The Map That Broke My Brain (And Maybe Democracy)

What can we learn from futuristic sci-fi world building? I have some thoughts on this.

As a mom of two toddlers, I spent too much time creating this for yall to not share, lol. (Happy Father’s Day to the dad who watches our kids while I create fictitious maps.)

What would a governance system based on ideological divides as opposed to geographical ones like the United States currently has look like? I have some thoughts.

I’m back diving deep into my twisted world-building rabbit hole for my post-apocalyptic trilogy The Herd (Book 1 is out, Book 2 is coming whether you're ready or not), and I thought I'd share some of the delightful process with you. Because nothing says “fun newsletter content” like exploring how America could fracture into ideological factions, right?

One of the first things you have to do when building a sci-fi or fantasy novel is world-building. For speculative fiction, this is easier because you're often pattern projecting—recognizing patterns in society and behavior, identifying a strong theme, and building around it. For me, that pattern was disinformation and ideological extremism (someone said I set my book too far in the future, lol).

The Faction Influence Map I created shows where the ideological strongholds end up after they take over in the form of factions. In the novel, the factions operate like states within a nation (if states had more power than the federal government), and the faction leaders are like more powerful versions of senators.

Think of the Herd world as what might happen when your family dinner political arguments become actual governing structures. It's representation by worldview rather than zip code.

The Faction Breakdown

Adding the map again so you don’t have to scroll. You’re welcome :)

There are many more ideologies I could have drawn from, but these are the factions I chose to create. I pulled most of these names from Latin:

Patriots: Extreme nationalists with quasi-eugenic tendencies. The description speaks for itself.

Tantum: The unaligned folks who said “nah, we’re good” to the whole faction thing. They´re concentrated along the East Coast, probably stress-eating bagels and complaining about everyone else.

Latus: The socially liberal crew. They’re the ones who’d probably have the best coffee shops in this dystopian hellscape.

Sumbolas: The communists hanging out in blue-collar territory. Picture Michigan but with more workers' councils and a collective healthcare system.

Divinus: Your friendly neighborhood theocracy, primarily Bible Belt-based.

Opes: The extreme capitalists who would literally sell your grandmother's kidney if the market offered enough for it.

I am curious, what ideologies do you think I should have added? (I may add to book two or three.)

So What?

Creating a sci-fi world was an entertaining form of escape, but it also made me imagine where our current ideological extremes could lead us. That dark future is part of the Herd, but so is the hope that even in our twisted fate, there are people who still care about truth, integrity, and each other.

This weekend in the DMV, some people went to the President’s parade, but quite a few went out and protested the current system. I like to ask protesters: what world do they want to build instead?

World-building isn't just about becoming a sci-fi writer (though honestly, we could use more of those). It's about stretching your imagination muscle. Because if Americans can’t envision the future we want, how are we supposed to build it?

Coming Soon: The World Map (Because Apparently I Hate Sleep)

Next up, I'm building out the global map for this universe, and let me tell you, some of what I imagined is already starting to happen in real life. Which is either really good world-building or really concerning pattern recognition.

Probably both.

P.S. - If you've read Book 1 of The Herd, this map should help clarify some of the political landscape our heroine is navigating. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? Democracy isn't going to collapse itself! (Well, actually...)

P.P.S. - Book 2 is available for pre-order because I'm an optimist who believes in finishing trilogies and also paying rent.

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