When Don Winslow was asked to write a prequel to Trevanian's Shibumi, he jumped at the chance. Said Winslow, “I've always been a big fan of Trevanian, and of Shibumi, so I was thrilled - and more than a little intimidated—to do it. But how can you pass on picking up a character like Nicholai Hel? It was like Christmas morning every day.”
Winslow will be at Mysterious Galaxy on March 11 to sign Satori, his prequel to Shibumi, which finds 26-year-old Nicholai Hei in an American prison while the Korean War rages. When the CIA offers the man who has the skills to be one of the world's most feared assassins a suicide mission as his ticket out of prison, he accepts. Nicholai must survive betrayal and chaos as he performs his mission and searches for satori—true understanding and harmony with the world.
While Winslow was excited to be working on a prequel to the international bestselling classic from 1979, he said, “It was a challenge following in another author's footsteps. Something I never thought I'd do. But it was a lot of fun, and the family was incredibly kind and helpful.”
The concept of Satori has a special meaning to Winslow, who is himself in constant search of that enlightenment. And that enlightenment isn't necessarily one monumental “aha” moment, but can be a series of events throughout the day. Winslow said, “The other morning I got up, was making coffee and looked out the window to see the horses grazing in a light pre-dawn rain. Or I see my wife's face concentrating on something. Then you realize how lucky you are, and I think that's satori.”
Winslow's fans will be delighted to know that he's got more projects in the works. He didn't detail those projects, but said, “I want people to know that I'm going to be writing bigger stories for a larger audience. Stay tuned.”
Event Details: Mysterious Galaxy, 7051 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Suite 302, San Diego on March 11 at 7:00-8:00 pm.
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