SunHi Mistwalker's Blog, page 2

What Post-Apocalyptic Societies Really Look Like

sunhimistwalker:

Here’s an oldie but goodie that will end all your apocalyptic illusions.

Originally posted on Sunhi Mistwalker:

When we think of post-apocalyptic worlds many of us envision alien invasions, zombie infections and bloodthirsty vampires. But post-apocalyptic doesn’t have to come in the form of the fantastical and other- worldly, it can be much more insidious.  When we look around the world we see many post-apocalyptic societies. Societies at war, suffering from lack, famine and oppression. And even within the borders of the United States, it can seem that a dystopian like state is upon us. Bankrupt cities and homes with no running water or electricity are more common than many Americans imagine.  The collapse of the real estate industry left many American towns littered with abandoned homes, filled with the newly homeless and freshly minted poor. We got a taste of what it feels like when a system collapses. But what happens when one too many systems collapse? What happens when systemic collapse reaches a tipping point?…

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What You Need To Become A Post-Apocalyptic Leader

Today’s leaders are usually well-spoken and stylistically dressed, but that’s not going to hack it for an apocalyptic leader. You’ll need more than good looks and pretty words if you want to survive and thrive during the apocalypse. Let’s take a look at a few things you’ll need to be a post-apocalyptic leader of men and women:

Strength, Tenacity and Ruthlessness

The recent abdication of the King of Spain to his son Prince Felipe is getting a lot of attention. The 46 year old is handsome, well-dressed and well-positioned in the highest echelons of society. You would think he would qualify as a post-apocalyptic leader. But the truth is that I don’t think this guy could survive the apocalypse for more than an hour. Do you? During the apocalypse there will be a lot of abdication and coup d’états but these men won’t be replaced by their soft-spoken heirs; they’ll most likely be thrown out of their palaces by the strongest and most ruthless people from the streets. Leaders of the apocalypse will by their nature be bold survivors unwilling to follow the powerbrokers of a bygone age, they’ll be making their own rules and building their own royal courts on the graves of their enemies.

Loyal Subjects and Minions

Forget your fantasies of lone wolf heroics. That’s just not going to happen during the apocalypse. If you want to lead a post-apocalyptic society, you’ll need a legion of loyal subjects, minions and strongmen. Did I mention the loyal part? You don’t want to get the old knife in the back (or the poison in your drink) right before you enjoy the spoils of all your hard work. So, pick your followers carefully and make sure you pay them well during the apocalypse.

A Shrewd and Ferocious Partner

Today’s leaders marry movie stars, models and other soft folks. But if you want to survive as a leader in a post-apocalyptic society, you’ll need to marry someone with a heart of stone (steel’s even better). Let’s take a look at what you should and shouldn’t do. Prince Felipe married this lovely TV star:

You DO NOT want to do that. The marauders and enemies will devour this type of spouse in one big bite. Instead, marry someone like this:

 

Or this:

You see what I mean? You need a partner who can scare off your enemies just with their face.

As you prepare yourself for leadership during the apocalypse, remember, that “Men are of no importance. What counts is who commands.” –Charles De Gaulle.

SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopian and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts. You can also follow SunHi on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagged: after the darkness, fiction, new hope city, post-apocalypse, post-apocalyptic, science fiction

After The Darkness: Omnibus Published

After The Darkness: Omnibus is published. This collection includes all six episodes from the first season and is $4.99.

Outlets: Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Smashwords, Apple (more coming soon)

Giveaway Winners

If you’re a LibraryThing reader who won a giveaway copy of After The Darkness: Episode Three, I will send you a Smashwords coupon by Monday, May 19, 2014.

SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopian and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts. You can also follow SunHi on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagged: after the darkness, dystopian, fiction, giveaways, post-apocalypse, post-apocalyptic, science fiction

After The Darkness: Episode Six Published

New After The Darkness Episode Published

After The Darkness: Episode Six is finally published and available at Amazon, Nook and Smashwords.

Please visit http://sunhimistwalker.com/books/after-the-darkness-series/ to get your copy.

In the next week Episode Six should also be available at Apple and Kobo. I am currently working with Google Play to resolve issues surrounding

the failure to display episodes. But once that’s resolved Episode Six will also be available on Google Play.

New Hope City Sequel

For those of you waiting for the sequel to New Hope City, I’m working on it. I’m aiming to release the new book by the end of 2014. There are also other books coming out in 2014, so stay tuned.

