Future Certain

book one in the new
Exceptionals sci-fi series

About the novel...

Future Certain

book one in the new
Exceptionals sci-fi series

Logline

When seemingly normal people from all over the world discover they have exceptional abilities, they must learn to harness their powers to combat assailants, protect secrets, alter events, and ultimately band together to confront a mysterious force.

Our Goal

We created this website to complement our promotion of this science fiction novel series. If you are a representative of a publication company or if you are a literary agent or manager, please contact us. Upon request, we will give you access to our book series bible, a draft copy of book one, Future Certain (or excerpts), and a detailed series outline.

Conceptual Trailer

Exceptionals Series conceptual trailer

The Novel

World

Characteristics of the series, Exceptionals.
  • Exceptionals is a one-hour sci-fi drama series set in our present-day world. Story arcs take place mostly in the United States, India and China.
  • It’s a story about normal people who discover they have exceptional mental or physical abilities and how they integrate these powers into their lives. What is an exceptional?
  • Exceptionals’ special traits are genetic and rare. Out of every 10 million people on Earth, one has an exceptional ability.
  • Wait – are exceptionals superheroes? The answer is: not in the traditional sense. Our characters’ powers are subtle and obey the laws of [extreme] biology and physics. They use their powers to solve problems in their everyday lives. We call it “superhero realism.”
  • For those who don’t yet know they have a special ability, their worlds are about to be rocked!
  • Steeped in the high-stakes worlds of government intelligence and organized crime, Exceptionals has a global crime thriller feel, much like Homeland. Fans of Homeland, The X-Files and Star Trek will come together to love this show.
  • The world of our characters is one of much danger and suspense, but it’s not a dystopia. There is plenty of hope and humor. The show embraces the highs and lows of the human condition and celebrates the possibilities of science.

Structure

The structure of the series.
  • 16 one-hour episodes have been outlined in detail for Season 1 in our series bible , along with overviews for Seasons 2 through 6.
  • The show is serial; each episode begins with a hook in one arc and ends with a cliffhanger.
  • The 3 major story arcs detailed in the series bible  progress through each season until they ultimately merge.
  • Characters from all 3 arcs eventually come together toward an epic common goal.

Themes

The themes into which the series delves.
  • Science fiction concepts in the show are similar to those in Star Trek, but with a human, Earth-based perspective. Telepathy, genetic manipulation, alternate realities, spacial anomalies, and first contact will all be explored.
  • There isn’t a generic “good vs. evil” concept in Exceptionals. Conflicts arise from the different ethical choices characters make which eventually put them in opposition. Heroes, villains and those in-between, will change over time.

How It’s Different

What makes this series different from others.
  • Strong women are the principal characters in this series and many of them are in STEM careers. Traditionally, most science fiction and superhero shows are over 75% men; Exceptionals’ cast is over 75% women. This isn't something the show calls attention to either -- it's just the way it is.
  • Over 50% of the cast are people of color, and we are committed to ensuring that the writing staff also reflects the show's diversity.
  • Unlike typical superhero shows, these characters aren't over-powered to a point where it's impossible to provide a reasonable challenge for them. Every ability has a huge, and often life-threatening, disadvantage. And for every power, there is a way to stop it, block it, or counter it with an opposing power or through human-made technology.
  • Exceptionals' stories include futuristic concepts, yet they are grounded in our reality and introduced in a way that honors the awe and wonder a real person would feel when encountering these. The stories are laced, but not over-burdened, with thought-provoking science fiction that will appeal to both sci fi and drama fans. There’s also a great amount of detail and research behind the biology, medicine and physics in the show, so it will appeal to the hard-core sci fi geek who often laments that the science in science fiction is ignored. Much like Star Trek, and most definitely for fans of that franchise, this show includes enough detail and careful planning that those who watch it over and over will find a lot to appreciate.

The Writers

A bit about the writers and their process.
  • The adventurous creators and writers, Greg, Rochelle and Amy, come from very different backgrounds, but all share a love of and great enthusiasm for science fiction and drama shows.
  • They are a multilingual, multicultural group who have made a series concept that reflects their own diversity and is sure to find audiences across the world.
  • They wrote scripts that are primarily in English, but that also include Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Urdu, French and German dialogue.
  • In fact, they’ve traveled extensively, both before and during working on this concept, including Greg's two visits to Varanasi, India and Greg and Rochelle's trips to Bolivia and many places in the United States. Plus, Amy lived in China for years.
  • The writers also like to do proper research and get the details as accurate as possible, so they spent days and days and days researching science, medicine, geography, history, government agencies, astronomy, and many other topics that are included in the scripts.
  • They have laid out concepts for 6 seasons, making sure they know where the story is headed at all times so that it always makes sense and satisfies the even the most detail-oriented and savviest of fans.

