Is someone editing these?

I want to believe that there is a good story here. Not a great one, but a good one. But making a good story takes editing, at both the structural level and in places where one might simply try to prevent the author from looking ridiculous. Topics for meetings with said editor might include, “How to Write Young People and Their Slang Without Sounding Like You’re 88 Years Old.” Or, “Throwing Stars: Cool on Your Wall When You Were in Grade 7, but Maybe Not If You’re an International Assassin.” Or, “It Sucks That I Can’t Even Send You to Workshop with Tom Clancy Because Tom Clancy is Dead.”

But editing needn’t be such a big damn deal. Let’s look at my favorite line, which I must paraphrase because there’s no way in hell I’m going back to find it. It went something like this: “Experts suspected that a nuclear war between North and South Korea would be deadly.” I heard this sentence and stopped the story immediately to rewind it 30 seconds. Then I hit play, just to be certain I’d heard this sentence that a person, being paid real money to write stories, actually wrote. Sure enough, there it was: A nuclear war between North and South Korea would kill people. Gee, thanks for clarifying. And I wish it were the worst line in the book. It is not.

Seriously, who is editing these things? Are they college students? High school freshman? Chimps? Oh, and another thing: The amount of brand-name products mentioned – along with these products’ attributes – makes one wonder weather I am expected to stop listening at some point to this Amazon branded media product, and then go to the coincidentally placed Amazon Prime app and load up on said products. I’d provide you with some examples, but the book does a good enough job without my help.

As for the story itself, it’s fine. I do believe that the author did his research into American and foreign nuclear capabilities. The evidence is everywhere. But he needed an editor before someone put him on the Amazon/Audible Traveling Medicine Show. Example: The motivation assigned to the president for his hatred of North Korea and the decisions that (I think…?) motivate his actions are as ridiculous as they are completely confusing. Of course, given the idiot that 70 million of my moronic countrymen put into the White House (again), maybe it’s not too far-fetched to think that avenging the death of a beloved uncle (???) might compel a president to attack North Korea.

Or … to not attack North Korea. Or, wait … fake an attack warning from North Kor—yeah, never mind.

There other elements to this story that haven’t aged well since 2019. Then again, the target audience for this book probably isn’t going to get too up in arms about realistic trans characters.

I’ll leave this one for the Trumpers.