Super Typhoon Hits Tokyo (Fictional)

Short Story Writer’s Journal: (May Contain Spoilers)

This story started life from a single word prompt, monsoon.

I (once again) avoided writing anything for four days after getting this prompt, thinking I needed time to research and put together a storyline, haha.

That’s all fine and dandy, but my goal is to write at least two stories weekly and get closer to my target of 52 stories by October 8th. Seeing that this is number #25, I am not yet halfway done (gulp.) But no matter, I do what I can.

I ended up writing This Bloodshot Sky in two consecutive days, and once beyond the second paragraph, it seemed to me it was about the relevance of friendship and societal norms in a collapsing world order.

What price stability when chaos and conflict loomed everywhere?

This is one of those stories where I wanted to know what happens next. Yes, there is an implied Happy Ever After (HEA) ending because its got romance (whatever that might mean for two characters facing a very uncertain future.)

Some of the topics that coalesced to form the story’s bedrock include:

• Geoengineering (solar radiation management) - the story’s title alludes to this.

• Fallout from Geopolitical tensions e.g. India and Pakistan.

• Anthropogenic Climate Disruption on steroids.

• The future of nations and of government by consent in a chaotic world.

Of course, in a tale of less than 3,000 words, these topics can but color the background canvas on which the two main characters (Greg and Naomi) play out their drama. It could be set in any time period that involved major change (e.g. WW2) but since my primary genre is science fiction, I wanted to set this one in a terrifying future that may be closer than we can imagine.

Onward!

(A summary listing of all short stories in this challenge can be found by clicking 52-in-52.)