Resilience

In this novel fusing elements of dystopian fiction and sci-fi, a girl named Regina, who narrates most of the story, lives on the seaside of barriers that protect residents behind them from elevated waters effected by climate change, with her clan sentenced to live there by the World Federation. Tricentenarians rule the female-centric Federation with a system of castes, with Chief Inspector of its Department of Antiquities Joanne Demarco, who is occasionally the focus of third-person sections of otherwise exclusively-first-person chapters, in pursuit of Regina, who attempts desperately to survive an approaching hurricane.

The narrative itself opens at Richmond Swamps in the month of June in the year 296 After Community Movement (ACM). Before one immerses oneself into the story proper, it might be a good idea to reference the glossaries that appear after the main text, which list the name of important dramatis personae such as Regina Shen and her sister Colleen and give helpful tips on the book’s backstory such as the Great Collapse, which occurred about four years before the commencement of the ACM calendar system, not to mention details about the literary universe’s caste system levels.

Most of the novel’s action revolves around Regina’s attempts to weather out the hurricane, with occasional separation from her family members, not to mention simultaneous pursuit by the Department of Antiquities, the third-person sections with Demarco being decent breaks from the first-person narration. This reviewer further liked how despite the book’s dealing with the potential adverse effects of climate change, it doesn’t become preachy on the issue, and although the book would receive three sequels, the first ends without any major cliffhangers or last-minute revelations, ultimately accounting for a satisfying read.

He was raised by a roaming aerospace engineer, growing up in various parts of the United States and Europe, as well as traveling through Asia. He took to stories as his anchor, including the works of Asimov, Bradbury, and Heinlein, and has been writing since age eleven.

Growing up, he was inspired by his father’s engineering work on cutting-edge aerospace projects to look to the future.

In an ideal world, Lance would find time loops where he could step out for a week at a time to read and write. Then he would return to the moment he left, without life getting in the way. Of course, since everyone would have the same ability, he suspects life would still sneak in.

Lance is also the author of short stories and novelettes.

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