Fast

About the Book

It’s a fact: no man’s story begins or ends with his birth and eventual death. That’s just the span of a lifetime. A man’s story begins with the commingled influences of the past and ends with the effects of his existence on the future. While sitting in his prison cell contemplating life, a man considers the events that led him astray. Those events span a forty-year period, starting with early childhood into the present day. In a way, this man’s story is a dark “coming of age” narrative that may or may not have a happy ending. Fast is a modern interpretation of Faust, except that instead of the hoofed personification of evil, it is modern society itself that beguiles the protagonist. People react to their particular realities in a manner characterized by Sartre as Being-in-Itself because they don’t have time to reflect on their decisions, instead of by Being-for-Itself, which requires a conscious evaluation before making those determinations. In other words, it can be a moment’s hesitation that leads to the decimation of our souls. Which path would you choose: damnation or salvation? What if you unknowingly already made your choice years ago?

About the Author

Stephen F. Cea was born and raised in New York City. He received a bachelor of arts in English and political science from St. John’s University. He later moved to the suburbs of central New Jersey where he attended Seton Hall Law School. He practiced law in the private sector for twenty years before deciding to start a new career in the public sector.