Beth Tabler's Blog, page 202
January 14, 2022
Review – The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
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THE city we became by n.k. jemisin January 14, 2022 10:00 am One Comment Facebook Twitter WordPress “People who say change is impossible are usually pretty happy with things just as they are”The exceptional urban fantasy-horror novel “The City We Became” by multi-award winning, bestselling, and highly lauded author N.K. Jemisin is a timely, thought-provoking book about how the future of cities is one of diversification, multiculturalism, and standing up against racism, misogyny, and intolerance.
Most of us know Jemisin as one of the most talented authors of her generation, a brilliant academic, and someone who is unflinching in her social commentary, especially on matters of race, marginalization, and bigotry.
This is on full display in “The City We Became.” For the only author to win three consecutive Hugo Awards (one of the most prestigious literary awards anywhere) and who had to actively combat and shine a light on forces trying to prevent her from winning (due to her gender and race), there is no doubt she is a courageous writer. Jemisin has demonstrated she has no qualms whatsoever about calling out members of the literary establishment, vocally in interviews, and of course in her actual novels, when she feels it is justified.
The premise for “The City We Became” is that all cities, eventually, evolve into essentially sentient beings, and through humans, create avatars to protect them from “the enemy”, who originates from an alternate reality. In the case of Jemisin’s novel, the overall city has an avatar. However when that avatar is injured combating the enemy, the avatars of each individual New York City borough are awakened, to take up the fight, and protect their beloved metropolis. Jemisin implies that all cities either manage to emerge triumphant over the enemy, or they are destroyed, i.e. Atlantis, Pompeii, Tenochtitlán.
The avatars who protect New York City are for the most part all from racialized backgrounds: a neophyte to New York, suffering from memory loss, who is also a financial expert, and happens to be a gay Black man (Manhattan); a Black woman, employed as a high-ranking civil servant, who is a former rapper (Brooklyn); a queer, compassionate native American (Bronx) with a desire to help the downtrodden; a Tamil mathematics graduate student (Queens); and the overall avatar of the city, a queer, transient young Black man, who is a gifted graffiti artist.
The notable exception is the Staten Island avatar, who is a sheltered white female, whose police officer father is bigoted. Because the enemy epitomizes racism, the Staten Island avatar seems to be more susceptible, due to her upbringing, to be courted by the city’s malevolent nemesis, and this avatar shuns the other avatars, for that reason.
The novel is part homage, part condemnation of the city that is New York, the “melting pot”, the symbol of positives like altruism, being welcoming, providing great opportunity for immigrants, diversity, and – seemingly for Jemisin – evils like colonialism, white supremacy, privilege, gentrification, and racial injustice. And of course, what is happening New York is clearly depicted as a microcosm for what is happening in the greater United States.
Admirers of H.P. Lovecraft be warned; Jemisin blatantly calls out Lovecraft in the book, citing the enemy as being inspired by Lovecraft’s work, thus casting Lovecraft’s work in a xenophobic, bigoted light.
While I have enjoyed some of Jemisin’s other works better (“The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms” is one of my top 5 all-time favourite novels) I cannot deny the luminosity that is Jemisin. It took me a bit to connect with the characters, but in time I did – that is why this is not greater than 5 stars for me (only with someone like Jemisin does one expect to bust through the nominal rating chart with every book she writes).
But everything else is in very fine order, and then some.
Timely humour, chilling action scenes, biting social commentary and important themes, epic worldbuilding, engaging characters, evocative writing, and the ability to downright terrify while at the same time inspire are skills that no one save Jemisin can do quite the way she does it. And she does all of that and more in “The City We Became”.
Jemisin continues to be a master and “The City We Became” is a masterpiece. The book narrowly missed gaining Jemisin her FIFTH Hugo, and still won the equally distinguished Locus for best fantasy novel. Very well deserved, in my opinion, and I will continue to read anything and everything that Jemisin writes.
If you are looking to read a fierce and unapologetic fantasy novel, extremely inventive and well-crafted with themes that will likely hit home in light of recent world events, read “The City We Became”.
Check Out some of our other reviewsReview – The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
January 13, 2022
Short Story Review – Dissent: A Five-Course Meal (With Suggested Pairings) by Aimee Ogden
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Dissent: a Five-Course Meal (with suggested pairings) by aimee ogden January 13, 2022 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress “Amuse-Bouche: a pungent sourness builds at the back of your throat..."”When you read Dissent: A Five-Course Meal ( With Suggested Pairings), you read it on two levels. The first level is obviously around food. This story is a menu for a five-course meal, and much like a menu, it has sensual writing that evokes the flavor and scent of the offerings of both the dish and of a moment in time.
However, the second level is the story between the bites and scents of the meal that link both the story and the food directly to the diner. “A pungent sourness builds at the back of your throat, slowly at first then with a crescendo of intensity as you flip through the authorized news stream.” There is a lot between the bites—a queer couple fighting for their rights and fleeing the protest site ahead of gas clouds. The smell of Trimethylamine from dead fish along the stream banks as they cut the wire fences and make a run from a work camp. Now in prison, and the copper taste of blood when you slice your cheek on your chipped and broken teeth. Each has a dedicated course. Each is a dedicated moment in time linking all of your senses.
It is a powerful story told in a unique way.
Check Out some of our other reviews
Short Story Review – Little Free Library by Naomi Kritzer
Short Story Review – Metal Like Blood in the Dark by T. Kingfisher
January 12, 2022
Review – The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts
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THE CURSE OF THE MISTWRAITH by Janny wurts January 12, 2022 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress
“The Wars of Light and Shadow were fought during the third age of Athera, the most troubled and strife-filled era recorded in all of history. At that time Arithon, called Master of Shadow, battled the Lord of Light through five centuries of bloody and bitter conflict. If the canons of the religion founded during that period are reliable, the Lord of Light was divinity incarnate, and the Master of Shadow a servant of evil, spinner of dark powers. Temple archives attest with grandiloquent force to be the sole arbiters of truth”…”
“Because the factual account lay hopelessly entangled between legend and theology, sages in the seventh age meditated upon the ancient past, and recalled through visions the events as they happened. Contrary to all expectation, the conflict did not begin on the council stair of Etarra, nor even on the soil of Athera itself; instead the visions started upon the wide oceans of the splinter world, Dascen Elur. This is the chronicle the sages recovered. Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself.”…”
And so begins one of the most epic high fantasy books, and the opening entry in one of the greatest epic fantasy series, EVER.
For years, I had planned to read the illustrious Janny Wurts. To be clear, Janny Wurts is often heralded as one of the best fantasy writers of all time, yet somehow I did not get to any of her extensive collection of books. No longer. Now that I have read “The Curse of the Mistwraith”, I understand why Wurts is mentioned in the same breath, in many circles, as Tolkien, Martin, and many of the truly elite fantasy authors. https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-li… .
So, without further ado, let me attempt to do justice to the phenomenal “The Curse of the Mistwraith”, Book One of The Wars of Light and Shadow, in my review.
PLOT SYNOPSIS
The beauty, for me, of the plot of the book is that, at its heart, it is simple. Some would even consider the plot full of tropes. Yet those tropes are wrapped in immeasurable nuance and complexity. I have never seen tropes meshed and threaded with such skill that one would cease to forget about the tropes themselves, and focus solely on how deftly written the book is. Until I read this book.
