A Dystopian Plot, and Some Fiction, Too

Another in my recurring series of book-review-as-memoir

First off, in case you were waiting for a sign that an authoritarian government as bad as our fictional fears is already at home in Washington, D.C., I’m here to say that all the signs are pointing to yes. We’ve already shown that we are okay with people being taken off our streets and deported without due process, and we’ve all shrugged at the administration cutting U.S. food supplies and aid dollars to children all over the world (including in America itself!). Now Congress is also cutting money that was already voted on and budgeted for, just because the GOP thinks NPR and PBS are too “woke.” And the people who produce the news (“60 Minutes,” for example) are now checking to see that the news they include is only what suits the current occupant of the White House.

If a federal prosecutor can be fired for doing their job, and late night TV shows with political satire can be eliminated simply because the guy in charge has a fragile ego, then we are already there. Our society is being run by an oligarchy (it isn’t just him, because if he dies or leaves, Vance will get to step in. Shudder). So, how do we fight back? I think the most meaningful acts will hit them in the only place they have feelings—in their wallets. Feel free to comment with your own ideas below.

Second, I want to mention that the first annual Central Oregon Writer’s Conference (happening this Oct 17-19), has extended its $50 discount off the full conference fee until August 1, not July 1 as it says on their site. And…if you use the discount code COWGUILD you can save another $50. So, click on the full conference and then go to your cart. The conference price will be $445, then make sure to put in (and apply) the code COWGUILD to save another $50. That way, you (or someone you know) can get a total of $100 off the full conference price. If you want to share this info, do so ASAP. I will be at the COWC conference in Bend and at the SCWC in San Diego in January.

Now, on to the show, as they say. How can I possibly write a book-review-as-memoir piece about a fantasy book series? Because Megan Haskell’s fantastic (in both sense of the word) two-book series has a young female bartender as its protagonist. And she works in a popular beachfront night spot known for music and dancing and fun, though of course the bartender doesn’t always find it fun. It is her job after all.

Back in 1991, Russel and I brought our little sailboat through the Panama Canal and then sailed north past Honduras and Jamaica and Cuba, up into U.S. waters. After an exhausting passage across the Gulf of Mexico (and yes it is always going to be the Gulf of MEXICO to me and to all the historians and geographers) during a long wet storm (they called it a low pressure system but the pressure was high on Watchfire), we ended up sailing under the massive Tampa Bay Bridge after midnight. After a few days’ search of marinas, we got a slip in Bradenton, near beautiful Sarasota, Florida.

Russel and I and Charlie on the first Watchfire in Bradenton Holiday Inn and Marina

Russel was finishing up all the paintings he’d done in Baja and getting ready to put them out in the world, so he was going to be very busy. His savings had enabled us to honeymoon in Mexico for over a year, so it was only right that I take advantage of my first opportunity to earn a paycheck. I was lucky enough to get hired at the Bradenton Holiday Inn (and Marina) where we were staying on the boat. Bartending in a sports bar was exciting and could be fun, since we had a great crew and the place featured live music three nights a week. Unfortunately, it meant sometimes waiting on drunks and always spending each eight-hour shift in a room full of cigarette smoke.

In Aether Bound, book one of The Rise of Lilith series by Megan Haskell, the character of Lil is a bartender with attitude who suddenly finds herself contending with the powerful gods and demigods of Norse mythology. Of course, that leads her to the underworld, and along the way she discovers powers that were only hinted at in the book’s opening pages. There’s action, of course, but also romance and some surprisingly touching insights about fate and friendship. I raced though the two books—luckily, I had bought both on a two ebook deal—and had a blast.

Russel pulled me up the mast so I could add Xmas decor as Charlie watched

I enjoyed the flashbacks to my bartending days, reliving the experience of that long-ago job. My memories include a chair being thrown through the bar’s plate glass window by a pissed-off football fan, and getting a slew of cheesy (and sometimes handsy) sexual propositions, but we drink-slingers carried on calmly in spite of it all. But I’m ever-so-grateful to have my current profession, as this editor is in bed by ten o’clock each night, not worrying about slicing more fruit, getting another tub of ice, and gearing up for the after-the-movie-theater bar rush.

Staying in the memoir mode, I met Joel Dennstedt years ago (see my Substack post about the ripples of book marketing—spoiler, it is all about the people you meet!) and we are both now early readers of each others writing. Joel is a fine book reviewer and writes so well about other people’s work. I hope to do his new book justice here.

I, Robot Alien by Joel Dennstedt is the second in a sort-of-series that began with I, Robot Soldier. That book was easily one of the best science fiction books I've read in years and one of the ten best science fiction books I've ever read. The book (out in early August, preorder it here) is completely up to the same level, though it is much more epic in scope, not just in the length of time it covers, but in the meaning of the main character’s purpose and mission.

As with I, Robot Soldier, I found myself thinking of the great sci-fi stories of our time, like Stranger in A Strange Land, and of course I Robot. As with his first book, the author calls this new book an homage to the great sci-fi writers, but there's so much more to it than that. And the artwork—in both books—is absolutely extraordinary; definitely the best art I have seen in any ebook.

The key thing the two books have in common is the author’s amazing creativity in building our world and telling our history (or is it our future?) in a way that makes it both familiar and foreign. There’s not a false step or a jarring reference. You’ll sense resonances between the two stories, but it’s not important, to my way of thinking, whether you read I, Robot Alien first or second. Buy them and support an indie author.

For those who wonder why I am linking to Amazon and urging my readers to buy books there, see my post The Argument for Amazon, from an Author; the bottom line is that Amazon is the main support system for thousands of small businesses and small publishers. (The same problem exists when we boycott CBS, it hurts the staffs of the shows and the actors, but a mega conglomerate like Paramount won’t really suffer.)

As to real life, or real memoir, we are loving the Sunshine Coast of BC. We enjoyed Vancouver, met some great folks, and stayed another day in the marina to enable us to leave the slip on Russel’s birthday and go sailing up in Howe Sound. Since then we’ve been hanging out at an island in a fairly quiet and not too crowded anchorage, enjoying the sunny, breezy weather and the gorgeous aqua sea. I’ll include a photo I took a couple of days ago while sailing nearby, because you won’t believe the color is real otherwise (no filter, it really is that green!). Though the water looks pretty, I’ve not been tempted to jump in, since it’s still not quite up to 70 degrees.

I have no idea how the cellular service will be working for us as we move north, or even where we’ll end up in another seven days. So if there’s no missive from me next Friday, or the Friday after that, you’ll know that there was no way to connect from our hotspot to the internet.

Hope you all have a great week, either way. And that you can find some time to call or write your senator, if for no other reason that to quote from “Network”: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore!”

hasta pronto!