Monday, May 21, 2012

Convergence: A Novel of a Catastrophic Future

Well thought out, systematically executed science fiction (or fact), this novel is humanity's frantic response to the effects of its own ignorance. Of the catastrophe, climate change is only one of the effects. What becomes clear is that when an "effect" arises, it then can and does "affect" other systems. It is kind of an anti-symbiosis wherein the damage caused by ever increasingly interdepending disasters fuels the fire for their own destruction.
This is not a spoiler. The narrative of Convergence ends with a note from an anthrohistorian in 2721, 700 years after the collapse. "A finite world can support only a finite population; therefore, population growth must eventually equal zero." In addition to the controversial partisanship stalemating problems such as climate change, economic inequality and unceasing warfare, overpopulation has become equally destructive. By the narrative's end, the author states the uncomfortable question bluntly. As much as we've done (or propose to do) about those economic, social and climate issues, should we also consider regulating human breeding? And if so, how can we prevent a Big Brother scenario if such considerations are made and implemented?
Paul Boerger's novel "Convergence" addresses this very issue by presenting a stark, dystopic future resulting from multiple problems all converging at a certain time: 2020. The novel makes the case that we are able to prevent our own destruction, genetically determined or not, but this requires keen awareness of ecology, evolution, conscience, economic equality and the relative morality in terms of the social and the individual good. Perhaps the most shocking or thought-provoking elements of the book is the warning about overpopulation. Although not outright liberal, this novel differs from works such as 1984, Brave New World, and Anthem in that it proposes that a lack of government reform on social and industrial practices (rather than an overabundance of state interference) are to blame for the impending catastrophe.
"Convergence" shifts back and forth between three essential time periods: pre-convergence (2020), post-convergence (2220) and the convergence itself (2021). The perhaps intentional irony is that pre-sight (not hindsight) is 2020, the very year global problems are beginning to converge. As each scientist reiterates, at any point in time during the novel, these problems were preventable. A virus breaks out, many small wars are being fought around the world (so many, that the total far exceeds the fighting in either of the World Wars), and the gap between the rich and poor has never been greater. Each problem leads to others and exacerbates them all. Thus, the convergence is not just a coalescence of world changing events, but an exponential chain reaction making each event more catastrophic.
The omniscient narrative shifts back and forth between the three years (2020, 2021 and 2220) with a series of updates or news reports, making the novel read like a non-linear (yet cogent) series of articles, damage control documents and journal entries. As the novel jumps from year to year, it also follows separate lives, some of whom also converge on each other, reinforcing one of the novel's central themes which is that "everything affects everything." And despite the constant shifting in perspective and time, the narrative flows quite smoothly, the complex convergence of catastrophic events coalesces like the analogous, yet paradoxical, perfect storm.
The novel ends with a short note from Boerger and an inclusion of the essay "Tragedy of the Commons," by Garret Hardin, which proposes regulation on human breeding. The article makes a very methodical argument on the ecological and evolutionary impacts of legislating such regulation. Without legislative regulations on breeding, only those who are selfless and intelligent enough to restrain from breeding will do so voluntarily. Ergo, by the rules of evolution, in time, those thoughtful restrainers will be weeded out, leaving only those who do not consider the social good. In other words, conscience will be weeded out evolutionarily. This is an even more stark outcome of the typical post-apocalyptic scenario because we not only would have lost a sense of humanity; we would also have lost the awareness of its value.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Dead of Knight by William R Potter Is a Suspenseful Thriller That Is Tough to Put Down

Author William R. Potter scores big with his mystery, suspense thriller, Dead of Knight. Set in the rural community of Hanson, British Columbia, we follow a police detective and his partner as they hunt down a serial killer.

This may sound like a well-used storyline, but Potter weaves a different kind of tale, rich in details, twists, and heart-thumping scenes. As the number of victims increase, the story-plot thickens, and we find ourselves in a mess of false suspects, copycats, and dead-end clues. Add to all this the element of differing and bickering politics between various branches of law enforcement, and you've got some frustrating moments. Just when you think the case is about to broken, something happens which throws the police off and another murder is committed.

In addition to all of the above, our main character police detective is being haunted by a past. He's a good cop and a thorough detective, but he once made a terrible mistake that resulted in a child being shot. These memories almost cause him to lose his career as well as his cool a few times. As we go along, there's an incident where he's close, but the killer gets the upper hand and makes an attempt on his life that results in severe injuries. At one point, a criminal is caught that many think is the killer, and this guy even confesses to the murders. But our detective knows better and continues on his quest to capture the real serial killer even when other cops, including his own boss, don't believe him. Against these and other odds, our detective keeps focus and in some cases, single-handedly pieces together clues about the killer.

The press has come to call this killer 'The Birthday Boy' due to the fact that one of his many trademarks is killing on the victim's birthday. But we come to find out there's a specific reason for this. In fact, the killer leaves several trademarks that end up having to do with particular events in a very dark past. This killer is actually out for revenge, and his whole life has been consumed with planning and executing a series of murders he believes he's doing in the name of justice and even righteousness.

There are elements throughout this work that make it believable and realistic. If you're a reader that needs to have the feel-good and hero-saves-all storyline, this is not a book for you. This is a gritty account of how evil can and does hurt not just some, but in this case, a lot of innocent victims. Our killer is smart and is able to stay several steps ahead of the police even as he knows they are closing in. Unfortunately, this is a reality that cannot be denied. In real life there have been very intelligent killers that have gotten away with scores more than this killer does, and some have never been caught. This work also contains a level of violence and language that some may not want to read. But again, this is the world we live in.

In the end, there is justice, but not without a huge price. Our police detective is drained both physically and emotionally for a number of reasons. Additionally, one of the cops we come to know ends up dead. But with his remaining strength, our detective sets out in search of a lost person that helps him, at least to some extent, heal his broken past.

If you think this book is for you, then read Dead of Knight, but be prepared to read in long bouts without putting it down. It's suspenseful, it's sometimes frustrating, but it's gripping. It will make you want to see how it concludes. I would be surprised if a movie company didn't eventually pick up on this work.

Kelly Libatique is a professional speaker, technical trainer, and author. He holds a Master's in Education and a Bachelor's in Psychology. He resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Anne and two sons.