Peter Prasad's Blog: Expletives Deleted, page 5
May 24, 2014
How To Write A Review
Remember what you learned in English class? When ol' Professor Hefalump would look down his warty nose and smirk? Well, forget that. We're not writing for the Hoboken Literary Gazette, more like the People Magazine 5-items or less line at SaveMart. Or the wicked pingy Twitter-verse.
Really? Really. Make it fun, funny, sharp, acerbic, visceral, and above all -- make it ENTERTAINING. Use action verbs. Even if you hated the book, let your creative passions flow.
Now, please, try not to hurt anyone's feelings, and no swear words, because up in the attic some divine creature has poured heart and soul into this labor of love for nine months. Then you come along and waltz her baby around the block on your electric go-cart. Remember being 16 and life at 10-miles per hour? Times have changed, Toto.
Did ya like it? Who's the hottest character? Got a favorite passage? What kept you up at night? Who would you give the book to? We live in a witty, blurby word, darlings, so have at it.
No worries. Professor Hefalump ain't never going to read it, so have fun. On'Ya dear readers.
This message sponsored by The Old Colonial who spouts campaign doggerel and updates American election history from a multiple-personality perspective, with extra tongue-in-cheek while wearing war paint.
Really? Really. Make it fun, funny, sharp, acerbic, visceral, and above all -- make it ENTERTAINING. Use action verbs. Even if you hated the book, let your creative passions flow.
Now, please, try not to hurt anyone's feelings, and no swear words, because up in the attic some divine creature has poured heart and soul into this labor of love for nine months. Then you come along and waltz her baby around the block on your electric go-cart. Remember being 16 and life at 10-miles per hour? Times have changed, Toto.
Did ya like it? Who's the hottest character? Got a favorite passage? What kept you up at night? Who would you give the book to? We live in a witty, blurby word, darlings, so have at it.
No worries. Professor Hefalump ain't never going to read it, so have fun. On'Ya dear readers.
This message sponsored by The Old Colonial who spouts campaign doggerel and updates American election history from a multiple-personality perspective, with extra tongue-in-cheek while wearing war paint.
Get Your Wine & Cheese On
Sonoma Knight: THE GOAT-RIPPER CASE 99-cents this week at Amazon to celebrate all the fallen and wounded warriors that preserve our freedom to read any book we want.
http://www.amazon.com/Goat-Ripper-Cas...
Says author D. P. Whitehead: “This book is fantastic. The writing style is easy to follow, flows and the characterization is phenomenal. Jake Knight a returned wounded veteran, finds himself involved with a wine merchant with murderous intentions. The style of this book is excellent, it is a fun read, extremely funny and witty and the author has not only created a gem of a book, he is created some wonderfully inspired characters.
Throw a sexy babe into the mix you have a book filled not only with a great story line but an insight into the wine area itself. Jake Knight is a hero for the ages and I could see easily this book transferred to TV, as a great PI series.....Excellent and highly recommended. Someone pass me the cheese....I want more! This book is a cracker!”
Author, The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club.
The Sonoma Knight Series: GOAT-RIPPER, GURL-POSSE KIDNAP and GUT-CHECK GREEN (due late June). On'Ya readers and thank you for your support. Now excuse me, I have to get back to my tofu burger on the barbecue. Happy Weekend!
http://www.amazon.com/Goat-Ripper-Cas...
Says author D. P. Whitehead: “This book is fantastic. The writing style is easy to follow, flows and the characterization is phenomenal. Jake Knight a returned wounded veteran, finds himself involved with a wine merchant with murderous intentions. The style of this book is excellent, it is a fun read, extremely funny and witty and the author has not only created a gem of a book, he is created some wonderfully inspired characters.
Throw a sexy babe into the mix you have a book filled not only with a great story line but an insight into the wine area itself. Jake Knight is a hero for the ages and I could see easily this book transferred to TV, as a great PI series.....Excellent and highly recommended. Someone pass me the cheese....I want more! This book is a cracker!”
Author, The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club.
The Sonoma Knight Series: GOAT-RIPPER, GURL-POSSE KIDNAP and GUT-CHECK GREEN (due late June). On'Ya readers and thank you for your support. Now excuse me, I have to get back to my tofu burger on the barbecue. Happy Weekend!
May 3, 2014
Cli-Fi thriller exerpt: The GMO Debate
GUT-CHECK GREEN, a climate thriller due this summer. PI Jake Knight goes undercover to track down environmental terrorists. Here's an excerpt from Chapter 32 on the GMO debate:
PI Jake Knight poured another cup of coffee and kept an eye on Brenda Winters’ Prius, via the map on his laptop tied into Hazard Security’s server. It hadn’t moved. He turned on the TV and flicked through CNN, FOX and MSNBC until he heard mention of Gut-Check Green (the name of the terrorist group).
FOX had assembled a panel in its Washington studios, with three environmentalists brought in by satellite feed. The moderator was a taunt blond gal that quickly lost control of the discussion. The three in-studio executives represented Lasso, ConAgra and another agro-chemical manufacturer, but that’s not what held Jake’s interest. One of the environmentalists was Professor Daryl Lassiter, retired. Jake turned up the volume.