In the world of Dascen Elur, a war exists between two rival kings. One king is a flamboyant and notorious pirate king, the other is a cold, ruthless but highly capable monarch. The queen of the latter monarch, has a son (named Lysaer) with that particular king. Lysaer grows into the Master of Light. But the queen absconds on her husband, and runs off to have an affair with the pirate king, and bears him a (illegitimate) son as well, named Arithon. Arithon evolves into the Master of Shadow.
The queen’s husband is obsessed with being a cuckold, and vows to destroy the pirate king, his wife’s bastard son, and the pirate king’s naval forces. While the pirates are indeed a military threat to the rival king, it is the shame and humiliation of his wife’s betrayal that fuels his desire to annihilate the pirate king and his son.
Lysaer grows up to be the perfect prince and heir to the throne: handsome, courageous, intelligent, a natural leader and ruler, with an innate sense of justice. Lysaer also is eager to rule, and prove his worth. Yet Lysaer knows he possessed untapped, untutored magical powers, that he will only truly begin to uncover in another world.
Meanwhile Arithon, a lover of music and gifted musician, is raised as a mage, and trained in the arts of magic by his paternal grandfather. Arithon shuns inheriting the pirate king’s realm, and does not want to be tied to the burdens of sovereignty.
Though the queen eventually dies, the conflict continues to rage between the two rival kings. Finally, the pirate king is slain, and the Master of Shadows is captured by his enemies, eventually winding up in the hands of his half-brother, Crown Prince Lysaer.
Hate simmers between the two siblings, as Lysaer takes Arithon to Lysaer’s father, and Arithon is tortured, humiliated, and eventually banished from Dascen Elur. But Lysaer ends up being inadvertently exiled as well, to the world of Athera, and alternate reality, that can only reached via one-way magical portal.
There, initially, the brothers are forced to put their enmity aside and work together, under the guidance of wizards led by the mysterious Asandir, his apprentice Dakar (called the Mad Prophet) and other sorcerers belonging to the Fellowship of the Seven.
For Athera is clouded in permanent shadow and misery for the past 500 years, cursed by a Mistwraith, a powerful and malevolent being that is a blight upon the universe. No sun or stars can be seen in Athera, while the Mistwraith holds the land under its sway. Only the combined powers of Light (wielded by Lysaer), and Shadow (wielded by Arithon) can vanquish the Mistwraith, and bring an end to the curse.
Yet the curse is only one small part of Arithon and Lysaer’s issues. Another society of female magic-users, the Koriani, scheme against the Fellowship of the Seven, and have their own plans for the brothers. And the Fellowship themselves appear to be manipulative, secretive, and the reader will wonder if they truly have the best interests of the brothers at heart, or if the brothers are merely pawns in their designs.
Additionally, both princes are part of generational dynasties of which they are the heirs to in Athera. They have kingdoms and subjects that await their coming, like some sort of messiahs. Moreover, the blood feud between the two princes transcends into the new world of Athera. Will one prince be destroyed by the mutual hate? Will both? And will the world be destroyed with it?
CHARACTERS
The sophistication of Wurts’ characterization is truly a thing to behold. There are so many amazing, fascinating secondary characters that surround the two princes, most of whom very much have their own agendas, and are extremely grey in their perspectives and ambitions. There some downright despicable people too, but there are also some very “good” characters, who the reader will root for. But be warned – don’t get too attached. Like GRRM, Wurts has no compunction whatsoever in making noble characters suffer or die, and the final battle scenes of the book are of the tear-jerking variety, as lovable characters fall.
The princes are brilliantly drawn as counterpoint to each other at times, and at times their similarities cannot help but be noticed. Driven by forces beyond their control, played against each other by human and non-human agendas, and unsure of the players and game they are part of, one can’t help but feel sorry for Arithon and Lysaer. Their faults and positive attributes are both to their detriment, and it seems only disaster can await them both, with no pragmatic way to happiness and peace, based on the high destinies that ride on their shoulders.
PACING
This book, for me, is nothing if not a character-driven novel. That means the pacing, like many books of this nature, can be very slow-burn. There are plenty of fantastic action sequences, and the beginning and end of the novel are thrilling in terms of excitement. But the middle of the novel takes its time in drawing the reader into the politics, introducing the characters, how the magic works, the history and backstory, the settings, lining up all the chess pieces, then moving them. The book is a tome, coming in around 800 pages, yet I was never bored for one minute despite the length. Still, for those who treasure the sprint, not the marathon, it may not be for you. It is a dense, absorbing read, that requires the reader to proceed carefully, and virtually read every word.
WORLD-BUILDING
While this book is just the beginning of the journey this series seems destined to take me on, I am hard pressed to recall as immersive world building that is constructed by Wurts ANYWHERE in modern fantasy that I have read thus far. I’m talking Tolkien, Steven Erikson, GRRM. Wurts’ dizzingly real world is replete with lush ancient history, backstory, lore, a variety of current and defunct kingdoms, ethnicities, races (including centaurs!) and cultures, and complex mythologies clans, magical guilds, complex royal genealogy, prophecy that transcends millennia, unique languages, complex magic systems and mysticism.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. I have not read anything like it, and all indications is that the first book merely scratches a bit of the surface of what Wurts has in store for the remainder of what is a huge series. I am flabbergasted by Wurts’ imagination, skill, and depth of research taken to create such an intricate and complex place, featuring a splinter world, main core world, and more. The end product is superlative, and second to none. For someone like me who craves detailed world-building, I have found exactly what I was looking for in a fantasy book.
PROSE
I understand that for some, Wurts’ prose may be too much of a good thing. For me, simply put, it is a thing of extreme beauty, a revelation. To say it is evocative is a paltry compliment. Her style of writing is classical, lyrical, poetic at times, stuffed full of detail, description, subtleties. You can read and appreciate the writing for its sheer loveliness, but in truth, you would literally be missing out.
That is because Wurts weaves clues to sub-plots or major plot points, innuendoes, sometimes even double-meanings into her words, that if the reader fails to pay attention – either completely mesmerized by the prose itself, or overwhelmed by the depth and breadth of it – things will be missed, and misunderstood. There is such a delight in the way Wurts writes, that I know I will be re-reading “The Curse of the Mistwraith” several times, just for the loveliness of the prose alone.
But I will also be re-reading to capture things that I know I neglected to pick up on the first read – it is that type of book. Wurts is a master at the craft of writing, and I cannot say enough about her abilities in this regard. She will make you work hard to comprehend the full picture, but I feel the payoff is well worth the effort on the part of the reader.
THEMES
Predestination, the “end justifies the means”, what it means to embrace leadership, the price and consequences of magic, loyalty, family, and lust for power, prestige, and glory are all compelling themes that you will find in “The Curse of the Mistwraith”. Also, the fact that nothing is ever as it seems, and the reliability of all the perspectives in the novel being cast in doubt at various points, makes for highly intriguing and thought-provoking reading.
The prologue holds some of the key to the point of the book – and is reminiscent of GRRMs (to paraphrase) “A villain is a hero of the other side”. This is particularly relevant when we consider the main two characters, the princes. The reader will in one chapter detest and be angry with Arithon, and then next chapter empathise with him, cheer for him and pray for his survival. Then they will turn around and feel the same about Lysaer. At least in this first entry in the series, though readers will likely come to have their favourite brother, I found myself hoping somehow both could co-exist, if not find lost familial bonds of love and harmony.
