Hollywood Director 1992

[Chapter 31: The Apartment Neighbor]

That morning, Link finished his morning jog along Wilshire Boulevard and headed to the gym inside the Golden Oak Apartments.

Although the Golden Oak was considered a mid-range apartment complex, it boasted great facilities. There was a restaurant, a hospital nearby, and an expansive indoor gym within the complex, along with a tennis court in the common area. There were also plenty of fitness clubs along Wilshire Boulevard, and the Franklin Family Aquatic Center wasn't far off either. Living here made it easy to stay fit. As a director, keeping in shape was vital.

After settling in, Link decided to ramp up his workouts. He couldn't let that 10% boost in stamina go to waste.

...

"Hey, Link, you're the director Link, right?"

While sweating it out on a resistance machine, a familiar face suddenly leaned over to check him out. The guy looked to be in his thirties, with sandy blonde hair parted to the side. He wore a colorful button-up shirt over a white tank top, paired with gray athletic shorts, and a yellow towel draped around his neck. Despite looking a bit younger than Link remembered, he recognized Jim Carrey, the future comedy genius.

However, at that time, Jim was still considered a rising star with only one notable role to his name -- a supporting character in a TV sketch about life in the Black community titled In Living Color, where he portrayed a quirky white guy with a slapstick humor. That role had quickly earned him a bit of fame in Hollywood.

"Hello! Mr. Carrey! Great to see you here!"

Wiping his palms with his towel, Link reached out to shake Jim's hand.

"Ha! Link, my man! Great to run into you here. Do you live here too?"

Jim squeezed his hand cheerfully.

"Yeah, just moved in."

"That's awesome! I'm on the eighth floor of building D. Do you like playing tennis? We should hit the courts sometime. Basketball works too."

"Sure! I'm down for both."

After a brief chat, Jim waved goodbye and hopped onto a treadmill next to him. When Jim spoke, he had this lively, comedic energy reminiscent of his movie persona, yet in silence his demeanor took on a more somber, brooding quality. He was quite a complex individual.

...

By nine o'clock, Link finished his workout. When he exited the gym, he spotted a man who looked a lot like James Cameron. The man was in his forties, tall and slender, sporting some stubble. He was chatting with a woman as they walked toward the elevator, and before Link could say hello, they both stepped inside.

Indeed, it was director James Cameron, and the woman accompanying him was Linda Hamilton, the star of last year's blockbuster Terminator 2, who would eventually become Cameron's fourth wife.

As Link left the gym and glanced around at the towering buildings, he felt a sense of excitement about living among potential Hollywood legends.

---

After breakfast, Link drove over to Guess Pictures on Hollywood Boulevard.

By the time he arrived, he found CEO Michael Leeson already there, along with Chris Barnes, the bodybuilder friend of his. Chris was dressed more formally than usual, in a blue Hugo Boss striped shirt, gray slacks, and shiny leather shoes. His outfit looked brand new, suggesting he'd picked it up recently, though the shirt seemed a size too small, straining against his muscular frame, which paired awkwardly with his bushy eyebrows and flat nose.

"Link, you made it!"

"Why are you so early?"

Link greeted Michael and pushed the door into the office.

"I just feel like I can't go back. After being in your apartment, the apartment looks like a doghouse. I really want to make some money now, and maybe buy a place in Beverly Hills -- if not, I suppose renting would do."

"Take your time, opportunities will come."

"By the way, this is your mail. Lucy asked me to bring it to you."

Chris handed over a FedEx mailer to Link.

"You'll need to check in with Michael Leeson for your onboarding paperwork. The company's really busy right now, but if you come across any work, feel free to jump in. We'll sort out a specific role for you later."

"Got it, thanks."

...

Chris closed the office door as he exited. Link opened the mail package with a letter opener and found a document from Tor Books.

Tor Books was the largest science fiction publisher in the U.S. Over four months earlier, Link had submitted two short sci-fi stories to them, hoping to earn some starter funds through writing. But after submitting, he hadn't heard a word.

Finally, Tor Books had responded, albeit quite late.

The letter was from assistant editor Liz Gorinsky, who praised his two short works, Source Code and The Man from Earth, calling them high-quality sci-fi shorts. She noted they were ready for publication next month but needed his phone number for further communication.

Reading the letter's date, Link realized it had been sent the previous Wednesday from New York. He couldn't help but marvel at how slow the Tor Books team processed submissions.

Rumor had it that when Brandon Sanderson submitted his debut novel Elantris to Tor Books, it took a whole year for them to even notify him that his manuscript had been accepted.

...

Link put down the letter and sat back in his office chair, dialing the number provided in the letter.

When a secretary at Tor Books answered, she connected him to Liz's desk.

"Hello, is this Mr. Link?"

A magnetic voice came through the phone.

"Yes, this is Link."

"Thank God! Mr. Link, I'm so glad we finally reached you!"

Liz's excitement was palpable, almost as if she had endured a long quest to find a lost child.

In reality, Link had been left in the dark for months after submitting his stories.

"Mr. Link, your two stories are incredibly original and imaginative. Reading them is like experiencing a vivid sci-fi blockbuster, filled with thrilling ideas that let me envision the world in new ways. I truly loved both pieces. We're preparing to publish them next month. If you're on board, I can arrange to send someone over to finalize the publishing contract. Do you have any thoughts?"

"Ms. Gorinsky, I'm thrilled you enjoyed my stories, and I'm very much looking forward to working with Tor Books."

Link felt elated and a bit surprised at her recognition.

He hadn't read the original versions of The Man from Earth and Source Code. When writing those stories, he had based them entirely on films, infusing his reflections on the world along with a host of details and narrative insights, achieving over 30% originality.

He hadn't expected Liz Gorinsky to take such an interest in his work.

Tor Books was one of the most respected publishers in American and global science fiction literature, known for strict editorial standards that demanded originality, creativity, and logical structure, with a submission rate of less than one in ten thousand.

Yet, every year, Tor Books had works nominated for Hugo and Nebula Awards, having nurtured many authors in the genre.

Liz was also highly regarded in the science fiction community, not just as an editor but as a judge for several sci-fi awards.

Earning her praise indicated that his reimagined versions of Source Code and The Man from Earth had truly made an impact.

*****

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