Interview with Ha. A. Mehler

Mr. Mehler, how would you describe yourself?

It is always difficult to look at oneself. It is even more difficult to try to estimate your own ability and worth. Usually we take ourselves too seriously. I think it is better to philosophize about one's unimportance than about one's real or imagined greatness.

Let's try an objective measure of your influence. How many copies of your books have been sold?

I can hardly estimate that myself. The number of books I've sold in Germany is in the millions. If you consider that they are mostly hard cover books and consider the relatively higher price of such books, you can see that I have a loyal following. My readers are willing to pay more to get a good book.

It's hard to estimate the number of books I've sold in foreign countries. I just happened to hear the other day that my book Outstanding Achievements in the Art of Politics has been published in Czech and has been read by every member of the Czech parliament. There were many press releases. Newspapers carried quotes from government ministers commenting on the book. I don't know the exact number of copies sold, but it is a bestseller there.

I can't estimate how many copies I've sold in the United States. Remember, I don't always publish under my own name. I use five pen names as well.

Is there a common denominator to your books?

Basically, every book has its own message. But to try to find a common denominator to my writing, I'd have to separate my non-fiction and fiction books.

What about the non-fiction books?

As a non-fiction author I try to establish what constitutes the top expertise and know-how in a field. I like to give readers the view from the top and let them know what you need to know if you're on top. My view has always aimed at the top, but with the intention of showing the reader how he can get there. I always want to help the reader understand the world a bit more. My whole life has been about trying to understand the world and trying to communicate this understanding to others so that they can lead a better and more professional life.

Let's look at the other side of the coin. How would you characterize your fiction work?

As a fiction writer, my intentions are totally different. I want to offer entertainment and a few thrills. But, like every writer, I also want to communicate messages that matter to me. In writing fiction, whether it's romance, science-fantasy, or adventure, I try to show the reader other realities, higher realities, unseen realities.

The truth is that there are other worlds and totally different realities about which we may never have dreamed. I believe we need a new literature to express this. The genres of science fiction and fantasy are a step in the right direction. But I believe a spiritual art is most urgently needed.

Are there other goals you are pursuing? How would you describe the essence of your work?

All my life I've dealt with the problem of finding the optimum written expression. I have looked into this subject on many occasions. I have written over 2000 pages on how to create the optimum effect in writing. I have tried to give a bit of scientific-ness to the existence of a writer, or to objectify the subject. I began this line of thought and research twenty years ago by trying to define for myself what was the highest and best form of written expression. Beyond that, my aim was always to get others turned on to the art of writing.

That brings us to the question of what is the essence of a writer. It has been said that it is important for writers to travel - to take a look at he world. Many famous authors have undertaken long journeys. What's your opinion about this?

I believe that this is good advice for a writer. But not only for writers. It would do any man or woman good who wanted to think, to get a better grasp on the world, to gain more knowledge. I have traveled fairly extensively. I know France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland, Sweden, Belgium, Yugoslavia, Greece, Jordan, and Syria very well. I would like to explore Israel and Indonesia further. India is exciting in the same way as the United States where I lived for a while. One has to throw oneself headlong into a society in order to know it, absorb it, grasp it.

Let's talk some more about your works. Which books do you feel are the most important? Which are your favorites?

These are two very different questions. I believe that my most important books are Outstanding Achievements in the Art of Politics, How to Write a Best Seller, and The Power and Magic of Public Relations. However my favorite books are Danadil, The Merchant of Souls, and Super Agent of the Space Guild. Also, I enjoyed writing Adventurous Lives enormously.

You haven't mentioned your comprehensive works on economics and financial matters.

Right. The truth is that I consider each of my books to be important. I think you could safely say that the latest book the author wrote is always his favorite. But it's like having favorites among your children; if one is loved more than another, a parent should never admit it! Good advice for a writer would be to forget the last book he wrote and concentrate on the one he is writing now.

You've led an exciting life. As a conscientious objector, you refused military service, you worked as a television journalist for about five years, you have written sixty books, and you have traveled around the world. You've been known to grant forty newspaper interviews in a week, not to mention television appearances. You've received countless rave reviews for your many published works. Looking back on it, how does all this seem to you?

Time and distance bring the benefit of a fresh perspective. For example, having been an insider in the television industry, I don't have much respect for the medium. Regarding my past travels and adventures, all I have to say is that this is the only way one can learn and discover and write. How does a monk describe a night of passionate lovemaking? One has to really live life. You know, I seldom look back at the past. The life that I have lived, I have lived. The books I have written, I have closed. I look at what's most important, what lies ahead. What can I experience tomorrow? Can I do my small part in changing the world for the better? Can I expand my role in this cause? I think that this is all that counts.