“What the general public doesn’t understand is how genetically modified crops help protect the world’s food supply. Blight-resistant potatoes are just one example. Right now, under strict scientific conditions, with safeguards, we’re working to incorporate defenses against plant diseases, which destroy fifteen percent of the world’s agricultural harvest every year,” the Lasso rep said.
The next panelist supported him. “Despite fungicides, late blight and other diseases ruin about twenty percent of the world’s potato crop. Stem rust destroys twenty percent of the wheat crop every year. Bananas, a primary source of food in Africa, are often destroyed by wilt disease. In all these cases, genetic engineering has the potential to create new varieties far better able to withstand the onslaught,” he said.
“We’ve been doing this since the 1990s” the Lasso rep added.
“Safely and with great scientific advancement. Transgenic corn, soybeans, and cotton have been engineered to resist insects and herbicides. The corn and soybean crops go mainly into animal feed, biofuels, and cooking oils,” the third panelist said.
“And that, gentlemen, is where the environmental community wants you to draw the line,” Lassiter said from his remote location. “No genetically modified varieties of rice, wheat, or potatoes are widely grown, because opposition to such foods has discouraged investment in developing them and because seed companies haven’t found ways to make a profit on those crops, like they do with genetically modified corn and soybeans.”
Tanya (Jake's love interest), awake from her nap, walked into the living room and snuggled next to Jake. She wrapped up in a quilt and kissed him. “That’s why I’m sticking to organics, locally grown.” she said.
“It’s just information,” Jake said, “but this guy Lassiter is of interest.”
“Cop killer?” Tanya asked.
“No. but maybe the money guy or the big thinker behind them,” Jake said.
“He is smart,” Tanya said.
“Smart and dying with liver cancer,” Jake said.
The Lasso panelist continued. “With a global population expected to reach nine billion by 2050, the world needs help feeding people. We’ve dramatically improved agricultural productivity over the last fifty years, but improvements are tapering off while food demand, larger populations and wealthier shoppers want more. Demand will rise fifty percent in the next forty years. Lasso will be there for them.”
“Either we increase yields or we have to use significantly more land, fertilizer, and water,” another of the corporate reps said.
”Climate change is a factor too,” the blond moderator added.
“It certainly is,” the Lasso rep said. “It makes the problem worse. Higher temperatures and wetter conditions spread infestations. Drought, storms and hot days already take a toll on crop yields and it’s only going to get worse. For farmers, the weather has become far more unpredictable, and extreme weather has become far more common.”
“Well, that’s a start. It’s nice to hear FOX admit climate change exists,” Lassiter said.
“We didn’t say that,” the blond moderator said. She looked stricken.
“No, but all three of us on this panel are concerned about extreme weather events on long-term food productivity,” the Lasso rep said.
“That’s why GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) are a necessity. It takes fifteen years of conventional breeding to make a new potato, but we can do it in the lab in six months,” another panelist said. “It’s an overwhelmingly logical thing to do. The upcoming food pressure on poor countries means we must use this as a tool.”
Lassiter jumped at that. “Time to tell the truth, gentlemen. The commercialized genetic engineering of crops has been a technical failure. The scientific goals have not been met. Crops have been designed to withstand specific herbicides and produce pesticides within the plant tissues. But, and this is a very big but, GM crops invite super weeds that show more tolerance to herbicides and insects. Basically, GM seeds work for ten to twenty-five years, then Mother Nature evolves to end your advantage.”
None of the panelists responded. The moderator looked lost. Lassiter continued: “It’s simple. From a business perspective, GM crops are wildly successful. The global seed market is now run by an oligarchy of companies like you guys. And sales of associated herbicides, like Lasso, have skyrocketed during the roll-out of GM seed. So you and your shareholders are happy, you’re making money.
“But, from a safety standpoint, the genetic engineering of seeds remains unproven long-term. Your seeds are untested. And in your hurry to market, you threaten the world. You haven’t done enough studies. It’s easy to find farmers that experience problems with their livestock when they use your GM feeds. Truth be told, the GM seeds are not yet proven long-term safe prior to release for public use.” Lassiter looked thrilled with himself to make that point.
The FOX moderator went to commercial. Jake and Tanya waited through four minutes of commercials. They were not interested in Viagra, acid reflux, a Medicare subscription plan or a long-term life annuity. The moderator came back on and announced trouble with the video feed from Santa Barbara. Lassiter had disappeared.
The Lasso panelist made a summary statement. “When people are hungry or starving, they will not care if protein or fat was produced with GM genes. Additionally, climate change and human population growth, increasing by one billion every twelve years, will make GMO technology a certainty.”
“Care to refute that, Doctor Lassiter?” the moderator asked. She sounded smug.
Lassiter’s image appeared on the screen. “Genetics are a solution for many current problems and upcoming problems. But in my opinion, genetic engineering is the wrong approach. Here are other strategies to consider.
“One: Focus agriculture on crop synergies, crops that can be grown together and support each other. Beans and corn together, for example. Nature avoids single crops. Monocropping creates unhealthy, abnormal systems.