But this book, make no mistake, is a DARK book overall, and I do not predict any happy endings for either brother in the series. The two brothers are positioned for failure, and seemingly, catastrophic death for themselves, if not also the world around them.
Yet this is part of the genius of Wurts, as she has the reader caring for what happens to both men on opposite sides, and fretting over the fact that – while they seem to race towards inevitable doom – they are being manipulated by sorcerers and sorceresses, evil spirits, ambitious humans, and almost everyone and everything around them.
Perhaps the scariest thing about the book is that Arithon and Lysaer’s fate seems almost completely pre-determined, with only a few alternate probably outcomes. So, as the reader, one is reading the book (and the series, it would seem) for the journey, not the ultimate destination, perhaps. But that journey is so luxuriant, so verdant with artistry, splendour, and magnificence, that I am more than willing to just enjoy the scenery, and keep reading Wurts’ “The War of Light and Shadow” to its conclusion.
CONCLUSION
This book got me in the feels on EVERY level. The writing is rapturous, the world-building was mind-blowing, the characters were superbly drawn, and the themes were spellbinding. It was a true feast of the senses, and if this book was just the beginning, the series truly promises greatness. “The Curse of the Mistwraith” was breathtaking and has me clamouring for more, much more of Wurts’ craftsmanship.
Wurts is a scintillating writer, one of the best in fantasy, who needs to be heralded in the same class as the Sandersons, Jordans, et all. I will be devouring anything she writes from now on. It won’t be long, I’m sure, until I am reading the next book in the series, “The Ships of Merior”
Check Out some of our other reviewsJanuary 11, 2022
Review – The Hidden King By E.G. Radcliff
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The hidden king by e.g. radcliff January 11, 2022 2:00 pm One Comment Facebook Twitter WordPress What is it about?Hidden truths. Hidden power. Hidden destiny.
On the shores of a rusty sea, in the streets of a starving city, a young man named Áed scraps to build a life for himself and the makeshift family he loves. Scarred by a trauma he cannot remember, and haunted by the brutal damage it left behind, he has no idea of the courage his future will demand.
When tragedy strikes, a desperate Áed risks a treacherous, life-changing journey in his last chance to save the only family he has left – but an ancient legacy smoldering within him is about to turn deadly. Neither he – nor a kingdom – will ever be the same.
SPFBO SemiFinalist 2020
BBNYA SemiFinalist 2021
BlueInk Notable Book
International Review of Books Gold Seal Book
Sometimes you find certain books that are almost a perfect fit for your overall reading tastes and your current reading mood. The marvellous “The Hidden King”, YA dark fantasy novel by E.G. Radcliff, is such a book for me. Of note, this book is highly decorated, including a semi-finalist berth in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO6) last year, and was LONG on my TBR list, as a MUST-READ, along with the entire “Coming of Áed” series.
Among my most desired features for any novel are character-driven narratives, enchanting prose, and rich worldbuilding. And, I happened to be in the mood for something smooth and easy to read, not too long (not over 400 pages, and this book is just under 300), and heartwarming. I found it all in “The Hidden King”, and a few more gems besides.
Not surprisingly, as the title of the novel indicates, Radcliff uses several tried and trusted fantasy tropes, including the unwitting or reluctant heir, coming into his or her inheritance, as the main plot for her book. Áed is a penurious, illiterate youth, with haunting red eyes, a wonderful partner named Ninian, and an adopted son named Ronan. Áed is an orphan, and has been rescued by his partner, who knows more about Áed’s heritage than Áed does.
The three -Áed, Ninan and Ronan – struggle to survive on the mean streets of “The Maze”, a dirty, desperate slum, rife with gangs, thieves, and other undesirables, where life is cheap, death is quick, and and there is little hope for bettering one’s circumstances. Áed does what he can to scrape by, including rummaging for and selling scraps.
Ninian does his part, and is the main breadwinner, by risking life and limb in fierce pugilistic matches. The plucky and sweet Ronan is the centre of Áed and Ninan’s world, but the two lovers also have each other, and their bond is beautiful. But disaster strikes the already volatile existence of the trio.
This misfortune drives Áed to make a daring decision. Freed of what shackles him to poverty and hopelessness, he is determined to forge a better life for those he loves in the White City, a fabled place of mystery, wonder, and prosperity, for those who live downtrodden, in the Maze.
This is a novel, whose strengths are its absolutely glorious prose, clear and compelling plot, and splendid characterization.
When writing is THIS good, you have to quote passages in the book:
“The earthy darkness made him panicky, especially since beside the path, bottomless chasms yawned in the gloom. Hundreds of cells passed behind them, each alike, though and some revealed ghoulish faces crowned with wild hair, long beards, or bloody scratches peering through the iron bars.”
I found myself stopping to re-read certain parts of the book, “smelling the roses”, so to speak, as I savoured the delightful prose. Radcliff paints the world of the Gut so deliciously, so vividly with her words, including the sibylline “No-Man’s-Land”, that I felt I was right there, looking over vast expanses, uncharted lands, and imposing mountains.
The plot has more than enough bends and corners that the reader will likely push through to read the book in one sitting, as it’s that engrossing. Not everything is a surprise, and there is an element of predictability to some of the action. As I mentioned earlier, if you don’t like your comfortably familiar tropes, this book may not be for you. For me, it was all so well-done, it had absolutely no negative impact on my enjoyment.
Let’s spend a moment to speak to some of the wonderfully-drawn characters. Áed, the protagonist, is a fantastic lead, and the reader will scream and cry and grimace with his story, while rooting for him to succeed. His relationships with the good people in his life, particularly Ninan, Ronan, and Boudicca, are heartwarming. The complex villains are appropriately despicable, and you will revel to see some of the really detestable ones receive their comeuppance.
There is a thread of distinct darkness that runs through a pattern of hope and overall optimism in the novel. There is violence, pain, and torture in “The Hidden King”, and be warned, some scenes are difficult to read, and the tragedies that occur may bring you to outright weeping. But only such a lovely, poignant, and extremely written novel can evoke such strong emotions from the reader, and Radcliff possesses the sort of skill to have you reaching for the tissue box. There is a strong presence of elemental magic, the Fae, and lurking, shadowy presences that one will be unsure of. It’s definitely “soft” magic, but that’s exactly what I prefer.
Overall, this is a book that I loved, and after hearing nothing but good things about it, am so pleased all I heard proved to be true. I have already taken steps to secure the next two books in what promises to be an outstanding series, and give a resounding five stars for “The Hidden King”!
Check Out some of our other reviewsREVIEW- World Breaker Requiem by Luke Tarzian
REVIEW- Ring Shout By P. Djeli Clark
P.L. Stuart
I’m an experienced writer, in that I’ve been writing stories all my life, yet never thought to publish them. I’ve written informally – short stories – to entertain friends and family, for community newspapers, volunteer organization magazines, and of course formal papers for University. Now, later in life, I’ve published what I believe is a great fantasy novel, and definitely worth reading, called A Drowned Kingdom. My target audience is those who enjoy “high fantasy”. A Drowned Kingdom is not “dark fantasy”. It’s written in a more idealized and grandiose style that I hope isn’t too preachy, and not too grim. Still, I’m hoping my book has appeal to those who don’t typically read this type of work – those who don’t read fantasy of any kind – because of the “every-person” themes permeating the novel: dysfunctional familial relationships, extramarital temptation, racism, misogyny, catastrophic loss, religion, crisis of faith, elitism, self-confidence, PTSD, and more.
