Bewildering Stories welcomes...

Gordon Sun

Dr. Gordon Sun lives in California, where he is a surgeon and healthcare consultant. His scientific research has been published in prestigious medical journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA. His literary works have appeared in Ars Medica and Hektoen International as well as in Bewildering Stories.

“Right to Live” officially concludes in issue 796 but is complete on line as of issue 795; readers can read straight through from the first installment to the end.

Readers will surely be gripped by the desperation of Sue Miller, whose young son, Danny, is stricken by a potentially fatal illness. Sue is a single mother working in a low-paying job that has no benefits, especially not medical insurance. Good health care is available, but only to those who serve in the military, can afford private insurance, or pay astronomical fees out of pocket. Sue is left with grim choices, and the story ends with an implied challenge to the readers: What would you do? What do you think should be done for poor people like Sue and Danny?

The problem of affordable medical care is not the only one in this near-future dystopia. Public transit falls short of public needs. The U.S. is about to return to conscription to maintain its “forever wars” around the world. Air pollution and global warming make even venturing outdoors unsafe.

“Right to Live” warns of clear and present dangers: the U.S. and the world now stand on the brink of what Jane Jacobs foresees in Dark Age Ahead, only it’s compounded by ecological catastrophes.

Gordon Sun’s bio sketch can be found here.

Welcome to Bewildering Stories, Dr. Sun. We hope to hear from you again soon and often!