#Belvun

[sidewalkscienceguy]

Draft 1: Complete.

Began writing Book 5 on December 21st 2021

Finished first draft May 7th 2023

Finished editing first draft December 10th, 2023

Book 5 of the Recovery series (my 8th book written since 2004) was, again, a book I didn't fully intend to write when I set off into this series back in 2013. I'd originally planned this series to be three books based off a short story I wrote in my Creative Writing course in college. But here we are, 5 books in of 8 now planned.

With the chopping of original ending and slicing and dicing Book 1 (Embassy, 2013) by a full 50%, it grew into a very different story, one not full of aliens and interstellar wars, but the wonders and pangs of humanity's expansion to new planets two thousand years after the desolation of Earth.

Book 2 (Resonance, 2014) was originally meant to take place 18 years after Book 1, but ended up being a continuation of the new story, all leading up to those pages I'd chopped off and held onto for two years.

Book 3 (Perihelid, 2017) was originally what Book 4 ended up becoming in some ways. A loose version of the story, at least. The Book 3 I ended up with was a direct continuation picking up mere seconds after the end of Book 2, and coming full circle for the main character's arc.

Book 4 (Belvun, 2021) was born from the scraps of original Book 3. With a fully fleshed out plot spiralling toward ultimate disruption of balance among humanity's inhabited worlds, Book 4 ended up with a vastly different tone from the first three books, written from fresh new perspectives covering both political and civilian spheres.

And now, Book 5 (due for release October 2024 or April 2025) continues and concludes the story of Book 4, setting fire to the balance humanity has maintained. This destruction will set the stage for the concluding three installments, Books 6-8, which I will write between 2024 (?) and 2040.

Come January 2024, I'll input these edits, and then it all starts again (this time, only on the computer! Every first draft I write is on paper, though).

The next step from here is a break.

To all our endeavors.

#Amwriting #Writers life #Books #Writing #Writelr #Bookish #Panera Bread #1st Draft #Scifi

[goodbadanduglybooks]

Review: Perihelid

Book Review: Perihelid by S. Alex Martin

Overall Rating: 8/10 (4/5 stars) Plot: 8/10 Characters: 8.5/10 Writing: 8.5/10 Originality: 7/10

Genre: Science Fiction Published: 2017 Number of Pages: 330 | Paperback Edition

Summary: The Fleet is in Ruins.The Drake vanished in the chaos, and thousands are dead. A rescue crew could be weeks, even months away, and Arman Lance and the Ember’s other survivors must find a way to survive until it does – if help is coming at all.As efforts are made to determine the cause of the crash, Arman struggles against the relapse of thoughts weighing heavily on his mind, threatening to unravel the purpose he has tried to create for himself since joining the Embassy Program.In the aftermath, the survivors discover what could be the most important revelation in centuries: the crisis on Belvun may mark the beginning of an even more desperate disaster. It will force Arman to make a choice, one that will determine the course of humanity's future......at the cost of sacrificing his own. 

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

**Possible spoilers for anyone who has not read the first two books in the series, but no spoilers for those who have not read Perihelid.**

Review: I’m just going to start off by saying that for some reason this year has been filled with books about people trapped or in quarantine for me! And I’m not complaining. Anyway, for those not familiar with S. Alex Martin’s first two books in his Recovery series, Embassy and Resonance, I believe that this is definitely the best book in the series thus far. It is still introspective and still includes some moments of slow pace, but I feel there is a really good balance of suspense, action for those who not only enjoy but expect it in science fiction, and emotional moments. Where I thought the last book was a little long, here my main complaint is how much more I wanted to see. However, Perihelid is certainly an engrossing read and is easy to move through. The stunning ending (I’m still not 100% sure what happened to be quite honest) will certainly leave readers wanting more. 

I feel like each plot in the Recovery series has been incredibly different. The first book, Embassy, is a classic opener where there is a decent amount of action and description, because there is so much to show and tell. Resonance goes in a different direction that I didn’t really understand when I read it at the time. It includes a lot of description and very little action. I feel like Perihelid finally ties everything together. There has been so much foreshadowing about the environment, politics, and Arman’s psychological state and character. Readers finally get to see how it all interacts in this final book in the Arman Lance-focused part of the story. Don’t be fooled--even though this book has the best pacing of any in this series so far, it is still not a classic action-filled science fiction novel. But it would feel ingenuous if it were. The introspective aspect of this series is what makes it so unique. Often science fiction novels focus too much on plot and leave characters behind; there is no danger of that in Martin’s work.

