Drones for the Holidays

Amazon recently announced that it is looking to create drones to deliver your package in half an hour. As an author, who still sells more physical books than e-ones, I welcome the idea of people ordering my books and then Amazon delivers them by drone. Still, I do worry about all the things that could go wrong . . . .

I just learned that the Southwest Writers anthology "Storyteller's Anthology" book project won't be in our hands before Christmas, primarily because of mailing issues. It would have been great if a swarm of drones could carry the books across the country right now.  For some reason, I hear the Wagner's "Valkries" theme playing as the drones fly across the desert and do a dramatic landing at the Southwest Writers office, dropping their payload.

I have been known to be forgetful. On Chirstmas morning, I could see myself waking up, ordering some jewelry and then giving it by brunch . . .

We've all seen heist films, where criminals rob the armored car, truck, train, plane etc . . . That requires robbers who are both fast and furious. Unless these drones have laser defense systems, it's not going to be that hard for someone to take one down with a bow and arrow or perhaps even a sling shot. It will take someone who is slow and accurate . . .

I can think of all the other obstacles in the air that might collide with the drones. What about while landing, can you just imagine a cat jumping on a drone when it lands. Curiosity might do more than kill the cat, it might take it for a little flight to a warehouse back in Seattle.

If the drones are too loud, they will bother people. If the drones are too quiet, I can see bumping my head into one as it tries to land at my neighbor's house.

I do see the need for using the drones to deliver emergency items, especially when there are transportation issues like closed roads or bad traffic.

But for books? You can already order an ebook and have it delivered to your amazon kindle in a manner of seconds. You can already gift that ebook as well. If amazon can deliver your book in a day already, you might have to learn patience. Or at the very least to plan ahead.

I will believe drones when I see them, but you never know.  I will be very happy when a drone can write this blog