The Commonwealth War Graves Commission, a U.K.-based commemorative organization, says that on November 11, 1918—the day World War I ended—there were approximately 11,000 casualties, including about 2,750 fatalities.
This is sad and poignant, of course. Some of the casualties likely happened before the documents ending the war were signed. Others likely were the result of battles that occurred despite the combatants knowing it was over. Orders are orders, after all.
However, it is almost certain that many of the injuries and deaths occurred simply because word that World War I was over had not been received.
My wife and I live on Long Island. We have two daughters who live elsewhere, one in the states and one in Europe. Our family had a WhatsApp chat this Saturday. The two kids were walking through the streets of their communities. One went to a coffee shop. We patiently listened to her order. The other arrived at her apartment and “took us” upstairs.
Using devices small enough to carry in a pocket, the four of us spent a pleasant half hour or so chatting. The video was vibrant and the audio clear. And networking is so inexpensive and the networks so robust that it all was free.
From Armistice Day to last week was just over 100 years. Some people live that long. The speed with which technology evolves is remarkable.
That’s what this novel, which started as a hybrid COVID/bucket list project, is about. The goal is to dramatize the explosion of communications technology, which I believe is the most important change in society during the past century. It has transformed our lives and the lives of our communities in virtually every way.
This novel, written in the spirt of the great Michael Crichton—who, ironically, went to the same high school as the children—is an attempt to dramatize the radical nature of the advancements and identify the profound challenges they pose.
Thank you. Please drop me an email with comments, questions or if you would like me to let you know when the second volume is available.
Carl Weinschenk
July 15, 2024