Many of these themes I have either personal experience with, or have friends or family who have dealt with such issues. I’ve had a long professional law enforcement career, undergone traumatic events, yet been buoyed by family, faith, and positivity. I’m a racialized middle-aged man. I’ve seen a lot of life. Ultimately I want the planned series, of which A Drowned Kingdom will be the introduction, to be one of hope, and overcoming obstacles to succeed, which I believe is my story as well. My protagonist, Othrun, will undergo a journey where he’ll evolve, change, and shape a continent. He’s not always likeable. He’s a snob, bigot, is vain, yet struggles with confidence. He’s patriarchal. Overall, he’s flawed. But even ordinary flawed people can change. We’re all redeemable.
Ordinary people can make a difference, not just fictional Princes. I want that message to shine through my work.
WHERE TO FIND HIMTwitter – @plstuartwrites
Facebook – @plstuartwrites
If You Liked This - Please Share the LoveJanuary 10, 2022
Five Recommended Kindle Unlimited Books
Kindle Unlimited is either a feast or a famine when it comes to enjoyable content. For every awesome book among its ranks, there’s about a dozen that…aren’t. However, there’s some diamonds in the rough and I thought I would share a few of my favorites with you. Indeed, if this proves a popular segment, it may become a regular part of the Before We Go blog.
1 Starship's Mage by Glynn Stewart
Starship’s Mage is a lengthy series about the adventures of a sorcerer in the future named Damien Montgomery. In the future, faster-than-light travel is achieved through magic and most of the high-paying jobs are monopolized by the aristocrats among them. Damien finds himself on a blacklisted cargo ship and soon ends up on a wild adventure fleeing pirates, crime lords, slavers, and mage-hunting lunatics. I really enjoyed this series and binged a dozen books in the series over the course of a week.
AboutIn a galaxy tied together by the magic of the elite Jump Magi, Damien Montgomery is a newly graduated member of their number.
With no family or connections to find a ship, he is forced to service on an interstellar freighter known to be hunted by pirates.
When he takes drastic action to save the “Blue Jay” from their pursuers, he sets in motion a sequence of events beyond his control – and attracts enemies on both sides of the law!
Starship’s Mage was originally released as five separate episodes
I had a lot of fun with Shadow City, which seems to be a book homaging open world video games like Fallout 3 and Dying Light. Colton arrives naked and confused about how the world has changed since the Glitch that plunged it into an eternal hot night. Cyborgs, vampires, angels, and demons are all factions in this delightfully bonkers post-apocalypse adventure novel.
AboutLos Angeles is an apocalyptic wasteland.
Without orientation, Colton stumbles through the vast, deserted city. He doesn’t remember who he is and where he came from. Scavengers save his life from mutants and bring him to the only remaining inhabited area and safe Zone in former Hollywood.
There he learns that after a devastating catastrophe called The Glitch, reality shifted, allowing nightmarish creatures from another dimension to enter our world. These co-called Dark Ones feed on suffering and violence, wanting nothing less than the complete annihilation of humanity.
Colton discovers that he has extraordinary abilities and joins a league of unusual defenders: ex-cop Eric, female cyborg Bombshell and Vincent, a mighty entity from another world, disguised as a human soldier.
But the Dark Ones are evil beyond imagination and with their ice-cold enforcer, the traitor Eurydice, they are a threat nearly impossible to overcome. Cunning and ruthless, Eurydice sets a ploy in action, which leads to the destruction of the Zone’s defenses weakening the tiny community from within. It’s up to Colton and his friends to take a desperate stand against the superior enemy and save what is left of humanity from extinction.
Fast-paced, action-driven, and cinematic – an eternal fight of good vs. evil told in a way as never before.
3 DRAGON MAGE By ML SPENCER
I’m a huge fan of M.L. Spencer’s Rhenwars Saga that deconstructed your typical Chosen One and epic fantasy narrative. However, I think I enjoyed Dragon Mage even more. An autistic mage is taken prisoner by an oppressive parasitic government that requires the blood of beings like him to work their own sorcery.
Escaping with the help of his friend, the young mage soon finds himself seeking out a group of dragon-riding rebels who may the last group able to stop the baddies. A classic fantasy homage every bit as faithful as Rhenwars Saga was brutal.
AboutAram Raythe has the power to challenge the gods. He just doesn’t know it yet.
Aram thinks he’s nothing but a misfit from a small fishing village in a dark corner of the world. As far as Aram knows, he has nothing, with hardly a possession to his name other than a desire to make friends and be accepted by those around him, which is something he’s never known.
But Aram is more. Much, much more.
Unknown to him, Aram bears within him a gift so old and rare that many people would kill him for it, and there are others who would twist him to use for their own sinister purposes. These magics are so potent that Aram earns a place at an academy for warrior mages training to earn for themselves the greatest place of honor among the armies of men: dragon riders.
Aram will have to fight for respect by becoming not just a dragon rider, but a Champion, the caliber of mage that hasn’t existed in the world for hundreds of years. And the land needs a Champion. Because when a dark god out of ancient myth arises to threaten the world of magic, it is Aram the world will turn to in its hour of need.
Another author I absolutely love the works of is Drew Hayes. Fred the Vampire Accountant, Superpowered, and Villain’s Code all could have gone here but it’s the latter that won out. In a superhero filled world, there’s a truce between superheroes and supervillains. As long as the latter avoid involving civilian casualties and follow certain rules, they don’t go all out against one another. A young superscientist has recently joined the baddies and is certain this is what she wants to do with her life–right before the entire system collapses.
AboutGifted with metahuman powers in a world full of capes and villains, Tori Rivas kept away from the limelight, preferring to work as a thief in the shadows. But when she’s captured trying to rob a vault that belongs to a secret guild of villains, she’s offered a hard choice: prove she has what it takes to join them or be eliminated.
Apprenticed to one of the world’s most powerful (and supposedly dead) villains, she is thrust into a strange world where the lines that divide superheroes and criminals are more complex than they seem. The education of a villain is not an easy one, and Tori will have to learn quickly if she wants to survive.
On top of the peril she faces from her own teacher, there are also the capes and fellow apprentices to worry about, to say nothing of having to keep up a civilian cover. Most dangerous of all, though, are those who loathe the guild’s very existence. Old grudges mean some are willing to go to any length to see the guild turned to ash, along with each one of its members. Even the lowly apprentices.
5 Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell
The best Kindle Unlimited work I’ve ever read is probably this book. The trilogy of books is epic fantasy of a George R.R. Martin-esque quality and actually was enjoyable to me as some of the early A Song of Ice and Fire books. The story follows three protagonists with Ruka, a Caliban-esque deformed savage who wants to lead his people to a more fertile land, Prince Kane who is so spoiled he doesn’t even realize his privilege, and Dale, a priestess from common stock ready to overthrow the old system. Truly excellent storytelling and easily worth the no. 1 spot on this list.
AboutA deformed genius plots vengeance while struggling to survive. A wastrel prince comes of age, finding a power he never imagined. Two worlds are destined to collide.
