Triopia and the Burden of Excess

Richards, Bryan

About Bryan Richards

"My experience was very different than what I expected," said Bryan Richards, referring to his study-abroad in the Middle East. "The region is so incredibly confused, so religiously and politically complicated. I found it disturbing how the cradle of civilization had ravished the environment and destroyed a once-beautiful land. The experience frustrated me because I could not comprehend the dynamics, but then, I had an epiphany not only regarding the political and religious dynamics in the Middle East but how it relates to me, as an American and possibly all mankind. That's when I knew I had to explore this new understanding and I found myself writing a story based upon my experience, which has resulted in Triopia and the Burden of Excess."

Richards also drew on his religious upbringing, his missionary work, religious education, his pursuit for historical understanding and his study of world religions. The result is a masterpiece of spiritual and academic resolution. Triopia is a crowning destination for those willing to take the journey.

Triopia's influences include Robert Persig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and his sequel novel, Lila. The story in Triopia was intended to recapture Robert's journey, but with a young Mormon's perspective. "I deviated, but Zen remains at the heart of this book," said Richards.

The novel, Catch-22, voiced a frustration and named the related phenomenon, "Triopia, will do something quite similar." Richards explains. "The book tightly winds an ancient phenomenon into a metaphorical 'hard ball.' The average person will be able to throw these primal concepts around with greater precision, especially when he, or she, is in need. With all the simple minded hypocrisy going around in the US and Middle East, I wanted to create a more accurate understanding-a little more complex and even handed, a more worthy destination."

Richards did not write the book with the events of September 11 in mind-he began writing the book years ago.

"The boil-over experienced on September 11 underlines a deeper conflict illustrated within this book," Richards explains. "The forces and ideals that caused the situation will remain in place and fester even after the situation with Bin Laden is resolved. This book provides a more accurate depiction of the ongoing conflict than what our media provides with their political and military coverage."

He currently works for NASA, and continues to write. His interests include travel, old friends, family, a good local coffee shop, aesthetic landscapes, engineering pursuits and a newfound interest in surfing.