“Two: Move agriculture away from reliance on grains. Fruits and vegetables offer more to livestock and humans than grains. Unfortunately, our farmers have perfected the growth, handling and processing of grains, so grains dominate our agricultural systems.
“Three: Use natural husbandry instead of genetic modification. It may take longer, but it’s safer. And world food supply is at risk. Look at apple production,” Lassiter said.
FOX displayed a black-and-white illustration of a Jonny Appleseed character with an apple orchard behind him. Lassiter continued: “By ramping up genetic selection, we can find great apple genetics that are resistant to disease, resistant to insect pressure, great to eat and superior for storage. This is exactly what Johnny Appleseed did by planting apple trees from seeds.”
The moderator interrupted. “We have to take a break, professor. We’ll come right back to you on Mom and apple pie,” she said. The lights went dark on the studio panel and Jake and Tanya sat through another four minutes of commercials.
The discussion continued with cut-aways to the panelists. “Too expensive,” one said. “Takes too long and there’s no money in it,” another said. “People want to eat more than apples,” another said. “They want grain-fed red meat.” He looked like he hadn’t pushed away from the dessert table in years.
FOX cut back to Lassiter in mid sentence, “It involves time and labor. And in the process, we achieve far superior foods that require no sprays, fewer cancer-causing agents and lower overall long-term production costs. As for the rest of it, that calls for population control, not GMOs,” Lassiter said. "Maybe you should package your GMO seeds in condoms." He looked tired.
“Thank you for your contrarian opinion, Professor,” the moderator said.
“Unscientific,” the Lasso rep said.
“Unsubstantiated personal opinion, not backed by science,” another panelist said.
“Apple pie in the sky,” the third panelist said. The moderator laughed at that. “Final comments, Professor?” the moderator asked.
“We’re suffering a rapid increase in Celiac disease from life-long wheat consumption. My point is that what you eat has consequences and some of it is not well understood. Messing with our food supply has unknown downsides that may not be clear until after its done major damage. There is no good reason to introduce GM foods to the world other than capitalistic greed,” Lassiter concluded. He looked pale and sipped from a glass of water.
“And you’ve traded in Lasso stock, Professor?” the Lasso representative asked.
“Yes, I have, short term,” Lassiter said.
“Well, there you have it. Agro-business is thriving. It’s the hope for the future, and even the nay-saying environmentalists are profiting. This is Candy Maven, for FOX News.” The moderator signed off. Jake turned off the TV.
“Eat more vegetables,” Tanya said. “I think I want to plant a garden.”
“Eat more Sonoma grass-fed sheep cheese,” Jake said. “I wonder who Lassiter is going to short next.”
Note: This is a work of fiction.
PI Jake Knight poured another cup of coffee and kept an eye on Brenda Winters’ Prius, via the map on his laptop tied into Hazard Security’s server. It hadn’t moved. He turned on the TV and flicked through CNN, FOX and MSNBC until he heard mention of Gut-Check Green (the name of the terrorist group).
FOX had assembled a panel in its Washington studios, with three environmentalists brought in by satellite feed. The moderator was a taunt blond gal that quickly lost control of the discussion. The three in-studio executives represented Lasso, ConAgra and another agro-chemical manufacturer, but that’s not what held Jake’s interest. One of the environmentalists was Professor Daryl Lassiter, retired. Jake turned up the volume.
“What the general public doesn’t understand is how genetically modified crops help protect the world’s food supply. Blight-resistant potatoes are just one example. Right now, under strict scientific conditions, with safeguards, we’re working to incorporate defenses against plant diseases, which destroy fifteen percent of the world’s agricultural harvest every year,” the Lasso rep said.
The next panelist supported him. “Despite fungicides, late blight and other diseases ruin about twenty percent of the world’s potato crop. Stem rust destroys twenty percent of the wheat crop every year. Bananas, a primary source of food in Africa, are often destroyed by wilt disease. In all these cases, genetic engineering has the potential to create new varieties far better able to withstand the onslaught,” he said.
“We’ve been doing this since the 1990s” the Lasso rep added.
“Safely and with great scientific advancement. Transgenic corn, soybeans, and cotton have been engineered to resist insects and herbicides. The corn and soybean crops go mainly into animal feed, biofuels, and cooking oils,” the third panelist said.
“And that, gentlemen, is where the environmental community wants you to draw the line,” Lassiter said from his remote location. “No genetically modified varieties of rice, wheat, or potatoes are widely grown, because opposition to such foods has discouraged investment in developing them and because seed companies haven’t found ways to make a profit on those crops, like they do with genetically modified corn and soybeans.”
Tanya (Jake's love interest), awake from her nap, walked into the living room and snuggled next to Jake. She wrapped up in a quilt and kissed him. “That’s why I’m sticking to organics, locally grown.” she said.
“It’s just information,” Jake said, “but this guy Lassiter is of interest.”
“Cop killer?” Tanya asked.
“No. but maybe the money guy or the big thinker behind them,” Jake said.
“He is smart,” Tanya said.
“Smart and dying with liver cancer,” Jake said.
