Drowned Paradise by Rob Shackleford
Drowned Paradise, published in early 2023, was written when I lived in Burleigh on Australia’s fabulous Gold Coast. We lived in sight of the golden beaches and would often walk the beach and foreshore and wonder, ‘What would happen if this area was to experience a tsunami. What if it was a big one?‘
I based the first part of Drowned Paradise on characters who were a blend of friends of our and a much older version of myself and Deb, my wife. Naturally there were changes, but to research the topic of the destructive power of tsunamis, and then to realise that such giant tsunamis are not unknown in history, moves the story into the realms of possibility. I based the political instability described on the mood we in Australia were experiencing when the book was initially written. I had to change the text on more than a few occasions because the ludicrous became reality.
Here’s the elevator speech on Drowned Paradise.
In the global climate of conflict, shortages, and political instability and ineptitude, residents on the Coastal communities of Australia’s Gold Coast are suddenly hit by a tsunami.
A huge one.
To make matters worse, most tech dies with it.
A disaster novel with a twist, Drowned Paradise follows a small group of survivors as they struggle to survive a cataclysm that dramatically changes their world.
Then, in the not-too-distant future, when our culture has become relegated to history, what will be our legacy?
As is usual to my work, this is a speculative fiction story. I hope you enjoy.