It's done, or at least the Kindle part is done. I published my new book last night as a Kindle book. It is available at Amazon for $3.98 and ready for immediate download.
The paper copy book will be available around mid-January.
I am very interested in getting some professional reviews of the book. If you have a blog where you discuss books or the fate of the world in the next 75 years, let me know your background and how to reach you and I will send you a review copy, either a .pdf or a paper copy (when available), free of charge.
For your information, here is my product description.
This tale began in 2006 as the autobiography of my fictional great-grandson, Sam, yet-to-be-born in 2015.
Sam would live through the greatest cultural transition ever experienced by the human race. I encased his memoirs in a short story telling of an expedition of Neu-human archeologists from a thousand years in the future, 3100 A.D., who return to the Pacific Coast searching for their roots. They find Sam's recorded life story and hear a first-hand account of the “Great Collapse” of human society as they had come to call it.
Sam Hardy's life begins at the peak of the tremendous spurt of technology and social advance in the second decade of the 21st century, powered by what many still thought at the time would be an infinite supply of energy and a stable world of commerce and trade. Sam writes the history of humanity's course through the transitions that result from expected natural disasters, resource depletion, climate change, over-population, and economic and cultural failure as his family and tribe struggle to learn to live in a new world of limited resources and crashing dreams.
There are many possible worlds our progeny could face, but in my mind the world described here unfortunately seems to be one of the more probable. My goal is to tell of some of the changes that can be expected as our society searches for its future, and as those technologies and resources on which our civilization depend fall away.
This is a tale of retrospection, as seen through the eyes of someone who lives through it and remembers that there Was a Time When things were so different. And yet, in Sam's final words, there is still hope:
“So this is goodbye. Maybe I have been wrong in my pessimism and damnation of humanity, and there really is a future for mankind on this planet. At least I have joined a group that is beginning the steps to future recovery. God willing, I will have the chance to watch that future blossom. I pray this band I join will build the roots of a better civilization than what my peers built for the last one.”
I will be discussing the book and offering ideas on other options and how to cope with the future at www.WasATimeWhen.com. Come by for a visit.
Well, I almost made it. I approved the format of the layout the first of this week, and I will get proof copy around the first of the new year. So, the book should be available sometime in January.
There is always something that gets in the way. This time it was the copy editor who was defining the layout who decided my title "Was a Time When" was not sufficient, and called the book "There Was a Time When." I had already been through that loop, and wrote back to explain that several others around the world had already made use of that phrase, so it was not a good choice for me.
A small change, but it takes time to get things right.
Be patient, I am.
sam
Ten years ago I was very interested in earthquakes and wrote a couple of novels about what it would be like when the New Madrid once again fractures. I have just put those novels into Kindle format and they are available at kdp.amazon.com. The following is the press release I sent out about this 200th anniversary of the big event in 1811.
200 Years Ago a Great Earthquake Killed Up to 20% of the Population Around New Madrid, Missouri - What If That Earthquake Happened Today?
Sam Penny's Novels, Memphis 7.9 (Revised), and Broken River
(now available on Kindle) describe what would happen
in a repeat of that same event today.
200 years ago, on December 16, 1811, the first of four in a series of great earthquakes stuck the New Madrid Seismic Zone under the Mississippi River, wrecking havoc over 650,000 square miles in what is now the central United States, shaking the foundations of cities from Toronto, Ontario to Boston, Massachusetts to Charleston, South Carolina.
In 2002 and 2005 Sam Penny published two novels, “Memphis 7.9 (Revised)” and “Broken River,” which described a scenario of the conditions that represented his best estimates of what the world in the affected area would be like should a similar seismic event occur today on the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Both of these books are available through [url:http://amazon.com]Amazon.com[/url]. Penny has just published Kindle versions of the books as well.
Back in 1811 over the next two months another three gigantic earthquakes struck the New Madrid Seismic Zone under what was then the western edge of our country – what now is the center of the United States of America. The first event is estimated to have been a 7.9 magnitude event focused near what is known today as the bottom of the Missouri boot-heel. A second earthquake the same size happened six hours later thirty miles north under New Madrid, Missouri.