The Lasso panelist continued. “With a global population expected to reach nine billion by 2050, the world needs help feeding people. We’ve dramatically improved agricultural productivity over the last fifty years, but improvements are tapering off while food demand, larger populations and wealthier shoppers want more. Demand will rise fifty percent in the next forty years. Lasso will be there for them.”
“Either we increase yields or we have to use significantly more land, fertilizer, and water,” another of the corporate reps said.
”Climate change is a factor too,” the blond moderator added.
“It certainly is,” the Lasso rep said. “It makes the problem worse. Higher temperatures and wetter conditions spread infestations. Drought, storms and hot days already take a toll on crop yields and it’s only going to get worse. For farmers, the weather has become far more unpredictable, and extreme weather has become far more common.”
“Well, that’s a start. It’s nice to hear FOX admit climate change exists,” Lassiter said.
“We didn’t say that,” the blond moderator said. She looked stricken.
“No, but all three of us on this panel are concerned about extreme weather events on long-term food productivity,” the Lasso rep said.
“That’s why GMOs (genetically-modified organisms) are a necessity. It takes fifteen years of conventional breeding to make a new potato, but we can do it in the lab in six months,” another panelist said. “It’s an overwhelmingly logical thing to do. The upcoming food pressure on poor countries means we must use this as a tool.”
Lassiter jumped at that. “Time to tell the truth, gentlemen. The commercialized genetic engineering of crops has been a technical failure. The scientific goals have not been met. Crops have been designed to withstand specific herbicides and produce pesticides within the plant tissues. But, and this is a very big but, GM crops invite super weeds that show more tolerance to herbicides and insects. Basically, GM seeds work for ten to twenty-five years, then Mother Nature evolves to end your advantage.”
None of the panelists responded. The moderator looked lost. Lassiter continued: “It’s simple. From a business perspective, GM crops are wildly successful. The global seed market is now run by an oligarchy of companies like you guys. And sales of associated herbicides, like Lasso, have skyrocketed during the roll-out of GM seed. So you and your shareholders are happy, you’re making money.
“But, from a safety standpoint, the genetic engineering of seeds remains unproven long-term. Your seeds are untested. And in your hurry to market, you threaten the world. You haven’t done enough studies. It’s easy to find farmers that experience problems with their livestock when they use your GM feeds. Truth be told, the GM seeds are not yet proven long-term safe prior to release for public use.” Lassiter looked thrilled with himself to make that point.
The FOX moderator went to commercial. Jake and Tanya waited through four minutes of commercials. They were not interested in Viagra, acid reflux, a Medicare subscription plan or a long-term life annuity. The moderator came back on and announced trouble with the video feed from Santa Barbara. Lassiter had disappeared.
The Lasso panelist made a summary statement. “When people are hungry or starving, they will not care if protein or fat was produced with GM genes. Additionally, climate change and human population growth, increasing by one billion every twelve years, will make GMO technology a certainty.”
“Care to refute that, Doctor Lassiter?” the moderator asked. She sounded smug.
Lassiter’s image appeared on the screen. “Genetics are a solution for many current problems and upcoming problems. But in my opinion, genetic engineering is the wrong approach. Here are other strategies to consider.
“One: Focus agriculture on crop synergies, crops that can be grown together and support each other. Beans and corn together, for example. Nature avoids single crops. Monocropping creates unhealthy, abnormal systems.
“Two: Move agriculture away from reliance on grains. Fruits and vegetables offer more to livestock and humans than grains. Unfortunately, our farmers have perfected the growth, handling and processing of grains, so grains dominate our agricultural systems.
“Three: Use natural husbandry instead of genetic modification. It may take longer, but it’s safer. And world food supply is at risk. Look at apple production,” Lassiter said.
FOX displayed a black-and-white illustration of a Jonny Appleseed character with an apple orchard behind him. Lassiter continued: “By ramping up genetic selection, we can find great apple genetics that are resistant to disease, resistant to insect pressure, great to eat and superior for storage. This is exactly what Johnny Appleseed did by planting apple trees from seeds.”
The moderator interrupted. “We have to take a break, professor. We’ll come right back to you on Mom and apple pie,” she said. The lights went dark on the studio panel and Jake and Tanya sat through another four minutes of commercials.
The discussion continued with cut-aways to the panelists. “Too expensive,” one said. “Takes too long and there’s no money in it,” another said. “People want to eat more than apples,” another said. “They want grain-fed red meat.” He looked like he hadn’t pushed away from the dessert table in years.
FOX cut back to Lassiter in mid sentence, “It involves time and labor. And in the process, we achieve far superior foods that require no sprays, fewer cancer-causing agents and lower overall long-term production costs. As for the rest of it, that calls for population control, not GMOs,” Lassiter said. "Maybe you should package your GMO seeds in condoms." He looked tired.
“Thank you for your contrarian opinion, Professor,” the moderator said.
“Unscientific,” the Lasso rep said.
“Unsubstantiated personal opinion, not backed by science,” another panelist said.
“Apple pie in the sky,” the third panelist said. The moderator laughed at that. “Final comments, Professor?” the moderator asked.
