LGBTQ+ Science Fiction
A BLOODY CIVIL WAR ⢠A RAPIDLY COLLAPSING ECONOMY ⢠A GLOBAL DEADLY PLAGUE
Twenty-eight-year-old service technician Robert Ashton endures dangerous city streets trying to scrape by. His gay partner Zilv is his only light in a world enshrouded in polluted darkness.
As society buckles, the pair finds safety in the city's underworld. Working as a smuggler, Robert builds a new criminal life to keep himself and Zilv fed.
But, the battles from the world above seep down into the underground, forcing Robert to return to the surface. In the hellscape of the Third World War, he endures a nightmarish wasteland of violence and death.
When civilization falls apart, just how hard will a man fight to live?
Abandon Us is the prequel to E.T. Gunnarsson's multi-award-winning book Forgive Us, a story readers call "thrilling, brutal, and completely unique."
Not a book for the faint of heart â language, violence, death, and a multitude of mutations
LGBTQ+ Science Fiction
A BLOODY CIVIL WAR ⢠A RAPIDLY COLLAPSING ECONOMY ⢠A GLOBAL DEADLY PLAGUE
Twenty-eight-year-old service technician Robert Ashton endures dangerous city streets trying to scrape by. His gay partner Zilv is his only light in a world enshrouded in polluted darkness.
As society buckles, the pair finds safety in the city's underworld. Working as a smuggler, Robert builds a new criminal life to keep himself and Zilv fed.
But, the battles from the world above seep down into the underground, forcing Robert to return to the surface. In the hellscape of the Third World War, he endures a nightmarish wasteland of violence and death.
When civilization falls apart, just how hard will a man fight to live?
Abandon Us is the prequel to E.T. Gunnarsson's multi-award-winning book Forgive Us, a story readers call "thrilling, brutal, and completely unique."
Not a book for the faint of heart â language, violence, death, and a multitude of mutations
12:07 PM, September 8, 2070
The trash bag tore open as Robert swung it through the store ownerâs gas mask. The man fell as Robert kicked him in the chest before sprinting after his friend William. The pair met up by a dumpster in an alley. Once together, they bolted over piles of trash out into a street and into another alleyway.
Robertâs heart was throbbing. His limbs felt like spaghetti, his chest tightening as he hyperventilated. He hadnât meant to hit the man. Casting glances behind them, Robert tried to calm his breathing and maintained a casual gait while making distance from the store.
âFuck,â Robert growled.
William looked behind them, leading them onto a sidewalk. Robert gripped the hexagonal filters on both sides of his gas mask and readjusted it.
âShut up, we got away,â William said.
âI shouldnât have hit the guy,â Robert replied.
William looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
âYou hit him?â
âYeah, with a trash bag. And I kicked him.â
William stopped and gestured toward Robert, shaking both hands in disbelief.
Robert raised his hands.
âI-IâŚ. Okay, I panicked. He was chasing us!â
William shook his head.
âRobert, oh my god, youâre an idiot.â
He scratched the top of his head and groaned.
âWell, now theyâll be looking for two people who assaulted someone instead of two candy thieves. Too late now, letâs just keep walking. At least we have dinner.â
Robert tensely sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he followed William. The pair moved along the streets and alleys. They stepped over piling trash, passed homeless people laying on the ground in herds, and crossed roads peppered with self-driving cars.
Above in the heavy smog, drones flew back and forth among buildings covered with neon signs. There were hundreds of different drones. Some were for businesses or private engagements, though some were personal drones for entertainment, photography, or other hobbies. Drone sizes depended on their use, ranging from small package carriers to large cargo carriers. A few people were riding Aero boards along the air routes, a sort of drone-like, flying skateboard, capable of supporting the weight of a human.
Robert glanced up at the people riding the Aero boards. Typically, those with Aero boards were wealthier people. They flew above the commoners, avoiding the worsening problems of modern life as if they were above the issues everyday people faced. Robert hated those wealthy pricks.
âWhere are we going?â Robert asked.
âTo a friend of mineâs hood. We need to get away from all the cameras around here. His gang has destroyed most of the cameras in his area, so weâll be safer there. Plus, I have business over there today.â
Robert tilted his head.
