Fragments (Partials Sequence)
by Dan Wells
I began reading the Partials Sequence because I have been a fan of
author Dan Wells for several years —despite the fact that I've only
read one of his other books. (I don't know why, these things just
happen!) I'm familiar with him mainly through the Writing Excuses
podcast, as well as through the podcast that he hosted along with his
brother and fellow author, Rob Wells. The former is an excellent
resource for anyone interested in writing. It is informative,
entertaining, and my go-to source of book recommendations and writing
prompts. (And each episode is only 15 minutes long! Go give it a
listen!) Last season, the hosts basically took listeners through the
entire process of writing a novel/story. The season began by talking
about where ideas come from, and ended with a few episodes on getting
published. The other podcast, Do I Dare to Eat a Peach?, is just fun.
Longer episodes that talk about random topics (usually in the form of
lists) from Who is the best Disney Princess? To What are the top 10
movie spaceships? Sadly, they haven't posted an episode since 2014
(*sob*) These podcasts can be found here:
Anyway. Fragments is the second book of the Partials Sequence
(Partials is the first), but today's recipe could be eaten
while reading either novel (or at any time, really.) The Partials
Sequence is set in post-apocalyptic America (Partials takes
place around New York City; Fragments involves a hazardous
cross-country journey). The earth's population was “broken” after
a massive war between humans and partials (genetically engineered
super-humans) that ended with the release of RM, a deadly virus that
killed off all but about 40,000 humans and continues to kill off
every baby within days of its birth. The series's protagonist, Kira
Walker, is a 16(?) year old woman who, after working in the maternity
ward and watching the deaths of countless babies, determines to find
a cure for RM.
I like this series because it is fascinating to get a glimpse into
how the world might change if all but a very small percentage of its
population died out instantly. Wells has clearly thought this through
thoroughly. Fragments, in particular, explores ethical
questions such as “Is it okay to force an individual/group to
suffer, if doing so means the salvation of the majority?” Even if
you think you have an answer to this question, Wells puts his
characters in scenarios that cause them to really examine their
convictions.
Partials on Amazon:Partials
Fragments on Amazon: Fragments
Today's recipe involves a lot of canned food because that is pretty
much all Kira and her friends have to eat. Just one of the perks of
the apocalypse. Be glad I included something more than just the
instructions for opening a can of nacho cheese sauce and digging it
out with a spoon. It does incorporate some fresh vegetables and dried
herbs, but Kira's adoptive mother has an herb garden, so that's okay!
Yay, flavor!
This is based off of a recipe found here:
Grandma's Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili
Most of my changes had to do with the fact that I read the recipe
wrong when grocery shopping—but I thought my mistakes tasted delicious.
(Especially if you “cheat” and top it with shredded cheese!) For
dessert, grab a can of fruit cocktail. (This is hard to do if you
have Blue Bell in the freezer!!)
Easy-Peasy
Vegetarian Chili
1 (15
oz) can of black beans in chili sauce
1 (15
oz) can of kidney beans
1 (15
oz) can of garbanzo beans
1 (28
oz) can vegetarian baked beans
2 (14.5
oz) cans Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 (15
oz) can of hominy (or corn)
1
shallot, diced
1 green
pepper, diced
2 cloves
garlic, crushed
Vegetable
oil for sauteeing
1 Tbsp
chili powder
1 Tbsp
oregano
1 Tbsp
basil
- In a large saucepan, saute garlic, shallot and green pepper in olive oil until they begin to soften.
- Add the remaining ingredients. If too thick, add some water.
- Heat through. Enjoy!
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