A surreal sci-fi novel written in the early 2000s, read and analysed chapter by chapter with brutal honesty.

This is Episode Zero of the Daniel's Nemesis Podcast—a short introduction explaining what this podcast is, what XBook is, and why it's finally being read aloud.

Written between the late 1990s and mid-2000s, XBook is an unpublished, surreal science fiction novel about an alien invasion of Earth after the First World War. In this podcast, I revisit the book that I wrote chapter by chapter, analysing what works, what fails, and what it reveals about creative ambition, youth, and ignorance.

Expect:

• Self-critique and literary analysis

• Discussion of surrealism, obsession, and isolation

• Commentary on early influences in film and fiction

• A celebration of terrible literature

This episode also includes the original synopsis sent to publishers—and the version that probably never should have been.

🎧 Recommended for writers, creatives, and anyone interested in storytelling, failure, and artistic self-examination.

XBook is a surreal, character-driven alien invasion novel set immediately after the First World War. Rather than focusing on plot mechanics, the novel explores internal conflict, obsession, identity, and psychological fragmentation through first-person narration.

This podcast is not about celebrating literary success — it is a retrospective autopsy of ambition, ego, ignorance, and the creative process.

Find out more about me at https://www.danielsnemesis.co.uk/

A first reading and brutal self-analysis of XBook, a surreal alien invasion novel written in the early 2000s.

Chapter 1 - So Might It Be

The chapter frames a vast, chaotic universe where destruction and creation coexist, narrowing from cosmic scale to Earth. It introduces post–World War I Earth (1918) alongside alien travellers fleeing a dying star, both shaped by power, survival, and loss. The story sets up two protagonists—a traumatised human soldier and an alien leader—observed by a conceptual narrator, as their choices will determine the fate of worlds.

… Or Opening Chapters Should Suck, Right?

I, author Daniel's Nemesis, begin a chapter-by-chapter reading and post-mortem of my own debut novel, XBook — an unpublished, surreal, genre-clashing novel written in the early 2000s.

This episode features Chapter One: So Might It Be, a long, abstract introduction that establishes alien evacuation, post-World War One trauma, and themes of obsession, isolation, and conflict — while doing almost nothing that writing manuals recommend.

XBook is a surreal, character-driven alien invasion novel set immediately after the First World War. Rather than focusing on plot mechanics, the novel explores internal conflict, obsession, identity, and psychological fragmentation through first-person narration.

This podcast is not about celebrating literary success — it is a retrospective autopsy of ambition, ego, ignorance, and the creative process.

Find out more about me at: https://www.danielsnemesis.co.uk/

Navigating peace, ego, delusion, and with very questionable research.

Chapter 2 - The Story According to Ginger, Part 1

Ginger Jeeves, a celebrated but arrogant WWI pilot, revels in his fame while clashing with a clearly unhinged superior over leave and imagined alien threats. Afterward, a drink in the pub triggers fragmented memories, hallucinations, and dreamlike confusion, revealing Ginger's deep war trauma beneath his bravado.

… Or Insufferably Introducing a Beloved Character

This episode marks the first proper story chapter of XBook and introduces Ginger Jeeves, a celebrated RAF pilot struggling to adjust to life after the First World War while quietly unraveling under the weight of fame, trauma, fantasy, and entitlement.

XBook is a surreal, character-driven alien invasion novel set immediately after the First World War. Rather than focusing on plot mechanics, the novel explores internal conflict, obsession, identity, and psychological fragmentation through first-person narration.

This podcast is not about celebrating literary success — it is a retrospective autopsy of ambition, ego, ignorance, and the creative process.

Find out more about me at: https://www.danielsnemesis.co.uk/

Indecision, loneliness, and identity finally push the story forward.

Chapter 3 - William's Introduction to the Story

William (Skaj Frite) is introduced as a deeply isolated, self-loathing alien leader who struggles with identity and loneliness. As his fleet finally reaches Earth, he reluctantly accepts that attacking is the only remaining option, burdened by responsibility and haunted by the absence of Holly's guidance.

… Or A Thing May Happen

This episode finally introduces William (Skaj Frite), the alien leader of the Trascon race, as the story tentatively stumbles into motion. It's a short chapter, but an important one: for the first time, something actually happens.

XBook is a surreal, character-driven alien invasion novel set immediately after the First World War. Rather than focusing on plot mechanics, the novel explores internal conflict, obsession, identity, and psychological fragmentation through first-person narration.

This podcast is not about celebrating literary success — it is a retrospective autopsy of ambition, ego, ignorance, and the creative process.

You can find out more about me at: https://www.danielsnemesis.co.uk/

Questioning whether a chapter with road games, class tension, and a UFO should exist at all.

Chapter 4 - A Ginger Story, Part 2

Ginger takes his girlfriend Dee on holiday, but fatigue triggers intrusive war memories, hallucinations, and dissociation while driving. His playful bravado collapses into vivid flashbacks of aerial combat and death, showing how deeply the war still controls his perceptions and behaviour.

… Or Should I Cut This Chapter?

In this episode, Ginger goes on holiday, nothing much happens, and I, the author, seriously consider deleting an entire chapter from my own book — roughly twenty years too late.

XBook is a surreal, character-driven alien invasion novel set immediately after the First World War. Rather than focusing on plot mechanics, the novel explores internal conflict, obsession, identity, and psychological fragmentation through first-person narration.

This podcast is not about celebrating literary success — it is a retrospective autopsy of ambition, ego, ignorance, and the creative process.

You can find out more about me at: https://www.danielsnemesis.co.uk/

This is not a normal Daniel's Nemesis podcast as I am not reading XBook. Instead, I have decided to go back to the earliest version of XBook called Christmas Day form 1998 to give you an idea of exactly how much this novel changed over the years.

I will alternate these episodes with the main XBook episodes, whenever I can. Some chapters were added later on, some removed, and some existing chapters moved around a bit, so I hope things are not too patchy.

In order to catch you up, I shall put the first couple of "scenes" into one episode.

Diving into Trascon history, eco-collapse, empire, and William's true nature.

Chapter 5 - William Continues His Part of the Story

William, leader of the Trasconians, recounts his species' centuries-long evacuation from a dying planet and their reluctant decision to settle on Earth, despite humanity already living there. Though he hopes for peaceful coexistence, fear of human resistance and the weight of ancestral obligation push him toward invasion as reconnaissance of Earth begins.

… Or The Beginnings of an OK Book?

Yes, you are once again reading a painfully naïve novel that probably should have been locked away, forgotten, and quietly burned after my death. Instead, it's being shared — chapter by chapter — with the entire internet.

You're welcome.

XBook is a surreal, character-driven alien invasion novel set immediately after the First World War. Rather than focusing on plot mechanics, the novel explores internal conflict, obsession, identity, and psychological fragmentation through first-person narration.

This podcast is not about celebrating literary success — it is a retrospective autopsy of ambition, ego, ignorance, and the creative process.

You can find out more about me at: https://www.danielsnemesis.co.uk/

This is not a normal Daniel's Nemesis podcast as I am not reading XBook. Instead, I have decided to go back to the earliest version of XBook called Christmas Day form 1998 to give you an idea of exactly how much this novel changed over the years.

I will alternate these episodes with the main XBook episodes, whenever I can. Some chapters were added later on, some removed, and some existing chapters moved around a bit, so I hope things are not too patchy.