âBusiness?â
âYeah, one of the big players in the local scene wants to set up a deal. We always meet with new customers to make sure that they arenât police before setting up drone deliveries.â
âOh, we are doing one of those kinds of deals,â Robert grunted lowly.
âGet over it. Youâre eighteen, Iâm twenty-two. We need money and we need to eat. Itâs not like there are any jobs around here. Have you found anything in the past six months?â
Robert shrugged and rolled his eyes.
âNothing.â
âExactly. Damn corporations are replacing everyone with robots.â
Robert shook his head as his jaw tensed.
âFuck the rich.â
âFuck the rich,â William repeated.
âCanât believe that the store owner caught you on the way out. It had to be on the day we have to do a drug deal, of course.â
âAinât the first time we got caught or the first time we steal to eat. Itâll be fine; thatâs how we fuck the rich. We steal from themâgreedy bastards.â
The pair walked a few more blocks before William hastily pushed them into an alley. He gazed up toward the origin of a deep, droning sound mixed with sirens. Three police drones flew through the smog. They carried squads of officers above the city skyline. The drones flew past with lights and sirens on. The pair watched them disappear before going back out onto the soot-stained sidewalk.
âWhere do you think theyâre going?â Robert asked.
William shrugged and spoke in a high-pitched voice.
âProbably responding to a call about an assault in the same direction weâre leaving from.â
Robert pursed his lips.
âRight, stupid question.â
The visage of the soaring buildings around them changed as they approached gang territory. The pollution-stained buildings were tarnished by graffiti and had bars on their windows. Drug-dazed, homeless people stood outside in their shadows. Garbage piled everywhere.
William removed his gas mask and began eating the candy they had stolen. He threw each wrapper on the ground, chewing noisily as he downed chocolates and gummies. He stretched out to Robert and waved a piece of chocolate.
âWant some?â William asked.
Robert waved the chocolate away.
âNo thanks, Iâll eat later when weâre inside.â
âSuit yourself.â
They crossed an intersection where sensors registered their presence and caused the automated traffic system to slow down the cars so they could cross safely. During the last few decades, manually driven cars had been replaced by AI-driven cars, resulting in almost zero traffic fatalities.
William glanced at the cars with a scowl as the pair crossed.
âLook at those rich pricks.â
âAssholes. They think that theyâre so much better than us,â Robert said.
âYou said it. Theyâll eventually join us out here as shit continues falling apart.â
Robert adjusted his gas mask again to stop the straps from rubbing his skin.
âThis new tattoo hurts.â
âAh, get over it. Youâve been whining about it all day.â
âMy mask is rubbing on it. Let me see yours. Howâs it not hurting?â
William turned slightly. A black serpent coiled in a complex, knotted fashion had been tattooed into his flesh. The skin around it flushed red from irritation. Robert had the same tattoo, though his skin felt like it was burning.
âItâs hurting, I just donât whine about it. The more you whine, the more you think about it, the more it hurts.â
While Robert was examining the black snake, William let out a long, hacking cough. His whole body quaked as he threw his head forward and spat onto the ground.
Robert laid a hand on Williamâs back.
âYou okay?â
William grunted and cleared his throat before he spat again.
âIâm fine.â
âPut your mask back on, airâs burning your throat.â
William waved his hand, dismissing Robertâs concern.
âI donât need a mask, Iâm fine. Iâm not done with my candy.â
âCanât walk around so much without it on, bro. At least you donât have to wear it all the time, like people in prison do.â
âI wear my mask; I just donât like sleeping with it on. Iâm breathing fine, I just choked on a bit of chocolate.â
Robert shook his head.
âWhatever.â
William threw the last of his candy wrappers onto the ground.
They arrived at a peculiar spot among the never-ending maze of skyscrapers and crowded infrastructure. An alley separated a laundromat and a general drug store. Unlike most, this alley stopped halfway between two skyscrapers. A building rose up at the far end, facing the opposite street and presenting a brick wall to the pair.
A luxury car was parked next to the sidewalk. Robert glanced at it as they passed, unsure of the carâs brand.
