Today Jason G Anderson is here talking about his short story “The Outsider.” Jason and I share a lot of similar tastes in book, TV shows, movies, and games. When I heard he was writing a story set in a post-apocalyptic world, I was there! I can’t get enough of stories like that, and Jason allowed me a sneak read of what he had. It’s good enough–especially the ending (I cringed) that I hope he continues to write stories like these…

Where did you get the idea for the story?

The Outsider started with the setting – the Atomic Wasteland, a post-apocalyptic world many decades after nuclear war killed most of the world’s population. The survivors do the best they can living in the ruins of the past, trying to rebuild a new life. I wanted to focus on a place that has succeeded in rebuilding to a small extent (Raventon). An oasis surrounded by hell. After I had the location for the story, the rest of the ideas fell into place.

Who is the main character?

The main character is Jacob Harkins, a married man with a young daughter. His brother went missing several months prior to the story, and he blames himself. Jacob is a man torn between doing what he thinks is right, following the rules that are placed on him by living in Raventon, and protecting his family from harm.

How did you come up with the title?

The title came from the stranger who arrives at Raventon. The people who live in their small paradise don’t trust anyone who lives outside their walls, so he is thought of (and treated like) an outsider.

What do you like best about the story?

My favorite part of the story is the end, for two reasons. The first reason is the symmetry between the start and end of the story. It was only half intentional when I started writing, but once I realised where I was going I made sure to make the symmetry a feature. The second reason is the final two paragraphs. I can’t mention what they say (obviously), but I think the story would be weaker without them.

Where can people buy The Outsider?

It’s available on Amazon for just 99c. You can get it from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004R1Q9AS

Where can readers find out more about your work?

The best place to find out what I’m up to is my website, http:www.jasonga.com. I also have a Facebook page and Twitter account that I post smaller updates to. Links to both of those are on the site.