Lizard Larson and the Time Keeper
Gary Natoli
Self-Published (2024)
ISBN: 979-8350944761
Gary Natoli is an avid fan of fantasy and science fiction, channeling his passion for storytelling into captivating narratives across various mediums. With an extensive background in television production, Gary’s fascination with time extends to his work behind the scenes on live television variety shows, where every second counts. His expertise in television production has seen him create magic behind the scenes for some of the biggest events in the world, including the Academy Awards, Super Bowl Halftime Shows, The Emmy Awards, and the MTV Video Music Awards, to name a few.
Hi Gary. Welcome to Reader Views! What is Lizard Larson and the Time Keeper about, and what was the inspiration behind the story?
Thank you for the invitation. I wanted to write an adventure story for my daughter. We share a love of storytelling, especially science fiction and fantasy. We both are fans of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine and Hollywood favorite, Back to the Future. What if a teenage girl gets caught up in her parents’ dangerous experiments? What if she discovers she has an ability like no other? What if that girl is left alone to right the wrongs of her parents’ experiments?
Lizard Larson and the Time Keeper is about a fourteen-year-old girl who discovers she has a newfound power that could be the result of her parents’ creation of a time machine – a power that could reshape the very fabric of existence.
The story revolves around time manipulation. What sparked your interest in this concept, and what research did you undertake to develop the time travel mechanics in your book?
I read many books regarding essential physics. One particular scientist, Dr. Ronald L. Mallet, wrote a book, Time Traveler, that delves into the science of making time travel a reality. There are many theories – black hole theory, cosmic string theory, multiverse theory, and so on. I considered all of these and created my own rules for time travel. However, time travel is just a launching pad for the more significant concept of time manipulation. Lizard’s ability to stop time seemed more human, something more internal than a time machine, which is an external instrument. Her stopping time is something she can and eventually controls, unlike time travel, in which she is essentially a victim of it.
How did you come up with the name “Lizard” for your protagonist, and what can you tell us about her character?
Lizard is a nickname of Elizabeth. Lizard marches to her own rhythm and set of rules and, unlike other teenagers her age, doesn’t care much about what people think of her. Yet, she chooses the name Lizard to differentiate her from her peers. She embraces her choices and her strangeness, adopting reptilian characteristics in her personality to match the name.
Can you elaborate on the process of creating the supporting characters, such as Lizard’s parents’ friend and the future rebel?
Her parents had to be the catalyst for Lizard’s journey. They created the time machine, and they unintentionally put their daughter at risk. Only people consumed by their work cannot see the forest through the trees, and what are the ramifications when the realization hits them? As a parent, I often wondered if my work took me away from moments with my daughter. I think I did okay, but it’s something I always think about.
Lizard also needed allies in the future. I created Jaxon, a soldier who is a member of a resistance responsible for looking after Lizard. I wanted the character of Jaxon to have shared experiences with Lizard. He is a loner, like Lizard. He went through some trauma growing up in a controlling government, losing his arm in some battle. She needs him in the future. He needs her in the present. They are close enough in age to understand and respect each other but far enough in age that there would not be any romantic ties.
The Time Keeper is a mysterious figure in the story. What was your inspiration for this character?
I wanted something very different from an “Old Man Time,” the white-haired man with a scythe. The Time Keeper looks ageless, young, handsome, and even debonaire, carrying a gold pocket watch on a chain. He is a bit off-kilter and seeks some levity for the pressures of overseeing all of time. Instead of a hard-headed CEO of a corporation, the Time Keeper has all this responsibility but can also find joy in it. It’s almost as if Roald Dahl created him out of his imagination and plopped him onto my page. The Time Keeper finds solace in a retro-time of groomed and well-dressed people, surrounding himself with odd and similar characters.
Can you tell us more about the Time Management Bureau and its role in the future you’ve created?
The Time Management Bureau is an amalgam of any agency that has control in a government. Time manipulation is a commodity in the future and a possible weapon. Controlling time in any fashion will wield power to the individual in charge. The TMB is run by an unseen Director who actively seeks this power, particularly Lizard’s ability. The consequences of harvesting Lizard’s ability to stop time has rippling effects.
Your story spans different timelines. What challenges did you face in creating and connecting these diverse settings?
Spanning the different timelines wasn’t that difficult. The challenges were creating elements familiar enough in the present that wouldn’t be too far-fetched in the future. I want the reader to follow along in Lizard’s footsteps. Things are different enough in the future that we’re unsure where we are. Lizard isn’t even aware she is in the future until she returns to the present. I hope the reader thinks things are a bit off but comes to the realization at the same time Lizard does.