“We’re suffering a rapid increase in Celiac disease from life-long wheat consumption. My point is that what you eat has consequences and some of it is not well understood. Messing with our food supply has unknown downsides that may not be clear until after its done major damage. There is no good reason to introduce GM foods to the world other than capitalistic greed,” Lassiter concluded. He looked pale and sipped from a glass of water.
“And you’ve traded in Lasso stock, Professor?” the Lasso representative asked.
“Yes, I have, short term,” Lassiter said.
“Well, there you have it. Agro-business is thriving. It’s the hope for the future, and even the nay-saying environmentalists are profiting. This is Candy Maven, for FOX News.” The moderator signed off. Jake turned off the TV.
“Eat more vegetables,” Tanya said. “I think I want to plant a garden.”
“Eat more Sonoma grass-fed sheep cheese,” Jake said. “I wonder who Lassiter is going to short next.”
Note: This is a work of fiction.
May 1, 2014
Cli-Fi - The New Climate Fiction Genre
This fascinates me. I’m a retired Boy Scout and former green guy that rolled the vision uphill at an enviro agency. No names, as a fiction author should, but you can imagine. I’m also a defender of Mother Nature, the bugs and birds and bees, the flowers and trees.
Every hallowed redwood grove I visit feels like a cathedral to me, a Notre Dame with pine needles. I grow plants to feed hummingbirds that zoom and swoop outside my window. So I love it when fiction writers gather to craft stories that amend “stinking thinking.”
EURIKA I said when the NY Times and CS Monitor blessed Cli-Fi as an emerging new category of fiction. It’s eight years old now, so time to take this kid to the Gaia festival in a rainbow headband.
That’s the intention of my next Sonoma thriller, GUT-CHECK GREEN, wherein my PI Jake Knight goes undercover to track down dastardly environmental terrorists that spank a nasty fertilizer company. Oh, I play fair, tell both sides of the story, but maybe my green slip is showing when I wrap with a bang and an afterburner chase - a helicopter racing a train. Hollywood forgive me, but oh Gaia, I loved writing this one.
Here’s what the pundits say about Cli-Fi: The label climate fiction or cli-fi for short serves a purpose, it's an excellent way to focus people on the upcoming challenges of climate change. We are facing an intricate mix of social trends that reinforce each other: Population Explosion; Rapid Urbanization (more people live in cities than in the country); Explosive Industrialization with attendant rising/choking pollution; Globalization that reduces bio-diversity (species are disappearing at such a fast rate that scientists are talking of the Sixth Extinction - in geological times, there were five extinctions before this one, including famously the dinosaurs); Growing Income Inequality (according to the economist Piketty whose book is the talk of the town, we're back to the high inequality levels characteristic of the Belle Epoque and the 1920s before the Great Depression), the implication being that benefits from scientific advances will accrue to the ultra-rich who can afford them, causing a deep cleavage in society. Add Climate Change to the mix, with attendant global warming and rising sea levels, and what you have is surely an explosive mix! (credit: Claude Nougat)
Small wonder novelists are inspired. Peek outside your window to see what we’re playing for. This ain’t penny ante poker, mama. Nathaniel Rich's Odds Against Tomorrow, is considered an excellent example of cli-fi. It has all the right elements (New York under water!) and the plot is focused on the human dimension, on how we can react to such emergencies, which is a key feature of cli-fi. (Ed Note: Please don’t react the way fictional characters in GUT-CHECK GREEN do or FBI will cremate you.)
FOR KIDS says Chriscinthia Blount -- Jo Marshall, author of "Twig Stories" piqued my interest in Cli-Fi and I'm not scientific by any stretch of the imagination! "Twig Stories" is a series which introduces young readers to the natural world and environmental issues. These stories are ingeniously woven around creatures called Twigs who must deal with the consequences of global warming and climate change. Her stories are entertaining and educational for children and adults alike. The series includes "Leaf & the Rushing Waters", "Leaf & the Sky of Fire", "Leaf & the Echo Peak", and my favorite "Leaf & the Long Ice". http://www.amazon.com/Leaf-Long-Ice-T...
Well, there you have it recyclers, Prius drivers, bicyclists of all stripes and gardeners of all faiths. How we treat our planet is a learned behavior. So what will you teach? Conquer the dirt or resonate with sunlight and rain? Gaia awaits the decision of all her wayward children, and she does appreciate that you can read now.
Care to get your Cli-Fi on? To go with the flow and be a burner page-turner? Take a deep breath and start coughing out opinions. We’ve been pumping coal dust since 1830s, car exhaust from the 1920s, and Mother wearies of her works getting grimed. When she shrugs, we lose New Jersey shore; amusement parks; Naw’lins levees and wicked fun jazz clubs; the migration of snowy egrets at sunset over the ‘Glades.
May your garden be greener, your spirit cleaner and your bliss button stuck on full throttle (all-electric or pedal power, naturally). On’Ya, dear readers.
Every hallowed redwood grove I visit feels like a cathedral to me, a Notre Dame with pine needles. I grow plants to feed hummingbirds that zoom and swoop outside my window. So I love it when fiction writers gather to craft stories that amend “stinking thinking.”