Only one can be king.
Ruka, called a demon at birth, is a genius. Born malformed and ugly into the snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom, he was spared from death by his mother’s love. Now he is an outcast, consumed with hate for those who’ve wronged him. But to take his vengeance, he must first survive. Across a vast sea in the white-sand island paradise of Sri Kon, Kale is fourth and youngest son of the Sorcerer King.
And at sixteen, Kale is a disappointment. As the first prince ever forced to serve with low-born marines, Kale must prove himself and become a man, or else lose all chance of a worthy future, and any hope to win the love of his life. Though they do not know it, both boys are on the cusp of discovery. Their worlds and lives are destined for greatness, or ruin.
But in a changing world where ash meets paradise, only one man can be king… The first installment of an epic, low- fantasy trilogy. Kings of Paradise is a dark, bloody, coming-of-age story shaped by culture, politics, and magic.
Check out some of our other postsJanuary 9, 2022
Review – SHADOW CITY by Anna Mocikat
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SHADOW CITY by ANNA MOCIKAT January 9, 2022 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress WHAT IS IT ABOUT?Los Angeles is an apocalyptic wasteland.
Without orientation, Colton stumbles through the vast, deserted city. He doesn’t remember who he is and where he came from. Scavengers save his life from mutants and bring him to the only remaining inhabited area and safe Zone in former Hollywood.
There he learns that after a devastating catastrophe called The Glitch, reality shifted, allowing nightmarish creatures from another dimension to enter our world. These co-called Dark Ones feed on suffering and violence, wanting nothing less than the complete annihilation of humanity.
Colton discovers that he has extraordinary abilities and joins a league of unusual defenders: ex-cop Eric, female cyborg Bombshell and Vincent, a mighty entity from another world, disguised as a human soldier.
But the Dark Ones are evil beyond imagination and with their ice-cold enforcer, the traitor Eurydice, they are a threat nearly impossible to overcome. Cunning and ruthless, Eurydice sets a ploy in action, which leads to the destruction of the Zone’s defenses weakening the tiny community from within. It’s up to Colton and his friends to take a desperate stand against the superior enemy and save what is left of humanity from extinction.
Fast-paced, action-driven, and cinematic – an eternal fight of good vs. evil told in a way as never before.
SHADOW CITY by Anna Mocikat is a genre blending post-apocalypse science fiction/fantasy. The world has been destroyed by the Glitch and is now bathed in an eternal hot darkness where humanity lives, scavenging for food, in a world under constant assault from mutants as well as demons. Thankfully, sort of, they have protectors in the form of vampires as well as cyborgs produced by a mysterious “Academy.”
The world depicted by the author is one that feels very much like an open world video game ala Fallout with multiple feuding factions in a specific sealed off area. The setting in this case is the ruins of Los Angeles where the humans live in uncomfortable obligation to their “guardians.” A religious cult has already emerged among the survivors to go against the inhuman among them, no matter how much danger that would put the remainder of mankind in.
It is in this environment that Colton emerges naked and confused, literally. An amnesiac superhuman, Colton swiftly proves stronger than a vampire but seemingly completely human. This results in him swiftly becoming the “hero” of the survivors despite no one can say who he is, where he came from, or how he got there. Least of all, Colton himself. He is far from the only POV character, though, and we learn about the settlement from multiple perspectives.
I was especially fond of Eurydice, a vampire who has chosen to ally with the Dark Ones. In the final days of humanity, there would be someone who would just wants to see the remainder of mankind burn. After all, there doesn’t seem to be much hope for humanity so using the last days as a place to settle old scores is distressingly human. Except Eurydice quickly finds out there are a few reasons left to continue fighting for mankind.
This book is probably best taken as the wild and surreal ride it is with its weird competing groups and strange personal interaction. Much of the book is Colton learning about the nature of the new society and also being unwillingly elevated to the status of humanity’s messiah. However, there’s plenty of other perspectives like Vincent, a body-hopping alien spirit that is wearing the corpse of a recently slain human. Did I mention this book is strange?
Shadow City in addition to Fallout, reminds me a lot of Peter Clines’ Ex-Heroes, which is about a bunch of superheroes guarding human survivors in a zombie-ridden Los Angeles as well as In the Company of Death by Elisa Hansen. Post-apocalypse worlds are very often focused on a small group of characters as well as the surreal changes to familiar surroundings. In this respect, I really enjoyed Shadow City.
In conclusion, this is a pretty fun book and a wild bizarre ride. As an homage to crazy video game settings, it works really well and entertaining from start to finish. Colton is a somewhat generic character with his lack of a past and wide eyed naitivity but he’s compensated for by a cast with many more oddball quirks as well as personal issues. I’m definitely going to read the sequel and hope it becomes a full-fledged series.
Check Out some of our other reviewsJanuary 8, 2022
Review – The Immortality Clause by Brian Parker
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the IMMORTALITY CLAUSE - AN EASYTOWN NOVEL by BRIAN PARKER January 8, 2022 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress “They die in youth, and their life ends among the cult prostitutes.”I am a huge cyberpunk fan and one of the things I’ve figured out about the genre is the fact that it tends to be best when it’s written away from the machine of corporate America (or Britain, Japan, whatever). As such, I’ve made it a point to try to find the best cyberpunk novels that are self-published or written by smaller presses.
I’ve had some luck with this, finding such excellent books as Behind Blue Eyes and Bubbles in Space. However, one of my favorite series is Brian Parker’s Easytown, starting with this book. It’s only one of several novels in the series and I enjoyed every single one of them.
The premise of THE IMMORALITY CLAUSE is it is roughly 2060 and robotics has advanced to the point that they have replaced prostitutes in most Red-Light Districts. The Big Easy, New Orleans, has since rebuilt its sleazy underbelly around this and other technologies.
Easytown is the nickname of this district and detective Zach Forrest walks this beat. Unfortunately, all detectives of New Orleans must never violate “The Immorality Clause” that prohibits them from ever using any of these pleasure devices. Guess what Zach is tricked into doing when one android seems all too human?
I really like Zach Forrest and he is a great protagonist. He’s a halfway decent detective but far from a genius and a lot of his skill is due to the fact his enemies overestimate his skill. I like how his closest companion is his secretary AI that works sort of like a super-version of Siri. I also like how the fact he’s inexplicably attractive to women despite the fact he’s an enormous schlub. It fits the classic film noir tropes.
The setting is an interesting vision of the future with a backlash against the social progression in society. Drugs, prostitution, and other vices are outlawed with severe penalties but still a massively profitable set of industries. The local crime lords use loopholes to get around these laws and most of the public turns their noses up at them but still makes use of their services.
Cyberpunk noir may not be for everyone, but I absolutely love it. Brian Parker manages to capture the classic detective novel feel that few others do. Part of this is the fact it works pretty well as a detective novel even if you were to remove all of the science fiction elements. However, the science fiction elements are done well, and we get to see how life might plausibly change in a few decades and advances in cybernetics.
In conclusion, this is a great novel and best of all its an indie one. Kindle Unlimited users can pick it up for free but it’s worth the real purchase too. There’s a lot of twists and turns with the plot going in directions I didn’t expect. I even liked the romance between Zach and his femme fatale despite the fact that I saw the twist about her nature coming from a mile away. Definitely recommended.
