Whether it is a sweet romance, a bone-chilling horror, or a complex whodunit, one defining component of a good book is if its readers can relate to the characters, no matter how fantastical or inconceivable the premise is. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.” It does not alter what already exists, only points out what is already there, but from a different perspective.
In her five-book dystopian fiction series better lands, Susan Clawson drew inspiration from the recent pandemic and brings readers into an apocalyptic world with more futile and forlorn circumstances than COVID-19 bestowed upon us. Having been called intriguing by film producers because of the series’ portrayal of terrifying possibilities for the world’s near future, better land’s first book, ‘THE DISCOVERIES,’ is now under film adaptation.
The series first takes place in Burlington, Vermont, introducing Rosa Wells, a young teen, who is one of the survivors of a deadly pandemic. The story starts after a couple of virus strains wiped out over two-thirds of the world’s breathing population and infrastructure. Since a third strand was about to make its entrance, Rosa makes it her mission to search for virus-free lands and takes many of the survivors on a 45-tempestuous foot journey to Kentucky’s inland peninsula.
The dystopian drama concentrates more on the hardships that form within relationships during perilous times than the destruction or the virus itself. The struggle among those who normally would not have befriended each other captures disloyalties, violence, and even death among them. But the power of determination and hope that things will get better keeps them moving.
Throughout the series, readers will have the opportunity to get to know Susan’s relatable, compelling characters to include Rosa, Jean-Pierre, Bill, Patti, Miss Lily, Blitz, Capone, along with many others. At the story’s heart, it’s all about their different authentic and raw reactions to a world that was forced to a grinding halt as they tackle love, rage, death, and grit in the rigid environment. Susan believes the dystopian series will be relatable for everyone that reads it since the world has dealt with real-life environmental-human disasters from its birth and will continue to do so for the rest of its existence.
Susan shares, “Due to all that our world has been through and unforeseen events of the future, it certainly makes one think about what could happen if we were thrust into similar circumstances. In some small way, maybe the story will help us prepare and understand what to expect if the world does face such a crisis and realize that no matter how tough things get, or who we’re with, we need to be resilient.”
Susan always had a knack for writing, starting with poetry and short stories when she was a teenager. In her later years, she wrote and published a short science fiction, the first of a trilogy. But, unfortunately, life had other plans, and she did not complete it. During the recent pandemic, she found time to write again and was inspired by the crisis it had bestowed upon the world. The author was able to inject a realistic vibe into the fictional story about what the world could morph into and what humans could become under such treacherous circumstances.
Susan and her husband live in the New England area and have five grown children and three grandchildren. While she continues to finish the dystopian series, she works endlessly marketing her books worldwide while recruiting and training sales representatives across the country for a financial firm. She also lends some of her creativity to her two-collector dollhouses.
Website: www.susanclawson-author.com
Email: author.sclawson@gmail.com
Artwork for book 1: by RJ Heredia
Where to find the series: www.amazon.com/author/betterlands