A woman and two tall men were waiting inside the alley. The woman was dressed in an expensive white dress with golden accents. A white mask with a golden brand logo on the side covered her face. The two men in black suits and black masks were standing with their hands crossed. The dark tint of their visors made it impossible for Robert to read their faces. In stark contrast, Robert and William wore tattered pants and multi-colored, long-sleeved shirts that covered their upper bodies. Small ribs with heating and cooling components were sewn into the clothes. Their dirty and worn gas masks had been bought used. Their shoes barely held together with duct tape and string.
The woman looked at the two of them and wrinkled her nose in contempt. Robert furrowed his brow as he saw the wealthy woman but kept quiet since William waved to her and put on a customer-friendly tone.
âHey there, are you Mrs. Adamson?â William asked.
Robert glanced at William as he heard the phony tone.
âThat is me. Are you two with Mr. Scarpello?â Mrs. Adamson asked.
âYes, Iâm one of his associates. My name is William. This is my friend Robert; heâs here as a witness for Mr. Scarpello.â
Robert kept silent.
âWell, I trust Mr. Scarpello. Letâs get this underway so I can leave this stinking rat hole.â
William smiled and bowed his head.
âAs you wish, Mrs. Adamson.â
William approached the woman, pulling out a small tablet from his pocket. The woman stretched out her forearm. She rolled her sleeve back to reveal a blue, glowing line in her arm. Robert gazed at the line. It was an implant, one of the newer technologies that were replacing portable devices. The tablet read the implant and made a ping sound. It vibrated frantically for a moment before falling silent with a snap. William dropped the tablet and crushed it under his foot.
âWell, pleasure doing business with you, Mrs. Adamson.â
She followed her bodyguards to the luxury car parked on the street.
âA pleasure. Have a wonderful day.â
âYou too!â William said.
He waited for the trio to drive off before walking out onto the sidewalk.
âRich bitch. Did you hear her tone?â William asked.
âYeah. What did you do with that tablet thing?â Robert responded.
âIt just connected her information to an underground bank account so she can transfer money to it.â
Robert gestured behind them as they walked.
âWas that really a drug deal?â
âWell, itâs not just drugs. I connected her info to the guy I work for and now she can buy anything from him. Guns, drugs, stuff like that. She pays, my boss sends a drone to deliver the goods.â
Robert tilted his head.
âWonât the police catch on?â
âThey try. Most drones that people use are unregistered. Each drone is monitored when delivering goods. If the police shoot it down, then the pilot just presses a button and destroys all the information the drone has, including its destination and origin.â
The pair turned to walk down another block when William grabbed Robert and ripped him back toward the way they had come. Robert grunted as he flew around.
âWhat th-?â Robert blurted out.
âShut up, shut up, just walk,â William hissed quietly.
Robert regained his footing and followed William, walking beside him as they went in the opposite direction.
âWhatâs wrong?â Robert whispered.
âSome cops down that way. Just act normal.â
Robert glanced behind them and noticed a trio of police officers. All three had gray armored uniforms lined with blue lights along with gas mask helmets whose black visors obscured their features. Each cop wore a belt lined with tools such as tesla batons and guns. They followed Robert and William at a stark, determined pace, heads locked in the direction of the pair.
âTheyâre right on us, bro,â Robert told William.
William began walking faster and turned down another street. Robert followed. A pair of officers met them at an intersection. One raised his hand to stop them.
âHey, you two,â the officer said.
Robert and William stopped and turned. The other three police officers met up with them and surrounded the pair together with the other two officers. Robertâs stomach dropped. His heart was beating hard as his breath halted.
âIs there a problem, officers?â William asked.
âIDs?â one of the officers demanded.
âWhy are we being stopped, sir?â William insisted.
âWeâre looking for two suspects whose descriptions match the two of you. Give us your IDs.â
âOh, one second, itâs in my pocket,â William said.
William reached into his pocket as the officers all rested their hands on their holstered guns. As he grabbed his wallet, he gently pushed Robert back. The push confused Robert for a moment as he watched William pull out his ID. One of the officers took the ID and scanned it while the other cops seemed to relax a bit. Without warning, William threw a fist through the mask of the officer scanning his ID. The man fell to the ground, glass raining from his visor along with drops of blood from Williamâs hand. William kicked another officerâs leg and turned to run.
