Fiction
October 2020
Land of Tornadoes
by Melanie S. Wolfe
The dustbowl is back, Frackheads roam the lawless streets, and one family plots to take down the oil company that caused it all. They were supposed to be the next Kennedys, each adopted Wilson teen prepared for a specific political office, but when their father, CTO of Colossal Oil is falsely accused of stealing from the company after he publicly voices his concerns about the recent return of the dustbowl and fracking chemicals leaking into the drinking water and its correlation to the current outbreak of Frackheads (people who drink tainted water and become psychopaths and roam the roads with one mission, to kill for fun) the family’s focus goes from the future to a hacking revenge operation. However, the eight kids are getting burned out and want to move on with their lives. After their night off in OKC, and a series of unfortunate events, the once unified Wilson clan struggle to keep themselves alive and their beautiful, unique family together while John, their father crumbles under the weight of a secret about their adoptions. From the author: At the time I wrote this novel I was binge-watching Mr. Robot and we were experiencing a lot of earthquakes in Oklahoma. So much that my kitchen tile floor formed a speed bump three feet long over the course of a weekend. The locals wouldn't dare implicate fracking or the holy oil companies for fear of losing jobs. Yet the New York Times and several other credible sources pointed the finger at fracking. I had wanted to write a book that was somehow inspired and influenced by The Outsiders and The Grapes of Wrath and this was my opportunity. However, I didn't want to write about the stereotypical poor people who were victims of their oppressors. I wanted strong characters who could give the elites a true punch in the gut.
