Above the Ground

Post apocalyptic adventure brought forth by nuclear annihilation. Layering in reverse racial inequality, and the advancements of science & technology only achievable by a civilization that has no suffering. We examine what is, what was, and what could be.

100 years ago, they vanished. No one knew why, no one knew how — no one knew anything. The scientists were stunned, hell the world was stunned, and as for myself, I knew it was a moment that would haunt our history.

My name is Betty Anders, a small-town teacher with an intrepid husband. David and I lived our peaceful, uneventful lives in Nebraska: I taught, while he pursued his research in biogenetic engineering. His breakthrough discovery — quantum entangled botany — gave us hope for a brighter, more sustainable future... which turned to utter fear when the government took it too far. Of course they did.

Our remaining peace evaporated when the missiles started falling, fired by cruelly-intentioned leaders of the Alliance. I know what you're thinking… WHAT freaking missiles? But bare with me, there’s a lot to cover, and not a lot of time. Soon we found ourselves confined to David's bunker, frantically searching for any information. Who was left? How had the fallout altered the landscape? I couldn’t help my mind go to the simple prevailing truth that my husband's scientific breakthrough is now the most important piece of knowledge on the planet.

As we brace ourselves to leave the bunker, I wonder, above all, if these events are somehow linked to the great mystery of what happened with the Native Americans those 100 years ago.

While David and I find our place in this post-apocalyptic world, we need your help in summoning the courage to push forward as I have a feeling that the lines of history are all converging on this moment in time.

"a heady and thoroughly engrossing story...refreshingly vivid and thought-provokingly different." -- Diane C. Donovan, Senior Reviewer MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

Matthew Medney is the CEO of the generational & legendary Heavy Metal Magazine, and co-founded Boutique Storytelling Company, Herø Projects where he also still presides as CEO. Leading the charge at two genre focused brands, Matthew spends most of his time thinking about the unknown. 

A graduate of the University Of Massachusetts at Amherst's Isenberg School of Management, Matthew started his career in the live events space, operating as a tour & production manager, traveling across 45 countries producing over 200 shows for concerts such as Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, Electric Daisy Carnival & Lollapalooza.
 
"A Prolific Writer" (Variety) with the ultimate goal of looking to expand minds and engage readers through high concept Science Fiction, Medney has authored best selling works such as his hard sci-fi novel Beyond Kuiper: The Galactic Star Alliance and the graphic novel Dark Wing. In addition, he has penned multiple comic books including The Red, and his highly anticipated forthcoming work The Adventures of Adrienne James, which can best be described as "female Indiana Jones - in space" - SYFY  

Other notable comic and graphic novel works Medney has helmed include work done in collaboration with bands and music festivals such as the largest Hip Hop Festival in the world Rolling Loud, Grammy award winning musician Shaggy, along with other notable talents such as NGHTMRE, Pegboard Nerds, Riot, and Insomniac's Events.

Robert Greenberger is a writer and editor. A lifelong fan of comic books, comic strips, science fiction, and Star Trek, he drifted towards writing and editing, encouraged by his father and inspired by Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent.

While at SUNY-Binghamton, Greenberger wrote and edited for the college newspaper, Pipe Dream. Upon graduation, he worked for Starlog Press and while there, created Comics Scene, the first nationally distributed magazine to focus on comic books, comic strips, and animation.  

In 1984, he joined DC Comics as an Assistant Editor and went on to be an Editor before moving to Administration as Manager-Editorial Operations. He joined Gist Communications as a Producer before moving to Marvel Comics as its Director-Publishing Operations.  

Greenberger rejoined DC in May 2002 as a Senior Editor-Collected Editions.  He helped grow that department, introducing new formats and improving the editions’ editorial content. In 2006, he joined Weekly World News as its Managing Editor until the paper’s untimely demise. He then freelanced for an extensive client base including Platinum Studios, scifi.com, DC and Marvel. He helped revitalize Famous Monsters of Filmland and served as News Editor at ComicMix.com.

He is a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.  His novelization of Hellboy II: The Golden Army won the IAMTW’s Scribe Award in 2009.

In 2012, he received his Master of Science in Education from the University of Bridgeport and relocated to Maryland where he has taught High School English in Baltimore County. He completed his Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing & Literature for Educators at Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016.

With others, he cofounded Crazy 8 Press, a digital press hub where he continues to write. His dozens of books, short stories, and essays cover the gamut from young adult nonfiction to original fiction. His most recent works include numerous short stories plus the concluding chapter of This Alien Earth for the late Paul Antony Jones and the first chapter of Above the Ground, in collaboration with Matt Medney.

Bob teaches High School English at St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Laurel, MD. He and his wife Deborah reside in Howard County, Maryland. Find him at www.bobgreenberger.com or @bobgreenberger.