Fletcher authors unite for political thriller

Readers of current literature don’t need to know much about Fletcher to have heard of Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis. Ackerman, a National Book Award finalist and author of five books, and Stavridis, with nine non-fiction titles to his credit, are both established voices in contemporary letters. Each is, of course, also a well-known member of the Tufts and Fletcher community. Ackerman graduated from Tufts and Fletcher before his distinguished career in the Marine Corps, and Stavridis not only holds a Fletcher PhD but served as the previous Dean of the School until 2018. Suffice to say that this is a duo that knows both writing and international affairs.

Their latest joint undertaking is a new experience for them both. Their novel 2034: A Novel of the Next World War is the result of a collaboration suggested by an editor they share, given their broadly similar backgrounds and connection through Fletcher. A work of speculative political fiction, the novel envisions relatively minor geopolitical incidents in the South China Sea and Iran that rapidly escalate. Stavridis and Ackerman drew upon their own military careers in creating some of their characters, and made sure to have a few of them be Fletcher graduates.

You can read an interview with the authors about their latest book here.