In short stories like “R&R” and “Salvador,” Shepard, who died in 2014, depicts the United States launching a Central American conflict that has turned into a second Vietnam. It’s a sprawling, endless war where U.S. soldiers massacre villagers while high on government-provided amphetamines and psychedelics. (Many of the stories are collected in two volumes from Subterranean Press that had limited print runs but are readily available as an eBook .)

As Donald Trump threatens to attack Venezuela and U.S. forces murder fishermen in the Caribbean, I found myself thinking of a brilliant, nearly forgotten U.S. author, Lucius Shepard, and his uncanny 1980s tales of near-future wars.

As Donald Trump threatens to attack Venezuela and U.S. forces murder fishermen in the Caribbean, I found myself thinking of a brilliant, nearly forgotten U.S. author, Lucius Shepard, and his uncanny 1980s tales of near-future wars.

In short stories like “R&R” and “Salvador,” Shepard, who died in 2014, depicts the United States launching a Central American conflict that has turned into a second Vietnam. It’s a sprawling, endless war where U.S. soldiers massacre villagers while high on government-provided amphetamines and psychedelics. (Many of the stories are collected in two volumes from Subterranean Press that had limited print runs but are readily available as an e