FAQ
On this page, I've compiled some of the questions I am most often asked. If you have additional questions, please contact me using the form provided for that purpose.
As a complement to this page, please visit the Killing Pythagoras page, where you’ll find further information and additional materials, and where I also explain in detail the years I spent researching and writing this novel.
- In the description of Killing Pythagoras, you say that it's based on real events. How much is true?
During the preparation of the novel, I studied in depth everything I could find on Pythagoras—who, by the way, wasn’t just a mathematician and philosopher who discovered the theorem bearing his name, but one of humanity's greatest geniuses and one of the most powerful men of his era. I also studied the novel’s historical context, the main events and leading figures of the time. Many events and characters in the book are historically accurate. However, I also used my imagination to weave a plot that linked and explained these historical events and allowed me to maintain a suspenseful pace throughout the novel. Akenon and Ariadne, the main protagonists—aside from Pythagoras—are products of my imagination.
Even though the novel contains elements of fiction, I have been very thorough in my historical research. My rule for writing this book was to make sure everything I wrote really happened as I described it, or, if there was no information available about a particular event, that at least it could have happened in the way I related it.
At the end of the book are some notes in which I explain to readers which of the elements they've read were real and which ones were fiction. Readers tend to respond to this in the same way: they're surprised there are so many passages or characters that are so outlandish they seem unbelievable, but that are really taken from the pages of history exactly as I’ve narrated them.
- How much time did it take you to do the research for the novel?
Killing Pythagoras is the third novel I've written about that era and culture, so I was able to take advantage of the research I did for the previous two. It took me several years in all. In fact, I enrolled in and completed (with a passing grade : ) half a degree program in philosophy as part of my preparation. I spent about a year exclusively on Pythagoras, working on the plot and doing research at the same time.
- How long does it usually take you to write a novel?
It depends on whether I have to research a lot or not, on the length of the novel, and on whether I get bogged down in the most difficult passages. I've managed to write a short novel in three months. The other extreme was Killing Pythagoras, which took me close to three years of complete dedication. The research process was very intense, and writing a 750-page novel, with several interwoven plots takes much more work than writing two 375-page novels.
- Is it true you made a discovery about the number Pi that you include in Killing Pythagoras?
On this point it's best to watch the video I recorded to explain it, which can be found on the Killing Pythagoras page.
- What is the best way to get in touch with you?
On the contact page, there's a form you can use to write me. If you use the form, your message will be sent directly to my personal email. I answer all the emails I receive myself, but sometimes they pile up too fast so I might take a few days to respond.
- If I find a mistake in one of your books, do you want me to tell you?
Yes! I'm an obsessive perfectionist. I try to make sure my books don't have even the tiniest mistake, whether it be in spelling grammar, plot or formatting. If you find an error, I would be grateful if you could point it out so I can correct it in the next edition.