- After
- I
- published
- Tales
- from
- the
- Peninsula
- (2021)
- and
- More
- Tales
- from
- the
- Peninsula
- (2022),
- I
- thought
- I
- was
- through
- with
- this
- genre
- of
- historical-based
- short
- stories.
- In
- a
- way,
- I
- was,
- but
- I
- wasn’t
- finished
- yet
- with
- the
- San
- Francisco
- Bay
- Area,
- and
- I
- wanted
- to
- expand
- the
- reach
- of
- my
- stories
- to
- the
- rest
- of
- the
- surrounding
- bay.
- I
- am
- a
- proud
- native
- of
- this
- region,
- and
- it
- has
- been
- my
- home
- for
- over
- six
- decades.
- It
- was
- important
- to
- pay
- homage
- to
- places
- like
- Oakland
- and
- San
- Jose,
- cities
- I
- visited
- many
- times
- growing
- up
- and
- after.Strange
- Bay
- is
- more
- of
- a
- spiritual
- successor
- than
- a
- sequel
- to
- the
- Tales
- from
- the
- Peninsula
- books,
- which
- is
- one
- reason
- why
- I
- didn’t
- name
- it
- Tales
- from
- the
- Peninsula
- 3.
- While
- the
- “Tales”
- books
- included
- numerous
- genres
- set
- at
- different
- times
- in
- the
- Peninsula’s
- history,
- Strange
- Bay
- focuses
- on
- science
- fiction,
- paranormal,
- and
- a
- bit
- of
- fantasy
- in
- the
- present
- and
- future
- (with
- a
- few
- crazy
- detours
- into
- the
- past!).
- And,
- of
- course,
- it
- encompasses
- this
- region
- we
- know
- as
- the
- San
- Francisco
- Bay
- Area.The
- Bay
- Area
- has
- always
- been
- my
- home,
- and
- one
- of
- the
- things
- that
- makes
- it
- special
- is
- how
- unique
- each
- part
- of
- it
- is.
- As
- you
- travel
- by
- car
- around
- the
- bay,
- going
- from
- San
- Francisco
- down
- the
- Peninsula
- to
- San
- Jose,
- then
- wrapping
- around
- to
- the
- East
- Bay,
- north
- to
- Hayward,
- San
- Leandro,
- Oakland,
- Pinole,
- Hercules,
- Vallejo,
- then
- west
- to
- Marin
- County
- and
- Sausalito,
- each
- place
- is
- unique
- from
- the
- last.
- The
- bay
- acts
- as
- a
- neutral
- zone
- that
- prevents
- sprawl
- and
- allows
- each
- area
- along
- its
- perimeter
- to
- grow
- and
- develop
- in
- its
- special
- way.
- Imagine
- if
- there
- was
- no
- bay,
- only
- land.
- It
- would
- be
- another
- Los
- Angeles
- basin.
- I
- shudder
- as
- I
- write
- this.So,
- sit
- back
- and
- enjoy
- the
- ride
- around
- the
- glorious
- San
- Francisco
- Bay.
- Along
- the
- way,
- you
- will
- travel
- through
- a
- hellscape
- that
- looks
- suspiciously
- like
- San
- Francisco,
- see
- if
- a
- scientist
- can
- use
- quantum
- realities
- to
- save
- his
- son,
- learn
- if
- a
- murderous
- android
- can
- find
- love
- and
- understanding,
- find
- out
- if
- a
- teenager
- and
- his
- teacher
- can
- save
- their
- city
- from
- killer
- drones,
- visit
- a
- man
- who
- must
- overcome
- the
- challenges
- of
- dementia
- to
- solve
- a
- murder
- mystery
- at
- his
- retirement
- home,
- watch
- ancient
- Egyptian
- history
- dangerously
- come
- to
- life
- at
- a
- museum,
- take
- a
- plane
- ride
- into
- the
- shadows
- between
- life
- and
- death,
- and
- discover
- the
- future
- of
- intelligent
- life
- on
- earth.
- The
- bay
- can
- be
- a
- strange
- place
- but
- a
- wondrous
- one.Dennis
- Venturoni
Belmont,
- California
January
- 31, 2025
pro-mbooks3 : libris