The third earthquake on January 23, 1812 was of smaller intensity, but it was followed on February 7, 1812 by the largest event on the thrust zone, again under the shattered village of New Madrid. Aftershocks continued to shake the region for the next five years.
The 1810 census reported the population of the affected region to be about 5,000, plus as many as 20,000 slaves. This covered the cities along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, including Louisville, New Madrid, and down to Memphis. That census did not even consider the sizable Native American Indian population in the area.
Some estimates suggest that as much as 20% of the total population was killed as a result of the seismic activity and pestilence that followed. It was a small number back then, but today over 32 million people live in the threatened region; 20% would be 6.4 million.
Both of Penny's books received Honorable Mention at the MidSouthCon Science Fiction Fair and are noted for their detailed descriptions of the effects of seismic shaking along the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
Penny says, “My books are based upon analytical studies of what the new world will be like in Memphis and along the Mississippi River when such a seismic event takes place. It is not a matter of IF, but of WHEN.” The USGS estimates that in the next 50 years there is a a 25 to 40 percent chance of a magnitude 6 or larger earthquake, including a 7 to 10 percent chance of another series like that of 1811 and 1812.
The books consider both the immediate dynamic impacts of the strong seismic events that will happen in the region, as well as the effects upon society as the infrastructure of civilization falls apart around the area.
“I am pleased with the response of some who live along the New Madrid Seismic Zone in their preparations for an obvious event in their future,” Penny says, “but I am still concerned with the lack of preparation in the overall region for what could be their fate in the not too distant future.”
Penny's books are available at Amazon.com and at www.prudentrver.com. The Kindle versions of the book are available exclusively at kdp.Amazon.com.
Lifting that last little bit of hype, and cleaning up that last little piece of mal-adjusted grammar, just takes so much effort. This is my third, and according to some my "best," novel over the time-space of thirteen years, and I easily forget how much effort must go into that final stretch. But, I am still on schedule to have the book into POD print on Amazon and downloadable for Kindle and other ebooks by the end of the year.
If I miss and slip into January, so be it, but I will do my best to meet my schedule.
I do have a website up and running, but with few resources and links. It is called www.WasATimeWhen.com and you can go see it now.
My daughter and I had an interesting bone of contention about the title. She said it should read "Was a Time When" and the article "a" should not be capitalized. I thought it was okay to make it "A" and have pushed back on her. I am compromising: the cover will be "a" and the website domain will be "A."
So I have been providing copies of the pre-final-edit version for reviews and comments. I have been very pleased with the response and the suggestions for improving the book. In fact, I plan to make some modifications to the final copy to cover those suggestions. I am also making use of the professional editors at createspace.com (formerly booksurge.com) to create a really clean and professional looking book.
It is all looking good, and with a little bit of luck, I will have released the book on Amazon before 1/1/2012.
Just a note, for those who are into history, December 16, 2011, is the 200th anniversary of the first of the five great earthquakes to strike the New Madrid fault back in 1811. My new book has a repeat taking place in the 2030s, but that is for literary convenience and part of my story line. It could happen at anytime.
sam
I have begun the final editing of my new book. It should go to the printer by next month. I have taken the advice of a couple of early reviews and put the story into a normal time sense, so the Sam Hardy tells his tale from his birth to the end of the century.
As soon as the book becomes available, I will let everyone know. If you want a review copy, send an email to sam@prudentrver.com and tell me of how your review will be published. BTW, it will first be available as an ebook/Kindle and I expect to have hardcopy sometime later.
sam
My daughter sent along a link to an article by Raymond Learsley at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raymond-j-learsy/extra-extra-wsj-and-nytim_b_975406.html and asked me to comment on it. My reaction follows:
Deb,
The original proposition of "peak oil" began with a model of how the production rate of oil from a "typical" oil field varied over time. The oil field would produce more and more as more wells were drilled until it reached a point at which the rate of production began to fall for various geological reasons: dropping pressures, depleted formations, water intrusion, etc. The point in time at which the peak rate occurred was called Peak Oil. M. King Hubbert in 1956 proposed a mathematical model (the logistics model) to describe this behavior.