EURIKA I said when the NY Times and CS Monitor blessed Cli-Fi as an emerging new category of fiction. It’s eight years old now, so time to take this kid to the Gaia festival in a rainbow headband.
That’s the intention of my next Sonoma thriller, GUT-CHECK GREEN, wherein my PI Jake Knight goes undercover to track down dastardly environmental terrorists that spank a nasty fertilizer company. Oh, I play fair, tell both sides of the story, but maybe my green slip is showing when I wrap with a bang and an afterburner chase - a helicopter racing a train. Hollywood forgive me, but oh Gaia, I loved writing this one.
Here’s what the pundits say about Cli-Fi: The label climate fiction or cli-fi for short serves a purpose, it's an excellent way to focus people on the upcoming challenges of climate change. We are facing an intricate mix of social trends that reinforce each other: Population Explosion; Rapid Urbanization (more people live in cities than in the country); Explosive Industrialization with attendant rising/choking pollution; Globalization that reduces bio-diversity (species are disappearing at such a fast rate that scientists are talking of the Sixth Extinction - in geological times, there were five extinctions before this one, including famously the dinosaurs); Growing Income Inequality (according to the economist Piketty whose book is the talk of the town, we're back to the high inequality levels characteristic of the Belle Epoque and the 1920s before the Great Depression), the implication being that benefits from scientific advances will accrue to the ultra-rich who can afford them, causing a deep cleavage in society. Add Climate Change to the mix, with attendant global warming and rising sea levels, and what you have is surely an explosive mix! (credit: Claude Nougat)
Small wonder novelists are inspired. Peek outside your window to see what we’re playing for. This ain’t penny ante poker, mama. Nathaniel Rich's Odds Against Tomorrow, is considered an excellent example of cli-fi. It has all the right elements (New York under water!) and the plot is focused on the human dimension, on how we can react to such emergencies, which is a key feature of cli-fi. (Ed Note: Please don’t react the way fictional characters in GUT-CHECK GREEN do or FBI will cremate you.)
FOR KIDS says Chriscinthia Blount -- Jo Marshall, author of "Twig Stories" piqued my interest in Cli-Fi and I'm not scientific by any stretch of the imagination! "Twig Stories" is a series which introduces young readers to the natural world and environmental issues. These stories are ingeniously woven around creatures called Twigs who must deal with the consequences of global warming and climate change. Her stories are entertaining and educational for children and adults alike. The series includes "Leaf & the Rushing Waters", "Leaf & the Sky of Fire", "Leaf & the Echo Peak", and my favorite "Leaf & the Long Ice". http://www.amazon.com/Leaf-Long-Ice-T...
Well, there you have it recyclers, Prius drivers, bicyclists of all stripes and gardeners of all faiths. How we treat our planet is a learned behavior. So what will you teach? Conquer the dirt or resonate with sunlight and rain? Gaia awaits the decision of all her wayward children, and she does appreciate that you can read now.
Care to get your Cli-Fi on? To go with the flow and be a burner page-turner? Take a deep breath and start coughing out opinions. We’ve been pumping coal dust since 1830s, car exhaust from the 1920s, and Mother wearies of her works getting grimed. When she shrugs, we lose New Jersey shore; amusement parks; Naw’lins levees and wicked fun jazz clubs; the migration of snowy egrets at sunset over the ‘Glades.
May your garden be greener, your spirit cleaner and your bliss button stuck on full throttle (all-electric or pedal power, naturally). On’Ya, dear readers.
April 24, 2014
Cue George Burns to light a cigar
A 5-star review of The Reluctant Jesus by Duncan Whitehead.
Okay, so you’re Jesus returned, but you don’t know it until you’re 33. And the Second Coming plays out in NYC with a talking cat that steals the show. God love it. The human condition requires humor. People take their religions so seriously these days and God has been laughing at us for a while now.
Whitehead shines in his epic tale well-told, almost a hero’s journey of funny stuff: dialog, scenes, settings, plus sparkling wit. Trust the British; they invented divorce and Episcopalians. Duncan gets it right in this Swiftian devotional: some parts subtle, sarcastic, ironic, and satirical.
Hold onto your rosary, mama, our Duncan is writing for the big guy in the sky, the grand audience of ONE. He puts a giggle in the hellfire and damnation that others are slinging hereabouts. The angels will gawp in wonder as I do a reading on Cloud Five at twilight tonight.
Okay, so you’re Jesus returned, but you don’t know it until you’re 33. And the Second Coming plays out in NYC with a talking cat that steals the show. God love it. The human condition requires humor. People take their religions so seriously these days and God has been laughing at us for a while now.
Whitehead shines in his epic tale well-told, almost a hero’s journey of funny stuff: dialog, scenes, settings, plus sparkling wit. Trust the British; they invented divorce and Episcopalians. Duncan gets it right in this Swiftian devotional: some parts subtle, sarcastic, ironic, and satirical.
Hold onto your rosary, mama, our Duncan is writing for the big guy in the sky, the grand audience of ONE. He puts a giggle in the hellfire and damnation that others are slinging hereabouts. The angels will gawp in wonder as I do a reading on Cloud Five at twilight tonight.
