The American Insurgency officially broke out in 2026, as a direct result of Steward vs. The State of California which effectively nullified the 2nd amendment. However, the conflict was rooted in the politics of the previous decade, and the economic realities of the Great Collapse. Following the election of 2016, the Republican Party split into various regional factions and… Continue reading The American Insurgency, Part 1: Prelude to Civil War
Tag: politics
Why I need a gun (and you do too)
If you had lived in Germany before the Nazis came to power and a time traveler had told you how history would play out, what would you have done about it? The nation was reeling from a massive economic depression after a decade of war exhaustion. In this troubled time, a charismatic democratic socialist ran on a platform… Continue reading Why I need a gun (and you do too)
Life without social media
It has been more than a week since I’ve posted here, which is a bit surprising. Then again, I did decide to take a short break from writing, which pushed blogging a little further down the priority tree. The much higher priority has been finishing my friend’s basement before his wife has a baby next week… Continue reading Life without social media
The Self-Sufficient Writer: Varieties of Collapse
What does a collapse look like? The first thing most people think of is the zombie apocalypse. Which makes sense, considering how popular zombie stories are. The signs of collapse are clear and present, with no room for ambiguity. The world has come to an end, and the only thing left is to pick up an… Continue reading The Self-Sufficient Writer: Varieties of Collapse
A political rant
There is no meaningful difference between Clinton and Trump. Both are narcissists. Both are habitual liars. Both are corrupt. Both have a tendency to blame others for their failures instead of taking responsibility for their own actions. Both treat the people underneath them poorly or with outright contempt. Both think they are above the law,… Continue reading A political rant
Response to Steve Davidson on Reconciling with the Puppies
So my last blog post about the Sad Puppies has turned into a kerfluffle of its own, which has been very interesting to watch as it unfolds. Mike Glyer of File 770 linked to it, Lou Antonelli’s File 666 picked it up, and Steve Davidson of Amazing Stories wrote a lengthy response to it, which I… Continue reading Response to Steve Davidson on Reconciling with the Puppies
Flashpoints by George Friedman
Some people say that Science Fiction writers are in the business of predicting the future. In fact, that’s only partially true: we don’t predict the future so much as we show people what possibilities the future may hold. But strategic forecasting is a real business, and the foremost personality in that business is George Friedman. In a… Continue reading Flashpoints by George Friedman
The death of the Republic
This post is going to be political. Consider yourself warned. I am not afraid of terrorists. I am not afraid that I, or anyone I love, will be caught up in a Paris-style terrorist attack. For one thing, most of the people love live in Shall Issue states with very few gun restrictions. Time and… Continue reading The death of the Republic
An open letter to my 2008 self
Dear Joe, This is yourself from the future. I know, that sounds kind of cheesy, but it’s true. Pay attention, because there are things I need to tell you. This is not to replace the life lessons that you’ll soon be learning, but to help you learn them faster so you can move on to the important… Continue reading An open letter to my 2008 self
The Decline and Fall of Fandom and the Hugo Awards
Lately, I’ve taken a serious interest in family history. A huge amount of records have gone online in the past decade, making it far easier to trace your ancestors. Before that, my father was able to trace the Vasicek line to the Czech lands (places with cool names like Frenštát, Vratimov, Trojanovice, Staříč, etc), but… Continue reading The Decline and Fall of Fandom and the Hugo Awards