That being said, I loved the smaller plot twists--and the big one--of Perihelid. As I previously stated, my main complaint is that I wanted more. Starting from the beginning, I truly feel at this point in the series there needed to be a better recap of what happened in the previous books or some kind of a glossary in the back. Martin has created a world which I very much appreciate, but of which I don’t remember every detail having read Resonance quite some time ago (additionally I was at college and did not have the book with me with which to refer back). I wanted more about how regular people on the ship were handling being stuck into space. I think particularly when the big plot twist occurs some flashbacks could have been really interesting. But overall, I love what Martin does here with the plot. Arman Lance has not been the hero at the forefront of all this--he was an archivist. So readers get the best of both worlds: the view of the world from someone who has some information about political happenings, but from someone who is also a regular person affected by decisions of higher-ups. This definitely contributes to the effectiveness of the plot, and if I’m interpreting the ending correctly, gives a whole new meaning to the word “sacrifice” for each of the characters. The pacing of this novel is much better than previous works, and the conclusion is absolutely stunning in the best possible way.

Now as for the characters--once again, I wanted more! I really like the side characters in Perihelid. It was fun watching them enjoy life exploring in Resonance, but I feel like serious situations are perfect for authors to truly showcase character development. Martin definitely takes advantage of this. What I think Perihelid does best is illustrating the flaws of each character, which makes them more complex and interesting to read about. And though the reader in me really wanted more interaction with the side characters and to learn more about their inner thoughts, the reviewer in me also understands that shutting other people out is a flaw of Arman’s; it’s a classic first-person narrative problem. It is addressed later in the book, which I definitely appreciated. The situation in which the characters find themselves truly lead to raw emotions that I think Martin is very effective in exploring.

Regarding Arman--Perihelid is the only book in the series where I think I as a reader have been able to connect with Arman. I know that’s kind of a back-handed compliment, but all it shows is growth on the part of the series and Arman. I feel like because in previous books Arman isn’t really connected with his feelings himself, many of his internal demons and crises are simply implied, which can definitely be lost on the reader, especially with having to learn the dynamics of a created world. In Perihelid, readers get to know nearly every one of Arman’s thoughts, through both personal reflections and dialogue with other characters. The only complaint I have here is the handling of Glacia’s assumed death. I feel like Arman didn’t explore those feelings as much as I would have liked, especially given that it appears future books will not be from his point of view. Here is an example of where flashbacks would have been extremely emotional in the best possible way. I also appreciate how Arman grows throughout this novel but not in a completely linear way. The characterization here is very well-done and realistic. 

Martin’s writing has certainly improved with each book. His descriptive abilities are fantastic--I personally have a very hard time understanding science fiction novels, especially those in space, and I was able to picture everything very clearly in my head. There are still some problems with awkward dialogue, and emotional moments are not always as impactful as they could be, but the interactions in Perihelid feel the most realistic of his first three novels. 

Regarding originality, there definitely is a sort of stuck-in-space trope in science fiction YA and new adult literature (however I have to add as a personal note here that it is my absolute favorite trope. Give me a trapped or quarantined group of characters in shopping malls, department stores, space--it matters not to me, I love them all). However the previously discussed introspective nature of Martin’s novels makes it an interesting twist on this common narrative. Also the plot twist near the climax of the story raises the stakes for all the characters and makes Perihelid more unique. 

Overall: Perihelid by S. Alex Martin is by far the best of the first three books in his Recovery series. With a well-paced plot, introspective and three-dimensional characters, and a classic narrative being the driving force behind a unique addition to the science fiction drama, readers’ main complaint about this novel will be wanting more of everything.

Purchase here! 