How did your experiences in New York City and Los Angeles influence the settings and atmosphere in your novel?
I went to graduate school at Columbia University in New York City. I love the energy of New York and its culture. NYC is a perfect backdrop for time marching along at an extremely quick pace. I live in Los Angeles now, but I visit New York often, hoping to move back there someday.
The novel deals with the consequences of altering time. How did you approach the concept of cause and effect in a story where time is malleable?
The concept of cause and effect is straightforward, as shown by the time travel in the book. It’s when I combine the elements of the Time Keeper’s actions, which can manipulate time in whatever fashion he desires, that things become more complicated. At that point, the rules change, and we have a whole different set of cause-and-effect events.
Themes of loss and grief interweave alongside sci-fi adventure elements. How did you approach balancing these emotional aspects with the more fantastical parts of the narrative?
I tried to ground the emotional moments in a realistic approach so that Lizard wouldn’t experience them in a science fiction or fantasy moment. The loss of her parents is initially due to an explosion in her mind, rooted in her home and city. Being reunited with her best friend in Central Park is also a sweet and anxious moment, even though the Time Keeper brought them together without them directly knowing about it.
The book explores ethical dilemmas and themes of responsibility related to time travel. What messages do you hope young adult readers take away from these aspects of the story?
Every young adult reader should be thinking about ethical dilemmas and responsibilities beyond time travel. They are learning about themselves and what direction in life they’d like to take. I hope that creating a story about Lizard Larson will give them something to think about for themselves, and science can be a great example of that.
Time travel stories often grapple with the concept of fate versus free will. How does your novel address this philosophical dilemma?
We all still grapple with those concepts. That makes Lizard’s journey so interesting and the concept so universal. The Time Keeper’s motives are more dangerous than the time machine, but he teaches us lessons that time is precious and that we shouldn’t take it for granted. Fate is what we make it through our own free will.
Lizard undergoes significant growth and faces major challenges throughout the story. How did you approach developing her character arc, and what steps did you take to ensure her reactions and development remained believable for a fourteen-year-old?
That is a good question. Developing her character arc was a challenge as she was thrust into a situation she knew nothing about. She needs to discover and understand this new ability that she suddenly has, all the while being held captive by future agents looking to harness that ability. She must grow up quickly and travel between times to find out what her parents did and fix the paradox so that all will be corrected. That’s a lot of growing up and responsibility to throw on a fourteen-year-old.
The story deals with potentially universe-altering consequences. How did you balance the grand scale of the threat with Lizard’s personal journey?
The threat goes hand in hand with Lizard’s journey. To prevent the end of time and the universe, Lizard must find the time travel prototype in the present. If she finds the prototype and brings it back to the Time Keeper, everything will return to how it was. She will then have her parents back with her and not be lost to the future. This makes it very personal and of great importance for Lizard.
Your book blends elements of science fiction, coming-of-age story, and thriller. How did you balance these different genres to create a cohesive narrative?
The way I balanced these different genres is with the character of Lizard who is grounded in her personal life in New York City. But then she has an inexplicable journey to the future and back to the present. On top of that, she encounters a mysterious figure known as the Time Keeper in an otherworldly place called the Corporation of Time. Despite these different times and realms, she stays true to herself and her pursuit to get her parents back. She is the balance between these different genres to create a cohesive narrative.
How did you approach the task of making complex time travel concepts accessible to a young adult audience?
I hope I succeeded in that regard. Complex time travel concepts can get bogged down and become confusing. For example, video games have specific rules to follow to get to the end. I’m a stickler for the rules and follow them thoroughly. I tried to lay them out so the audience had a template to follow.
How has your diverse background in television production and your experiences in different cities shaped your storytelling approach, particularly in writing a novel that deals with time and fast-paced action?
I work in live variety television. Every second counts when turning a stage around with a live band, performers, scenery, lighting, and special effects. My shows are all about pace and keeping things on time. I’m like a human stopwatch, where I know how long something will take to achieve. Those skills have informed me as a storyteller.
Are there plans for a sequel or to expand this story into a series?
Yes, I am working on it right now. The second book in the series will feature Lizard at the Corporation of Time and new characters with different time manipulation abilities.
Is there anything else you’d like to add today?
Thank you for allowing me to answer your questions. I truly appreciate it.
CONNECT WITH GARY NATOLI Website: https://garynatoli.com/
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