Amazon X-Ray for The Water Carriers

Early on, my friend Ed told me I had invented so many words I should start a glossary, which I did. It was fun to watch the list grow as the book evolved. Fantastic ideas were wholly made up, like a food called Butazeri and the incredible device everyone wears on their wrist called the AugWatch. Some terms sound impossible but exist, like Fish milk and the replacement for trees called a Photo Bio-reactor.

Then I discovered Amazon’s X-Ray for Authors and realized how incredible this would be for my glossary. Instead of thumbing to the back of the book, in the Kindle version, the reader can press on any word and immediately see the definition.

It’s a powerful tool to keep the reader in the story. While the Kindle allows you to press on any word to get a definition from the dictionary or Wikipedia, many of these definitions could be wrong because the algorithm didn’t understand the context. It could also be distracting because it often pulls up too many possible definitions. So I reviewed all the terms that X-Ray found and edited them to ensure the best, most concise definition was available.

After speaking to readers I learned they sometimes had to check how characters were related to each other. I realized this was a terrific opportunity, not only to help with a cheat sheet of names and relationships but also to help with pronunciation. I deliberately used names from Brazil, Cambodia, China, France, the Ivory Coast, Hawai’i, Japan, Thailand, and The Netherlands. X-Ray can help with context and make it easy to pronounce all the different names in the way they were intended.

Serendipitously, this turned out to be a fantastic discovery for authors. Amazon X-Ray begins by pulling up a list of words it thinks are character names or terms. After reviewing this list, I discovered I misspelled the name of the president of Brazil twice. And in one chapter, I changed Liv’s name to Liz (You might be surprised to learn Liv’s name is pronouced LEEF). We missed these mistakes even after many rounds with a copy editor and a copy proofer; another excellent example of how a computer can excel at a difficult task for humans.

I’ve just released version 1.1 of The Water Carriers which includes the new Characters list after the Glossary, and X-Ray for all the character names and terms in the Kindle version. You can also see them all below.

