Embrace the Gerrymander!

~ ianrandalstrock ~ 2 Comments

The Republican redistricting scheme currently causing so much consternation in and toward Texas gives me hope. Not, perhaps, in the way you might think. But in it, I see the seeds of potentially, maybe, if if if, a solution to the gerrymandering that has plagued this country for two centuries.

Allow me to explain.

I’ve been railing against gerrymandering for years. Gerrymandering is the drawing of boundaries on political districts in order to group blocks of voters together, either to increase the power of one group, or to decrease the power of another. Sometimes it is used to increase the chances that a member of a minority group can win an election. But far more often these days, it is used to cement a political party’s hold on a district, to make it “safe.” (For the problems safe districts cause, see my previous writings.)

In normal times, Congressional district boundaries are redrawn every ten years, after the decennial census data is received, so that the districts accurately represent where the people live and what those people want. These are not normal times.

Governor Abbott of Texas, kowtowing to President Trump’s request, is urging the Texas legislature to redraw the state’s Congressional map right now, half-way through a decennial period, in order to concentrate the Democratic minority voters into fewer districts, and thus give the Republicans, potentially, three to five more seats in the House of Representatives. Democratic members of the Texas legislature have left the state, in order to prevent the legislature from reaching a quorum, which would—at least, in theory— prevent action on the proposal. But they’ve tried such a quorum-break in the past; it has not been successful. I doubt it will be this time, either.

So we have to accept the reality that Texas is about to further marginalize their Democratic population and flip five of their seats in the House to the Republican party.

Governor Newsom of California has been making noises about attempting the same scheme in his state, which would flip several seats from the Republicans to the Democrats. There’ve been whispers elsewhere—such as Governor Hochul in New York—that other states might do something similar if Abbot and Trump get their way in Texas. The problem I foresee is an ongoing character flaw of the Democrats: the party insists that it must be holier than thou, purer than thou, that it will play be the rules even when their opponents have shown absolutely no compunction about violating those rules. While doing so may give them a moral victory, it will inevitably lead to an actual loss. To my mind, in these cases, the Democrats are those crying “life isn’t fair.” No, it isn’t. Everyone should follow the rules. Everyone should be a good, moral, decent human being. Everyone should be more interested in the good of us all than in our individual results.

But not everyone is.

We don’t need Governor Newsom and Governor Hochul warning “don’t do it or we might do something, too.” We need him and his fellow Democratic governors to act! Today! We need them to implement precisely the schemes Abbot and the Texans are planning. We need to gerrymander the country to a fare-thee-well, to legislate out of existence those last 40 competitive seats in the House.

Because then, and only then, will we all see just how egregious the gerrymandering has become. Only then will it be brought to the Supreme Court. And to my mind, regardless of the Court’s political slant, there is no way it can allow such outrageous diminution of the minorities to survive. In such a case, I think, the Supreme Court will only be able to rule that the gerrymandering violates the people’s rights to be fairly represented, and that political maps must be drawn in a fair, impartial manner.

(Yes, I know, I’m an idealist. It may not work out that way. But I don’t see any other way to fix the mess we’re in.)

And if, IF my dream comes true, may I humbly suggest new legislation regarding how districts are drawn? A fairly simple test, actually:

No Congressional district, when drawn on a Mercator projection map, shall be drawn in such a way that a straight line drawn on that map shall be able to cross into the district more than once. That is, except in cases where the state border itself violates this dictum.

I don’t expect any of this to happen. I expect the Democrats will continue to purge their own ranks, as they threw out Al Franken. I expect they’ll yell and whine and do nothing, while Texas rejiggers their Congressional map, and that the election of 2026 will result in a Trumpian increase in the House, and we’ll continue bitching and moaning about their self-serving actions for years to come.

But wouldn’t it be nice if I was wrong, and we could actually make things better?


Democrats flee Texas to block Republican redistricting map backed by Trump


Texas Democrats arrive in Illinois to block vote back home on redrawn House maps sought by Trump


Limited options for Democrats to retaliate if Texas Republicans redraw congressional map

First Men In Office

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A quick story on ABC’s noon news just now noted that Mikie Sherrill, who is the Democratic nominee for governor of New Jersey, has chosen Dale Caldwell as her running mate, and that if they win, he will be the first male lieutenant governor of New Jersey.

That caught my ear. While we have (or are much closer to) equality of the sexes, I know enough of our history to know it was not always the case, and that a claim that a political office holder will be the first man to hold the office is strange.

