M. Duda's Blog: The Cryo-Freeze II - Posts Tagged "sci-fi"

Quite a few suspenseful and thrilling moments in this story. Ethan Burke wakes up by a river in a remote town, Wayward Pines, with no idea as to how he got there. As he struggles to string together his recent past while suffering injuries from what he believes were caused by a car crash, the town’s sheriff and the hospital psychiatrist attempt to block Ethan’s investigation. And escaping the town seems to be out of the question.

What I like most about this book is that I can sympathize with both Ethan and the story’s antagonists. Ethan, of course, wants to get back to his family and his life. But over the time the story plays out we also discover that he has faults, making him human. The same can be said for the antagonists who are not just mindless villains: They actually want to make the world a better place.

The central conflict rises slowly in the first several chapters where one complication after another only leaves Ethan and the reader more confused. Be patient, as this story really picks up steam in the middle and beyond. And an occasional poorly written metaphor may make you groan but it’s forgivable.

Don’t try to plug this book into a genre. If you must, consider this speculative fiction. But with a mystery to solve, elements of a thriller and an overshadowing sci-fi tale, it’s probably best to label Pines by Blake Crouch a good story.

Going forward, I think I know where I’m stepping. But I’m not yet sure of what I’m stepping into.

The New

For some time now, I’ve wanted to write other genre fiction. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, and hopefully for you too.

Right now, most of my work has fallen under the literary umbrella, only covering other genre elements like sci-fi and suspense. It’s time to expand myself.

My readers who enjoy M. Duda books know me for experimental, literary type stories. So how do I go about writing in other genres?

I’ll be using pen names. This isn’t to deceive readers. I’ll use pen names because new readers will associate my new genre with a different focus. The reader will know what they are getting.

Could the new books be fantasy? Yes. Pen name, “X.” Sci-Fi? Pen name, “Y.” Mystery? You get the idea.

Going forward, I think that this will be fair to a reader’s expectations. You, the reader, are who really matters.

The Not So New

I’m about to publish a literary anthology of flash shorts and poetry titled Tiny Stories. It’s just something that I’ve wanted to do. Indulgent, I know. But I’ve enjoyed it.

The book should be ready by August or September. I’ll post updates about this anthology at a later date on this site.

A second book will be all of my short stories gathered together in one collected anthology. I haven’t decided on the book’s title and publisher tags. Or the format.

Because the stories are all over the place, I’ll have to brainstorm to figure out how this book fits into the fiction marketplace.

And I’ll continue to write experimental literary under the name M. Duda. Like Bedtime for Seneca, A Cat Will Play and Deny the Father. No one will be surprised by this.

Not New at All

Several of my existing shorts will be broken out as stand-alone stories. They’ll even get their own artwork. Expect to see these trickled out over the year.

So expect some new things. And some things not so new.