Bearded Authors and their Wisdom, Revealed

I'm growing a beard because there is a proud and primal history of beards among authors. Joining the ranks of Ginsberg, Whitman, Hemingway and the like if only in facial hair. Though I have my doubts I'll ever rank among these literary heavy-weights in the written word, I am determined now to meet them head on with a beard of my own.

I may be only 46, but since I'd gone grey prematurely, I thought it time to mimic the great ones whose beards were as mine; the salt 'n pepper, the silver foxes, the blue-hairs. In my twenties I wore goatees, as was the style of the day. Since those lost years I've sported no more facial hair than a 9 o’clock shadow.

That it is fashionable in 2018 to grow your beard gives one confidence in the process but while I do not subscribe to the Hipster movement, I find the beard a fine companion to my face. I feel somehow younger and appreciate the slimming effect a well manicured beard has on my otherwise round, Piscean face.

Do I feel smarter? No, not especially. I used to think some intellectuals grew beards as forewarning; as if to say 'I'm wearing my brains on my face' - and I still do in respect to the more pompous academics. All the same, I get the beard now and am enjoying the process.

As an author and artist, I have always respected those in the Arts whether they sported a beard or not but feel closer to those who did now that I wear my own. A kinship among artists. One which spans millennia and medium.

As promised in the headline I do have a list to share featuring authors and their beards with appropriate quotes therein. Enjoy. 

How Westworld is similar to AI Insurrection

So, the 1973 movie Westworld has been starring me in the face for the last 45 years. Though I’ve never seen the movie or the TV show which has been running since 2017. So, after reading up on them and watching trailers I know enough about both the TV Show and Movie to say they share many themes with my new book; AI Insurrection.

Westworld isn't your typical amusement park. Intended for rich vacationers, the futuristic park -- which is looked after by robotic "hosts" - allows its visitors to live out their fantasies no matter how illicit the fantasy may be, there are no consequences for the park's guests, allowing for any wish to be indulged. So, like AI Insurrection, the host robots are the workforce: advanced humanoid robots which look and feel human, while the humans play among them and with them.

But the theme park is really where the AI robots in Westworld seem to stop. Whereas in AI Insurrection, they are absolutely embedded in every walk of life.

Of course, this sort of thing can only go according to plan for so long, and in Westworld, as in AI Insurrection, the host robots claim sentience. So now you have a moral dilemma. Having read reviews on the TV show, what the robots claim in AI Insurrection takes the question of morality a whole lot further. But, you’ll have to read the book to find out why.

There are also supporting stories going on within Westworld - as there are in AI Insurrection - with mysterious characters, politics and corporate insecurities to compliment the main theme which is explores the lives of these sentient robots, creating a storyline which intrigues and excites the viewer or reader.

So, a solid comparison. I think I’ll see about picking up the series on HBO. I know I’d love it. I just don’t have HBO…

Anyway, the purpose of this episode was to draw the comparisons, and if you enjoy Westworld, then you may find yourself intrigued by AI Insurrection. Just say’n. Get lost in a near-future world where the illusion of Utopia is as fragile as the intelligent minds built to maintain it…. And by that, I mean, you know, the AI Hosts in my new book. AI Insurrection…

Author Returns to Roots with New Science Fiction Offering

Though writing was his first love, Poeltl felt a pull toward the visual arts in his early teens, writing and illustrating comics as a child.  This interest in the visual side of his creative ambitions took him to Sheridan College, where he graduated the interpretive illustration course, earning his BA in Illustration. Poeltl preferred to paint in acrylic, the quick-drying paint agreeing with his impressionistic leanings, and as an illustrator, he favoured pen and ink. As his career in a creative role matured, Poeltl became a marketing manager. While studiously performing his duties in this profession, he felt the urge to once again pick up pen and paper and write for pleasure.

This is where Poeltl's story really begins. The Judas Syndrome, book one of what would quickly become a trilogy, exploded onto the self-publishing scene. With his own marketing skills and a desire to reignite his passion for writing, Michael would produce and publish multiple books in varying genres including two he would illustrate himself.

Fast-forward to 2018. Poeltl's love of everything science fiction compels him to write A.I. Insurrection. This return to his roots in writing, and his experience over the past nine years, culminates in a well-written and engrossing tale told in a near-future utopia which will keep readers turning pages in this fast-paced military sci-fi. It has been described as the thoughtful science fiction fan's next read, with a complex story set in a fantastic world where artificial intelligence claim sentience and turmoil within the Utopian government spurs a war only one side expected. Spanning the solar system, this novel offers the potential to become a series.

The thoughtful sci-fi fan will appreciate the story's intricate world-building and tumultuous relationships while the classic military sci-fi reader will enjoy the pace and battles which devastate the once Utopian society, yet build toward a new world order.

When is it considered murder to turn off your computer?

Find the new book available now on Amazon.

A Finished Trilogy to Read

Looking for a completed trilogy to entertain yourself over the next few weeks? Maybe you only need days to consume a full trilogy, but regardless of how quickly you read, and perhaps because of how quickly, a completed trilogy is always a welcome sight to the veracious reader.

Why wait a year in-between books of a series when there are quality reads like The Judas Syndrome Trilogy available for your Minds eye right now!? This trilogy is rooted in classic Apocalyptic fiction: no zombies, no aliens, no plants devouring your young. This is a tale that breeches generations and is born of an apocalyptic event which finds fourteen teenagers on the cusp of entering college caught up in the aftermath.

It is a tale which develops lead characters and is told in first person. Each of the books features a different lead character as the first person narrative, yet strings some of the characters along for the full trilogy.

The Judas Syndrome is a fascinating look at what a group of teens might do in the face of a worldwide nuclear attack, and what those they stumble upon will do to survive.

The trilogy features a wide array of characters and there is no shortage of in-fighting, even amongst these 'friends'. But as the author quotes: "It's the end of the world, will you know who your friends are?"  

Find the books on Amazon in both printed and ebook formats. Start your summer off with a 'BANG' and get to know Joel, Sara and Leif through the intimate story-telling that is first person narrative.

The entire ebook library of the trilogy is just $7.97

The books have also been consolidated into a single tome in paperback only for only $22.00.


Remember, and author always appreciates a well thought out review. Find Poeltl on Goodreads as well.


On Facebook? Find Poeltl there too.

Not every story is meant to be a novel - read a Short Story.

Not every story is meant to be a novel, and with so many stories circling an author’s head at any given time, a short story is sometimes the best format in which to package it. Bang for your buck! Condensed story-telling.

This collection of shorts and flash fiction features fourteen multi-genre stories offering the reader a range of opportunities to slip away while on their commute, a day at the beach, or their lunch break. Short stories offer real-time entertainment in a world that demands instant gratification.

Waning Metaphorically is intended to excite the reader’s emotions and asks them to question, always. The stories within should inspire introspection on a number of topics and leave the reader more curious about their own points of view while, at times, agreeing with the authors.

It is recommended the stories are read in the order they are presented, but then, order is just another’s perception of how things ought to be.

Life is a Metaphor. A metaphor is a symbol. A symbol is a sign. Watch for the signs.