First off I want to thank ALL of my readers here for their patience and comments about my works "Magic 201" and "Magic 301". Yes, I am in great need of an editor. And I finally have one. His name is Claude. (Yes) Yes, I went and had him go through and review what my writing was and I got about 30 pages of edit changes. So I am going into 201 first and I am going to ask to resubmit it. That will probably take me until thanksgiving. Then I will do 301 and give it the same word based enema. The context won't change, the character won't change, but the spelling, and the host of other issues will.
Then I am going to submerge myself into another Chapter of the world of Hank. And a few of his followers. The death of his consul, and the new group of characters that come along. The main challenge to Hank's world is based on the publication of the programs (like PRISM) that shook this nation in reaction to 9-11. As well as the grueling repeat of Vietnam that came to our televisions and our neighborhoods.
I admit that Hank has some angst about the changes in the world. And the initial bumps into the world of Intelligent Augmentation that came about in the 2010s. Followed by the massive growth of IA that precedes today.
If you like how this moved, keep an eye out for Magic 401. Coming out next year (After I clean up the mess I made with 201 and 301)
again, thank you all for critique and comments. And let's see if I can get this over the 9.00 hump.
OK. Couple of things. Thing 1. I deleted part of chapter 20 of 301. The part that began with ME in 2022. Why? Because it didn't continue the story. Yes, Chapter 20 leaves you in a lurch with Hank saying that he has a lot to do. 9/11/2001 was an experience for everyone in the US. and Around the world. We, as a nation, made a lot of mistakes. I firmly believe that you cannot change people who have an opinion and are willing to execute actions to support that opinion. behavior and other changes MUST be internal. You can offer choice. But you cannot enforce it. Looking at the current news releases from Afghanistan regarding "Women's education after primary school" is proof enough. Heinlein wrote a book long ago where he said "If you cannot live within the restrictions of your home, move". Frankly I think that the Afghan women should all move out and leave the Taliban to try to reproduce asexually for a hundred years or so. Maybe then they can die out.
I am reviewing the notes I made during the time after the towers fell to recapture the mood of the times, and to see the mistakes we made evolving in front of us. It is a time that Wizards, Mages, Hedgewitches, and others had to worry about. But that era also produced some amazing examples of Art, and Science. We should never forget that as well.
And now, we live in an interesting world. My friend Claude is reviewing my work and saying the same thing Ihave heard here. "Didn't you have a dictionary in Word?" SO Chapter 20 of 301 is now pending review and replacement. And I am working on 401. Who knows? I may get it right the first time.
Yes. I remember 2001. Only it was not "The Space Odyssey" that I experienced. I look back on that era and wonder "What would Hank Do?"
And I think he would do as I suggested. Find a way to shelter those dear to him from the upcoming turmoil of the next sixteen years, and hide himself and others where they could not be easily seen. At least that is what *I* would hope he would do.
Then again, I am a retired old man. What do I know about the people I work with in my retirement. Of course, my travel arrangements are a little unusual. But that's ok. I don't seem to be waiting in airports very much.
Thank you all for reading this missive. And I apologize for being so long in getting it finished. And thank you all for your indulgence in reading the few works I put together.
Jim McDonald.
Somewhere, Out there. Beneath god's clear blue sky.