Tick-Tock

 

My go-to books are generally in the mystery/suspense, police procedural, and hard-boiled detective genres. But I also read a lot of dystopian fiction. Especially lately. Is it fiction, or is it a glimpse into the future? I kind of look at dystopian literature as tips and primers for when TSHTF. And it will, maybe this week or next, maybe in a year or two, maybe in a hundred years. Sure, it's fiction, but surviving is surviving, and the characters in these books figure out how to survive. Or die trying. Could be an asteroid, a nuclear event, a solar flare. Could be plagues, pestilence. Might be natural disasters or wars. There's no predicting. But it'll be a mess. We can predict that. People might band together since there's some semblance of safety in numbers. Until there isn't. They might go tribal. I know my tribe; that's good. And I know other tribes; maybe not so good. Will we all survive? Some of us? There's just no predicting.

I read a good bit of non-fiction as well, chiefly biographies of well known but deeply flawed public figures in an attempt to figure out what in the name of all that is holy makes them tick. It's fairly obvious to rational, reasonable people. Others tend to flock to them and venerate them as idols, martyrs, saviors... Sorry, I'm nowhere near desperate enough to prostrate myself at the feet of some puffed up movie star or politician or billionaire. I believe I'll continue thinking for myself and doing what I know is right for myself and those around me. I don't need to be told what to think by tarnished tin gods and demagogues. I know right when I see it, and I know what's wrong. I didn't start life as a fluffy little lamb so I already know.

On the topic of post-apocalyptic novels, I highly recommend Swan Song, by Robert McCammon (1987). In my opinion, it's the best of its genre ever written, similar to Stephen King's The Stand, but perhaps better, and the "event" is nuclear rather than plague. I've worn out several hard copies over the years and now I have it on Kindle. I'll be re-reading again this Sumer and, as always, it'll be epic. Lucifer's Hammer by Jerry Pournelle & Larry Niven (1977) is another timeless TEOTWAWKI pick. The "Hammer" is a ... comet. Always good for a re-read.