When I was planning Flight of the Gazebo, the first book in the Hollow series, I wondered how the villagers of Amblesby would react when their entire village was magically relocated to a strange hollow world. Surely everyone would pull together, join forces to overcome the terrible situation in which they found themselves? I pondered this point for a long time and came to the conclusion that most people would look out for one another, support those in need. But I couldn’t help thinking there would be a few individuals who’d try to take advantage, try to make a profit or grab power.

Was I being cynical to think anyone would do that?

The Hollow series is humorous, and therefore extreme behaviour is the order of the day, so I had no qualms creating a few self-serving characters who couldn’t give a damn about their fellow villagers. But even I was surprised when a few years later the coronavirus pandemic struck and I saw how low some people will stoop to make a quick buck.

Take the case of Matt and Noah Colvin of Chattanooga, Tennessee for example. Seeking to cash in on the panic buying sweeping the world in the early days of the pandemic, they went on a road trip and bought 17,700 bottles of hand sanitiser. Then they tried to sell them on Amazon for up to $70 a bottle. Before long, Amazon closed their online shop, and the Tennessee attorney general, keen to stop this sort of behaviour, released a statement saying “This is a time where we have to focus on helping our neighbors, not profiting from them.”

I’m sure though, that Jeremy Wainscott or Gerald Montgomery-Jones would admire the Colvin brothers. I’m sure others do too, but the backlash against the brothers’ behaviour shows there’s hope for us humans yet.

Or is there?

This is a topic I’ll continue to explore in future books of the Hollow series. Mwahahaha…