The Accidental Terrorist

Book Cover

ADVENTURE BIOGRAPHICAL COMEDY CRIME YOUNG ADULT SUSPENSE/THRILLER FUNNY MEMOIR

1980s & '90s

William Shunn

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Submision Type

book

Logline

Bill, a disillusioned Mormon missionary in Canada, makes a run for the border and home. The Church catches him and strong-arms him into resuming his mission. When a newer missionary then tries to run away, Bill feels he has no option but to stop him ... by phoning in a bomb threat.

Genre

Adventure,Biographical,Comedy,Crime,Young Adult,Suspense/Thriller,Funny,Memoir

Short Summary

Pressured by his Mormon family, 19-year-old Bill embarks on a two-year mission to Canada. After weeks of fruitless knocking on doors, he's had enough, and he hops a bus out of town. Church leaders intercept him in Montana and convince him to give the mission another try.

Setting

Calgary, Alberta, Canada; plus various locations in rural Alberta and Montana

Based on a True Story

Yes

Plot - Premise

Internal Journey/Rebirth,Rebellion Against 'The One',Voyage and Return

Plot - Other Elements

Coming of Age,Philosophical Questions

Mature Audience Themes

Language/Profanity

Main Character Details

Name: Bill Shunn

Age: 19

Gender: Male

Role: Protagonist

Key Traits: Desperate,Empathetic,Skillful,Sarcastic,Funny,Engaging,Educated,Insecure,Naive,Lone Wolf,Clumsy,Religious,Secretive,Underdog

Additional Character Details

Name: President Tuttle

Age: 55

Gender: Male

Role: Antagonist

Key Traits: Religious,Outspoken,Educated,Leader,Confident,Aggressive,Charming,Manipulative,Sophisticated,Unapologetic,Villainous,Power Hungry,Masculine,Strong Moral Code

Additional Character Details

Name: Elder Fowler

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Role: mentor

Key Traits: Masculine,Strong Moral Code,Honorable,Uneducated,Charming,Confident,Engaging,Flexible,Modest,Obedient,Religious,Blunt,Outspoken,Funny,Unapologetic

Additional Character Details

Name: Elder Dedman

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Role: tempter

Key Traits: Aggressive,Confident,Crazy,Narcisstic,Masculine,Religious,Outspoken,Manipulative,Lone Wolf,Unapologetic

About The Author

William Shunn is author of the acclaimed 2015 memoir THE ACCIDENTAL TERRORIST, which tells the story of his misadventures and eventual arrest while serving as a conflicted Mormon missionary in Canada in the mid-'80s. Since his first short fiction publication in 1993, his stories have appeared in Salon, Asimov's Science Fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Science Fiction Age, Realms of Fantasy, Electric Velocipede, Storyteller, Bloodstone Review, Newtown Literary, and various anthologies, including year's-best collections. His work has been shortlisted for the Hugo Award, the Nebula Award (twice), and the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award. On September 11, 2001, he created the first online "survivor registry," where New Yorkers without phone service could let loved ones know they were safe. He has worked companies as diverse as Sesame Workshop, WordPerfect Corporation, and the National Council on Aging. He lives in New York City, and sometime publishes under the name Perry Slaughter.

Target Audiences

Age: 13-17,18-34,35-54,55+

Target Gender: Universal

Group Specific

Information not completed

Publishing Details

Status: Yes: with a Publisher

Publisher: Sinister Regard Publishers

Year Published: 2015

Hard Copy Available

Yes

ISBN

9781941928561