So I did a little research. The quote is accurate, but demands a slightly longer explanation, which is that in New Jersey, until recently, the governor was the only official elected state-wide. If the governor’s office became vacant, it would be filled by the president of the State Senate, or by the speaker of the General Assembly. The position of lieutenant governor was created in 2006, and first filled in the election of 2009. To date, the entire list of lieutenant governors of New Jersey is: Kim Guadagno (served January 19, 2010–January 16, 2018); Sheila Oliver (January 16, 2018–August 1, 2023 [she died in office]); and Tahesha Way (September 8, 2023–present).

Indeed, I can’t think of any other American political office to have been held exclusively by women at any point (excepting First Lady and Second Lady [until Doug Emhoff from 2021 to 2025]). Frances Perkins was the first woman to serve in a president’s cabinet, but she was the fourth Secretary of Labor. The 46th and current Treasurer of the United States, Brandon Beach, is the first man to hold that position in 76 years, since the 28th Treasurer, William Alexander Julian, who served June 1, 1933–May 29, 1949 (but all of his predecessors were men).

Publication Day: Mystralhaven

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It’s publication day!

Fantastic Books is thrilled to be publishing a major new fantasy novel by first-time novelist Ron Kaiser, who Paul Witcover calls “a bold new voice in epic fantasy.” Mystralhaven is the tale of Baz, the Mossbringer, who may be able to save humanity, if only she can figure out her own powers before she is enslaved or killed.

Sebsastien de Castell (author of the Greatcoats and Spellsinger series) says the book blends “classic epic fantasy adventure with modern themes,” and that it “is a fast-paced, emotionally charged tale of magic, duty and the complex nature of heroism. Ron Kaiser’s fearless protagonist discovers not only the burden of destiny but the difficult balance between fighting exploitation and believing in redemption.”

Can she figure out what she is in time to save humanity?

The coming of Baz, the Mossbringer, has been foretold: she has powers far beyond those of even the most gifted around her. And had her mother lived, she certainly would have been able to guide Baz through her dawning awareness of her abilities.

But even if Baz learns how to control and use those powers, it may not be enough to save the monks who want to use her, the Borderforges who want to enslave her, or the people who fear her. Can she trust Rendwyll—who is more sand than person—to guide her into her new awareness? With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, can she afford not to?

“This thrilling hero’s quest is a pulse-pounding journey. Ron Kaiser’s epic novel had me thoroughly gripped, from start to finish.” —David Yoo, author of The Choke Artist and The Detention Club

“Artful prose, strong characterization and a freewheeling imagination lights up this fascinating tale. This one is in the top echelon of modern fantasy.” —Bram Stoker Award-winner John Shirley, author of A Sorcerer of Atlantis

With an eye-catching cover by new artist Helen Cotrupi, Mystralhaven: The Mossbringer is available today in trade paperback, case laminate hardcover, and ebook formats. For more details and links, see https://www.fantasticbooks.biz/product-page/mystralhaven-by-ron-kaiser.

Science fiction convention (7th of 2025)

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I neglected to post last week (I blame the post-AG recovery period), but this weekend is yet another science fiction convention. I’ll be in Burlington, Massachusetts, for Readercon.

As is typical, I’ll be at the Fantastic Books table in the dealers’ room (working the screwy hours this convention is imposing for no legitimate reason I can find: Friday 3–7pm, Saturday 10am–1pm, Saturday 2–7pm, Sunday 10am–12n, and Sunday 1–3pm). Please come by the table, where we’ll be featuring the debut of Ron Kaiser’s novel, Mystralhaven: The Mossbringer!

If you’re looking for me on programming, I’ll be on several, including one of their “Thursday night free to the public sessions”:

Thursday at 9pm in Salon G/H: “What Time Loops Reveal” with Marianna Martin, Mark Painter, Ken Schneyer, and David G. Shaw.

Friday at 12:30pm: I’ll be giving a reading in Envision/Enliven.

Friday at 5pm in Salon G/H: “Is the Quest Fantasy Dead?” with P. Djeli Clark, Lyndsay Ely, Scott Lynch, and Robert V.S. Redick.

Saturday at 11am in Salon I/J: “Dhalgren at 50” with Gregory Feeley, Jim Freund, Elizabeth Hand, and Ann LeBlanc.

Two weeks, never: whatever

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Donald Trump left the G7 summit in Canada early, “because he needed to be close to his advisors in the White House, to decide on our course of action with regard to Israel and Iran.” But once he got home, he decided to maybe make a decision… in two weeks. Honestly, no one should have expected anything sooner, because the only things he acts on today are the internal culture wars he keeps fighting. Real policy decision, things of global import, those are the things that are always “in two weeks,” because he doesn’t want the blame for actually doing something. Remember “I’ll end the war in Ukraine on day one”? Remember “I’ll negotiate trade deals with every country in the world”? Remember “we’ll take over the Gaza Strip and turn it into a tourist destination”? Remember “we need to take over Canada, or Greenland”?