âRobert! Run!â
Two of the officers tackled and beat William before he could run. Robert took off. His legs felt weak, and his heart was thundering painfully. He went down streets and alleys to escape, jumped over trash piles, and weaved through crowds of pedestrians.
Soon, Robert believed heâd completely lost the cops. He felt safe after a few blocks and slowed down to catch his breath while observing his surroundings. Homeless people laid everywhere around him. His sudden flight into the street had attracted their attention. They were staring at him as he regained his breath.
âThere he is!â a police officer shouted in the distance.
Robert gasped as he looked behind him. A squad of four officers came out from an alley, pointed at Robert, and started to chase after him. Robert threw himself over a garbage pile and ran across the road, narrowly missing a self-driving car.
He cut into an alley and disappeared into a maze-like network among buildings. His fingers clawed off his multi-colored shirt, which he threw into a dumpster before sprinting topless into another alley.
Robert glanced behind him again. The cops were finally out of sight.
âOh my god, Iâm screwed,â he whispered.
There was nowhere he could go. He assumed that if he kept running, then the police officers would eventually find him or a camera would pick him up.
âHe went this way!â an officer shouted in the distance.
Robert looked around frantically as he heard the cops approaching. He glanced out into the street before locking onto a dumpster. He approached it like a terrified raccoon and crawled inside. As he climbed in, he fell into a deep, stinking pile of filth. Raw, rotten food mixed with putrid bags of trash grazed his already irritated skin. The stench of decaying fish crawled through his mask, stinging his nostrils.
Robert let out a shuddering breath as he immersed his body in the filth, covering himself as much as he could. His body froze when he heard multiple people run past him. First, he heard the sound of feet approaching, and then it faded away. Robertâs thoughts were in turmoil, every sound halting his breath as he tried to hide deeper in the trash. Polluted debris burned his skin, though he dared not move.
Time slowed. Robert laid in the filth for what he thought was an hour and waited until there were no sounds outside before he finally climbed out of the dumpster. Dirt and food stains covered his burning skin as he got up like a zombie and quickly ran away from the scene.
He flicked off muck from his body and quickly made his way to another alley full of homeless people.
âHey! Can I sit with you guys?â he asked hastily.
A woman scowled at him.
âWhy you bothering us about it? Just sit and shut up.â
Robert joined them and faced away from the street.
He had gotten away, though he was alone. He had no family or friends to run to, no place to get shelter, and no place to truly hide. But for now, he was free.
Sitting quietly among the dirt-covered derelicts, he contemplated, âWhat now?â
This dark, post-apocalyptic novel paints a bleak picture of the future as one couple tries to survive a dying world. The suffocating atmosphere and increasingly violent society Gunnarsson has created is bone chilling. It is easy to relate to main character Robert and his partner, Zilv, as worsening conditions force them to make difficult choices and walk paths that they otherwise wouldnât. However, stiff dialogue and repetitive elements occasionally get in the way as an otherwise captivating story unfolds. If you are interested in a dark, post-apocalyptic survival story and like a narrative for its general vibe, this is well worth a try.Â
The story takes place in a future America on the verge of collapse. At the beginning, we watch Robert Ashton overcome the odds; finding employment and building a life with his partner Zilv. However, this success story is overshadowed by the realities of living in a volatile society on a dying planet. Robertâs success means little when basic needs come at a premium if they are available at all. The constant threat of something going wrong adds tension to even the slower moments. This vision of the future is captivating and visceral as life goes from dark to darker for Robert and the other characters. Though I personally liked it, the tone of this book is as oppressive as the suffocating smog that makes up the atmosphere in this world and doesnât really let up.Â
I really like the overall plot and general vibe of this book. It has a fascinating futuristic world that I could spend more time in (not literally of course). However, I feel some of the more technical elements get in the way of this book realizing its full potential. A lot of the dialogue, particularly between Robert and Zilv, feels basic and stiff. As a result, some of the emotional connection was missing and the characters feel flatter than they should have been. Additionally, there are sections of the story that are repetitive and donât move the plot forward or successfully add character development. I was intrigued enough not to mind some of the extraneous sections, but I wish they had been removed or changed for a more streamlined experience.