Week 5: Two Truths and a Fiction, Designing Democracy
Using Fiction to Dream Up What Comes Next
The Fiction Fix- Imagining Democratic Futures
I want to switch things up this week and talk about fiction first, because something important has been on my mind.
I just started writing the second book in my Herd Series, and as I wrestled with how to set the scene, it hit me that this creative exercise might be part of the key to building a better democratic society in America. Hear me out.
In my first book, I spent a lot of time exploring a dystopian future—one where we’ve lost the information war and nobody knows who or what to trust. The result? Chaos. It’s a world where people struggle to navigate a broken system.
Now, in the sequel, I have to dive even deeper. I’m imagining entirely new systems people would build if they had to start from scratch: how they’d reconstruct a devastated healthcare system, tackle systemic inequality, address crime, and confront climate change. By dreaming up fictional solutions, I’ve found myself thinking about real-world fixes. And I realized I haven’t intentionally let my imagination roam like this in a very long time.
Like many of us, I often focus on what I’m against instead of what I’m for.
But writing fiction forces me to consider what could be. I’m creating blueprints for a new world—solutions that might be possible now or maybe one day in the future.
And that, for me, is the magic of fiction: it sparks our imagination. That spark is exactly what we need right now—a space where we can dream of a more perfect democratic society. I don’t have a specific book recommendation for you this week, but I wanted to share what I’m experiencing as I build a fictional world. Whether you’re writing or enjoying books or movies, give yourself permission to dream. Could something from these fictional worlds serve as a blueprint for real life?
(Oh, and by the way—I do plan to pick up The Sunrise of Reaping soon!)
Top Domestic News Headline this Week:
Democrats’ win in Wisconsin court race also is a big loss for Elon Musk. AP.
What?
Liberal judge Susan Crawford won the most expensive judicial race on record for the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Why do we care?
Beyond the critical issues the court will soon tackle, this election became a referendum on billionaire Elon Musk, who injected himself (and his money) into the race. Many felt he was testing whether he could buy power and elections. In the end, money wasn’t everything—voters made a different choice.
Top International News headline this week:
Trump’s Trade War Escalates as China Retaliates With 34% Tariffs. NYT
What?
The Trump administration has issued sweeping tariffs on countries worldwide, and China has already retaliated with its own 34% tariffs.
Why do we care?
Americans are bracing for fallout. We’ve got three main guesses:
The administration backs down to avoid economic chaos.
The trade war escalates, prices skyrocket, and we risk a serious depression.
Domestic jobs return, and the market sees a boom.
We’ll have to wait and see how it all plays out.
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