Tim, a garbage handler in a post-apocalyptic bunker, loses the little he has. But then he finds Amy, the redhead with an attitude. Together, they will try to change the world they live in.
--
Tim is one of those who shovel the shit and clean away th...
Well, this is it. The tale of Amy and Tim comes to its end.
I granted them their HEA because I felt generous 🤣. And because they deserved it.
Where this came from, and where it goes
The theme and plot behind Bunker Bird is something I've wanted to write for a long time: a story from the point of view of people who have lived in a bunker for generations and who have forgotten about their origins. The story was in part inspired by another dystopian book of mine, "Walking the Ruins". That one takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, too, and it is written from the point of view of a girl living on the surface. She meets some people who have spent their lives in a bunker for generations. That made me curious about the topic.
Note, though, that the bunker people in Walking the Ruins are not the ones described here (they have no Amy, no Tim, no bishop, no Frankie), and their sociological structure and technology are different in many aspects.
One note about a sequel: I know there's much to be told about how Amy, Tim, or others from their group explore the world on the surface and what they'll find there. I may one day do that but not right now. I wouldn't want to do it unless Book 1 is very successful (and I don't hold my breath there).
Finally, some thanks: I've had a fantastic group of readers and commenters while publishing Bunker Birds—incredibly supportive and fun. This is a list of some of the most verbose ones, in alphabetical order (and I hope I didn't forget anyone): BookAddictAR, Cocosghost, Dante_Greywolf, ea_carter, EllaMooreAuthor, EvelynHail, floranocturna, Hafferby, kadauhara99, LadySapphire2018, MaryFahey, marjoryk, SallyMason1, taivaan_sininen. It was a privilege to have you here.
Evelyn's Summary
The first thing I would like to share is 's summary. She has posted it in a comment in the last chapter. I love it so much, I wanted to share it here:
Toronto, Canada, not too distant future. The air hangs heavy with metaphor. Ever since the acid rains, the life has changed. People became cave dwellers instead, shovelling muck and eating apples!
Can you imagine a worse fate?
Thankfully, humanity's eternal thirst for guidance is quenched. They have the Holy Church to believe in; their Manuals to lead their life by. None of them pesky cannibalistic birds to worry about, no siree!
The dystopia that the author has created is an environmental fable that is sometimes both disquieting and at other times, good fun.
It brings up present anxieties regarding the future of humanity in our surroundings such as nuclear fallout, sky-rocketing level of radiation and inability to enjoy our planet the way we are meant to.
But it also expresses yet another humanity concern: that of the development of our own mind and its possible succumbing to the lies and unilateral dogmas, guiding our routines with mere books. Fake books at that!
The style of the novella is impeccable, always showy never telly and the complex concepts are broken down into easily accessible, apparently simple language which hides very bunkery-deep meanings the readers will find hard to climb out of.
It's hardly a cakewalk for our young protagonist, Tim, who is a shit-shoveler and well, the lass he likes is screwin' another lad, Frankie behind his back cuz, he has a bigger shovel, wider in girth.
Also, Frankie is loaded with c... (assume that the three letters are "a," "s," and "h" and not "r," "a," and "p.") So aye, that's another bonus when it comes to lassies, even if they are dystopian ones. At least he has support of his 👨🏿, and his faithful friend, the 🏗r!
No wait, they're arrested and taken away from him so aye, he has nothing.
Just a dark, narrow lil' shaft and batshit.
Until he is prodded back to life by a smelly toe.
Sometimes, that's all we need.
A smelly toe.
A smelly toe saved Tim Bunker's life.
A wristwatch saved Harold Crick.
Isn't it awesome?
The Cover
Here's the former cover of Bunker Birds:
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It's by the awesome Narcisse Navarre (a.k.a. ). An incredible artist, check out her profile. I am honored to have it for my story.
(Part of the thanks go to EvelynHail, too. She was the one who took pity on me for my original covers and asked Narcisse to help me out.)
If you have any opinions: which cover do you look better—the current one or the one above?
