The Machinist, First Book In The Head Dragon Series

The Head Dragon Series' Synopsis & Analysis

The Machinist, First Book In The Head Dragon Series, tells the story of John Mischler, an assassin who travels the world plying his trade. John frequented every whorehouse and call girl throughout Southeast Asia while working as a military assassin. When his enlistment ends, John enters a vocational school. His life changes when his friend, a CIA operative from his time in Southeast Asia, recruits him back into his old profession. Complications arise, and John’s missions force him to make choices repugnant to his sensibilities. He buys Houri Ranshoff out of prostitution to be his male guide. They form a strong bond as they save each other’s life. Unhappy with Houri's involvement, the CIA seeks to terminate her with extreme prejudice. John confronts himself in deciding Houri's fate. The process transforms him from an avid womanizer into a person who values a young girl’s life. John redirects Houri's life path by providing his services to Mossad in return for her safety. The CIA fires John for involving Houri and strictly forbids him from hawking his services under pain of death.

Authors A.I.'s Marlowe Analysis

Overview - The Mchinist is a gritty, intricately plotted Espionage Thriller that also explores the personal cost of covert warfare through the lens of a protagonist with deep ties to a wounded, complex family.

Premise / Elevator Pitch - A battle-scarred covert operative is recruited for impossible assassination missions as the Vietnam War ends, but when his handlers betray him, he must enlist allies from his shattered, dysfunctional family to survive and expose the secret agency that now wants him dead.

Potential Readers - The Mchinist's intense, often unflinching realism is geared toward mature readers who appreciate modern spy fiction that doesn't flinch from violence or moral ambiguity. The Novel has the potential to appeal to fans of works like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and The Sympathizer, especially those interested in the personal aftermath of American covert operations and the intersection of crime, war, and family. The length is consistent with the genre's depth, but some pacing and structural weaknesses reduce the story’s wider market prospects.

Archetype -The Mchinist is most similar to the Rags to Riches story archetype.

Genere & Story Type - The Mchinist's main genre is Espionage Thriller, with strong elements of Military Adventure.The story also contains elements of the following:

• Action/Adventure
• Political Thriller
• Dark Literary Fiction
• War Novel
• Family Drama
• Psychological Thriller
• Noir
• Coming-of-age
• Crime Saga

Word Count - The Mchinist contains about 91,632 words. Here’s a quick reference for typical word counts by genre:

• Adult contemporary fiction: 70,000-90,000 words
• Literary fiction: 80,000-120,000 words
• Romance: 50,000-90,000 words (mostly 70,000-90,000)
• Science fiction/Fantasy: 80,000-120,000 words (longer for epic fantasy)
• Historical fiction: 80,000-120,000 words
• Mystery/Crime: 60,000-90,000 words (cozy mysteries are shorter)
• Horror: 80,000-100,000 words
• Thriller: 70,000-100,000 words
• Westerns: 50,000-80,000 words
• Young adult: 50,000-90,000 words

For genre-bending works, the word count should typically align with the genre that has the higher range (e.g., romantic fantasy would follow fantasy’s 80,000-120,000 words). In some cases, indie authors choose to serialize a story — say, three fantasy novels of 40,000 words instead of one novel of 120,000 words.

Trigger Warnings - The Mchinist contains the following:

• Graphic depictions of sexual violence, sexual exploitation of minors, and rape.
• Physical abuse and child abuse, including within family settings.
• Details of torture, human trafficking, and prostitution.
• Recurrent, explicit violence including murder, assassination, and mutilation.
• Suicide references and scenes of severe psychological trauma.
• Scenes of addiction, substance abuse, and self-harm.