About the Author

     I'm not an incredibly exciting person. Sometimes, when I look at the way these historically recognized authors are depicted, with their years of intensive research, studious affectations, or commendable efforts in the real world, I tug at my collar and take a glup. I'm definitely not anyone's hero, I can say that with ease. But I like life. I like fighting games, you'll see the influence in SSS, I love music, and rhythm games as well, but most of all, I like storytelling, and watching people overcome their demons, as I have had to do, and still do today.

     Through young life, I had a healthy bit of skepticism in all things. Bouts of religious influence, (much to my parents' grievance), political whatnot from every possible direction, and that good ol' crippling uncertainty as to the nature of existence. All people weather this. Hell, that could be used as a template basis from which all conversation is built.

     But I'm stubborn. I wanted to know why... as anyone does. So I did what anyone would do, and thought myself into oblivion at the ripe age of eighteen.

     Existentialism's one hell of a beast, but it's all bullshit and speculation by dumb kids and eeeeeevil old people! I can't do much to really convince you of that, but bear with me.

     Setting Sun Story started out as a short story for an English class I had in high school. It was terrible- the English class. Well, and the story. I ripped most of the character archetypes out of Final Fantasy, whichever ones I was blasting through at the time, I think, 13, 7, and 4? The series influenced this project HARD back then, teaching me of a brand of over-poeticism that I've loved to work with to this day.

     Now, as a teenager, I was obsessed with the idea of being a screenwriter. You see, before Hollywood was... whatever it is now, there was a counter-culture glitz from within, and I wanted to be the guy that bridged a gap between JRPG worldbuilding and quirks, and the "high-class" "intellectualism" of "cinema." But JRPGs sure as hell ain't niche anymore, and video game visual storytelling has often outclassed modern cinematics.

     For a few years though, Setting Sun Story, then known as "Aetherflow Chronicles," was basically my lil diary. I pumped all the stuff I couldn't get an explanation for in life to the cast. Little world structures, religious entities, and personal endeavors took form in this world that existed in my head.

     And after feeling around with script ideas here and there for various concepts, the first Aetherflow script was finished. 154 page feature. When that was done, I knew I had just satisfied a part of my brain that would be more than okay with throwing away the rest of my life on making THIS story work. Don't do that. Unless you really want to. It's different for everyone.

     And so I did. Dropped school, pulled away from friends, avoided a job however I could, and made "Aetherflow," over and over, as scripts, first for a movie series, then an animated series. I was hellbent on a visual media, never allowing myself to make a change to something, actually possible. Damn was I holding myself back- but that's one of those things you gotta realize yourself, you know? People begging me to try a novel format were never going to get through on their own.

     But once again, it NEEDED to happen. Over time, the story would fill out with sudden ideas, prophetic dreams, but mostly, and this is the cool part, the coming answers to the questions raised to bring the characters to life in the first place.

     "Well duh, Doug! That's how stories work dummy!" You say, but getting to witness the process of your own psychological trials coming to fruition in note after note, page after page; it's a real neat thing.

     Write a story. Build a world. Escape into it, not to run away from your fears, but to put yourself in the shoes of your many selves, and find a way to face them head on.

     If Setting Sun Story does such a thing for you, I'm happy. I used to tell myself that if I could inspire one person to create, the same way these games and stories have done for me, then I've been as successful as I could've been. A link in the chain of creativity. But I'll also be happy selling a million-bajillion copies, so I can hang on to my ff14 and sound voltex subs. :P