Laundrygate is an unusual collection of short stories about the unimagined aftereffects of technology. Do not get me wrong…I love technology. My stories are reflective tales about the unforeseen consequences of technology, which creates irresponsible, reckless, impulsive, deceptive, dangerous, scandalous, illegal, and lethal outcomes.
My four short stories take on the types of technologies we have today to predict posthumanism aftermath. We cannot continue to consume these technologies without understanding the transformations that occur from habitual use and not expect the evolution of human behavior or transhumanism, environmental ramifications, political fallout, religious upheaval, destruction of education, and or collapse of economies. These daunting considerations I take on, and release them, in these simple short stories, to suggest future possibilities.
My first story is The Chairman. In this scenario, I put us into the not so distant future. We discover that sight enhanced by ocular implants can-do amazing, powerful things, especially for the woman in charge of the company. She takes command of the room, and you will be surprised at how she conducts her meetings.
October 15, 2016, I woke up from a horrifying dream that caused me to grab my tablet and write. I could not stop writing. This was not the first-time my dreams caused alarm. In those wee hours of the morning, 2016 was written as a cautionary tale of lost humanity, from the over-dependence on technology, and total unawareness of unintended consequences. The characters and events of 2016 take on challenges that have not been considered. Witness Historian from 2077, is tasked with understanding the disaster that changed the nation so dramatically that it is unrecognizable. The truth is uncovered about the victimization of citizens from a horrible parasite that consumes and bends their will power to whomever has control. 2016 is a roller coaster meeting a machine gun. The ups and downs are multifaceted directions. If your thing is linear storytelling this story will frustrate you. If you’re willing to read it, consider the feeling of drinking from a firehose where there is so much coming at you it’s hard to grasp but more you let in the more the story becomes whole. Please be forewarned; some of the scenes 2016 are violent.
Laundrygate gives us a chance to take a breath from the dystopian while considering the distant future. Laundrygate brings together two remarkably diverse beings, their discovery of earthly delights, and adventures through the universe made possible by Elon Musk, the 24th cloned. I imagined humans being bored by technological advances, and otherworldly beings taking advantage of interspecies transference and relationship development to remind us of the beauty of our humanity. In Laundrygate, I am hoping you will find the humor in the awkwardness of being human as seen through the eyes of Kela and Mr.-Skip-the-Life-Fandango.
My last story to complete Laundrygate’s first volume is HEA.VEN. This story came out of a business plan I wrote in 2008 but was way too advanced for acceptance. HEA.VEN reinvents the story of resurrection and technological creativity. The heroine, Jessa the Creator, transforms death and the afterlife, and gives new meaning to human evolution. Her company Human Evolution Afterlife Virtual Eternity Net provides the tools for anyone who wants to create their own heaven. The conflict of who owns HEA.VEN is under attack. HEA.VEN does content some negativity towards religion.
These four stories represent many worlds and opportunities that technologies could bring to reality. I use strong female characters to tell the truths of what might and can be. My characters are like you and me; we strive each day to learn, create, imagine, to be greater, and experience more. Our encounters are not like our counterparts who have it easier, but we can calculate the struggle and do so with conviction and heart. We must be flexible like the cat. When you read my short stories, I hope you encounter the connections that tie these tales together.
Laundrygate, Strange Stories About the Future is available in:
Enjoy!