Characters

1. Aksel (AHK-sul) Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Liv’s colleague who works on government contracts.
2. Alessandra (ah-leh-SAHN-drah) Brasília, Brazil – Advisor to president Batista.
3. Amporn (am-PORN ) Preap’s AI companion.
4. Anela Malo (ah-NEH-lah MAH-loh) New Jersey, USA – Makoa’s wife. Mother to Kailani and Apikalia.
5. Angélique Labonne (ahn-ZAY-leek lah-BON) Anyama, Ivory Coast – Daughter of Philippe and Sophia.
6. Annop (ah-NOP) Sihanoukville, Cambodia – Kasemchai’s friend from the Aquadrome.
7. Apikalia Malo (ah-pee-KAH-lee-ah MAH-loh) New Jersey, USA – Makoa and Anela’s younger daughter.
8. Arlo (AHR-loh) Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Executive Chef of the secret restaurant.
9. Aroon (ah-ROON) Bangkok, Thailand – Young boy at the Songkran (Thai New Year) festival who helped Mari, the young Thai girl.
10. Bai (bye) Georgia, USA – Student at the University of Georgia.
11. Ben (BEN) New Jersey, USA – Deck officer of the bunker barge who first greeted Makoa.
12. Bob Hamilton (BOB HAM-il-ton) USA – President of the United States of America.
13. Brechtje (BREKH-tyuh) Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Base jumping friend of Liv.
14. Captain (KAP-tin) Ishigaki Jima, Japan. Captain of the dive boat.
15. Carina (kah-REE-nah) Brasília, Brazil – President Batista’s AI companion.
16. Champei Seng (cham-PAY Sung) Sihanoukville, Cambodia – Kasemchai’s mother.
17. Chantal (shahn-TAL) Rotterdam, Netherlands – Liv’s colleague.
18. Chantana (chan-TAH-nah) Sihanoukville, Cambodia – Leader from Personaspace who pitched the AISL business to Kasemchai.
19. Chantavy (chahn-TAH-vee) Sihanoukville, Cambodia – Kasemchai’s AI companion.
20. Darius (DAH-ree-us) Ghawar Field, Saudi Arabia – Egyptian roughneck on the oil crew.
21. Duncan (DUN-kan) Maine, USA – Pro-desalination senator ruined by Philippe and Preap.
22. Emma (EM-mah) Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Attorney at Sol-Vang.
23. Emmet (EM-it) Newark, USA – Owner of the Newark Winery.
24. Evelyn (EV-uh-lin) Georgia, USA – 911 AI operator.
25. Faya Camara (FAH-yah kah-MAH-rah) Anyama, Ivory Coast – Angélique’s husband.
26. Finn (FIN) Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Liv’s colleague.
27. Fran (FRAN) New Jersey, USA – Office manager at the tankerman office.
28. Fulin (foo-LEEN) Sihanoukville, Cambodia – The big man from Personaspace who pitched the AISL business to Kasemchai.
29. Harper (HAR-per) Georgia, USA – Student at the University of Georgia.
30. Haruka (HAH-roo-kah) Ishigaki Jima, Japan – First dive guide who worked with the Captain.
31. Helena (heh-LAY-nah) Rotterdam, Netherlands – Liv’s colleague.
32. Hendrik (HEN-drik) Rotterdam, Netherlands – Liv’s assistant at Sol-vang.
33. Jacob (JAY-kub) Ghawar Field, Saudi Arabia – Philippine driller on the oil crew.
34. Jia (JAH) Dailan, China – The daughter of the security manager, Xiaomeng.
35. Johannes Nielsen (yo-HAH-nes NEEL-sun) Rotterdam, Netherlands – Liv’s colleague who pitched government and military contracts.
36. Kailani Malo (Kah-ee-LAH-nee MAH-loh) New Jersey, USA – Makoa and Anela’s older daughter.
37. Karim (kah-REEM) Ghawar Field, Saudi Arabia – Egyptian roughneck on the oil crew.
38. Kasemchai Seng (ka-sem-CHAI Sung) Sihanoukville, Cambodia and New York, USA – Son of Preap and Champei. Sato calls him Kasem-chan.
39. Kato (KAH-toh) Ishigaki Jima, Japan – Kasemchai’s attendant at the hotel.
40. Keone (keh-OH-neh) New Jersey, USA – Makoa’s brother.
