that democracy is more fragile than it seems, and relies on the defense of courageous people like Gen. Butler, Ben Adamson, and the decisions of anyone who finds themselves at a pivotal point in history.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thanks for reading, and tell your friends about the books! Reviews are also greatly appreciated!
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I like writing in different genres and styles, for the variety and challenge. Born in Salt is my first alternate history novel, and my first full-length novel set in first person. I also like exploring different characters. The characters in my cyberpunk trilogy were all urbanites (mostly from Baltimore), whereas the Born in Salt characters live on farms or in a small town.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I’ve completed the first draft of The Council, a satire of local government. A newly elected councilman tries to save the last stand of forest in the county against greedy developers and a dysfunctional government. I’m still in editing mode, so it probably won’t be out until 2022. I’m also writing another novel set in the same world as Born in Salt. And I’m revising a post-apocalyptic horror novella and working on several other stories.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve pursued writing since childhood, then learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college (along with a little bit of physics). I transformed those interests into novel writing while trapped at home during the "Snowmageddon" of 2010, and looking for something productive to do.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Born in Salt?
The main character, through whom the story is told, is Ben Adamson, a 19-year-old farm boy in southern Illinois. Rebellious by nature, he was punished often and severely in high school, and now just wants to be left alone to do his own thing (fishing, hunting, and music). His friends and his brother’s death draw him into a revolutionary cell, and he must overcome his fears and cynicism.
Sarah is Ben’s best friend. She lives on the next farm over, from a poor African-American family. She is witty and strong, and not afraid to speak up. Her cousin Paul talks her into joining his revolutionary cell. A devout Christian, Sarah is the moral compass of the group, and opposes killing.
Rachel is an introverted bookworm with undiagnosed obsessive–compulsive disorder. She was engaged to Ben’s older brother Jake until he was killed in an overseas war under mysterious circumstances. She struggles with her Jake’s unexpected death, receives messages from his ghost, seeks answers, and is drawn into Paul’s revolutionary cell. She is extremely (perhaps overly) brave, believing that one’s world is shaped by one’s thoughts and intentions.
Paul is older than the rest, an ex-special forces sergeant determined to bring down the dictatorship ruling America. He is a hardened pragmatist who believes no sacrifice is too great to accomplish this goal. This puts him at odds with Sarah and Ben.
There are also a number of other major and minor characters.
If you could spend the day with one of the characters from Born in Salt, who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
I would definitely not want to be around during the dangerous scenes. I’d love to watch Ben and Sarah’s bluegrass band playing at a barn party. There, everyone can be themselves and have fun, a reprieve from the oppression and poverty that rules their lives. I’ve been to similar parties in real life and they were always a good time.
About the Author
Ted Weber has pursued writing since childhood, and learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college, along with a little bit of physics. His first published novel was a near-future cyberpunk thriller titled Sleep State Interrupt (See Sharp Press). It was a finalist for the 2017 Compton Crook award for best first science fiction, fantasy, or horror novel. The first sequel, The Wrath of Leviathan, was published in 2018, and the final book, Zero-Day Rising, came out in 2020. He has other books on the way as well. He is a member of Poets & Writers and the Maryland Writers Association, and helps run writing workshops and critique groups. By day, Mr. Weber works as a climate adaptation analyst, and has had a number of scientific papers and book chapters published. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Karen. He enjoys traveling and has visited all seven continents. For book samples, short stories, and more, visit https://www.tcweber.com/.
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