King and others proposed that the rate of production of a related group of oil fields would exhibit the same sort of behavior, and King showed that the Texas fields did indeed follow that pattern. Others showed that the North Sea fields and some of the MidEast fields followed the pattern. Still other said the oil production rate for all the world's oil fields would follow this pattern. This meant that at some time in the future, the rate of production for the entire globe would fall back to zero.
There were strong arguments that this would not occur because of the discovery of new fields and advances in technology would make up the difference. The view that the supply of oil could at some time in the future go down was discounted because a majority of those the oil patch felt that advances would happen faster than increases in the demand for oil.
In 1972 the book "Limits to Growth" was published. It described a model in which a rapidly growing population with a finite supply of resources showed that growth could not be sustained forever, and at some time in the 21st century society would collapse and the population would diminish to match the resources available. I actually worked with the World3 model during the early 70s when I was teaching System Simulation Techniques at UC Extension to see how the predictions came about.
Reaction to this book was very strong, and mainstream economics theory refused to accept that this possible course of history could matter. In 2002 a review of the original book with reality found that the results of the 1972 study were still on track. I believe that part of this has come from the recognition that Peak Oil is indeed a factor to be considered in the near future of our world.
Which brings us to today. The arguments about growth and peak oil are becoming louder and louder. And they are becoming more important and potentially earth-shaking.
Today the mainstream of economics is based upon Keynesian theory that has as one of its basic tenants the belief that growth can always happen. Holding up that belief is the belief that there is an infinite supply of resources. It is this theory that leads to the need to save the banks and provide stimuli to our economy. Those that argue against this plan also believe in the infinite supply of resources, and they say to let the market control everything, it will all work out.
Both are wrong. Resources are not infinite, and one of the first commodities that is showing this limitation is fossil fuel. There has indeed been a peak in the rate of production of oil, and that peak is reflected in the increased price for fuel. It will only get worse as there are more and more people in the world and more of them want to live like we do here in the USA. But to admit that peak oil exists means you must accept the fact that growth cannot continue for the whole world forever. That is why Learsley yells and screams and Yergin publishes his academic patter trying to convince everyone that everything is okay. The article referenced is pure, unadulterated propaganda, because if they do not beat down those who say there is a problem, someone may say something needs to be done about it, and the solutions are not nice.
Peak Oil ... YES, and that is only the beginning.
love, Dad
sam, the Prudent RVer
I was very surprised, and pleased, to receive an email asking me to do a radio interview with Kellene Bishop on the Preparedness Radio Network to discuss preparedness and self-reliance as it relates to my earthquake novels "Memphis 7.9 (revised)" and "Broken River." This interview is currently scheduled for Saturday 10/1 around 10am MDT.
As I thought of the problem of preparedness, I realized there are really two levels to consider. One is to be ready for the sudden onslaught of disaster, like an earthquake or hurricane, and I think this is some of where Bishop is going to come from.
The other level is preparing for survival in the world I see developing across the earth, a world where there are the pressures of over-population, reduced resources and limited supplies, and changing climate.It occurred to me in such a world, the resources required for one person to survive will necessarily be taken away from someone else. The result will be that you may survive, but someone else will not.
I do not have a good comment on this dilemma at this point, but it gets to the question of just what are your rights in the upcoming fight to survive. Think about it.
Sam Penny, the Prudent RVer
Back to one of the three cats - the climate. We are watching Hurricane Irene barrell toward New England, and some are saying it could be bad. There seem to be an amazing number of people out there who are surprised that a hurricane could threaten New York and its surroundings. There are a few that are saying they have been trying to tell people for years that there is a risk from weather such as this, but not one really wanted to listen. And definitely too many are concerned about the profits next quarter to do any mitigation for the possibility.
Count me as one of the cassandras. My daughter is reviewing my latest book (Was A Time When) and she might have noticed on page 6 of Chapter 15 entitled June, 2024 A.D., Adolescence the following bite of Sam telling of what he remembers from when he was eleven years old:
An amazing number of people in 2026 still denied that our society had a problem with energy or weather or the economy. The world kept changing around them, and they just didn't know how to handle it. It took little effort on my part to make a fortune on their stupidity. I started small with my gaming profits, and before long built that stash into a pretty good bankroll, in the millions. I moved most of the money to off-shore accounts just to be safe.
