Matthew Reinbold
Stories & CraftSerial fiction · 5 parts · Complete

Hurricane David

Hurricane David is a corporate-gothic tech tragedy set in a near-future Florida Archipelago. A post-truth fable tracing the edges of where reality can be manufactured - and what happens when the natural order reasserts itself.

Read the story

5 parts / In order
  1. Part 1
  2. Part 2
  3. Part 3
  4. Part 4
  5. Part 5

Behind the story

I actually came up with David’s Story while attempting to “futurecast” a version of “The Thrush and the Fowler” for 2024’s Aesop 2121 project. I, eventually, put it on the back-burner to focus on more positive depictions of the future. However, with the continued degradation of social media, the Florida Archipelago never strayed far. When it came time to finally plot things out, this tragedy was the result.

Some links for further reading:

From the original serialization

I’ve spent years writing about the intersection of technology, culture, and policy. When social media is increasingly used to create events, rather than report on them, I find that work increasingly relevant.

It is one thing to write an essay here or a newsletter there. Given the potential harms, utilizing adding additional forms, like narrative, seems warranted. Hurricane David is a corporate-gothic tech tragedy set in a near future Florida Archipelago. This post-truth fable traces the edges of where reality can be manufactured - and what happens when the natural order reasserts itself.