Volcanic Winter - the backstory
The idea for Volcanic Winter came to me in 2008 in New Zealand visiting the site of one of the world's largest volcanic eruptions, Mt Taupo (now Lake Taupo). It triggered rapid global cooling 1800 years ago. I thought "what if man could cause volcanic eruptions to cool the planet." Global warming would be solved!
The scenario I dreamed up was too improbable in 2008. It needed an out of control, impulsive, obsessed ruler of a nation with massive military power. I wrote the Prologue, which remains largely unchanged in the novel, then left the idea until 2018. The world changed a lot in that decade and the idea was not so improbable. Thus, Volcanic Winter was born.
Charles Dickens, when he wrote these words in 1860, could have been describing the setting for Volcanic Winter.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
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