Interview with the Tulsa World, cont'd

Like "Rift," which was inspired by something Cox read about quantum teleportation, "The God Particle" takes its start from a bit of science fact -- the ultimately abandoned plan to build a supercollider under the earth near Waxahachie, Texas.

"In my book, the supercollider has been built through private donors," he said, "and the main characters are a particle physicist and a man who has suffered a head injury that has given him some unique insights, who work together to uncover the secrets of the universe.

"And this being a thriller," Cox added, laughing, "the bad guys are trying to get hold of this technology for their own dastardly purposes."

Science plays a greater role in "The God Particle" than it does in "Rift." But unlike some thriller writers who rely on techno-babble and scientific lectures to tell their stories, Cox is more interested in examining the human consequences of science.

"That's really the part I enjoy most about writing," he said. "My point in writing is the discovery of the self. In 'Rift,' for example, the main character, Cameron, goes through this process that changes him profoundly, and it leads to him discovering the purpose of his life, why he's here.

"And it's fun to take these personal, philosophical ideas and combine with the elements of a thriller," he said. "In 'The God Particle,' I deal with the ways science and religion overlap in our lives, about the choices we make or don't make. The challenge is to work these ideas into the story so that it doesn't affect the action, because I want to entertain people."

Cox, who works as part of the Web team at Hilti, has started a third novel, about a group of friends who return to their west Texas hometown to lay to rest a secret from their past that seems to be haunting the town anew.

"I want to write a lot of different stories," Cox said. "I don't want to be known as just the science, techno-thriller guy."

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