At the end of August in 2026, Hurricane Gracie hit New York City. She came toward land as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of just under 150 miles per hour, but she hit Manhattan as a Category 5. I remember how Mom, Dad, and I sat glued to the TV throughout the night watching the satellite images as the hurricane’s eye wound its way up the coast of New Jersey across Long Beach, then veered into the Lower Bay just south of New York City. Early in the morning it punched north into the Upper Bay and continued up the west side of the Hudson River. I can still remember TV pictures of the Statue of Liberty inside the eye standing so peaceful in the sunrise.
The storm surge up the East River measured thirty-five feet. Water poured from the river onto the surrounding countryside. Long Island disappeared under water, and over half of New Jersey flooded. When the storm ended over they reported fifty-three thousand people dead or missing, and authorities estimated over two trillion dollars in damage. I heard that the storm left more than eight million homeless, and the damage reached far north past Albany.
The hurricane destroyed the island of Manhattan. They never found the money to pump out the subways.
Losing the financial center of the country – and maybe of the world – broke the back of the US financial structure. China and Saudi Arabia moved out of dollars, and the world stopped denominating oil in dollars. They required gold or grain or some other solid commodity to complete any transaction..
Financially, being one of the lucky ones, I moved all my funds out of New York to Lisbon and Sydney the year before. I put most of my cash into gold equivalents. With things so unstable I started another gold fund in Johannesburg, managed it over the Internet, and learned basic commodities trading first hand.
My International funds continued to do well by any measure, and I possessed a good supply of Chinese Yuan and gold stashed away in a Singapore bank built high above the bay. Rising sea-levels would not catch me.
Just wanted you to know I wrote this excerpt over five years ago, only a year after Katrina visited New Orleans. So the current story in the news is not all that new. It will be interesting to see how close I come in my prediction -- okay, I am off by 15 years and the intensity is down, but that is because of the limitation placed on the timing of my story. What will be the impact on New York City? We will know in a few days.
Oh yes, Irene is only a Cat 2 at this time and will probably fall to Cat 1 before land-fall. But things like this do happen, even though the full effects of climate change are not yet upon us.
sam
As I watch this crazy world turn around me, I wonder just what I should be worrying about now.
The markets are acting crazy, but I am invested in gold so things have been going well for me. My friends have bank stocks, and they are leaning over and vomiting with the results they are seeing.
The weather has moderated, but only for a time. We keep waiting for some hurricane to form in the Caribeanne and rush toward somewhere along our Gulf Coast line.
The politicians are showing signs of senility and random thought, more than my friends in this retirement community where I live. I wonder if anyone is at the helm to lead us.
The banks in Europe are about to crumble, and they will drag down the banks in the US. But all the banks have dropped in "stock value" by over 90% in the past five years, so does it matter. Apple is now worth more than the top 32 banks in Europe. You could buy the whole lot for about $340B.
At this rate we do not need to hold our breath waiting for the 3 cats to come along. We will be long gone before they get here.
sam
The first four days of this weeks have been a roller-coaster ride in the financial markets. It is a fight between those who think the world in falling into an abyss and those who think the world is finally recovering. They are both wrong.
The world is on a sloping path toward less. We are rapidly depleting our resources and will soon find ourselves having to get along with less. But that does not mean we are falling into an abyss. It means we will have to learn how to live on less, using less, and receiving less. It simply means less of everything.
The world is not going to recover in the sense that the economy (some call it GDP) will keep on growing and growing. There is no real way for the housing market to recover -- we already have too many houses for those who can afford them. We cannot export our way out of this mess because our production costs are already too high to compete with the rest of the world. Recovery is a dream word from the politicians who want everyone to believe they have a solution.
What we need is to find a better way of living sustainably. It will at least help for a little while, but in the end we still have the three cats eating our lunch, or maybe eating us.
sam, the Prudent RVer