2020s: The Decade of Déjà vu

 Someday, someone will invent time travel. Then the government will get hold of it, and the first thing they'll do is over-regulate it. "All forms must be completed in triplicate--and no, you can't fill them out ahead of time."

One of those regulations will state, quite explicitly, that you CANNOT go back to any point in the 2020s.

No, not because of COVID: because the insanity might be contagious.

We've gone through way worse times, as a country and as a world. The American Civil War was awful. The Great Depression kinda sucked. The 40s could have been better. The 50s were okay but, as with most times, it depended on who you were.

I don't know bout the 1820s, but the 1920s were roaring. The 2020s? Just ... weird.

And I thought that before the Chinese spy balloon came over.

Honestly, I was convinced the thing was from North Korea. The Chinese have satellites, for crying out loud. Maybe the North Koreans were just trying to dip down and steal some grain.


I mean, have you seen Kim Jong-un? He's the only person in the country who's not starving. They have to keep bread on his table, or he'll start eating his subjects.

The Chinese, in the interest of spreading conspiracy theories, have solved that problem by cutting into the population with viruses. It seemed like a good idea at the time. (Kidding! Just in case their balloon managed to land spy technology on my roof.)

It's probably worth mentioning that in 2020 Iran launched their own military satellite.

Then Russia's very own dictator saw what Kim Jong-un was doing and said, "Here: Hold my vodka"

What Putin didn't realize was that the Russian Army's warranty ran out in 2019.

What else could possibly go wrong?

 

Meanwhile we had only the 3rd Presidential impeachment in history, and naturally the whole thing ran along party lines, because aren't the parties more important than the people? Sure they are.

In 2020 oil prices tanked. Remember that? No? Now gas is so expensive that instead of a fast food place attached to gas stations, they're teaming up with those payday loan places. "I just need a cash advance so I can get to work so I can earn the money to get to work."

Want to know the fun part? Most of that stuff happened, or at least started, in 2020. Just the first year of the decade that time travelers will someday cancel.

The rest of the decade actually gives a sense of dejas vus, which is a Latin term meaning "what, again?" Recession, shortages, racial tensions, crazy storms, nuclear threats, government bloat, inflation ...

Holy crap. Three years into this decade, and we're in the 70s again. That explains the Déjà vu, anyway.

And we've got seven more 20s years to go.


Remember, every time you learn something from a book it makes Kim Jong-un cry. And that's a good thing.


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Storm Squalls: A Long Tale About Short Stories

 I promised some time ago (or was it a threat?) that I'd share more info about our kinda-sorta new short story collection, Storm Squalls.

Formerly known as Storm Chaser Shorts, that title will now be used only when I'm dressing for a tornado watch. It's still a prequel/sequel/epilogue to our Storm Chaser series, something that arose organically because, when I originally wrote it, Storm Chaser was the only other book. You can take a look at it here:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09YGJ1XR6

 

 

If you don't like e-books and don't want to go through Amazon, you can order a copy (or two) direct from us. I'm sure we can arrange a deal if you want more than one of our books, to complete your Mark R. Hunter collection. Does anyone have one of those? I mean, besides me?

It's selling for $1.99 on Kindle and just six bucks in print, and usually you can't get a steal like that without committing a felony. That's two dollars less than the first Kindle edition.

But wait--there's more!

There were ten stories in the original collection, but we increased it to sixteen to give you more bang for your buck, or possibly you're gluttons for punishment.

But it complicates things, because only seven of the stories are set before the original Storm Chaser. Six more take place in the time period between Storm Chaser and its sequel, The Notorious Ian Grant, also a romantic comedy. The final three short stories more or less exists outside the timeline (as does the related young adult novel, The No-Campfire Girls). So you don't have to read the novels before you read half the short stories. You don't for any of them, really--but you'll be spoiled, as the kids say these days.

Of the new stories in this volume, three are brand new, including my personal favorite, "High Horse--Or, a Horse Tail". I had the most fun writing that one and "Chaos At the Con", which like the last two stories were available on social media some time back.

Whew.

Where were we? Oh, yeah. I hope you enjoy it, and did (or will) enjoy the other books in the series--and yes, arrangements can be made for a bargain on multiple book sales. I'm the author, I can do that. Also, say thanks when you see Emily, who designed the cover, formatted Storm Squalls for both e-book and print, and got it up for sale. She's my hero.

(By the way, Storm Squalls is also up on the website:  http://www.markrhunter.com/)


Remember, no one ever died from feeding an author. That I know of.

 

 

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