The perceived themes of this second anthology essentially cover aggression, transgression, progression and its nemesis of regression which are all impacting worldwide, and certainly not new phenomena as evidenced throughout history.

Aggression has a vehicle not only in military might but also in bullying, body language, a war of words and propaganda, all acting as powerful, pervasive and persuasive threats or weapons and inducing duress.

Transgression is particularly visible in the political arena where holding onto power, breaking rules, being a stranger to the truth, exhibiting widespread and uninhibited hubris and brazenly “getting away with it” is endemic – the people’s government is an apparent misnomer, whereby a self-serving government not fit for purpose does not prioritise nor enact the needs of the people it was duly elected to represent.

Progression, interpreted as the advancement and prevalence of good, is often counteracted by regression and retrograde outcomes via evil raising its ugly head.

Civilisation should be at its zenith in the 21st century, but the world is in a quandary, waiting and hoping for the cavalry to arrive! As a global community, and forerunners of the future, we have to ensure that it does.