41. Koffi (KOH-fee) Anyama, Ivory Coast – Member of the video crew.
42. Kosal (koh-SAL) Sihanoukville, Cambodia – Preap’s head of staff.
43. Liv Anselm (LEEF AHN-selm) Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Engineer at Sol-vang who dove with Kasemchai.
44. Lucas (LOO-kahs) Brasília, Brazil – Secretary of Defense Products – Proposed Brazil / Sol-vang partnership.
45. Luuk Visser (LUKE FIS-ser) Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Founder of Sol-vang.
46. Makoa Malo (mah-KOH-ah MAH-loh) New Jersey, USA – Anela husband. Father to Kailani and Apikalia.
47. Mali (MAH-lee) Bangkok, Thailand – Young girl at the Songkran (Thai New Year) festival who was helped by the boy, Aroon.
48. Nakamura (NAH-kah-MOO-rah) Ishigaki, Jima, Japan. Manager of the ryokan where Liv stays.
49. Naomi (nay-OH-mee) Georgia, USA – Student at the University of Georgia.
50. Nary (nah-REE) Sihanoukville, Cambodia – Head of transportation for Preap.
51. Nee (NEE) Bangkok, Thailand – Young girl at the Songkran (Thai New Year) festival who is friends with Mali.
52. Nisay (nee-SAY) Sihanoukville, Cambodia – Preap’s driver who took Kasemchai and Angélique downtown.
53. Noa (NOH-ah) Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Liv’s AI companion.
54. Omar (OH-mar) Ghawar Field, Saudi Arabia – Egyptian assistant driller on the oil crew.
55. Peter (PEE-ter) New Jersey, USA – Owner of the bunkering company where Makoa works as a tankerman.
56. Philippe Labonne (fee-LEEP lah-BON) Anyama, Ivory Coast – Head of the African water family. Angélique’s father.
57. Preap Seng (pree-AP Sung) Head of the Cambodian water family. Kasemchai’s father.
58. President Ndlovu (Prez-i-dent Ni-lo-vu) President of Anglola.
59. Rangi (RAH-ngi ) Newark, USA – Makoa’s friend who worked at the Côte de l’Est Vinery.
60. Renato Batista (heh-NAH-toh bah-TEES-tah) Brasília, Brazil – President of Brazil.
61. Ryan (RYE-un) Georgia, US – Lizzie’s AI companion.
62. Samnang (SAM-nang) Sihanoukville, Cambodia – The tall man from Personaspace who pitched the AISL business to Kasemchai.
63. Sarin (sah-REEN) Krong Battambang, Cambodia, Cambodia – Auntie celebrating Choul Chnam Thmey (Cambodian New Year) with her family.
64. Sato (SAH-toh) Kyoto, Japan. Kasemchai’s business mentor.
65. Songkran (song-KAHN) Bangkok, Thailand – Young boy at the Songkran (Thai New Year) festival who knocked over Mali, the young Thai girl.
66. Sophia Labonne (fee-LEEP so-FEE-ah lah-BON) Anyama, Ivory Coast – Angélique’s mother.
67. Sophie (so-FEE) Rotterdam, The Netherlands – Liv’s colleague.
68. Tanaka (tah-NAH-kah) Ishigaki, Jima, Japan. Virtuoso distiller at the awamori distillery where Kasemchai first meets Liv.
69. Tiffany Day (TIF-uh-nee DAY) New Jersey, USA – Republican senator frustrated that the tankerman were standing in the way of progress.
70. Tiken (TEE-ken) Anyama, Ivory Coast – Directographer filming Look Up to God for the Labonne family.
71. U’ilani (oo-ee-LAH-nee) New Jersey, USA – Makoa’s older sister.
72. Xiaomeng (SHYOW-mung) Dailan, China – Security manager of the location in China where all of Preap’s engines are stored.
73. YanYan (YEN-yen) Dailan, China – Inspector of the location in China where all of Preap’s engines are stored.
74. Yara (YAH-rah) TK, Brazil – The little girl who sees rain on Easter Day.
75. Young-Soon (YUNG-soon) New Jersey, USA – Anela’s AI companion.
76. Yuki (YOO-kee) Ishigaki Jima, Japan – Second dive guide who worked with the Captain.
77. Yuting (YOO-ting) Dailan, China – The daughter of the inspector, YanYan.

