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Hello, 2020

A new decade, the date of many an old-school futuristic setting (though the Cyberpunk 2020 game has since had the wisdom to update its year). The future is now, even though it doesn’t feel much different than last year. In fact, it feels like the future is losing its shine, with what awaits us all if we don’t do anything to mitigate climate change.

I don’t mean to be gloomy about the future, and I certainly shouldn’t feel that way after returning from vacationing in Puerto Rico earlier this month, but that feeds into it.

Puerto Rico was and continues to be colorful and vibrant, a place I’ll never stop calling home. My partner was continually amazed at how everywhere–even at the bottom of a sewer grating–was a riot of growth, and watching her experience what I did for most of my life made me happy. We ended up driving to Crash Boat Beach, in the west of the island because we missed the timeframe to get to Gilligan’s Island on the southern coast.

As it turned out, not south might have been a good thing.

We arrived on the island the night that one of the first earthquakes hit, though we didn’t feel them where we were staying. The quakes and aftershocks have continued since, and the lack of action from the local and Federal governments has already prompted protests.

I loved visiting the island again, and walking through the arts district in Santurce. Any given evening, we’d stop to take pictures of murals, some hiding what was an empty, hollowed out building. Two years after Hurricane Maria, I found many of the places I knew changed little save for everything looking that much more worn down, spent. Maybe these signs had always been there while I lived in Puerto Rico and after some time away, I’m noticing these things with fresh eyes, but I’m not so sure. It definitely feels like an equilibrium’s been passed and everything’s tilting ever-so-slightly towards crumbling down into rubble.

I hope I’m wrong.

In other (cheerier) news, Uncanny Magazine has put up their poll for Reader Favorites of 2019. I humbly ask that if you enjoyed my story, This Is Not My Adventure, please vote for it. It bears repeating that my story is also eligible for awards, so if you vote for the Hugos, the Nebulas or the Locus Awards, please consider it.