Exceptionals may be everywhere, in every region on Earth, though the percentage in the population is extremely low.”

observation by Dr. Glenn Morris, founder of Morris Research Lab

What is an Exceptional?

Exceptional, n. a person with an extraordinary mental or physical ability.

  • The term “exceptional” was coined by Dr. Glenn Morris, a geneticist and foremost researcher of the study of exceptionals.
  • Abilities studied by Dr. Morris include telepathy, extreme athleticism or intelligence, heightened electrical charge, rapid cell regeneration, the ability to breathe underwater, and the ability to amplify or suppress brain waves.
  • Dr. Morris will encounter some exceptionals who defy his definition, including a woman who can travel through alternate realities.

Probabilities

10,000,000

out of every 10 million people
on Earth, there is 1 exceptional

300

probable number of total
telepaths on Earth currently

250

telepaths who don't
realize they have telepathy

6

telepaths on Earth now who
have a power rank of high

Main Characters

Radha Misra

Radha Misra-Yasser

Radha is a survivor. When her father married her off to an organized crime family in Pakistan at age 14…

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Marnie Vega

Marnie Vega

A glasses-wearing millennial who has overstayed her parents’ invitation to move back home, Marnie is lost. She has a power…

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Brynne Vaness

Brynn Harris

Though often troubled by her ability to see the future, Brynn has a Pollyanna view of the world…

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Dr. Tina Plantes

Dr. Tina Plantes

A physics professor at Johns Hopkins University, Tina loves her work. In fact, she’d rather be married to her work than to any man…

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Adebayo "Abe" Rotimi

Adebayo “Abe” Rotimi

Abe is compassionate and selfless, a psychologist by training and an exceptional with a potent mental ability…

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Vivienne Hayley

Vivienne Hayley

Vivienne is a drifter, a grifter, and a bigot. And she’s fresh out of prison. A physical exceptional, her skin and cells rapidly die and…

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Dr. Jean Speerel

Dr. Jean Speerel

Jean is an imposing woman with icy blue eyes and dark secrets she’d do anything to protect. For one, she has the ability to read minds…

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Rachel LaTour

Rachel LaTour

An Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics and martial arts as a child, she is physically exceptional. Now using her talents as a CIA agent…

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Erik von Trapp

Erik von Trapp

A genius, engineer, and die-hard anarchist, Erik has zero allegiances and many passports – each with different aliases…

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In all other ways, mental exceptionals appear typical. The characteristic that is unusual about them may be discreet or overt, and it is often the case that it is physiologically or psychologically detrimental.”

excerpt of notes by Dr. Daniel Trent regarding Dr. Morris' unpublished observations

Featured Recurring Characters

(refresh to see others)

Behrokh Jarrah

Behrokh Jarrah

Exceptional Ability: Much faster than average mental chronometry (reaction time).

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Jintana Visalyaputra

Jintana Visalyaputra

Exceptional Ability: Extreme polarization of cell membranes causing her to generate a bioelectrical field (and even sparks) that must be externally depolarized (i.e., externally grounded).

VIEW DETAILS
Alexis "Lex" Davenport

Alexis “Lex” Davenport

Exceptional Ability: Neuromagnetoreception. This is the ability to detect the magnetic fields in people who generate strong magnetic fields in their brains; in other words, those who are mental exceptionals. In her sleep, Lex can locate mental exceptionals anywhere in the world.

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Statistics

Current Comparative Ranking of Telepaths

Dr. Morris has devised a series of tests and benchmarks to quantify the power of exceptionals who have telepathic ability.

Abe Rotimi

54%

Jim Martin

71%

Kamal

99%

Maruyama Kura (estimate)

95%

Candace Clearwater

27%

Lauren Canella

16%

Dr. Jean Speerel (estimate)

90%

Brynn Harris (based on tests of a similar telepath)

61%

Marnie Vega

(ability as yet unknown)

Sabriyya Azzi

48%

Gauthier Renne

83%

Wilson Childs

57%

The Writers

Greg Kerr, creator of Exceptionals, writer and actor

I have a scary-good memory for details. I wow (and annoy) friends and students with my recall of specific details on an almost daily basis. I'm serious about writing -- so much so, I got a Master's degree in it...

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Greg Kerr

Creator, Writer, Actor

Rochelle Muzquiz, creator of Exceptionals, writer and actor

Rochelle Muzquiz is a Portland-based actor, writer and filmmaker originally from Texas. Rochelle’s passion for film...

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Rochelle Muzquiz

Creator, Writer, Actor

You can contact Greg and Rochelle at exceptionalsseries@gmail.com or individually through their LinkedIn accounts above