Drunk on GURL-POSSE Reviews
Loved the read. Characters leap off the pages. Escapist modern beach read, complete with a scoop of the paranormal. Five-star thriller, with blood-chilling villains that make Iago seem tame. This is a very exciting tale, written in superb style with real panache. Reminds me how surprising novels can be. Prasad is a writer like no other. His inventive turns of phrase give this book its wit, irony, warmth and humor.
Prasad says: "Jeesh, makes me want to write another. So I'll call it GUT-CHECK GREEN. For June?"
Try GURL-POSSE KIDNAP: Only 99-cents at Amazon until Saturday. #3 Amazon Kindle KIDNAP crime thriller. Thank you readers.
Prasad says: "Jeesh, makes me want to write another. So I'll call it GUT-CHECK GREEN. For June?"
Try GURL-POSSE KIDNAP: Only 99-cents at Amazon until Saturday. #3 Amazon Kindle KIDNAP crime thriller. Thank you readers.
April 21, 2014
Spare pocket change? Like 99-cents?
Easter Week Special
GURL-POSSE KIDNAP, a crime thriller set in the heart of California wine country. A drug deal unravels into murder, kidnap and redemption as PI Jake Knight helps his client see the light. With shades of Native American mysticism thrown in, plus a barn owl and a silver fox. Takes all kinds to go up against Otter and Serrato, the cartel killer.
Thank for reading. On'Ya one and all.
http://www.amazon.com/Gurl-Posse-Kidn...
GURL-POSSE KIDNAP, a crime thriller set in the heart of California wine country. A drug deal unravels into murder, kidnap and redemption as PI Jake Knight helps his client see the light. With shades of Native American mysticism thrown in, plus a barn owl and a silver fox. Takes all kinds to go up against Otter and Serrato, the cartel killer.
Thank for reading. On'Ya one and all.
http://www.amazon.com/Gurl-Posse-Kidn...
April 17, 2014
Change Your Channel to Channeling, A Review
HEAVEN IS AVAILABLE TO HELP
By John and Martha McGinnis
http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Availabl...
Do you ever feel that what you do in your singular life matters to people in heaven? Well, it does and they want to help you. For those familiar with the work of Delphi, Alexander’s oracle at Siwa, Transcendentalism, Seth, Ramtha, and Abraham, the McGinnis’ third book represents the next chapter. It’s a great book to begin your spiritual journey.
Enjoy interviews with some of the world’s greatest thought leaders, since departed. The idea that a bright mind fades to black is silly. Even dim minds last beyond physical death. Witness my existence (joke). So hear what some of the brightest have to say. And for those scared that Oliver Cromwell or a Grand Inquisitor will catch you reading this book, here are my cherished parts:
THE MESSAGE: “You must help people to understand the need for spiritual balance. The way to improve one’s life in the world is to create and expand consciousness—only this is really productive of progress. Show people how to deepen consciousness, develop relationships with guides, and maintain contact with heaven throughout the day. Teach spiritual preparedness, personal, local, national and international. This is how cultures advance: through spirituality, love, cooperation, and nurture of others.”
MY FAVORITE: There is in this world today a troubling homogenization of your inner lives, produced by very unfavorable television programming. This has pulled you from the path of art and philosophy and replaced them with a terrible circus of silliness and freakishness that drains you of your own vitality.
MORE REASONS: (1) You dream the lives of other people, not your own, when you watch television or movies. (2) Pour out love; what grows grows. (3) Teach them to regain the mind of a child and trust that every year will get better. (4) Let people grow at their own speed. (5) All invention is inspiration, channeling, and listening. (6) Peace comes from rising to a higher state of consciousness. Peace comes from understanding God’s supply for everyone and belief in divine harmony. (7) What would your prayer be? Be conscious of me. That’s all. BE CONSCIOUS OF ME.
IDEAL READERS: Reading for a young teen interested in history and willing to blow the doors off the next classroom they sit in. Spiritually focused folks; historians; creative types; parents; those preparing for death; those seeking to embrace life. Odd how the message so rarely changes, and we’ve heard it thousands of times before, yet we keep letting the living of this life fall through the cracks.
Happy Easter and On’ya, dear readers.
By John and Martha McGinnis
http://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Availabl...
Do you ever feel that what you do in your singular life matters to people in heaven? Well, it does and they want to help you. For those familiar with the work of Delphi, Alexander’s oracle at Siwa, Transcendentalism, Seth, Ramtha, and Abraham, the McGinnis’ third book represents the next chapter. It’s a great book to begin your spiritual journey.
Enjoy interviews with some of the world’s greatest thought leaders, since departed. The idea that a bright mind fades to black is silly. Even dim minds last beyond physical death. Witness my existence (joke). So hear what some of the brightest have to say. And for those scared that Oliver Cromwell or a Grand Inquisitor will catch you reading this book, here are my cherished parts:
THE MESSAGE: “You must help people to understand the need for spiritual balance. The way to improve one’s life in the world is to create and expand consciousness—only this is really productive of progress. Show people how to deepen consciousness, develop relationships with guides, and maintain contact with heaven throughout the day. Teach spiritual preparedness, personal, local, national and international. This is how cultures advance: through spirituality, love, cooperation, and nurture of others.”