Giveaway Winners

If you’re a LibraryThing reader who won a giveaway copy of After The Darkness Episode One, I will send you a Smashwords coupon by Wednesday, May 7, 2014.

SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopic and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts. You can also follow SunHi on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagged: after the darkness, dystopian, post-apocalypse, post-apocalyptic, science fiction

Poverty As A Form of Social Control

One of my favorite themes to explore in post-apocalyptic fiction is social collapse and social control. I’m specifically interested in how poverty is used as a form of social control in dystopian societies. I’ve given this some thought and I’ve come to believe that in any society that has a social hierarchy, you will have some form of poverty and that this lack of access to resources is often used as a form of social control. Below I explore a few of my thoughts on this matter.

When we think of poverty we think of starvation, homelessness, living in unsafe neighborhoods and lacking the essential resources of life. But poverty can also mean a lack of access to channels of power, lack of status and lack of recognition. Poverty takes many shapes in both real and fictional worlds. Poverty is also relative and therefore a state of mind. Think about it: Someone living in a rural village where no one has electricity may have a different idea of what poverty is, while someone living in the US would immediately consider themselves poor if they were no longer able to afford their electric bill. In that sense poverty is relative. Now taking this idea a little further, outside of the basics such as food, water, shelter and relative safety, everything else we “need” is in fact a manufactured need. The electricity we need is there because so many things in our lives depend on it—the ability to keep our food fresh, to plug in our computers which some of us use for work, to charge our phones which we use to communicate.   When these necessities (including the basics) are unaffordable or scarce we experience poverty. Social control rears its ugly head when those people in power use their control of resources bolster their own personal power and/or to force others to make choices they wouldn’t normally make. If you can control a human being’s access to food, water, and sense of safety you can exert serious power over his decisions.

In my futuristic, dystopian novel New Hope City, a small, southern city is in a state of collapse. Most citizens struggle to get the basics such as food, water and shelter, and most live with the constant fear of losing what little they have. And because both crime and corruption go unchecked, most citizens live with an unrelenting sense of terror and desperation. It’s under these circumstances that the main character, Sunni Brown, tries to eke out a life. But because of her desperate circumstances she’s become easy pickings for those in power. It’s her poverty that allows her to be exploited. In New Hope City, the people in power profit from the suffering of others, so they have no incentive to improve the city’s living conditions.

In my science fiction serial “After The Darkness” I explore several themes, but one of them is the use of social status as a form of social control. In this post-apocalyptic future, people are separated into “levels” with the highest levels having the most access to resources and the lowest levels have virtually no access. The people in power use social status to control the will of the people. In the beginning of the serial, the main character, Nadia, is stripped of her higher status and made to live at the bottom of society. This punishment is a warning to others who would dare to question the choices of the people in control. It’s this type of social control that allows the city leaders unchecked power to do horrendous things in the name of keeping order or honoring the sacrifices of their ancestors. By threatening their citizens with poverty and the loss of status they can make them bend to their will.

While I don’t believe that poverty as a form of social control renders any human being completely helpless, I do believe it leaves them with limited and very difficult choices. I’m looking forward to exploring this theme further in my future post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction.

SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopic and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts. You can also follow SunHi on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagged: after the darkness, dystopian, fiction, new hope city, post-apocalypse, post-apocalyptic, poverty, science fiction, social control

After The Darkness: Beta Reader Feedback Positive So Far

The sixth episode of After The Darkness is still out with some beta readers, but so far I’m receiving positive feedback. Once the remaining beta readers respond by the 18th, the ebook should be available by the beginning of May. In other news, I’m working on the sequel to New Hope City and another new standalone scifi novel. I look forward to releasing these books this year.  Have a good holiday this weekend!

SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopic and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts. You can also follow SunHi on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagged: after the darkness, dystopian, fiction, new hope city, post-apocalypse, post-apocalyptic, science fiction

After The Darkness: Episode Six Finally Done

I am finally done with After The Darkness: Episode Six and it will be going out to Beta Readers by next Friday. Please signup for the mailing list to receive a notification of when this episode is published.

SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopic and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts. You can also follow SunHi on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagged: after the darkness, dystopian, fiction, post-apocalypse, post-apocalyptic, science fiction

I’m Still Here – Just Busy

I just wanted to send an update to everyone about upcoming books. The 6th episode of “After The Darkness” is almost done. I’m currently working on the final pages and will be sending it to beta readers soon. I appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm and patience. The follow-up book for “New Hope City” is still in the works, I’m in the beginning stages with it. Please signup for the mailing list to find out when these books are available.

SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopic and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts. You can also follow SunHi on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagged: after the darkness, new hope city

Happy Thanksgiving! (Yeah, I know it’s kinda late)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I feel like it’s been a long time since I updated my blog, but I wanted wish everyone a Happy (belated) Thanksgiving. It has been two years since I started publishing my fiction and I’ll say one thing, I’ve got a lot to be thankful for.

The Gift of Life

I’ve just had another birthday and I’m extremely thankful for the gift of life. In the past few years I’ve lost my mom, my grandfather, and few other friends of friends who definitely left this place well before their time.  Every loss reminds me of just how fleeting life is and that tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. The funny thing about it is that as time passes and I mature, I’m finding myself less stressed, less anxious, and more content with life. I’m learning to enjoy the journey just as much as reaching my destination.

The Gift of Friends and Family

Love is a verb, and there’s nothing like feeling loved and loving towards others. I’m thankful for all those people surrounding me who care about me, pick  me up when I’m down, and remind me that I’m special to them. When it comes to loved ones, I consider myself amongst the lucky few who have people in their life willing to stick with them even in the most difficult times.

The Gift of Writing

You know the old cliché that we’re all given talents and it’s up to us to use them effectively? Well, that’s how I view writing. I consider myself blessed to have the passion and talent for writing and the good foresight to cultivate my skills.

The Gift of Readers

This indie publishing journey has been made amazing, not just by the act of independent publishing, but by all the readers who have bought my stories. I’m eternally grateful to you all. Thank you!

A Few Story Updates

For those of you waiting for After The Darkness: Episode 6 and the sequel to New Hope City, I’m still working on them.  I don’t have a publication date, but signup for my mailing list and I’ll let you know when they’re available.

SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopic and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts. You can also follow SunHi on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagged: after the darkness, dystopian, new hope city, writing life

Poverty Myths Explored

One of the themes I explore in my books is poverty. Most of my main characters are poor or live in a society that has a huge disparity between those with financial resources and those without. While browsing twitter I discovered this interesting article about poverty myths.  Here is a summary of the myths below:

Poverty is the fault of the individual, people only have themselves to blame


Children from poverty have the same opportunities as children who do not live in poverty


Getting a job is the key to avoiding poverty


There is no real link between poverty and health


We can’t afford to end poverty


Job creation and a strong economy will help poor people


People who are living in poverty are uneducated

I think the article is worth a read. The article provides its own rebuttal to these myths, but there’s something I want to discuss that often isn’t brought up in these conversations about poverty.  I want to first point out that the cause of poverty is complex. But I believe that one of the root causes of poverty is a disconnection from power bases.  For example, in my novel New Hope City, the protagonist is a poor teen born into poverty. Her poverty makes her a social outcast because some people equate poverty with criminality, lack of moral character and a host of other bad qualities. She can’t make friends with the “rich” kids because she is considered unworthy of friendship by both adults and youth.  A matter of fact, the only friends she can make are the people who are like her and who may be looking to exploit her for their personal gain. And her poverty makes her vulnerable to exploitation. She can be exploited by adults in her small town because she is invisible and considered unworthy of the full protection of the law. Her exploitation is ignored because it is assumed that she is a bad, inferior and less than. And some may assume that she caused her own troubles. And the irony is that because of her lack of social connections and her lack of life experience she does make decisions that deepen her own troubles. But this is how poverty works.  Youth  born into poverty are often cut off from the part of society that could help alleviate their condition. Many impoverished youth are raised by single parents who work several jobs to improve their financial conditions, but they can’t get ahead because they lack skills, social connections or they live in areas with terrible job prospects. Or maybe parents become so depressed and disheartened that they give up and fail to provide for their children.  These kids may even have parents who are themselves troubled emotionally, psychologically or have become burdened with legal troubles. It’s all of these things that can cause impoverished youth to have a stigma placed against them causing them to become isolated from power bases (jobs, resources, social connections) that could help them overcome poverty.

SunHi Mistwalker writes fiction set in dystopic and post-apocalyptic worlds. Her new novel New Hope City, a dark coming-of-age story set in a post-apocalyptic America, follows the life of Sunni Brown, a teenage girl exploited by sex traffickers who tries to get a fresh start when she meets a disillusioned cop. She is also the author of the science fiction series After The Darkness. Please sign up for the mailing list for receive updates, freebies and special discounts. You can also follow SunHi on Twitter and Facebook.

Tagged: fiction, new hope city, poverty, the novel