Randy Lindsay's Blog - Posts Tagged "speculative-fiction"
Becky Williams Interview
Since Sunday was Mother’s Day I felt it appropriate to interview Becky Williams. Not only is she a viewpoint character in The Gathering, she is the mother of six children: Robert, Sarah, Lucas, Jesse (twin 1), Elizabeth (twin 2), and Cody.
Q1: What is the best thing about the Apocalypse?
A1: Really? Does your mother know you ask silly questions like that? If I had to pick one positive element out of this horrible situation it would be that it forces you to think about what is truly important in life. Everything else gets cast aside.
Q2: Several readers have mentioned that you are some sort of Super-Mom; strong, selfless, and highly spiritual. Are you too good to be real?
A2: Of course not. I think the novel just happen to capture me at my finer moments. What the readers didn’t get to see where the times when I broke down and cried over some minor problem because I was having a bad day. I mean, in a book about the apocalypse who wants to see me dealing with bickering kids, a dirty house, and a migraine?
Q3: You and Sarah look a lot alike. Does anyone ever get the two of you confused?
A3: * Do you mean other than you? Yes, it happens all the time. Sarah is the child that is most like me. She is very strong-willed and definitely her own person. That can be good if you are pointed in the right direction because you allow yourself to be sidetracked. But it makes it difficult to change your life around if you’re headed the wrong way.
* I swapped the names for Becky and Sarah when my beta readers mentioned that Becky worked better as a name for an adult woman.
Q4: Now the big question. Which of the kids is your favorite?
A4: I bet you’re expecting me to say “all of them” and I do, but that’s not my answer. It really depends on the individual day. When I got letters from Robert while he was on his mission then Robert was my favorite. Two weeks ago the twins stopped bickering long enough to arrange a date night for John and myself. On that day—no, for that week—they jointly held the top spot in my heart. Each of my children has their moment in the sun where they shine ever so brightly. When they do my joy in them is truly full.
If you have any questions for Becky that you’d like answered just go ahead and post them in the comments section and I will make sure she gets to them as soon as her busy schedule allows.
Q1: What is the best thing about the Apocalypse?
A1: Really? Does your mother know you ask silly questions like that? If I had to pick one positive element out of this horrible situation it would be that it forces you to think about what is truly important in life. Everything else gets cast aside.
Q2: Several readers have mentioned that you are some sort of Super-Mom; strong, selfless, and highly spiritual. Are you too good to be real?
A2: Of course not. I think the novel just happen to capture me at my finer moments. What the readers didn’t get to see where the times when I broke down and cried over some minor problem because I was having a bad day. I mean, in a book about the apocalypse who wants to see me dealing with bickering kids, a dirty house, and a migraine?
Q3: You and Sarah look a lot alike. Does anyone ever get the two of you confused?
A3: * Do you mean other than you? Yes, it happens all the time. Sarah is the child that is most like me. She is very strong-willed and definitely her own person. That can be good if you are pointed in the right direction because you allow yourself to be sidetracked. But it makes it difficult to change your life around if you’re headed the wrong way.
* I swapped the names for Becky and Sarah when my beta readers mentioned that Becky worked better as a name for an adult woman.
Q4: Now the big question. Which of the kids is your favorite?
A4: I bet you’re expecting me to say “all of them” and I do, but that’s not my answer. It really depends on the individual day. When I got letters from Robert while he was on his mission then Robert was my favorite. Two weeks ago the twins stopped bickering long enough to arrange a date night for John and myself. On that day—no, for that week—they jointly held the top spot in my heart. Each of my children has their moment in the sun where they shine ever so brightly. When they do my joy in them is truly full.
If you have any questions for Becky that you’d like answered just go ahead and post them in the comments section and I will make sure she gets to them as soon as her busy schedule allows.
Top Ten Resolutions of the Apocalypse
It’s the end of another year and time for the tradition of setting a whole new batch of resolutions that will most likely be forgotten in another two weeks. Have you ever wonder what sort of resolutions you would make once you were in the middle of the apocalypse? I guarantee they would vary a great deal from the ones you currently are planning for the upcoming year. Here’s my stab at a list of the ten best resolutions for the apocalypse.