#books #book blogs #reading #perihelid #recovery series #s. alex martin #book reviews #embassy #resonance

[duendeliterary]

BOOK ONE OF THE RECOVERY SERIES: EMBASSY, BY S. ALEX MARTIN @thescalexwrites

April 15, 2017

CREATESPACE INDEPENDENT PUBLISHING PLATFORM, 2013. 354 PAGES. ISBN-13: 978-1494264369

by @indubitablyodin 

In his debut young-adult novel Embassy, S. Alex Martin creates a detailed and impressive sci-fi landscape, through which a tale of mental wellbeing and personal growth is told with clarity and strength, set against the sprawling science fiction landscape of advanced technology and global catastrophe.

The novel follows Arman Lance, a young man who suffers from guilt over his father’s death, believing he was the cause. He doggedly forces himself to live, his every step weighted with feelings of inadequacy and remorse. While the larger plot deals intimately with the aspect of ecological disaster and society’s response to it, the true pillar of the story is given to us in the very first chapter, when we are introduced to Arman as he listens to a speaker at his father’s memorial service, “We Narvidians have a saying,” Ambassador Gantz says. He speaks slowly, and with a harsh accent, one native to his home planet. 'Darall ravams.’ In Standard, it means, ‘We are revealed at death.’"

“‘Darall ravams.’ In Standard, it means, ‘We are revealed at death.’”

This statement, “we are revealed at death,” hints at the true exploration taking place in this series. Not the outer world of spaceships, planets, and environmental catastrophe, but the inner world; the troubled psyche of a young man who must face the death of his egoic self in order to be revealed as more than a broken child standing in his father’s shadow. The themes Embassy deals with, therefore, are especially impactful for its target young-adult audience, who are undergoing this very same aspect of the heroic journey from childhood to adulthood.  What Martin manages to pull off in this case is an exploration of what it feels like to truly face the prospect of leaving childhood behind, and he captures it from Arman Lance’s own internal perspective perfectly.

As Arman Lance takes his first steps into the larger galaxy as part of the Embassy Program (the illustrious interplanetary directive designed to foster diplomacy between the colony worlds of mankind), his inner world is in turmoil. Directionless anger drives him forward, fueled by feelings of inadequacy and a belief in his complicity in his own father’s death. Far from accepting the burden of adulthood, he remains fixated on a childhood romance from years before, trapped by fantasies of a love he believes will heal him. He sees enemies in everyone, especially his friends from school, and he teeters upon the edge of a dark psychological abyss that threatens to swallow him whole. Until Glacia Haverns arrives on the scene.

In the tried and true format of classic young adult novels, it is the romance arc which provides one of the principle movement points for the story. Glacia is a talented and energetic young woman who embodies the motto “Carpe Diem.” She greets the world head-on, and when it refuses to budge she socks it in the jaw. Just as Arman explores the depressive qualities of the young adult experience, Glacia expresses the opposite­­­­–– a formidable passion and drive towards excellence that sweeps Arman out of his unconscious state. The process is slow, as Arman resists all contact with the world around him, but when Glacia finally breaks through to him we begin to see his potential to become a fully realized individual. Midway through the book, after taking Arman into the desert far from the bustle of the urban landscape, Glacia points toward the horizon:

“Look at it.”

And I do. The Embassy sits alone in the dark. The Crown rises from the center and the other towers peak around it. Lights shine between the gaps of buildings and in the rows of windows. I can reach out and hold the city in my palm.

I shiver again, suddenly terrified. My whole life I’ve been contained to one city on one planet […] For the first time I truly realize what I truly am: a piece of it [the world].

And the story expands from there into the larger world, literally, as Arman, Glacia, and his peers all set off on an interplanetary mission of aid. The world of Belvun is suffering from a total ecological collapse as the human-made climate changes caused by terraforming threaten to extinguish all life on one of the few habitable planets known to man. Mirroring the threat of our real-world ecological disaster, Embassy takes a proactive approach as the characters work together to discover a solution for the environmental degradation, giving the book a far more progressive and, in some sense, uplifting quality than many other popular young adult novels.

“The Embassy sits alone in the dark. The Crown rises from the center and the other towers peak around it. Lights shine between the gaps of buildings and in the rows of windows. I can reach out and hold the city in my palm.”

Martin is still early in his writing career, and his work shows signs of growth in-progress, but the intelligence and passion evident in his work is both moving and invigorating. For a self-published writer, especially, this is a work of quality and originality, and will provide any reader with a stirring journey through the depths of consciousness and the frontiers of time.

