Learning from Dystopia

Greetings Everyone,

I suspect it feels odd to see such a gloomy dystopian image on my protopian blog but as you will discover, there is good reason.

As a writer, I spend a lot of time reading. Since there are so few positive near-future novels available, I end up reading a small library of dystopian stories every year. Some are horrific but a growing number offer lessons which I find helpful.

Typical dystopian stories rely on a variety of disaster scenarios as the trigger event to start off the story. Some are climate related like rising sea levels or mega droughts. Some are human caused such as an engineered virus or other nasty element which either escapes a lab or is intentionally release to wreak havoc on the population. Even others are caused by a some exterrestrial event such as an asteroid or a solar flair that knocks out our technology in the blink of an eye.

But the vast majority of these stories centers on one or more characters who are trying to survive themselves or working against all odds to get to their loved ones who are usually thousands of miles away.

Lessons Learned

After reading literally hundreds of these stories, several tips have shown to be critical in increasing the chance of survival.

Preparation - Successful characters tend to have assembled a simple collection of items that they keep in some form of a "to go bag." It is common for them to have put items such as a water filter, MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat), a well-stocked first aid kit, flashlight, change of clothes, compass, sturdy shoes, an emergency blanket and a few other items they can grab before they head out of town.

Basic Skills - Very few people these days have the kind of survival skills needed to live long term after a catastrophic event. Even though, knowing how to cook, put up a simple shelter, give basic first aid, protect yourself, using a compass and foraging for food can go a long way and make the difference between dying within a few days or having the chance to get to find others and get to a safe place.

Community - By far the most critical element of success in a growing number of these stories, is the power of community to support survival and eventual recovery. When the s*&@ hits the fan (WTSHTF) surviving on your own is an extremely remote probability unless you are in excellent physical shape and a survival skills expert. Instead, groups of often diverse characters band together to share skills, offer protection, and set up enclaves where they can begin the long road to recovery

These elements are also the foundation for any positive (protopian) future we create. In my soon-to-be-published novel Catapult, I offer glimpses of a future where preparation, essential skills, and especially community are show as foundational elements of a realistic and life-promoting future.

If you would like to read a pre-published version of my novel for only $.99, please use this link to purchase and download it. When you have completed reading, please consider writing a review as that is the best ways to entice others to read it as well.

To a better future for all living beings.