GALT, CA (MPG) - At just 15 years old, Karsten De Bolt has transformed a childhood idea into a fully realized novel, marking the first installment in a planned series and placing Galt on the map in the world of sci-fi and dark fantasy fiction.

Beyond the literary milestone, Karsten is also redefining what is possible for young people on the autism spectrum.

Co-written with Isaak Uriarte, the novel “Midtown: The Forsaken Virus of the Black Realm” follows 17-year-old Nikki Sinclair as she discovers she has powerful abilities while balancing everyday teenage life and facing an entity threatening her city.

A lifelong Galt resident who attends school virtually, Karsten said he first imagined the story at age 7. He told The Galt Herald that his love of video games has long fueled his creativity, shaping the novel’s world-building and character development.

Karsten De Bolt and Isaak Uriarte’s novel “Midtown: The Forsaken Virus of the Black Realm” is a science fiction and dark fantasy story published last fall that follows 17-year-old Nikki Sinclair as she discovers powerful abilities while navigating everyday teenage life and confronting an entity threatening her city.

Now a published author through Black Brim Publishing, the publishing company he founded with Uriarte, Karsten said seeing his story come to life has been both surprising and rewarding. 

“It’s shocking and very exciting because I thought it was just going to be stories that I’m going to be telling and not publishing anywhere,” he said.

The publishing name, Black Brim, was inspired by both a character in the story and Karsten’s personal style. 

“It’s mostly because of one of the characters in the book that also wears the black cowboy hat, and I just like black cowboy hats,” Karsten said.

The collaboration began when Uriarte, a behavioral therapist who works with youth on the autism spectrum, connected with Karsten’s family through respite care and learned about his ideas. 

What first started as a short film project quickly grew into a movie script before ultimately developing into a novel over the course of about a year.

“He had so many ideas, so many characters; the world is so big,” Uriarte said. “So, I was like, ‘Let’s turn it into a full series of books.’”

For Uriarte, the project marked his first experience writing a novel after working in screenwriting for television and film in the past. He described the process as difficult but said was a fun one to embark on together. 

“I think one of the biggest things is that it’s a whole different medium that you have to learn,” he said. “As for collaborating: He had ideas, I had ideas. We had to bounce them off each other, see what didn’t work or what didn’t fit the vision.”

Since publishing last fall, the focus for the co-authors has shifted to building an audience. Uriarte said they have been working to get the book into readers’ hands and generate interest as they continue to develop future installments. 

 

Karsten De Bolt, center, pictured alongside co-author Isaak Uriarte, left, at their booth during an event promoting their novel “Midtown: The Forsaken Virus of the Black Realm.” 

“I saw that he had all this stuff inside of his head that I thought was a great idea to get out there and that people would love the story…” Uriarte said.

Karsten hopes his journey will inspire other young writers, especially those who may also be on the spectrum, to pursue their passions.

 “Try not to let that stop you in your path, and just keep doing what you do or what you love and something or someone might find you to help you and grow even bigger,” Karsten said.

With additional books already planned, Karsten’s debut marks the start of a series that brings a story born from his childhood imagination to readers in his hometown and beyond.

“Midtown: The Forsaken Virus of the Black Realm” is available for purchase on Amazon at bit.ly/4drT1w0 (case sensitive), as well as through other online book retailers such as Barnes & Noble. Copies can also be purchased in person at events attended by the authors, with additional details available on Instagram at @black_brim_publishing_official.