MARBLEHEAD — Ever heard of the Bop-It?
Well, the designer behind the hit game, Bob Welch, lives in Marblehead and just wrote a book — no twisting, pulling, or bopping required to get a copy.
Welch’s debut novel, “Into the Dax,” hits Amazon on June 30, with plans to offer it in local bookshops in the near future.
“The story at the end of the day is about what people believe in, how they were raised to believe these things, how that turns into how you think about treating other people, and how to treat the world, the planet itself,” Welch said
He said the novel is described as “an awakening wrapped in the thriller, where nature, science, and religion collide.”
The novel’s plot follows young bioscientist Kiley Van, set 200 years in the future. One day, she comes under attack, Welch said. “It’s an attempted kidnapping. She escapes. She’s forced on the run, and on the run, she starts to meet people who tell her about her family and who they really are, which shocks her, like this is all news to her.”
He added, “She finds out her mother had created this biotechnology for a good reason, but the people who are after her want to use it for nefarious reasons.”
Welch said he hopes the novel will “leave readers asking questions about this themselves and about what we want to do going forward into the 21st century with our civilization as it relates to the earth and climate change and all the stuff that is upon us.”
Originally from New York State, Welch drew inspiration from his upbringing, visiting the Adirondacks and Finger Lakes.
In addition to designing the Bop-It, Welch is also the designer of the popular video games “Civilization” and “Roller Coaster Tycoon”
A consultant, studio executive, CEO, and game designer, Welch has worked for Parker Brothers and Hasbro, along with other studios. Welch retired about a year and a half ago, but drew from his experience in writing “Into the Dax.”
“I think having built video games, I could see the world as the world developed, who the characters were, you know, the characters are all based on people I know, so it’s like having conversations with people, which kind of led the story,” Welch said.