Check Out some of our other reviewsReview – The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Review- Ctrl-Alt-Revolt! By Nick Cole
C.T. Phipps
C.T Phipps is a lifelong student of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. An avid tabletop gamer, he discovered this passion led him to write and turned him into a lifelong geek. He is a regular reviewer on Booknest.EU and for Grimdark Magazine.
He’s written the Agent G series, Cthulhu Armageddon, the Red Room Trilogy, I Was A Teenaged Weredeer, Lucifer’s Star, Psycho Killers in Love, Straight Outta Fangton, The Supervillainy Saga, and Wraith Knight.
January 7, 2022
Review – All Systems Red by Martha Wells
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all systems red by martha wellsREVIEW BY Ben from Literature & Lofi
January 7, 2022 10:00 am No Comments Facebook Twitter WordPress What it is about?“As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure.”
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.
But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.
But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
Sounds like my typical weekend. It’s also Muderbot’s life. Murderbot is passed from client to client by it’s company to operate as a security tool. But Muderbot’s latest clients seem different from the usual employers. They’re more interested in it’s behaviour and well being. Something is off about the planet they’re stationed at. And together with it’s employer’s, Murderbot is going to find out what. It’s a sweet sci-fi novella packed with character and emotion. We get a first person perspective of Murderbot’s experiences. Murderbot doesn’t feel like a trope. Murderbot is a real, has serious anxiety, is conscious of everyone around it and like me, loves to mindlessly binge soap operas. As the story progresses, Murderbot and the team begin to uncover secrets. It’s not about the story as such, but the characters and the relationships which develop. It’s quite funny watching humans interact with a robot, realising there’s common ground, shared emotions and even humour. The pacing sways a bit, but for first person prose, it’s pretty damn solid. I loved the resolution and I felt satisfied with how this debut novella wraps up. The humour is well timed and at points you feel emotionally connected to our protagonist, Murderbot. The motives and goals our characters have are more than believable. I struggled with the “antagonists” of this novel, and I use that term loosely as they don’t have too much page time. Which I get is tricky with a novella. This is certainly a great weekend read. It’s short, charming, sessionable and like a good whisky will only get better with age and revisits. Read this book if you enjoy: Reading relatable human emotions, like sci-fi with a quirky twist, want a quick burnable read and a hint of suspense and mystery. If you like the following books you may want to give this a go: Recursion. I Robot. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Dresden Files. The Final Verdict: 8 out of 10 Check Out some of our other reviews“Rogue robots, conspiracies and binging soap operas”
Review – The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
A Terrible Killing Machine Failure in All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Benjamin from Literature & lofi
Hey the name’s Benjamin from Literature & Lofi. You can find me posting weekly videos on my booktube channel or on Twitter shouting about my love for Dresden Files out into the void. Reading, reviewing and recording is something I love to do in my free time which is steadily requiring more and more caffeine as the channel builds momentum. My passion for the fantasy genre was reignited a couple years ago. Now I’m trying to make up for lost time by reading some of the big household names, while also advocating for indie/SelfPub books. (A section of the SFF community that is growing rapidly). My goal is to spark constructive discussions within the reading community. I try to be a positive reviewer, looking for the strengths in books and critically considering who they are perfect for. Recently I’ve gained an interest in urban fantasy and the next year will entail me diving much deeper into that sub-genre. My guilty pleasure is reading romantic fantasy. I’m also beginning to dip my toes into grimdark. Champion of #IndieAugust Creator of #FebruarySheWrote
January 6, 2022
Analyzing The Netflix Film ‘Don’t Look Up’
“Maybe we are not meant to enjoy screwball things. Maybe the destruction of Earth is supposed to be hellishly unfunny.”
By Bjørn Larssen ‘A disastrous movie, Don’t Look Up shows McKay as the most out of touch he’s ever been with what is clever, or how to get his audience to care.’
This is the gist of Nick Allen’s review of the star-studded Netflix production at rogerebert.com. ‘It’s almost irrelevant that this is McKay’s worst film yet,’ he continues (tell me how you really feel, Nick?) “Don’t Look Up thinks it’s pushing many savvy political buttons, when it’s only pointing out the obvious and the easy, over and over.”
You’re totally right, Nick. This movie is not supposed to be ‘clever.’ It keeps pointing out the obvious, over and over, from all sorts of different angles, and you still managed to miss it. Which might be because you’re a part of the problem.
In Mr Allen’s (and many, many other critics) defense, the movie is advertised by Netflix as a comedy.‘Salon says it is “farcical, sluggish when it could be screwball” and wishes it had been “more fun.” Parade calls it “shrill.” ABC News (Australia) says the director “doesn’t know how to let people enjoy things.”’ (Nathan J Robinson, Current Affairs)
‘“Keep it light, fun,” the fictional scientists are exhorted, before discussing imminent extinction on a morning TV show, which is an accurate, non-exaggerated representation of how morning TV shows work. “Couldn’t it have been more light, fun?” is a fair summary, by coincidence, of the advice for McKay from detractors’ – points out Catherine Bennett in The Guardian.
Don’t Look Up is exactly what its makers intended. They anticipated this sort of criticism – in fact, the movie pre-emptively answered it. ’Maybe the destruction of the entire planet isn’t supposed to be fun,’ Kate Dibiaski (Jennifer Lawrence) says. ‘Maybe it’s supposed to be terrifying.’
The critics are reviewing a movie – pacing, humour, cast. Few of them realise they are watching a fictionalised documentary along the lines of The Social Dilemma. I suppose it’s hard to notice that what you are watching is reality when it has Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Cate Blanchett, etc. in it, and you are a critic tasked with reviewing a comedy and it’s ‘hellishly unfunny’ (Polygon’s Joshua Rivera).
Maybe we are not meant to enjoy screwball things. Maybe the destruction of Earth is supposed to be hellishly unfunny.
Adam McKay in an interview for LA Times remarks: ‘I was talking to a friend of mine — journalist David Sirota, who is also a speechwriter for Bernie Sanders — about how tepid and anaemic a lot of the mainstream media’s coverage of the climate crisis is.
He said, “Yeah, it’s like an asteroid is going to hit Earth and no one cares.”’
The production had to be stopped because of the Covid pandemic. The humanity seemed to take this as a challenge – how do we make this movie look too realistic and understated? When the production resumed, the movie needed to be made ‘20 percent crazier, because reality had played out crazier than the script.’
When Donald Trump, the actual President of the United States mused ‘[bleach] knocks it out in one minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?’ he made Meryl Streep’s President Orlean look overeducated and boringly sane.
‘Nothing I had in the script was that crazy,” McKay said, ‘so I added more comet denial.’ Adam, it’s 2022 and we’re still surrounded by Covid denialists, including ones who spent days in ICU as they were no longer able to breathe by themselves. Was ‘more denial’ the worst you could do? (Depressing answer: in comparison with reality? Yes.)
President Orlean manages to convince her voters to literally not look up, mocking up ‘the look-uppers” who ‘don’t focus on the road ahead’ – and it works. Until someone does look up by accident and goes ‘hooold on a second…’ and that is kind of funny in the way the ‘it’s funny ‘cause it’s true’ meme is funny.
(There are two extra scenes mid-credits and after the credits. They’re funny in the way Dr Strangelove is funny.)
*
The sad genius on display is that the only unrealistic bits of the movie are its special effects.
