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A Dive Into Darkness
Hello, I’m Paul Franks, a Leeds-based, retired History teacher and now debut author.
I’ve written a conspiracy-thriller called ‘A Dive Into Darkness’ and in this original podcast series, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the book and its four-year writing process, from inspiration to publication, and beyond.
In Episode Two of ‘A Dive Into Darkness’, ‘A Big Disease With a Little Name’, I will begin discussing the events which inspired me to write a book.
It’s June 2020 and the UK’s virus-triggered lockdown is starting to be eased. I’ve just had an overnight stay in Leeds LGI hospital, nothing to do with Covid, rather an inflamed gallbladder. My teaching job is on hold, I’m feeling grotty, and, because of the lockdown, I can’t go anywhere. As always, I turn to the radio for something interesting to listen to. After flicking through the BBC schedules, I stumble upon ‘A Big Disease With A Little Name’. The blurb tells me the programme remembers ‘the early years of the AIDS crisis, as told by the people who lived through it, from patients to medical staff, activists and politicians.’
Born in 1963, I was 17 when the AIDS crisis began in 1981, but, despite living through the first AIDS decade, when it was rarely out of the headlines, I was ashamed to realize I knew very little about the disease, or its cause, HIV. I decide this is the perfect opportunity to find out more and, so engrossing do I find the content, that I listen to all 10 episodes off the bat. I’ll come back to three of those episodes at a later date.
From childhood I’ve always been interested in researching the origins of things, finding out about the first of anything. Obviously, this trait stood me in good stead as a History teacher. Other personal characteristics that History teaching developed were my refusal to take things at face value, to take official accounts with a huge pinch of salt, and to examine alternative theories and test their validity based upon the evidence provided. For example, having researched the events of 9/11 for the best part of five years, I concluded that the official narrative and explanations of that event, as an Al Qaeda operation, were seriously flawed, and some alternative theories of an ‘inside job’ had more credibility.
As is my wont, I quickly become obsessive about finding out about the cause of AIDS, and soon after I begin my quest, I type ‘AIDS conspiracy’ into Google. One thing quickly leads to another, and I discover a Youtube video that explored the theory that HIV had been the product of flawed polio vaccine trials in Central Africa in the 1950s. Very interesting, I thought.
Thank you for listening to Episode Two of ‘A Dive Into Darkness.’ I hope you enjoyed it. In the next episode, ‘The River’, I will tell you about my 8-month exploration of a rabbit-hole, a very deep rabbit hole.
Till the next time, goodbye and happy reading.
‘A Dive Into Darkness’ is available both as an ebook and paperback, with Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-dive-into-darkness-paul-franks/1145527746?ean=9781917129855
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dive-Into-Darkness-Paul-Franks-ebook/dp/B0D32DP97S
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jvrf/episodes/player?page=1 ‘A Big Disease With A Little Name’
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cascades.substack.com
View all episodes
By Paul FranksHello, I’m Paul Franks, a Leeds-based, retired History teacher and now debut author.
I’ve written a conspiracy-thriller called ‘A Dive Into Darkness’ and in this original podcast series, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the book and its four-year writing process, from inspiration to publication, and beyond.
In Episode Two of ‘A Dive Into Darkness’, ‘A Big Disease With a Little Name’, I will begin discussing the events which inspired me to write a book.
It’s June 2020 and the UK’s virus-triggered lockdown is starting to be eased. I’ve just had an overnight stay in Leeds LGI hospital, nothing to do with Covid, rather an inflamed gallbladder. My teaching job is on hold, I’m feeling grotty, and, because of the lockdown, I can’t go anywhere. As always, I turn to the radio for something interesting to listen to. After flicking through the BBC schedules, I stumble upon ‘A Big Disease With A Little Name’. The blurb tells me the programme remembers ‘the early years of the AIDS crisis, as told by the people who lived through it, from patients to medical staff, activists and politicians.’
Born in 1963, I was 17 when the AIDS crisis began in 1981, but, despite living through the first AIDS decade, when it was rarely out of the headlines, I was ashamed to realize I knew very little about the disease, or its cause, HIV. I decide this is the perfect opportunity to find out more and, so engrossing do I find the content, that I listen to all 10 episodes off the bat. I’ll come back to three of those episodes at a later date.
From childhood I’ve always been interested in researching the origins of things, finding out about the first of anything. Obviously, this trait stood me in good stead as a History teacher. Other personal characteristics that History teaching developed were my refusal to take things at face value, to take official accounts with a huge pinch of salt, and to examine alternative theories and test their validity based upon the evidence provided. For example, having researched the events of 9/11 for the best part of five years, I concluded that the official narrative and explanations of that event, as an Al Qaeda operation, were seriously flawed, and some alternative theories of an ‘inside job’ had more credibility.
As is my wont, I quickly become obsessive about finding out about the cause of AIDS, and soon after I begin my quest, I type ‘AIDS conspiracy’ into Google. One thing quickly leads to another, and I discover a Youtube video that explored the theory that HIV had been the product of flawed polio vaccine trials in Central Africa in the 1950s. Very interesting, I thought.
Thank you for listening to Episode Two of ‘A Dive Into Darkness.’ I hope you enjoyed it. In the next episode, ‘The River’, I will tell you about my 8-month exploration of a rabbit-hole, a very deep rabbit hole.
Till the next time, goodbye and happy reading.
‘A Dive Into Darkness’ is available both as an ebook and paperback, with Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-dive-into-darkness-paul-franks/1145527746?ean=9781917129855
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dive-Into-Darkness-Paul-Franks-ebook/dp/B0D32DP97S
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jvrf/episodes/player?page=1 ‘A Big Disease With A Little Name’
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cascades.substack.com