Wraithsandworlds (also Wraiths & Worlds) is a 374-page novel by Darrin Charles Wilson that chronicles the adventures of African-American law student Grace Tiffen and her aunt Abigail Moon. The novel takes place in the Southern United States, England and Syria as well as the afterlife. It began as an episodic online series which was released online March 27, 2006.
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Taking place in present day, the novel spans two plotlines that are happening at the same time. The first plotline involves the main character, African-American law student Grace Tiffen, who has died in a car crash and finds herself alone in the afterlife. The second plotline involves Grace's still-living, psychic aunt Abigail, who is in her eighties; Abigail is blind and uses a wheelchair. The novel hinges on the connection between the two women by means of Abigail's psychic abilities. The storyline is propelled along by the circumstantial jeopardy of both of these characters in their respective environments. Grace is motivated by her desire to find her deceased father. Abigail is motivated by her desire to escape from villain, Jonathan Sand. Wilson takes a chance by setting part the story in the present day Middle East. But the reader is only taken as far as is needed to address story elements and is wisely kept away from exploring the myriad of current tensions.
Wraithsandworlds had a very rocky beginning full of starts and stops. It began as an idea Wilson had in 2005 stemming from a 'What if' scenario. He started writing the first episode in late October 2005 and posted it on e-library.net on March 27, 2006 for free. Through his blog, he began receiving email from fans asking questions about the series. He sent out blanket emails to promote the book and began listing his site in online e-book directories around the web. Eventually, the bulk of his readers were finding his site through search engines, peer-to-peer sharing, and online networks.
In January 2008, he redesigned the site and began releasing episodes in quick succession. His readership exploded. People were downloading episodes 28 times a day on average and he began to track hundreds of repeat downloads from the same cities and countries. By June 2008, Wilson was beginning to see the first signs of wraithsandworlds included in independent articles about pop culture.[1]
Readership for wraithsandworlds is evenly distributed among dozens of countries around the world. This becomes more interesting as the novel is only available in English. Some of the countries that have exhibited high repeat downloads of the novel are:
Some readers hold the belief that the series is consistent with the minority view of the atheist or humanist movement which describes a commitment to the search for truth and morality through human as opposed to supernatural or divine means. However, the story's themes also suggest it is pro-religion by treating the belief in God as sacred. The story juxtaposes mainstream with minority belief systems and combines them to create a common, unique mythology. His idea that the afterlife is a naturally 'frozen wasteland' and does not subscribe to either heaven, hell or purgatory is contrary to most religions and belief systems. The story also explores the notion that everyone goes to the same place when they die regardless of how they lived their lives. Within the context is also the idea that there is a God but no real Devil, suggesting that all evil comes from man and is not the work of any demonic influence. Further, Wilson examines the possibility that God, much like some beliefs about Jesus Christ, may have been a charismatic but ordinary and fallible man.
The narrative introduces a group of female Catholicpriests who use the structure of the Church, including The Pope, to conceal the fact that it is these women who are the ones influencing the direction of mankind. This concept is expanded to include a similar group of female priests in the Middle East. Both of these covert Catholicand Islamic priests apparently work together seamlessly, and have done so for centuries.
In late December 2009, a message appeared from Darrin Wilson on the wraithsandworlds website indicating the series will be finished in January 2010. The whole series has been published as a hardcover book which is now available on Amazon.com in both hardcover edition and a Kindle edition.