#book review #book reviews #independent publishing

[sidewalkscienceguy]

Guys I'm literally 18 days away from purchasing author copies of my next book.

Just finished Draft Four. Removed 26,000 words and 31 pages. One more draft to go to make light changes and copy edits.

Heck.

Preorder Belvun Here

#Writing #amwriting #Books #Scifi #reading #Belvun #October 15th #August 2021

[sidewalkscienceguy]

I'm ordering the first round of Book 4 on September 20th! If you haven't pre-ordered it yet, visit this link. You can also order the other books in my series.

You'll receive Belvun by October 15th, or the others by end of September.

Here's the full cover! So excited for this to be released. Have literally been writing this one for 20% of my life. Quite the journey getting through this one...

#Scifi #writing #books #reading #science #astronomy #space #bookish #science fiction #Politics #Belvun #Embassy #Resonance #Perihelid

[sidewalkscienceguy]

6 years has led to this

#Books #Scifi #Belvun #amwriting #reading

[sidewalkscienceguy]

EVERYONE.

MY NEWEST BOOK IS LITERALLY SITTING ON MY DOORSTEP.

THIS IS SIX YEARS IN THE MAKING.

GAH.

#Books #New book #Book 4 of the Recovery series #Belvun #Embassy #Resonance #Perihelid

[sidewalkscienceguy]

The next book in the Recovery series will become available October 15th

Preorder now and receive it before anyone else, or get the first three!

Store Link

#books #writing #reading #science #astronomy #bookish #scifi #Embassy #Resonance #Perihelid #science fiction #Belvun

[sidewalkscienceguy]

5 years of my life...over.

Belvun releases October 15th.

Preorder by September 22nd to receive by October 15th, or purchase Books 1-3 in the series.

#books #writing #reading #science #astronomy #space #bookish #science fiction #Belvun

[sidewalkscienceguy]

Two months from today, Book 4 reveals the next chapter of the Recovery series.

Have you read my books yet? Order them here--all personally signed to you!--and preorder Belvun for its October 15th release date.

Get them here.

[sidewalkscienceguy]

📢 AMAZON RAINFOREST DONATION INITIATIVE📢

I have set up a page on my website providing links and information to various conservation groups fighting to protect the Amazon, the rights of indigenous peoples, and other conservation organizations.

For my own part, using this page, you can purchase my books in either paperback OR pdf-format ebook (for half cost), and I will donate $5 USD PER BOOK SOLD to any of the listed organizations.

My science-fiction books are thematically linked to environmental, geopolitical, and other relevant issues - especially upcoming Book 4, Belvun, being published October 2020.

Even if you don't buy a book, the links to each organization are provided for your own research and awareness and ability to donate directly. Please share this around to spread the message.

Link: Environmental Recovery Action

. . . . . #AmazonRainforest #AmazonFires #Amazonia @extinctionrebellion @rainforestalliance @rainforestactionnetwork @wwf @wildaid @bolivian_amazon_alliance #environment #books #scicomm #STEM #sustainability #deforestation #Brazil #Bolivia #saopaulo #life #Earth #PlanetEarth #thereisnoplanetb https://www.instagram.com/p/B1gthGNBuqL/?igshid=1o9s6dqnpx496

#amazonrainforest #amazonfires #amazonia #environment #books #scicomm #stem #sustainability #deforestation #brazil #bolivia #saopaulo #life #earth #planetearth #thereisnoplanetb

[sidewalkscienceguy]

The printed first draft of Belvun, and all the books I've written between 2004 and today, put together.

In an effort to reduce the environmental impact of this book, Belvun was printed using 100% recycled paper from paper-based food container products and other materials.

#Writing #look at my children #They were once all thoughts in my head #And now they are there #On the floor #With actual weight #environmentalism #Science #Books #Sci-fi #Environmental Sustainability

[sidewalkscienceguy]

60% of profits from my books and merchandise will be donated to Puerto Rico Recovery Funds

Please Read My Statement:

In my books, the Faustocine Formula could put an end to Belvun's runaway climate disasters and begin to heal the planet's deteriorating ecosystems. But today, on Earth, in the real world, there is no "magic cure" for environmental catastrophe or human civilization's impact on the natural world.