10. Cancel my cable subscription.
9. Learn how to cook over a campfire.
8. Convince myself that my clothes aren’t dirty—they just conform to the currently popular back-to-nature fad.
7. Practice movie lines that intimidated bullies.
6. Learn to like hot summers and cold winters.
5. Make a list of acceptable substitutions for toilet paper.
4. Expand my portable entertainment library from a single book to two.
3. Make friends with a big, powerful, and benevolent warlord.
2. Write down all the survival tips from when I played Fallout.
1. Improve my personal relationship with God.
10. Cancel my cable subscription.
9. Learn how to cook over a campfire.
8. Convince myself that my clothes aren’t dirty—they just conform to the currently popular back-to-nature fad.
7. Practice movie lines that intimidated bullies.
6. Learn to like hot summers and cold winters.
5. Make a list of acceptable substitutions for toilet paper.
4. Expand my portable entertainment library from a single book to two.
3. Make friends with a big, powerful, and benevolent warlord.
2. Write down all the survival tips from when I played Fallout.
1. Improve my personal relationship with God.
Top Ten Songs of the Apocalypse
Top ten lists are great. If you’re really creative there’s no end to the number of lists you can develop on any given subject. Today’s list should serve as a good example of that—top ten songs of the apocalypse.
(Bonus Song: Waiting For the End by Linkin Park)
10. We Will Become Silhouettes by The Postal Service
9. Party at Ground Zero by Fishbone
8. Red Skies by The Fixx
7. London Calling by The Clash
6. Ninety-Nine Red Balloons by Nena
5. We Don’t Need Another Hero by Tina Turner
4. 1999 by Prince
3. So Long Mom (I’m Off to Drop the Bomb) by Tom Lehrer
2. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
1. It’s the End of the World by R.E.M
(Bonus Song: Waiting For the End by Linkin Park)
10. We Will Become Silhouettes by The Postal Service
9. Party at Ground Zero by Fishbone
8. Red Skies by The Fixx
7. London Calling by The Clash
6. Ninety-Nine Red Balloons by Nena
5. We Don’t Need Another Hero by Tina Turner
4. 1999 by Prince
3. So Long Mom (I’m Off to Drop the Bomb) by Tom Lehrer
2. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons
1. It’s the End of the World by R.E.M
Does Fiction Mirror Reality?
My latest novel in The Gathering series is in the process of being formatted for publication. The series deals with the apocalypse and this story in particular covers the fall of the United States. Taking a look at the political scene today, I wonder if this is something that could really happen.
In my story the United States is invaded on three sides by Russia, China, and a South American coalition. The current political climate doesn't seem to support that particular scenario, but that could change at any time. Still we have plenty of problems that have the potential to escalate into a world-wide engagement. North Korea takes top spot for likely war-starters, but the Middle East is always a source for potential unrest.
Nations with a bone to pick with the United States might well decide a war with North Korea is the best chance they will have to attack us. Although unlikely, this scenario gives me plenty to think about when I read the latest world news.
The political tension in The Devastation: America Crumbles strikes eerily close to reality. Both political parties vilify the other and seem unable to put aside their difference in order to work together to solve America's problems. Issues such as immigration, taxes, and even whether football players should stand during the national anthem all paint a picture of a fractured America. And not only an image of a divided nation, but one where the citizens choose all too often to act out their frustrations with acts of mass terror.
While The Devastation has not correctly forecast any specific event, it seems to have captured the mood and nature of our current world situation. If you happen to read the story, let me know how close you think I came to predicting the future with my fiction.
In my story the United States is invaded on three sides by Russia, China, and a South American coalition. The current political climate doesn't seem to support that particular scenario, but that could change at any time. Still we have plenty of problems that have the potential to escalate into a world-wide engagement. North Korea takes top spot for likely war-starters, but the Middle East is always a source for potential unrest.
Nations with a bone to pick with the United States might well decide a war with North Korea is the best chance they will have to attack us. Although unlikely, this scenario gives me plenty to think about when I read the latest world news.
The political tension in The Devastation: America Crumbles strikes eerily close to reality. Both political parties vilify the other and seem unable to put aside their difference in order to work together to solve America's problems. Issues such as immigration, taxes, and even whether football players should stand during the national anthem all paint a picture of a fractured America. And not only an image of a divided nation, but one where the citizens choose all too often to act out their frustrations with acts of mass terror.
While The Devastation has not correctly forecast any specific event, it seems to have captured the mood and nature of our current world situation. If you happen to read the story, let me know how close you think I came to predicting the future with my fiction.
