Dominique Mainon
Dominique Mainon (April 4, 1970 – January 25, 2012) was an American author, screenwriter and filmmaker living in Laguna Beach, California. Mainon was also noted as a transhumanist and futurist. Speaking on a radio interview with Dr. James Hughes, the Executive Director The Institute of Ethics and Emerging Technologies and author of "Citizen Cyborg", Mainon revealed that one of her latest books in progress was an extensive study and reference about the changing role of androids, robots and cyborgs in cinema and pop-culture. She was also completing "Suburban Apocalypse: The Debasement of the American Dream in Cinema", a  book co-written by Scott Tapio. Early years. Dominique Mainon was born to a British mother and a Texan father and spent much of her early years in the small village of Barripper in Cornwall, England where she lived with her Grandparents, attended PenPonds school, and first gained interest in the arts. As a teenager she traveled Europe independently and attended high school at the Gymnasium Juvenaat in Bergen Op Zoom in The Netherlands where she learned to speak Dutch. Adulthood. In 2004, Mainon was diagnosed with breast cancer. During her time enduring chemotherapy and radiation she collaborated with James  Ursini to write her first book, "" where she alludes to her experience in the first quote appearing in the introduction of the book which says "Amazon women cut off their right breast in order to better aim their arrows" and explains the significance of the one-breasted amazon archetype. In 2005, Mainon tracked down the author of "My Jihad: One American's Journey Through The World of Usama Bin Laden—as a Covert Operative for the American Government" (), Aukai "Aqil" Collins and located him in prison in Durango, Mexico, on a weapons charge for bounty hunting. She began communicating with  Collins on regular basis with the intent of making a film of his life story and co-writing a sequel book. In May 2006, Collins was released from prison in Mexico and dropped off in El Paso, Texas, after which they began work on a documentary about his experiences in Mexico and other countries called "Have Gun Will Travel" and she worked on adapting his book "My Jihad." Mainon went on to write two more books and then suffered a recurrence of cancer which led to a mastectomy and severe illness through 2008. Blackie's surfer Kerry Pedlow and many  others in the longboard surfing community in Orange County came together in a 8 hour surf-a-thon to raise awareness and funds for Mainon. Several cast members of Bravo TV's reality series "The Real Housewives of Orange County" including Jeana Keough, Vicki Gunvalson and Tammy Knickerbocker also came together to organize a benefit to raise money for her medical expenses. Mainon recovered again and worked in the fashion industry, producing behind-the-scenes films for brands such as Sasson, Seven and Rerock jeans, as well as Kitson LA, Rockstar Original and Elite Model's Fashion in collaboration with  internationally recognized photographer Daniel Siboni of Innerspace Galleries. Mainon's cancer recurred, leaving her paralyzed before her death in a nursing home near her Joshua Tree home on 25 January 2012. Non-Fiction Books. She has contributed to other books such as: