In ‘The Wise Of Heart,’ A Man Faces Unthinkable Consequences For Stating An Unspeakable Truth

Paul Hair |

May 22, 2023

Authorities arrest a man for speaking the truth on the cover of the novel 'The Wise of Heart.' — 'The Wise of Heart' (2023) cover, Hans G. Schantz & Elin Chancey (illustrations)

How much trouble can one get into for stating a simple and obvious truth? Quite a lot. And a man learns that in a way he couldn’t have foreseen in The Wise of Heart, a satire by Hans Schantz. Schantz gave Bounding Into Comics the inside scoop on his tale, which twists an old story in a perfect way for modern times.

Characters and their background for 'The Wise of Heart' novel.

The Wise of Heart is crowdfunding on Kickstarter right now. With just a week to go, the 80,000-word illustrated novel is about $225 shy of its $3,000 goal. It needs just a little bit more help, and it’ll be well worth it if readers can push it across the line. This isn’t Schantz’s first rodeo, either. In addition to his previously published works, he’s scheduled to be involved in an interesting event later this year. Keep reading until the end to find out what that is. First, though, there’s the new book.

“The Wise of Heart reworks the story of the hundred-year-old Scopes Monkey Trial amid today’s transgender mania,” Schantz told BIC. “A high school biology teacher, Mike Andrews, agrees to participate in a court challenge to a law forbidding the teaching of biological science. [However], the law isn’t forbidding evolution—as in the original Scopes Trial—but rather the teaching of the biology of sex determination in defiance of a state mandate for gender affirmation.”

An illustration of a show trial from the novel 'The Wise of Heart.'

“The result is a deft and devastating satire that flips the script on the original Scopes Trial as depicted in movies like Inherit the Wind,” he continued. “Instead of the enlightened advocates of progressive evolutionary biology exposing the supposed ignorance of the superstitious religious town folk, The Wise of Heart is all about how today’s progressive advocates of gender affirmation defy the truths of biological science.”

Schantz provided more details on the plot. “The story opens in a small-town diner as the school superintendent, ringleader of the local cabal, persuades the mayor and the local university president to support his plan to challenge the ‘Gender Awareness in Academia’ or GAIA Act. The university president recruits an out-of-town ringer to lead the prosecution, her former student, Senator Roxy Castillo, leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination.”

An illustration of a woman visiting a man in prison from the novel 'The Wise of Heart.'

“Not to be outdone, the superintendent secures the services of Castillo’s archrival, Senator Chad Travis from Texas, to head up the defense,” Schantz added. “The resulting trial becomes a media circus with a Greek chorus of reporters and commentators popping up between court sessions to casually lie and spin the narrative in their desired direction.”

It’s not all about the subject matter, though. “One of the most interesting characters is Mike’s girlfriend, Acey, whose mother is the university president, and who faces the challenge of trying to find some middle ground,” he explained. “The courtroom drama is a fight to the finish on the science and politics, but serves as a catalyst for a number of great character arcs and conflict-driven personal growth.”

An illustration of people in a diner from the novel 'The Wise of Heart.'

Interested readers who back this will not only be the first in line for a copy of the book, but they’ll also help Schantz fund the bold line drawings by artist Elin Chancey that help bring the story to life. Additionally, an extensive sample, including a couple dozen episodes, is already available both on Substack and Arktoons. There’s also an extended trailer that further explains the story and showcases the art.

Again, Schantz isn’t a new author. His sci-fi techno-thriller series, The Hidden Truth, has proven to be popular. And he writes non-fiction as well. Beyond that, he takes the time and effort to run book sales for indie authors on a regular basis. And they highlight some fantastic works that BIC readers will undoubtedly enjoy.

A woman talks with a man from the novel 'The Wise of Heart.'

And that interesting event he’s scheduled to be involved in later this year? That would be BasedCon, which “is a gathering for authors and fans of science fiction and fantasy.” It’s currently planned for September somewhere in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Where exactly? You have to register for the event to find out that info.

The event has already gained attention because it’s a con for those who are “tired of woke propaganda.” Is that a good thing or bad thing? Who knows, at this point? Right now, though, it looks like it’s going to have a significant lineup of guests. Those interested in sci-fi and fantasy will definitely want to check out the website for additional info.

An illustration of a media scrum from the novel 'The Wise of Heart.'

But first things first. And that’s Schantz’s The Wise of Heart. It’s received an incredible amount of backing already. All it needs is a final few supporters to hit that $3,000 goal. Any amount that people can provide helps, and so does spreading word about the book on social media.