Terms

I edited some standard terms for the terms, such as country names or terms from countries that could use an extra explanation, such as Ryokan in Japan and New Year in Cambodia. In this blog post, I will only include the more unusual terms.

1. AI Collaborators In a world where AI can learn and improve on its own, engineers transition from being the sole creators to collaborators. Instead of managing all technical tasks themselves, they focus on guiding AI’s development and ensuring its ethical use—their role shifts to steering AI’s potential toward human-centered goals.
2. AISL Artificial Intelligence Service Layer (AISL) In the future, a series of services will be required for AI to provide a robust experience for people, especially when it comes to private information, such as financial or health information, placing orders at a store or restaurant, or enabling personalized services, such as dating. The AISL provides the UI/UX based on user preferences and behaviors. People interact with the AISL, which can use many different AI models from the AI Personalization Layer. Below the AIPL are the compliance and regulation layer (which may be religious, government, or ideology), the security and privacy layer, the data integration layer, and finally, the vendor and data sources.
3. Aquadrome An enclosed stadium for watching water sports, such as underwater rugby.
4. Arima Onsen (有馬温泉, Arima Onsen) is an onsen, or hot springs in Kita-ku, Kobe, Japan. This Onsen is still a hidden treasure of modern Kobe, behind Mount Rokkō. It attracts many Japanese who want tranquility with beautiful natural surroundings and yet easy access from the busy cities in the Kansai metropolitan area including Osaka. Arima Onsen was named in the Heian-period The Pillow Book as one of the three famous springs in Japan. It was selected as the most prestigious hot spring during the Edo period.
5. Aston Martin Valhalla The Aston Martin Valhalla is an upcoming sports car developed by British manufacturer Aston Martin in collaboration with Red Bull Racing. The mid-engined car has a plug-in hybrid powertrain and is meant to sit below the flagship Valkyrie track-focused sports car and is intended to be more usable as an everyday car.
6. AugWatch The colloquial term used after the first augmented reality watch was released. The disc on the top can be removed and placed on a table to place the view directly in front of the user or to share information with other people.
7. Baga Jima This is the real name of a dive shop in Ishigaki Jima. In 2003, I was lucky enough to dive with this crew to see giant manta rays, and, as you can tell from this story, it left an indelible impression on me.
8. Bon Om Touk Bon Om Touk (Khmer: បុណ្យអុំទូក, Bŏn Om Tuk, lit. “Boat Racing Festival”), also known as the Cambodian Water Festival, is celebrated in late October or early November, often corresponding with the lunar Mid-Autumn Festival. It marks the end of the monsoon season. The festivities are accompanied by dragon boat races, similar to those seen in the Lao Boun Suang Huea festival. The festival is celebrated over the span of three days and commemorates the end of the rainy season, as well as the change in flow of the Tonlé Sap River. The festival attracts several million people each year. Some activities that take place at the festival are boat races along the Sisowath Quay riverfront, fireworks, and evening concerts.
9. Brazil-Sol-vang A joint venture between Sol-vang and the Brazilian government established to develop a fleet of battery-powered tankers and convert heavy military vehicles to battery power.
10. Bucha Slang for Kombucha. It’s an alcoholic beverage, generally five percent alcohol, but it can pack more punch with boosters.
11. Byte Slang for ass. Originated from people who shared too much data about themselves on social media. It became a cheeky way to refer to someone who was being an ass.
12. Choul mouy “Choul mouy” or “Chol muy” means “Cheers!” in the Khmer language.
13. Choul Chnam Thmey Cambodian New Year (or Khmer New Year; Khmer: បុណ្យចូលឆ្នាំខ្មែរ, also known as Choul Chnam Thmey (Khmer: ចូលឆ្នាំថ្មី; lit. ’Enter the New Year’) and Moha Sangkranta (Khmer: មហាសង្ក្រាន្ត; lit. ’Great Sankranti’) or just Sangkranta, is the traditional celebration of the solar new year in Cambodia. A three-day public holiday in the country, the observance begins on New Year’s Day, which usually falls on 13 April or 14 April, which is the end of the harvesting season, when farmers enjoy the fruits of their labor before the rainy season begins. Khmers living abroad may choose to celebrate during a weekend rather than just specifically 13 April through 16 April. The Khmer New Year coincides with the traditional solar new year in several parts of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.
14. Directographer Using camera drones and light drones, directors can control all aspects of creating a Virtumersion. The name combines the roles of the film director, cinematographer, camera operator, lighting team, and sound team.
15. Energy Center (EC) A location created by the Sol-vang company to store and repair batteries before they are recharged and returned to service ships. They need to have a reliable source of electricity and can be located a short distance from the port to keep costs down.
16. Experience Sphere An alternative to the AugWatch that allows many people to see or experience anything digital from a communication to Virtumersion.
17. Fish Milk A milk substitute made by deboning and grinding fish into a powder, then mixing it with water, emulsifiers, thickeners, and flavorings. It’s high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
18. Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; Hebrew: חיים ויץ [χaˈim ˈvits]; born August 25, 1949) is an American musician. Also known by his stage persona “The Demon”, he is the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss, which he co-founded with Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss in the early 1970s. Simmons was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014 as a member of Kiss.
19. Gibson The Gibson is a mixed drink made with gin and dry vermouth, and often garnished with a pickled onion. In its modern incarnation, it is considered a cousin of the ubiquitous martini, distinguished mostly by garnishing with an onion instead of an olive. But the earliest recipes for a Gibson – including the first known recipe published in 1908 by Sir David Austin – are differentiated more by how they treat the addition of bitters. Other pre-Prohibition recipes all omit bitters and none of them garnish with an onion. Some garnish with citrus twists. Others use no garnish at all. There is no known recipe for the Gibson garnished with an onion before William Boothby’s 1908 Gibson recipe.
20. Heatwave Pascal In this world, the World Meteorological Organization keeps six alphabetical lists of names designated for significant global heatwaves. The first heatwave of the season receives an “A” name, the second is named with a “B” name, and so on. Each year, the organization begins with a new list of names.