The 2017 hurricane season has devastated the Gulf and Caribbean, with Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria wrecking billions of dollars in damage, killing dozens, and leaving millions without power, food, clean water, and shelter. Puerto Rico has been left in what witnesses are calling apocalyptic conditions, and it will take years to recover from the damages of Maria alone.

My books discuss environmental disasters from a perspective of dissociation, where the characters who are not directly impacted by the disasters cannot comprehend the crises facing the characters who are. And even though some efforts are being made to mitigate damages and a refugee crisis across an entire planet, not enough is being done to help the people who need reparations and aid the most. Unfortunately, this is the reality in much of today's society: western culture enjoys relative safety from disaster and terrorism, and therefore, we cannot truly comprehend the desperation of the people who live with those realities.

Therefore, as part of my New ERA Program (founded January 2017), I will donate 60% of all profits from my books and merchandise to relief funds that directly aid Puerto Rico through AT LEAST December 31st. A requirement I'm setting for myself is that I will only donate to charities and funds that give more than 90% of donations to recovery efforts. In doing this, I hope not only to raise funds for people living through the horrific aftermath of this disaster, but I also hope to raise awareness and inspire people to look beyond their comfort zones, read the stories of people who live through these tragedies, and realize we must do more, both as individuals and a society, to strengthen our infrastructures, especially those of locations at risk to the worst disasters.

The title of my book series is Recovery, and when I titled it that five years ago, I did so for a reason. Now more than ever, that title should resonate with us all. We need to not only recover from these disasters, but also prepare for and prevent them. This means quickly transitioning to renewable resources, private and commercial energy storage that is contained and exponentially less susceptible to blackouts and reduces waste, and educating the public on how developing and adopting these better technologies will benefit their lives. When Puerto Rico restabilizes, I will continue donating profits to other climate and environmental programs. For now, though, this is where I see my money being used best.

Please note that this is an entirely private effort being made by me alone. I am not personally affiliated with nor sponsored by any organization.

Also note that I encourage you to donate directly to relief funds yourself. Although I will be making donations from my book profits, on average, you will be spending $20 to purchase and ship a book. If you've read this far, you might be invested enough to donate that amount to these funds. Here are links to donation pages:

UNICEF's Children Relief Fund Puerto Rico

MariaFund.org

Save the Children Puerto Rico Fund

Thank you for your time,

S. Alex Martin

Link to Experience Daliona Page to Make Donations

#Puerto Rico #Puerto rico recovery #environment #climate change #disasters #natural disaster #world #life #humans #people #politics #donate #hurricane Maria #hurricane #maria #irma #harvey

[sidewalkscienceguy]

In light of the current California fires

I want to share this excerpt from Chapter 27 of my book Embassy. When I wrote this book 5 years ago, I didn’t really think the devastation and massive evacuations and lack of government support I wrote about in a fictional book would come to pass as badly as it did in this chapter.

We all need to be aware of why these wildfires have gotten so out of control and as destructive as they have been in 2015...then 2016...and now 2017, the worst year on record. We need to take measures to prevent these natural disasters from ravaging our countries and islands as bad as they are. It is fully within our power to prepare and prevent -- so why aren’t we?

Excerpt from Chapter 27 of Embassy

It’s so different than anywhere I’ve been on Belvun so far. I’m used to seeing colorful fields and forests and glittering towers…but here, the land has lost its color. A dry gorge cuts the surface where a river must have flowed once. The trees are scarce, and many lay on their sides, left to crumble on the cracked ground.

And then Ellaciss City appears.

Victoria circles the city looking for a place to land and finds a clear patch of ground at its southern end. The Molter shudders when we touch down, and Glacia deactivates the engines.

Grass does not cover the ground, only yellowed dirt. The trees groan. An entire branch snaps and shatters when it smacks the ground, kicking up a puff of dust. The wind blows it away, a quiet wind that doesn’t whoosh inside my ears. Birds don’t sing, smells don’t entice my nostrils. Ahead of us lies a twisted metal street that must have been part of the city’s Main Throughway. It vanishes into the shadows of the buildings.