When President Janie Orlean realises she must rapidly distract the voters from a scandal involving a Supreme Court nominee’s sexual past (obviously unrealistic – needed more sexual abuse, but light and funny) she decides that destroying the comet should boost her poll numbers.
She is right. At incredible speed, the amazing nation of America produces both the capable nuclear weapons and a hero – you know, as if it were an action comedy. Inexplicably, though, there is still more than half of the movie left.
That’s unsettling. I mean, how long can the credits be?
The entire world watches the rockets fly into the sky… then, inexplicably, head back down. Because the comet turns out to be made of minerals worth up to $140 trillion and you can’t just go and destroy that much money just because there’s a big chance humanity will get extinct. Which is not entirely dissimilar from how we are currently destroying the Earth without help of a comet – fossil fuels are worth lots of money and it would be insane to just stop using them just because there’s a big chance humanity will get extinct.
Peter Isherwell, a tech billionaire whose half-inane speeches are completely different from those of the universally acclaimed genius Elon Musk, proposes a simple solution. His company, BASH, will build drones that will break the comet into smaller, easily manageable trillion-dollar chunks, thus ensuring that BASH will be able to produce metric fucktons of smartphones for eternity. America will become richer. Everyone will become richer. Everyone will win.
Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, proposes a simple solution to climate crisis in his book Loserthink: ‘Understanding that a dollar today is worth far more than a dollar in the future, would you spend $1 trillion today addressing, let’s say, climate change, to avoid losing $10 trillion in GDP over the next eighty years? […] If climate change were the only risk in our dangerous world, then yes, it would be rational to spend—and even overspend—to bring the risk of human extinction to zero.
But we live in a dangerous world, with lots of mortal risks. Would we be better off putting that $1 trillion into an asteroid early-warning system, complete with nuclear missiles that could move the asteroids off course if we detect them early enough?’
I’m not making this shit up.
You can’t make this shit up.
‘This might have been great fun if it had been executed with some respect for our intelligence,’ sighs Wall Street Journal’s Joe Morgenstern.
Maybe Wall Street Journal doesn’t like being reminded of the role it plays in it. Because when Morgenstern says ‘our intelligence’ he pretends to mean that of the audience, where Don’t Look Up is about the power of the media he represents and how the media chooses to use it.
Maybe it was never supposed to be great fun.
*
The critics deemed the movie ‘heavy handed’ and ‘toothless.’ A gentler approach was needed for people to ‘notice,’ to look up. Because that’s been totally working for decades now.
When Kate Dibiasky tries to hide from her unwanted newfound fame as ‘the we’re all gonna die lady’ meme, her parents don’t want to let her into their house. ‘No politics,’ her father says sharply. ‘We’re for the jobs the comet will create,’ her mother adds, apologetic. Her ex-boyfriend already started writing a book about their relationship, called My Brush With The Devil. Dr. Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) is busy arguing with comet deniers on Twitter.
Dan Patrick, Texas’ Republican lieutenant governor, mourned in March 2020 that ‘no one reached out to me and said, “As a senior citizen, are you willing to take a chance on your survival in exchange for keeping the America that America loves for its children and grandchildren?” And if that is the exchange, I’m all in. […] I just think there are lots of grandparents out there in this country like me – I have six grandchildren – that’s what we all care about.’ ‘That,’ which he was referring to, was the economy.
Dr. Oglethorpe told Kate and Dr. Mindy that the US refused to share the spoils (i.e. minerals extracted from the comet) with Russia, China, and India, who decided to build their own nuclear fleet in hopes of destroying the comet. In an American action comedy this sort of effort must fail, and inevitably it does. In an American action comedy the hero and his proper, working much better, much larger red button-steered nuclear fleet would depart now. We’re way past that point, though, having missed our chance 55 minutes in.
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the UK, commented ‘no more f-ing lockdowns – let the bodies pile high in their thousands,’ when introducing the second country-wide lockdown in October 2020. Interestingly, in January 2022 Boris Johnson remains Prime Minister of the UK, having caused so many varied scandals that this one is nearly forgotten.
Can you keep up which of those bits are a comedy and which were actually said in the so-called real world – and which feel more heavy handed? (Not sure about ‘toothless.’)
*
Don’t Look Up actually could have been heavy handed. It could have been The Message for the Sheeple to Wake Up. McKay and Sirota very carefully constructed a masterpiece that avoids this trap. When a critic huffs at the unnecessity of Timothée Chalamet’s character, I know that he’s in the movie to attract his fans. So are Ariana Grande and Scott ‘Kid Cudi’ Mescudi – so are Meryl Streep and Tyler Perry – so are Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. As American-centric as the movie (and America, like, the real one) is, the casting, special effects, plot twists have been designed to appeal to as many demographics as possible – in order to show us a really expensive mirror we can’t help but look into.
This is how morning TV works. This is how politics work. This is how money works. This is how social media works (‘they invented this comet to take away our freedoms and our guns!’). This is how tech billionaires work. This is how smartphones work. This is how humanity works. This is how celebrity relationships take priority over boring scientific crap. This is why the only chance we have to actually listen to the message is by not being served The Message, but a movie everyone’s talking about. Because we don’t look up to despairing scientists (or huffy WSJ critics), but down – at our phones.
*
If only Don’t Look Up actually were a comedy.
The American hero would save the world in the last minute. Ideally it should be stoner Kate, mercilessly bullied, laughed at, mistreated throughout the movie, together with her ‘eh, why not’ boyfriend Yule (Chalamet). Shaking with nerves, Kate would press the (big, red, and very functional) buttons on US nuclear console as a giant clock counted down to 0:01 and at that very moment Yule would save everything and everyone by tripping over a cable.
President Orlean would deservedly choke on champagne. Her son (totally unrealistic – it’s not like Jared Kushner ever became a senior White House advisor) could, for instance, get electrocuted by that cable, or hit by a very small chunk of the comet that Kate’s magical weapons failed to destroy. The evil billionaire would get his comeuppance – bankruptcy, for instance.
If Don’t Look Up actually were a comedy, we wouldn’t get the dinner scene and the billionaires wouldn’t get what billionaires usually get.
The movie’s tagline is flat – ‘based on truly possible events.’ The real one, articulated first by Kate, then by Dr. Mindy, is WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE, and the shrill and sluggish production won’t even let people enjoy it.
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About the Author
Bjørn Larssen is a Norse heathen made in Poland, but mostly located in a Dutch suburb, except for his heart which he lost in Iceland. Born in 1977, he self-published his first graphic novel at the age of seven in a limited edition of one, following this achievement several decades later with his first book containing multiple sentences and winning awards he didn’t design himself. His writing is described as ‘dark’ and ‘literary’, but he remains incapable of taking anything seriously for more than 60 seconds.
Bjørn has a degree in mathematics and has worked as a graphic designer, a model, a bartender, and a blacksmith (not all at the same time). His hobbies include sitting by open fires, dressing like an extra from Vikings, installing operating systems, and dreaming about living in a log cabin in the north of Iceland. He owns one (1) husband and is owned by one (1) neighbourhood cat.
January 5, 2022
Man Up: On The Sword in the Street’s Relationship to Masculinity by Author C.M. Caplan
“…it’s not that I couldn’t stop thinking about toxic masculinity as a concept. It was more toxic masculinity as a point of discussion that kept snagging on my attention…”
By C.M Caplan I wasn’t supposed to write this book, but in my defense, I couldn’t find an easier way to get it out of my head.
