Beyond the Ruliad
Sixteen-year-old physics prodigy Mira Chen has always felt out of sync with the world around her. When she discovers an equation that seems to predict the future, she thinks she's finally found her purpose—to create a mathematical model of reality itself.
But her breakthrough has consequences she never imagined. Each time she refines her equation, subtle changes appear in her world: a tree that wasn't there before, a stranger who seems to know her, memories that don't quite match up with those of her friends and family.
As Mira's alterations to the equation grow bolder, she begins to glimpse what lies beyond the edge of her reality—the Ruliad, a mathematical structure containing all possible versions of our universe. When she realizes she's not the only one who knows about the Ruliad, Mira must decide whether to continue her explorations or close the door to the multiverse before someone uses her discovery to unravel the very fabric of existence.
"Beyond the Ruliad" is a mind-bending journey through theoretical physics, philosophy, and the courage to question the nature of reality itself.
Author's Note
The concept of the Ruliad comes from the computational universe theory developed by Stephen Wolfram, which posits that all of reality might be understood as computational processes. While taking creative liberties, I've tried to ground the story in actual theoretical physics and multiverse theories.
My own background in quantum mechanics inspired me to explore how these complex ideas might be understood and experienced by a brilliant young person just beginning to grasp their implications. Mira's journey is as much about discovering who she is as it is about uncovering the nature of reality.
I hope readers will join Mira in questioning their assumptions about the world and consider the beautiful possibility that reality may be far stranger and more wonderful than we imagine.
— Ferry Lawrence