I’m finding it difficult to write science fiction while living in an apocalypse. It was a lot more fun when dystopia was just some geeks exploring the future for fun and profit. But now all the hot topics have come to pass. Worldwide pandemic, check. Medical testing at border crossings, check. Climate change, check. Mistrust of government, conspiracy theories, artificial intelligence, check, check, check. What is a sci-fi author to do now?

Personally, I have been writing historical fantasy or period science fiction, and generally in the shorter form. There is just too much intimate detail in a novel to risk turning the reader off with a mistake in fact. Too many questions are still outstanding about the near future. Will face masks be required for travelers? Will vaccine passports be routine? Will old people continue to live in protected enclaves? Will social isolation and working from home be the new normal for the next generation?

Also, there is the soul-deadening weight of anxiety from a full year living in quarantine conditions. I’m not finding it conducive to creative work. I feel prompted more toward physical work. I want to see immediate change in my environment, instant gratification. My wife and I drywalled one of our houses and put on a new roof with help from our family. We painted the exterior of another house. We put in new windows and doors, along with all the detailed trim and caulking work. We have rarely been so busy.

But my two novels in progress? Nope. Not with all the time in the world.