GREENSWORD

a novel by

Donald J. Bingle

(coming in January 2009 from Five Star)

They’re about to save the world; they just don’t want to get caught doing it.

Zeke, Milo, and Brandon are struggling to keep their environmental protest group, GreensWord, alive.  It impresses chicks and sure beats getting jobs as corporate serfs in the real world.  But their chief benefactor, movie star Matthew Barrington, threatens to cut off funding unless they stop global warming before his Malibu beach house slides into the storm-tossed ocean.  In their desperate effort to save the beach house and their organization, the GreensWord trio is willing to try almost anything:  drop sugar cubes into the gas tanks of thousands of cars, embark on a high-speed chase to advertise the reflective properties of white car roofs, even engage in a dangerous game of blackmail.  But nothing is fast enough to stop global warming in time. . .until they think of the unthinkable solution: nuclear winter.

Rationalizing away any human costs, the environmental zealots plot to set off a nuclear blast in the Cascades and trigger a series of ash-spewing volcanic explosions to block sunlight and rapidly cool the planet.  If that means they also take out the reigning internet tycoon and his monopolistic Seattle software company, that's just organic frosting on the vegan cake.

 And although they may be crazed fanatics, they've watched enough T.V. to think they know exactly what to do to foil any investigation of their noble crime:  deluge the authorities with random evidence gathered on a tour of hair salons, fast food joints, blood banks, and carpet stores.

 GREENSWORD is a dark comedy about the environment, extremism, stupid criminals, and the lengths to which people will go to avoid getting a real job.

 Says Hugo and Nebula Award Winner, Robert J. Sawyer: "Science fiction has always been a great vehicle for biting satire and social commentary­­from H. G. Wells' The Time Machine right on up to Donald Bingle's engrossing GREENSWORD.  Bingle is a terrific writer." 

Says USA Today Bestselling Author of the Warlands trilogy, Elizabeth A Vaughan:  "I loved GREENSWORD.   The characters made me laugh right out loud, but the actions of this group of half-cocked people, with a half-assed plan, had me gasping in horror as their implausible schemes became all too plausibly real. Suddenly, the twists of the chilling plot had me turning the pages, unable to look away from the macabre tale and yet still chuckling guiltily as the story reached its terrifying climax in a horribly real way.  GREENSWORD is a darkly humorous, gripping thriller that combines environmental imperatives, terrorist activities, and sex in ways that still make me wake up in a cold sweat, months after reading the book, convinced that it could happen."  

Says Joseph A. Morris, conservative political commentator:  "Donald Bingle's GREENSWORD is great science fiction, but it is also raucous political satire.  With irony and wit worthy of Jonathan Swift, he exposes the fundamental conceit that drives extremists of all kinds:   Absolute conviction that all the accumulated, hard-earned, wisdom of the past is nothing in comparison with the light bulb that just went off in their heads.  Bingle is a master story-teller and his stories are worth telling."

Donald J. Bingle is a published author of short stories and adventures in the science fiction, fantasy, horror, and comedy genres.  His first novel, Forced Conversion, was published by Five Star Publishing in November, 2004.  You can get Don’s complete writing resume' at www.orphyte.com/donaldjbingle.

GREENSWORD was initially written as a screenplay and film rights are available.  Interested agents and producers may contact Don at:

Donald J. Bingle

5N085 Crane Road

St. Charles, Illinois 60175

312-807-4248