Love this! I especially like the nuance of how the older Unmarked members, perhaps the ones who had suspicions years ago, were the first to realize the deceptive nature of the JCA while the younger Unmarked members were still in denial with some even thinking the siege was a practice test. A wonderfully and eerily written dystopian story indeed!
I still remember the day when I interviewed that old man. He was a resident of… how should I put it… an involuntary “vacation camp?” One of the most horrid things he told me was about the self-brainwashed people who actually believed that it was their fault that they were sent there…
Another oldster told me a story that involved trains. I was inspired by it and, of course, wrote a similar occurrence though in my own scifi setting. Still, the message is the same - learn from history or suffer the same mistakes.
Wow, your mention of trains reminds me of that dystopian movie Snowpiercer. That's cool about how you found inspiration from real life experiences. Stephen King once said that "fiction is the truth inside the lie", and I've found that summarizes the importance and power of scifi and fantasy stories. I know I've gotten to know myself better by working out real life issues through the telling of my stories. I hope this makes my stories relatable to other readers as well if they find themselves struggling with the same life questions.
Very well written to be sure, the setting itself tells the story, which has the august authority of a futuristic fable
Love this! I especially like the nuance of how the older Unmarked members, perhaps the ones who had suspicions years ago, were the first to realize the deceptive nature of the JCA while the younger Unmarked members were still in denial with some even thinking the siege was a practice test. A wonderfully and eerily written dystopian story indeed!
I still remember the day when I interviewed that old man. He was a resident of… how should I put it… an involuntary “vacation camp?” One of the most horrid things he told me was about the self-brainwashed people who actually believed that it was their fault that they were sent there…
That sounds absolutely terrifying.
Another oldster told me a story that involved trains. I was inspired by it and, of course, wrote a similar occurrence though in my own scifi setting. Still, the message is the same - learn from history or suffer the same mistakes.
Wow, your mention of trains reminds me of that dystopian movie Snowpiercer. That's cool about how you found inspiration from real life experiences. Stephen King once said that "fiction is the truth inside the lie", and I've found that summarizes the importance and power of scifi and fantasy stories. I know I've gotten to know myself better by working out real life issues through the telling of my stories. I hope this makes my stories relatable to other readers as well if they find themselves struggling with the same life questions.
Indeed! Meeting with real people, drawing inspiration from their life was, and will always be a great way to make your stories relatable.