MY FAVORITE: There is in this world today a troubling homogenization of your inner lives, produced by very unfavorable television programming. This has pulled you from the path of art and philosophy and replaced them with a terrible circus of silliness and freakishness that drains you of your own vitality.
MORE REASONS: (1) You dream the lives of other people, not your own, when you watch television or movies. (2) Pour out love; what grows grows. (3) Teach them to regain the mind of a child and trust that every year will get better. (4) Let people grow at their own speed. (5) All invention is inspiration, channeling, and listening. (6) Peace comes from rising to a higher state of consciousness. Peace comes from understanding God’s supply for everyone and belief in divine harmony. (7) What would your prayer be? Be conscious of me. That’s all. BE CONSCIOUS OF ME.
IDEAL READERS: Reading for a young teen interested in history and willing to blow the doors off the next classroom they sit in. Spiritually focused folks; historians; creative types; parents; those preparing for death; those seeking to embrace life. Odd how the message so rarely changes, and we’ve heard it thousands of times before, yet we keep letting the living of this life fall through the cracks.
Happy Easter and On’ya, dear readers.
April 16, 2014
FRICK. Election 2016 Be Upon Us. Fortify & Roar.
CAMPAIGN ZEN is both a book and a work of art. And when I say art, I am not only referring to the interesting images in the book, but even more so, I am referring to the words, the sentences: the writing. Some of the words I had to look up: "doggerel" for example.
The Free Dictionary says:"... irregularly fashioned verse, often of a humorous or burlesque nature". Spot on, I thought. That really covers many aspects of this amazing book.
E-book only $1.99-cents thru to November 2nd. So VOTE with your pocket change and read out-loud!
The Free Dictionary says:"... irregularly fashioned verse, often of a humorous or burlesque nature". Spot on, I thought. That really covers many aspects of this amazing book.
E-book only $1.99-cents thru to November 2nd. So VOTE with your pocket change and read out-loud!
Hep poems to be read aloud that teach history and lessons relevant to society today. It’s wonderful! Prasad, you have a fun voice, an irreverent soul and an enthusiasm that is nothing short of infectious. – Writer’s Digest
http://www.amazon.com/Campaign-Zen-El...
April 4, 2014
Politics Be Upon Us
The silly season began early this year - election cycle 2014. The Supreme Court decided gazillionaires can buy all the politicians they want - no limit. So Edelston (Macau casinos) and the Koch brothers (#1 carbon polluters) are ripe and ready to steal your democracy.
Of the people, for the people and by the people - hogwash. The Koch simply want to protect their pipelines and revenue ($18 billion) with no carbon tax, no unions, and candidates willing to sell their souls for TV commercials. What saddens me is that if we put the Koch to it, we could have heaven on earth within twenty years - solar power, desalinized water, organic school meals, scholarships for all.
But no, the Koch et. al. would rather sip chardonnay, cheat the people, and hang out with their wrinkly wives in the Hamptons, poo-pooing the planet. Trouble is, guys like me are left to clean it up after they have their day.
I've studied the tyranny of oligarchs all the way back to the first Greek elections. I wrote about it in CAMPAIGN ZEN. So I encourage you to vote, vote as often as you can.
Don't just get angry -- get even. How about president Hilary and one hundred female Senators? It's time to make our planet shine with more lip gloss and caring candidates that won't send their kids off to war. I'm tired of old men on Viagra telling we who to kill. And lying to me about who to vote for.
I do have hope for the Millennials. So far they've refused to be racist, sexist, or stupid. So let the oligarchs fritter away their coin. On election day, close the curtain and vote your heart. May the best people win. On'ya dear readers.
Of the people, for the people and by the people - hogwash. The Koch simply want to protect their pipelines and revenue ($18 billion) with no carbon tax, no unions, and candidates willing to sell their souls for TV commercials. What saddens me is that if we put the Koch to it, we could have heaven on earth within twenty years - solar power, desalinized water, organic school meals, scholarships for all.
But no, the Koch et. al. would rather sip chardonnay, cheat the people, and hang out with their wrinkly wives in the Hamptons, poo-pooing the planet. Trouble is, guys like me are left to clean it up after they have their day.
I've studied the tyranny of oligarchs all the way back to the first Greek elections. I wrote about it in CAMPAIGN ZEN. So I encourage you to vote, vote as often as you can.
Don't just get angry -- get even. How about president Hilary and one hundred female Senators? It's time to make our planet shine with more lip gloss and caring candidates that won't send their kids off to war. I'm tired of old men on Viagra telling we who to kill. And lying to me about who to vote for.
I do have hope for the Millennials. So far they've refused to be racist, sexist, or stupid. So let the oligarchs fritter away their coin. On election day, close the curtain and vote your heart. May the best people win. On'ya dear readers.
Expletives Deleted
We like to write and read and muse awhile and smile. My pal Prasad comes to mutter too. Together we turn words into the arc of a rainbow. Insight Lite, you see?
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