Which I’m sure sounds like a great defense now, when I’ve got a book that’s actually done and published and out there, and people are reading it and enjoying the neurodiversity and are telling me they’ve not read anything quite like this. But when I started it—I mean—I’m not sure I can fully encapsulate how it felt to work on it at the time. It’s difficult to build out that kind of headspace once you’re out of it. It’s like trying to remember that historical events were unwritten at the time when they first happened, that certain things were never foregone conclusions. There’s a certain shift in how you have to view the picture, and I find often that the outlooks you had on something before an event is often somewhat inaccessible after the event actually happens.
All this to say: it’s difficult to fully paint the picture of how totally and overwhelmingly I assumed I was letting everyone in my writing life down when I began working on what would become The Sword in the Street.
But here is my best attempt, and here’s why I wrote it anyway.
I started writing The Sword in the Street in October of 2019. It had been a couple years since I finished anything, and I still had no publications worth speaking of. The nearest thing I had was an award I’d won for being the best fiction writer in my graduating class, due to my work on my Creative Writing thesis, which over the last few months had become 3/4ths of a full book. It wasn’t even a finished draft yet, and it had already won me an award and support from every peer, colleague, and mentor in my life at that time.
Which is exactly why I couldn’t finish it.
It didn’t scare me.
Like—what’s the point of writing something you know, with all your heart, would go over well? How are you going to push the envelope, try to be better, do better, write better, and cultivate all the basic tools of self-improvement, if you know that where you’re at now is good enough to take you wherever you want to go next? There is no doubt in my mind that the book I was working on prior to The Sword in the Street would have taken me places, and may have even been foundational to a career.
But it couldn’t do the most important thing I needed it to. Not anymore. It couldn’t make me a better writer.
I should note at this juncture that putting it down in words like this, arranging it into some kind of narrative makes this process into something far too…clean. I had no idea why I didn’t want to write it anymore at the time. And I’d spent most of that summer wrestling with what to do with it, adjusting it, making minor changes and tweaks to the worldbuilding instead of making forward momentum.
It was around this time I first wandered into a few discussions on toxic masculinity, and the final nail in this previous book’s coffin was hammered home.
Because I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Or rather—it’s not that I couldn’t stop thinking about toxic masculinity as a concept. It was more toxic masculinity as a point of discussion that kept snagging on my attention. Like, it just kept coming up, and every single time I saw it, the concept was treated in such a limited capacity, and with a complete failure of imagination. It seemed to me that these people were defining toxic masculinity as the behavior of that stereotypical jock we all already knew was a piece of shit decades ago. And I kept catching myself thinking, “Seriously? Is that it? Mental and physical toughness? Stoicism? Self-sufficiency?”
I couldn’t get it out of my head. Not to say that these traits could never lead to toxicity when taken to their extremes. But so could any behavior when driven to an extreme. How could everyone have these flat, banal conversations for so long?
I began to wonder if any men could even really see themselves in these conversations in the first place. What use is it talking about toxic masculinity if so many men can’t even see themselves reflected in the framework?
I felt, at the time, as if I were being talked at. Talked through. Someone was speaking to what my, or men in general’s, relationship to masculinity was assumed to be. But it never felt like anyone having those conversations had bothered to ask an especially diverse range of men what it feels like, being a man, sociologically. If they had, I figured they would’ve done a better job of incorporating an eye towards the systemic pressures that push men to act and want to behave in certain ways.
It was, all too often, an outpouring of men, do better, which to be clear we certainly need to do. But it made sense to me why many men were having difficulty hearing that, since the foundation of the discussion seemed so fundamentally unconcerned with how men experience their relationship to masculinity. There was an academic kind of incuriosity I saw going on. A stifling abstraction of lived experience that failed to capture the problem in a way some could connect with. I felt as though there was a “why should I change for these people who can’t even speak accurately to what I go through” kind of undercurrent to any pushback. A “how can I do better if you won’t even bother understanding how I do anything in the first place?”
So, I put it on myself to do what I do best: overcomplicate the conversation. I could speak to this from a place of experience that I felt was sorely lacking. I could say, “You want to know why you need to do better? I have been there. Let me show you. Here is why.”
I wanted to be the voice I wish I’d heard when I was eighteen or nineteen. To write the book I wished I had encountered at that age. There’s a number of things that I wish someone had sat me down and addressed back then, and I wanted to see if I could be that guy for someone else.
That is why I had to write this book. That was why I couldn’t get it out of my head. That was the thing this book provided me that no amount of praise and accolades my prior work had won could give me. It was a scary, perhaps naïve position to put myself in.
Like—who the fuck am I, right? How could I possibly speak to these experiences? What if I get it wrong? What if they don’t understand that all I’m trying to do is paint a complete picture of two people’s experiences, their complications, their dysfunctions, and asking readers to decide for themselves what they see in it?
I knew I had to make John and Edwin’s relationship dysfunctional. I had to give them difficulties communicating. And they needed to, like far too many people, confuse not feeling powerful with not having power.
I needed them disempowered while struggling in a world that tells men that power is something that they’re supposed to have. Or at least they need to strive for it.
Importantly, I did not want to demonize this desire. It was the sort of thing that could be awful, depending on the why of it, the scale of it. The context that surrounds the urge to get it.
But John and Edwin don’t want power for the sake of it, or for the purpose of misusing it. They wanted to put it to good use for the people they cared about. They wanted enough to survive. But without any positive models for how men are supposed to be, the two don’t always know how to go about it. That was the driving force that compelled me to keep writing. They’re messy broken people, but I wanted to see how close they could come to getting their shit even a little bit together.
I wanted to write about their desire for agency in a world that treats not having any as a personal failing, a world that’s telling you that you possess a fundamental incapability to be fully who you are. A compromise on what you’re told is your inherent worth: your ability to earn a living. To provide.
Exploring these ideas, and the nature of their dysfunction and the systems that perpetuate it—that was a terrifying process. I almost quit on it a number of times. And I’m still not sure if the original aim was done as well as it could’ve been. Especially as new stuff got layered in as time went on. But it was also the only way I knew how to write a book. It was as thrilling as it was horrifying, and while the book I had been working on prior to this might have already been well-receive, it couldn’t scare me, couldn’t challenge me the way I needed it to.
And this book could. It did.
I don’t know how close I came to getting this right, but given how many people have told me they’ve never read anything quite like The Sword in the Street, I’m hoping I managed to speak to something people might not get to see often otherwise.
That’s the hope at least. That’s the kind of story that I wanted to tell. The kind of book I wanted to write. And I’m proud to have it as my debut.
About the Author
C.M. Caplan is a quadruplet (yes, really), mentally disabled, and he spent two years as the Senior Fiction Editor on a national magazine while he was still an undergrad in college.
He has a degree in creative writing and was the recipient of his university’s highest honor in the arts. His short fiction also won an Honorable Mention in the 2019 Writers of the Future Contest. His debut novel, The Sword in the Street, was a 2021 SPFBO semifinalist.
He currently lives in New England.
Where to Find Them
Author Website:
https://www.cmcaplan.net/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/thecmcaplan
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thecmcaplan/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thecmcaplanauthor