Death has claimed this place.

I look at Glacia. She widens her eyes and mouths ‘woah.’ I nod in agreement and turn to Victoria, who is standing back, staring at the city.

“Let’s make this quick.”

We follow the street into the city. Dust hangs in the air, itching my skin and eyes. Between buildings, there is only silence. Even our footsteps sound muffled. I’ve heard this kind of silence once before, when Glacia and I drove outside the Undil Embassy and watched the city from afar. Except now there are no distant lights, or stars in the sky. Only a remnant of civilization, abandoned.

Victoria keeps her eyes pointed forward, but Glacia and I look at every building we pass. Rust curls and chips the fronts of buildings, shattered glass adorns every street-level window. There’s a restaurant, and a grocery store, and a row of apartments. Cables dangle down, smacking against walls with soft thap, thap, thaps, and faded plaques hang on most of the buildings. Here’s Shepherdson’s Café, there’s Freshlist Market, Derin’s Complexes, and more. The letters on the signs are forever dark, their sheens lost.

Our feet scrape splinters of glass that litter the sidewalks. When the wind rushes through the street, the buildings and windows creak and groan, and dust swirls through the air, so thick that I have to close my eyes until it passes. My feet crunch on shards of glass and torn metal, so Victoria moves us off the sidewalk to avoid the debris—as much as possible, at least.

I look inside one restaurant: a staircase rises to a balcony, above which a cluster of hanging lamps sway on their fraying cords. Tables lay on their sides, trays and chairs scattered and broken. Whatever happened in Ellaciss, it happened fast.

We turn down a street and Glacia gasps. Cars crowd all four lanes, some turned over, others facing the wrong direction. Glacia keeps her eyes away from them. Mine, however, wander over. I’m thankful the worst thing I’ve seen is a crushed windshield. I don’t know if I could handle seeing a slumped body, someone left to rot in the place where they took their last breath. Uttered their last scream. Saw the face of a loved one before their eyes went dark.

“What is this?” I ask Victoria.

“Traffic.”

“Where?”

“Out.”

I shake my head, confused. “The desert did this?”

“This was the evacuation.”

She refuses to say more.

We continue following the streets. One sidewalk is blocked by a collapsed wall. Fragments of glass layer the ground and we have to walk between cars for several yards. This time I keep my eyes forward.

We veer to the left and sunlight illuminates the dust that hangs in a gap between the buildings. Beyond it is a barren field littered with debris: charred trunks of trees, overturned vehicles, and several large metal instruments that look like parts of hovercrafts. No leaves flap on the few remaining trees that managed to survive whatever happened here.

As we walk farther, I see a house, then another, then a whole neighborhood. Windows are blown out of their frames, and walls are twisted at odd angles. Even sections of the street are ripped from the ground.

Victoria stops walking and crosses her arms. She stares ahead again, saying nothing.

“Do you know what happened?” I ask.

“I was here, Arman. Your father was here. Orcher was here. Larson. Crowe. Fallsten. When we got called to Belvun two years ago, none of us knew we’d be caught trying to rescue people from…this. Not even the Belvish Embassy expected it. But one day, we got called to help oversee a situation in Ellaciss. When we flew out here, we saw a cloud of smoke. A fire outside one of the neighborhoods, still far enough away to call for an evacuation if we needed to. Other than that, all we had were a few passenger hovercrafts and Molters.”

Victoria points up and traces a line over the city with her finger, stopping at the barren field we crossed.

“We landed and came to this neighborhood. Met with some Belvish Officials to discuss the situation—and then things went to hell. A gust of wind blew through and the blaze jumped. The trees caught fire like twigs. Then the houses. We heard a boom, then a second, and a third. Gas lines exploding, house-by-house, getting closer, and closer. I remember looking up. The craft that was dousing the original fire had been hit by shrapnel. Its engine was on fire, spinning out of control. It crashed in those trees.”

She points farther into the neighborhood at a long gash in the ground.

“People were screaming. Shoving each other to the ground. Children lost their parents. Kids were crying and people just picked them up and ran. There was no time to see whose child you had. Houses were burning. Smoke was billowing from the trees. You just knew you had to get out, but cars were useless because the road’s maglev generators shorted out. Then the city’s main—”

Victoria stops talking. Her mouth is still open, and her chest is heaving. She takes a deep breath.

