Mundanities Issue 1

By J Alan Erwine

Mundane science fiction does not imply boring science fiction. Quite the contrary, mundane science fiction simply means fiction based on plausible science. How can sf be interesting without aliens and interstellar travel, you might ask...well, Mundanities answers that question with five fantastic stories that are based on very realistic science.You get the start of the second American revolution, a man refusing to give up his rights to technology, genetically engineered animals, genetically engineered athletes, and a prison system gone very wrong.Far from boring, these stories will have you thinking “what if?” And isn’t that really the point of science fiction?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nomadic Delirium Press
• Release date: Feb 6, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463230428

J Alan Erwine

J Erwine was born Oct. 15, 1969 in Akron, Ohio. Early in his life he was exposed to science, and specifically astronomy. From there on, J's passion turned to science fiction, a passion that's never died. Due to family issues, J eventually found himself in Denver, Colorado, where he still lives (well, right outside now.) From the time he could put subject and predicate together on paper, J has been writing stories. None of those early stories exist anymore (thankfully), but that passion for writing has never waned. After several years of rejection, the story Trek for Life was eventually sold to ProMart Writing Lab editor James Baker. It wasn't Asimov's, but it was a start. Since that time J has sold more than forty short stories to various small press publishers. In addition ProMart also published a short story collection of J's entitled Lowering One's Self Before Fate, and other stories, which is still available. ProMart also published a novel from J entitled The Opium of the People, which sold a few copies before going out of print. The relevance of the novel after the events of September 11th caused J to self-publish the novel, as he felt the story had a lot to say in the new reality we now find ourselves living in. Now, this same book has been re-released by Nomadic Delirium Press. Eventually J would become an editor with ProMart. Then, after the untimely death of ProMart editor James Baker, J would move on to ProMart's successor Sam's Dot Publishing. J also spends most of his time working as a freelance writer and editor. J's novel was voted a top ten finisher in the 2003 annual Preditors & Editors contest, and his short story The Galton Principle won a ProMart contest for best story over 5,000 words. In addition, a number of his stories have been voted "best of" in various issue of The Martian Wave and The Fifth DI… and have been included in Wondrous Web Worlds Vols. 2, 3, 4, and 6. In 2009, the Ephemeris Role Playing Game was released. J is the co-creator of this game, and has written numerous supplements for the game. J has now sold three novels and four short story collections, all of which are still available from various sources, including Smashwords. J currently lives with his amazing wife, three wonderful children, three cats, and a very quiet turtle.

Book preview

Mundanities

The zine of mundane science fiction

Edited by J Alan Erwine

Published by Nomadic Delirium Press at Smashwords

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright 2019 by Nomadic Delirium Press

All stories are copyrighted in the names of their respective authors

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage and retrieval system, without the written consent of the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passes in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, broadcast, etc.

Nomadic Delirium Press

Aurora, Colorado

Table of Contents

Flour Power by Eamonn Murphy

Last Man Driving by Mike Morgan

Face Value by WC Roberts

Breakaway by Lisa Timpf

Cranks and Bird Charmers by Benjamin Whitney Norris

Flour Power

By Eamonn Murphy

The Second American Revolution began with a tweet.

F.B.I. agent Hank Johnson, 190 lbs of divorced, lonely government agent, sat upright in an office chair diligently working through his reports. A mug of steaming coffee helped him get started on a long day’s work. It was just after 9-30 am. The reflection on his laptop screen told him he was getting older and jowly. He ignored it. There were more important things than how you looked.

Most of the reports were about the strike by farmers that would, it was said, bring the country to the brink of starvation in just a few months. Enrico Santini, leader of the farmer’s union, was the most militant occupant of that office for more than a century, and the most charismatic ever. Men followed him. The clever media had coined the phrase flour power to represent the authority he wielded against the government.

Hank’s station was an isolated F.B.I. office in the great state of Iowa, the heart of the grain industry and he expected trouble with Santini, probably sooner rather than later.

His assistant alerted him to the tweet. Barry Foster jumped to his feet. Long and lean, young and keen, he was fresh out of Yale Law School - class of 2033 - and so delighted to be a genuine G-Man he could barely contain his enthusiasm for the job. New one from the President, he said. Quickly he scanned his device. Tweets from the President occurred late at night when he was drunk but occasionally, as now, when he woke up hungover and annoyed about something. The Chief, as he liked to style himself, became even more irate if the relevant government departments didn’t respond to his war cries with sufficient alacrity. A system had now evolved whereby all government personnel immediately responded to the President’s latest gripe even before the orders had filtered down through the usual channels. He liked quick action.

Hank longed for the days when Congress and the Senate had been more than rubber stamps. At least when a law had to be dragged through both houses an agent had plenty of time to anticipate the trouble it would cause. Now you only had ten seconds notice of the latest decree from the top. Still, it was the top and as a true patriot, Hank respected the chain of command. If there was no order, there would be anarchy. Just as loyal soldiers marched to their death under damn fool generals, so loyal F.B.I. men should faithfully serve a damn fool President. Theirs not to reason why.

To maintain order, tweets had to be obeyed. Hank turned to Barry. What does it say?

Flour power. Bad! Ruining our great country. Someone should arrest those guys now!

Barry looked at Hank. I guess he means the union bosses. I guess someone means us.

We’re the nearest Federal agents. Hank was already tapping away at his device to find the current location of Santini. Weeks before, the Bureau had secreted several locator bugs on various items of his clothing in the interests of National Security.

Isn’t this a local matter?

Hank gave his number two a look of contempt. A good agent shouldn’t dodge responsibility. The tweet came from the Chief Executive, kid. A little dig there. He was twenty years older than Barry. That makes it a Federal case. He was already heading for the exit door.

It was a dry and dusty day on the great plains of America. The corn stood tall in the fields, almost ready for harvesting after a good growing season. There had been a drought for the last few years and it was sorely needed. This bountiful harvest hitting the free market meant the price would come down. It would come down so low as to ruin many farmers and they demanded that the government set a realistic price. The free market might work fine for financiers - the President’s best buddies - but not for farmers.

President Patterson didn’t give a flying fuck about farmers. His newspapers and television channels constantly reminded the public how rotten they were to want all that tax money and it was now clear that he was prepared to use the full power of the state to bring them to heel.

The electric ground car sent up plenty of dust as it careened down the highway but made almost no noise, just the buzzing sound required by law to alert blind or careless pedestrians.

Santini’s at a farm co-operative out in the wilds, said Barry looking at the map on his device. "There’s a meeting of all the local