21. Hydrotank I wanted to create a futuristic dive tank for the chapter about diving with giant manta rays. Most of my research focused on concepts like scuba rebreathers or smaller tanks, but I found that rebreathers often appear bulky, and smaller tanks are limited by how much air they can safely compress. Then, I discovered the Avelo System. I made a few guesses on how this could be improved in the future, but the reason I love this solution is that it eliminates the need for a BCD (Buoyancy Control Device).
22. IE Gel This snack is specifically designed to provide a quick energy boost for athletes and individuals on the go. It is rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and also contains fast-acting carbohydrates such as sugar or glucose syrup, along with caffeine and electrolytes. IE stands for “insane energy.”
23. Ishigaki Island Ishigaki Island (石垣島, Ishigaki-jima, Yaeyama: Ishanagï, Okinawan: Ishigachi), also known as Ishigakijima, is a Japanese island south-west of Okinawa Hontō and the second-largest island of the Yaeyama Island group, behind Iriomote Island. It is located approximately 411 km (255 mi) south-west of Okinawa Hontō. It is within the City of Ishigaki in Okinawa Prefecture. The city functions as the business and transport center of the archipelago. The island is served by New Ishigaki Airport, the largest airport in the Yaeyamas. Much of the island and surrounding waters including Mount Omoto and Kabira Bay are protected as part of Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park.Ishigaki Island, like the rest of Okinawa, is culturally influenced by both Japan and Taiwan due to its location, about 300 km (186 mi) off the north eastern coast of Taiwan.
24. Mae Kongkea known as the Cambodian Water Festival. The festival’s celebrations occur over the span of three days, with the Royal Boat Race taking place on the first day. After the boat race, large lanterns are released as part of the “Bondet Bratib” ceremony at 6:00 pm as representatives from national institutions pray for peace from Preah Mae Kongkea or the Goddess Ganga.
25. Panamax Vessel Ships that must pass through the Panama Canal lock chambers are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority. A Panamax vessel can be up to nine hundred fifty feet in length, one hundred and six feet across the beam, and have a draft of thirty-nine-point-five feet.
26. Personaspace Personaspace is one of the largest AI Service Layers in the world.
27. Photo Bio-reactor A tank of liquid filled with microalgae. They were common in dense cities that no longer had trees to help consume CO2 and oxygenate the air.
28. Preah Thorani Water A brand of water from Cambodia.
29. PrefX An amalgamation of preferences with experience-centric design. It allows people to share how they view and interact with data. People can share their PrefXs on an AISL, the Artificial Intelligence Service Layer. PrefXs can also be monetized to allow anyone to make money from a clever AI-designed interface and experience.
30. Rain Wall In this book, a Rain Wall refers to an area where rain falls continuously—appearing to be a wall of rain. The rain is so intense that it’s impossible to navigate to the center of the Rain Wall.
31. Seaweed Sachet Containers for holding liquids like water or kombucha. The odorless and tasteless containers are soft like a plastic bag but made from seaweed. They sink in seawater and are biodegradable after two years. They are also edible and high in fiber and essential vitamins.
32. Shima Uta Shima-uta (しまうた, 島唄) was released by The Boom in 1993. Blending Okinawan folk music with pop-rock, it served as a poignant tribute to the Battle of Okinawa, symbolizing both the sorrow of war and the resilience of Okinawan culture.
33. Soursdey Chnam Thmey A Khmer phrase for “Happy New Year!”
34. Tam Total addressable market (TAM), also called total available market, is a term that is typically used to reference the revenue opportunity available for a product or service. TAM helps prioritize business opportunities by serving as a quick metric of a given opportunity’s underlying potential.One approach is to estimate how much of the market any company can gain if there were no competitors. A more encompassing variation is to estimate the market size that could theoretically be served with a specific product or service. TAM can be defined as a global total (even if a particular company could not reach some of it) or, more commonly, a market that one specific company could serve (within realistic expansion scenarios). This focuses strategic marketing and sales efforts and addresses actual customer needs. The inclusion of constraints such as competition and distribution challenges then modifies the strategy to frame it with realistic boundaries, reducing the market down to the serviceable available market (SAM), the percentage of the market that can be served (either by that company or all providers) out of the TAM. This is occasionally referred to as PAU (Potential Active Use).
35. Tankerman Tantrum A derogatory term used to belittle the tankermen complaining about the fear of losing their jobs due to the conversion of large ships to battery power.
36. Tao The Tao is the natural order of the universe, whose character one’s intuition must discern to realize the potential for individual wisdom, as conceived in the context of East Asian philosophy, religion, and related traditions. This seeing of life cannot be grasped as a concept. Rather, it is seen through actual living experience of one’s everyday being. Its name, “Tao”, or “Dao,” came from Chinese, where it signifies the way, path, route, road, or sometimes more loosely doctrine, principle, or holistic belief. Laozi in the Tao Te Ching explains that the Tao is not a name for a thing, but the underlying natural order of the universe whose ultimate essence is difficult to circumscribe because it is non-conceptual yet evident in one’s being of aliveness. The Tao is “eternally nameless” and should be distinguished from the countless named things that are considered to be its manifestations, the reality of life before its descriptions of it. The Tao lends its name to the religious tradition and philosophical tradition that are both referred to in English with the single term Taoism.
37. VidSheet A paper-thin sheet that allows you to view a document or video.
38. Virtumersion A digital experience format. Instead of a two-dimensional experience, people participate in a fully immersive and sensory-rich experience from their AugWatch or Experience Sphere. Virtumersion allows people to watch in movie-screen format or step directly into the middle of an augmented reality or virtual reality view. Using AI, all people involved with production are removed from view, users can talk and manipulate the environment, and viewers can create new content based on the guidance or story background provided by the directographer.