“The smoke was so thick, the entire sky was blocked out, and the heat was swelling. I heard another explosion. A transport on its way to evacuate the clearing had stalled in the smoke and crashed into a tower. Took the whole thing down.” Her eyes meet mine. “Your father started collecting stragglers, and Orcher told me to check the houses, and someone else was calling the Embassy for more evac transports.”

She faces the house we’re standing in front of. It’s the first one on the street. A black crater is blown in the yard and a charred tree stump is still lodged in the garage wall.

Victoria grinds her teeth. “This family was trying to pack. I told them to get out, that there wasn’t time, that—”

She chokes. Tears run down her face, and she keeps wiping at them long after her skin is dry. It’s a full minute before she starts talking again.

“They ran outside…and that happened.”

I see what the crater is: a gas line explosion.

“I was still inside. If I had waited a few more seconds, they’d still be here. If I had gone out first, they’d still be here. If I—”

Victoria can’t finish. She turns away and starts shaking. I glance at Glacia, but she’s not looking.

“It’s not your fault,” Glacia finds the courage to say. “There’s no way you could’ve known.”

“I know.” Victoria sucks in another breath. “But I was responsible for them. Because of me, those people are dead.”

I bite my cheek and nod even though I don’t agree. Glacia’s right: there’s no way she could have known. And now here she is, back in that place. Because of us, Victoria has to relive this memory like I relived Father’s death, knowing there were so many ways to avoid what happened but never getting a second chance.

“The fires spread to most of the neighborhoods and some of the city before the Embassy transports reached us. And now it’s this.”

#california #wildfires #fire #american west #california fires #santa rosa #los angeles

[sidewalkscienceguy]

I’ll admit, I’m excited to write Book 4 of my series

Reason being: we are living it.

All through the series so far, you’ve heard and seen snippets of how Belvun is starting to really have bad environmental disasters, but the impact is never truly shown, on purpose, because I’m using a technique called dissociation, something we ALL can relate to.

Wildfires in Oregon? I don’t live there. Doesn’t impact me.

Hurricanes in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico? All I see are gas prices spiking a bit, dammit.

Drought and famine in the Middle East? Those damn refugees are probably terrorists. Keep them out of my country!

This dissociative technique has driven my books. We keep hearing that these disasters are happening, and becoming worse, but very few of the main characters have experienced them – and those who did had their lives changed forever, but they can’t fully express themselves to people who didn’t live through what they did. But there are also the political consequences. The people openly against taking on refugees and providing aid due to economic disadvantages. People who blame one side or the other but never attempt to settle the argument.

Book 4 in my series brings the disasters to the forefront of the story. All the environmental destruction, the refugee crisis we keep hearing about, the spread of disease and invasive species and flooding of agricultural lands and riots….all of it will be center focus in this book.

And what a perfect time. Look what’s happening in the real world. Look what we’ve done to ourselves.

Fiction mirrors Reality.

#books #climate change #irma #harvey #fiction #we need action #we need to wake up #storms #reading #awareness

[sidewalkscienceguy]

The cover of Perihelid, Book 3 of 7 in the Recovery Series

Release Date: October 17, 2017

Embassy (Book 1) Resonance (Book 2) Experience Daliona

SYNOPSIS BELOW (CONTAINS SPOILERS OF RESONANCE)

Here’s the back-cover synopsis

"The Fleet is in Ruins.

The Drake vanished in the chaos, and thousands are dead. A rescue crew could be weeks, even months away, and Arman Lance and the Ember's other survivors must find a way to survive until it does -- if help is coming at all.

As efforts are made to determine the cause of the crash, Arman struggles against the relapse of thoughts weighing down his mind, threatening to undo the person he's worked to become since joining the Embassy Program, and the purpose he has tried to discover for himself.

And in the aftermath, the survivors realize what could be the most important revelation in the Embassy Program: the crisis on Belvun may mark the beginning of an even more desperate disaster."

#Perihelid #cover reveal #books #writing #reading #science fiction #science #astronomy #space #words #s alex martin #thescalexwrites #amwriting