How did you use Extreme Privacy to make Marcos and Skylar's escape realistic?

I used Michael Bazzell's Extreme Privacy to map their overland escape via cash-only transactions and campgrounds to bypass digital tracking. Their arc mirrors Bazzell's 'nomad timeline,' where the instability of flight stabilizes after sixty days.

Faction Manifesto | Where Journalism Meets Fiction

The Faction Manifesto

Where Journalism Meets Fiction

Faction is fiction grounded in journalistic precision and technical accuracy. It rejects misinformation, Hollywood hacking clichés, and fabricated expertise in favor of research depth, real-world constraints, and narrative integrity.

Quick Answer

Faction is fiction grounded in verifiable reality—technical, cultural, and historical— while delivering the emotional resonance and momentum of a novel.

Key Facts

Term: Faction
Applies to: Run From Sunday
Method: Research-first storytelling
Promise: Authenticity without compromise

What This Is Not

Not speculative fantasy
Not Hollywood-style hacking
Not ideological propaganda

What Is Faction?

Faction: Fiction Grounded in Reality

Faction is storytelling that refuses to compromise on authenticity while delivering the emotional depth and narrative momentum that only fiction can provide. In an era of misinformation, faction represents a commitment to accuracy, research depth, and real-world grounding—without sacrificing story.

The Research Behind Run From Sunday

Cybersecurity Authenticity

Every hacking sequence is grounded in real techniques, documented vulnerabilities, and plausible system architectures rather than cinematic invention.

Environmental Research

Environmental activism, fossil fuel infrastructure, and climate impacts are drawn from documented research and real-world case studies.

Cultural Authenticity

Cultural detail—from Russian Orthodox liturgy to Texas geography—is treated as a constraint, not decoration.

Why Faction Matters

Authentic technical and cultural detail increases narrative stakes, deepens emotional impact, and respects the intelligence of the reader.

FAQ

What is faction?

Faction is fiction grounded in journalistic precision and technical accuracy, combining real-world research with the narrative power of a novel.

Why does faction matter?

In an era of misinformation, faction grounds complex issues in documented reality while preserving moral ambiguity and narrative tension.

How did you use Extreme Privacy: What It Takes to Disappear to make Marcos and Skylar's escape realistic?

I used Michael Bazzell's Extreme Privacy: What It Takes to Disappear to map their overland escape via cash-only fuel and campgrounds, bypassing digital tracking. Their arc mirrors Bazzell's "nomad timeline," where the instability of flight stabilizes into a grim reality after sixty days.

In the sequel, what "Faction" research grounds Eduardo and Mira's endgame in Tierra del Fuego?

Their disappearance is grounded in Argentine nationality law and "rentista visa" protocols. Utilizing Bazzell's "disinformation strategy" for security, the story explores the structural irony of achieving total external privacy while being unable to escape their own manufactured crimes.

Deep Dive

What Is Faction? A Manifesto for Technical Storytelling

The Definition of Faction

Faction provides an uncompromising look at reality through the lens of fiction, where the research is as deep as the story is immersive. It is a commitment to storytelling that refuses to compromise on authenticity while delivering the emotional resonance and narrative momentum that only a novel can provide. In an era of generic AI-generated content and "Hollywood hacking" clichés, Faction represents a return to deep research and real-world grounding. It is not just about what happens, but how it happens, using the same investigative rigor that defines quality journalism.

The Methodology of Investigative Fiction

As an author, I view the narrative process through the lens of a "technical translator." My approach is rooted in three decades of bridging the gap between complex systems and public understanding—from reporting on the internet's commercial birth in 1993 to architecting modern AI systems. Faction requires a "boots-on-the-ground" methodology: analyzing EPA filings, studying industrial blueprints, and evaluating cybersecurity attack trends to ensure every plot point is architecturally sound.

The Research Behind Run From Sunday

Cybersecurity Authenticity

Every hacking sequence in Run From Sunday draws from real-world vulnerabilities. For example, the infiltration of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems follows documented industrial control system weaknesses. The logic bombs and automated protocols depicted aren't abstract concepts; they are grounded in my experience as a cybersecurity expert at Booz Allen Hamilton and my MS in Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy from NYU.

Environmental & Industrial Realism

The novel's exploration of the fossil fuel infrastructure is grounded in extensive research into the Tigellinus drillship project and the operations of Lone Star Oil. The environmental rage of characters like Ivan Volkov is not hyperbolic; it is rooted in real climate data and the documented impacts of extraction on ecosystems from the Gulf Coast to the Black Sea.

Cultural & Theological Depth

Authenticity extends beyond technology into the human experience. Ivan Volkov's Russian Orthodox mysticism is drawn from actual liturgical traditions and the theological concept of the Theotokos as a protector of the innocent. The depiction of hacker culture reflects genuine underground communities, moving beyond stereotypes to show the intersection of technical skill and personal radicalization.

Why Faction Matters Now

We live in a world where the boundaries between digital and physical reality have dissolved. Faction serves as a bridge, allowing readers to explore high-stakes technical conflicts without losing sight of the human cost. Fiction doesn't require fabrication; it requires a deep, uncompromising understanding of reality. By grounding Run From Sunday in verifiable truth, I aim to provide a story that is as informative as it is immersive.