It Could Happen Here CZM Book Club: Everything that Isn't Winter, by Margaret Killjoy, Part Two
Dec 28, 2025
Margaret Killjoy, an accomplished author, reads her captivating short story and shares insightful commentary on its themes and structure. She explores the contrast between peaceful rural life and sudden violence as characters face an impending attack. Aiden’s emotional journey leads to a moral standoff with bandit leaders, and the tension escalates into a gripping battle. Amidst chaos, love and survival emerge as central themes, culminating in heartfelt reconciliations. Expect thought-provoking reflections on storytelling and the human experience.
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Nightwatch Turned Catastrophe
- Margaret Killjoy narrates standing watch with a rifle as tea fields glint in moonlight and reflects on the peace of farm life and armed defense.
- She recounts how artillery destroyed the lodge in three seconds and how that shock propelled her to flee on a rail cart.
Farming And Defense Are Intertwined
- Killjoy links the simplicity of tending land with the blunt honesty of holding a rifle as complementary duties in their community.
- They show how defense and cultivation form intertwined identities in the post-collapse setting.
Hidden Tunnel Mines Discovered
- Bartley surprises Aiden at the junction and reveals a heavily armed group camped in the tunnel with artillery on flatbeds.
- She explains the tunnel's wired breaker setup she installed years earlier and how close one must be to trigger it.