As Jen Psaki very clearly lays out in this segment, “two weeks” is Donald Trump’s version of “I talk big, but I’m not actually going to do anything, and you’ll forget about it.” He’s been “two weeks”ing us since he took office the first time.

I’ve been thinking about his two weeks, and comparing it to Ben Bova’s story “Crisis of the Month.” In Bova’s story, the heads of the news media get together when they realize the public’s attention span for any story peters out after a month, so they need a new story with which to entrance and enrage the public every four weeks. Bova wrote it in 1988, before the internet and the 24-hour news cycle. Apparently, Trump has learned that Bova’s one month span has dropped to two weeks or less, so that by the time his “two weeks” rolls around, we’ve already forgotten whatever it was we needed him to say or do, and we’re on to the next story.

It’s time we realized that when he says “in two weeks,” what he actually means is “I’m not doing anything. Forget it, please.” Or we could just look at his record: he’s done a great deal with executive orders, but none of it is the least bit presidential, none of it is what we elect a president for, and none of it can be taken seriously.

Edited June 21, 2025 at 21:50 EDT: Sure, the one time he decides to act in less than two weeks. Oy.

Fiction Today, Tomorrow, and Hopefully Soon

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Three quick announcements from Ian the fiction writer.

One. My latest story, “…a Crack of Lightning, or, The Zen Solipsist Muses Upon His Own Genesis,” is available starting today from Amazing Stories at this link: https://amazingstories.com/2025/06/a-crack-of-lightning-by-ian-randal-strock-free-story/ . Check it out!

Two. Tomorrow, I’m one of the readers at the monthly Brooklyn Books & Booze reading event at Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room, 86 34th Street, in Brooklyn, New York. Admission is free, but it is a bar, and they’re hoping you’ll be thirsty for beverages as well as for great fiction. Hosted by Randee Dawn, the June 17 event will feature me, Clay McLeod Chapman, Meg Ripley, and L. Marie Wood. Festivities start at 7:00 pm, so be there! More details at https://randeedawn.com/bonus/brooklyn-books-booze/

Three. I’ve got a new story, “Infestation: White House,” scheduled to appear in the forthcoming anthology Tales of Galactic Pest Control (edited by David Gerrold and Tom Easton). But in order for it to appear, the winding-up-soon Kickstarter campaign needs a little more push to get to the funding line. If you’re interested in reading the story, reading the book, consider pre-purchasing a copy. And if you can’t lay out the money now, at least please tell your friends about it. I, the editors, and the other authors (it’s an awesome line-up; at least check out the link here to see who else is involved) thank you. The link is https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/galactic-pests/tales-of-galactic-pest-controla-sci-fi-and-fantasy-anthology?ref=discovery&term=galactic%20pest%20control&total_hits=1&category_id=324

Should protests be something more?

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Yesterday, I went to the No Kings protest in Manhattan with Mom, her friend, her friend’s son, and his girlfriend. I was part of that massive throng of people you may have seen in some video clip somewhere, looking like a huge movement, a force.

But from my vantage point (about six feet above the ground), it seemed different… smaller. Perhaps I’m missing something, but I feel unfulfilled.

We got off the subway in Times Square, walked to the table on the south side of Bryant Park staffed by the son’s union, picked up signs and chant lyric sheets, and then joined the many, many people walking ever so slowly to Fifth Avenue, and then down Fifth Avenue to 26th Street. During the two-hour walk, I saw a lot of signs—some clever and artistic, many simpler. I heard a lot of chants—most of them rhymed, none of them were truly memorable. I saw a lot of people happy to be there together, despite the rain. And we walked.

And we got to 26th Street, and there were several organizers with a large banner saying, “This is the end of the march. Please disperse east and west. Thanks for coming.” I looked around and thought “That’s it? We came, we walked down Fifth Avenue, and we’re done?”

Perhaps I’m living in the past, but I was expecting some sort of stirring “I Have a Dream” oratory. Some call to action. Some plan to take the might of so many people united and actually do something.

Did I miss something?

Over-reacting to show political strength

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In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Shakaar” (season 3, episode 24; first aired May 22, 1995), a new political leader clashes with a political rival over the return of some farming equipment. The rival and his fellow farmers are using the equipment; the leader thinks it would be better used somewhere else. The leader, Kai Winn, asks Major Kira to talk with her friends—Shakaar and the farmers—to return the equipment, thinking that Kira’s prior relationship with them will turn the tide. Kira is unsuccessful, so Winn calls out the militia to take the equipment back by force, deeming Shakaar’s continued reticence a threat to the stability of the government, and a test of her set by the gods. She eventually calls on Commander Sisko to bring Federation forces to support her efforts. Sisko tells her this is an over-reaction, noting that she has done everything to escalate the situation far beyond reason, rather than acting as a leader to calm things down. Eventually, our heroes are able to bring a political counter-punch, and Winn backs down to end the episode.

