Launch thrusts readers into the life of Theo Strahl, a quirky artist and inventor from Winnipeg who's spent the past two decades happily scavenging back lanes and transforming scrap into art. But beneath his contented exterior, Theo has always been quietly expecting the world to end within his lifetime.

On his fortieth birthday, Theo's fears are brought to life when an otherworldly voice named Ford disrupts his celebration, commanding him to build a Noah's Ark-esque spaceship to escape the doomed planet. As someone who's convinced that the countdown to global collapse is ticking away, Ford's message feels disturbingly plausible. In the weeks that follow, Theo becomes consumed by Ford's impossible task, unraveling his once-happy life as he prepares to escape from a world he's always feared would implode. His obsession strains his marriage and alienates his son -- leaving Theo to confront his deepest fears about life, love, and the meaning of survival.

Launch explores the haunting echoes of Cold War trauma, the fragility of family bonds, and the eternal struggle between hope and despair. In a world on the brink of ruin, can Theo salvage his relationships -- or will his journey to the stars tear everything apart?

Neal Davis Anderson is an author and clinical psychologist living in Winnipeg. His first novel, Bettina, came out under the name Thomas J. Childs (Signature Editions) and other writing has appeared in Grain, Prairie Fire, Canadian Fiction Magazine, Descant, Rampike, and Zymergy and in the anthology 200% Cracked Wheat (Coteau Books). He studied Philosophy and Chemistry at the University of Winnipeg and completed his MFA in Creative Writing at UBC. Neal is the past executive editor of Prism International and his feature about the Croatian novelist Dubravka Ugresic in Border Crossings won a National Magazine Award. His short serial and feature-length drama has been produced by the CBC and he's written documentary and lifestyle pieces for many CBC programs.

Neal Davis Anderson's profile page