What do you get the science fan who has everything? What’s next after you get Google Glass, drive a hydrogen-powered, self-driving car, wear out your first 3D printer, and turn over part of your garage to drone storage? That’s right: your own personal DNA sequencer. Today’s Los Angeles Times ran…
News from the Future #1
[Note: this will be an irregular feature showcasing news stories from the world of South, in the America of 2032. Most will be inspired by present-day happenings.] New Cowboys Stadium to Open August 12, 2031 DALLAS – After a seven-month construction delay, the eagerly anticipated Jerry Jones Memorial Stadium will…
Great interview on Seeley James’ blog
Seeley James, author of The Geneva Decision and its sequel Bring It, just put up an interview with me on his blog. This one asks questions that aren’t the usual author-interview questions, so even if you’ve seen some of the others, it’s not the same. Another bonus: he’s got me up…
Go South
South is now available on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and in trade paperback from Amazon and Barnes & Noble (so far). If it isn’t in your favorite online store yet, don’t worry — it takes a few days to make its way through the system.
The E-Plate Shuffle
Once again, the real world moves faster than the world of South. Yesterday, California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed a law that allows the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to start experimenting with electronic license plates. South Carolina and New Jersey have similar bills in progress. California DMV will be able…
On the Road to South
In case you’ve been wondering (a) why the Burrow has been so quiet lately, and (b) what’s happening with South, you’re in luck: the answer is the same for both questions. I’m on final approach with editing South. It’s made its way through the beta-reader python. I’ve sorted out the…
Partially Yours
An aspect of South’s version of the United States in 2032 has raised a question with a few people. How, they wonder, could wages have collapsed so far that most working people are part of the “working poor”? Our Hero Luis – manager of a garage that adds armor and…
More Reasons to be Paranoid: Mobile Cell-Phone Intercepts
One of our favorite autocracies (Russia) brings us a new tech product that bypasses pesky FISA courts and warrants: AIBIS, a device that mimics a GSM cell tower and can intercept up to eight simultaneous connections within a 500m range. It can soak up voice, SMS, mobile internet and call-setup…
The Upside to South’s World
If you’ve followed my series of posts about the dystopian version of 2032 America in my work-in-progress South, you may be wondering if anything good has come of the state of things. Someone in my critique group asked what the South equivalent would be to Italian trains (supposedly) running on…
Need a Cop? Call a Contractor
Once again, the present catches up with the future: the Los Angeles Times reports on the growing use of private security firms and private investigators to carry out work public police forces used to do. The Times reports, “The U.S. private security industry is expected to grow 6.3% a…