The whole story is ringing in my ears today as I’m watching the outrageous escalation in Los Angeles, brought about through President Trump’s nationalizing and sending in the National Guard to deal with protests against policies that he himself set. Once again, we’re looking at an outrageous over-reaction apparently designed solely to solidify the over-reactor’s political position. California’s Governor Newsom and Los Angeles’s Mayor Bass have both said there is no need for federal troops to calm the protests, and that they will only inflame the situation. But Trump seems to see it as either a test set by his god, or an opportunity (akin to his forthcoming military parade) to show he is the power, he is the strength, he is the ruler. Once again, he is showing us he has no interest in being the president of a democratic republic, that he would much rather be the strongman in a dictatorship that benefits only himself and his friends.

The situation in Los Angeles is indeed a test. It may be the first volley in a test not unlike the one Abraham Lincoln described in his Gettysburg Address, when he spoke of a nation conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. “Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.” We are engaged in the struggle to guarantee that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

[Edited a day later to add:]

A friend pointed out to me that I might not have been clear in the above. I wasn’t saying the entire situation started with the call for troops, that that was the only escalation. It was merely the tipping point that prompted me to write.

But the Kai Winn “escalating the situation out of all legitimate proportions,” in the current situation is Donald Trump’s unceasing cries that undocumented farm workers, manual laborers, anyone who speaks Spanish and has slightly more melanin than he is a threat to the United States and our way of life. The crisis he has manufactured began with the terror he tried to instill in us: terror at the presence of the very people he frequently employed in his various real estate businesses. The violation of Posse Comitatus is only the latest step in his long con to make Americans so afraid of anyone other than Trump and his cronies that we allow them to rob us of our fortunes and freedom.

For today’s chilling extension, see Secretary Noem’s comments and actions in this article.

Punctilious Punctuation: a press release and a request for suggestions

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It started—as the biggest arguments do—over the smallest of things: the placement of a comma. That turned into an anecdote, and thence into a speech. And now author, editor, and punctuation lover Ian Randal Strock has turned it into a book. Punctilious Punctuation allows each and every one of those little spots and squiggles on the page to shine, with its own chapter covering the history, usage, misusage, and ancillary information of the punctuation marks. Punctuated with stories and anecdotes on the huge impact those tiny marks can have (the $5 million lawsuit, the Russian revolution, and more), Punctilious Punctuation is fully researched, footnoted, illustrated, and—of course—punctuated.

Ian Randal Strock’s three books on presidential history and trivia were published by Random House and Carrel Books. His award-winning science fiction has appeared in Analog, Nature, Amazing, and several anthologies, and some of it has recently been collected in Wandering Through Time. He has presented talks on punctuation, the presidents, and a variety of other topics to Mensa, writers’ groups, science fiction societies, the 99s, university classes, and more. He is the recipient of the 2025 Edward E. Smith Memorial “Skylark” Award, and firmly believes in the utility and necessity of the serial comma.

Punctilious Punctuation: Telling tales with (and of) those jots and tittles, including why they’re called jots and tittles, and the horrifying story of why the period goes inside the quotation marks
by Ian Randal Strock
148 pages, fully illustrated
September 15, 2025
Trade Paperback: ISBN: 978-1-5154-5834-0, $15.99
Case Laminate (library binding): ISBN: 978-1-5154-5837-1, $27.99

Punctilious Punctuation—and all Gray Rabbit Publications books—are distributed via Ingram. Review copies are available upon request.

And the request: where do you find reviews of such non-fiction titles that you appreciate? In the realm of science fiction, I know where to send galleys, but I’m trying to improve my game in non-fiction. Thanks!

Different similarities

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I’ve been thinking about the transitive—or is that intransitive?—power of similarity. Specifically, about two years ago, I met a woman who very strongly reminds of another I’ve known for a very long time. They have completely different personalities, so there’s no chance of confusing one for the other, but they look so similar that one might think them sisters.

About a year ago, I mat a third woman who very strongly resembles the second. Again, different personalities, quite clearly different people, but a very similar look.

However, the third woman in no way reminds me of the first. I’m confused. The second woman I met reminds me so strongly of the first that whenever I see her, I do a double-take to confirm her identity. And the third, again, is an equally close match for the second. But whenever I see the third, I can see no similarity with the first.