Michael Hodges's Blog, page 13

Running Eagle Falls, Glacier National Park

I was fortunate enough to get up to Glacier National Park with my girlfriend last week. I thought I’d share a photo of “Trick Falls” more commonly known as Running Eagle Falls.

If you look closely, you’ll see two falls, an upper, and a hidden underground falls. I’ve been all over the lower 48, and Glacier has no peer.

The Last Colossus is out!

My new novel, THE LAST COLOSSUS is now out in Ebook. The paperback will be out very soon.

This is my first shark novel, but not my first shark story. I wrote a piece called “Uncommon Ally” a few years back, which appeared in Penumbra Magazine.

THE LAST COLOSSUS takes place off the Washington coast, in the wonderful Pacific Northwest. You can check it out here.

Best,

– Michael

Miscon 31 in Missoula, Montana May 26-29th

The best science fiction and fantasy convention in the Rockies is coming up fast, and my schedule has recently materialized.

I hope to see some of you there! I’ll be reading from BLACK FRIDAY, signing autographs, and appearing on panels with Tor editor Claire Eddy and David Farland. Spring is here in Montana, and it’s freaking amazing.

Best,

– Michael

AudioAudits.com has nice things to say about The Invasive audiobook.

I’m happy that The Invasive continues to be enjoyed by readers, and the success of the novel has merited The Invasive: Remnants, which will be published shortly.

You can check out what Audio Audits has to say at this link.

The Invasive is a unique sci-fi, it’s definitely a different twist on the usual alien invasion story. While there is plenty of action and suspense, the parts that I found most interesting were the interactions between Bishop and his feisty wife Angela and the eventual somewhat reluctant bond between the two and Colbrick.

Campgrounds

I’m a camping nut.

You could park a Ferrari in front of me, and I’d yawn. But show me a quality tent, and a fine headlamp, and I’m excited as hell.

Two of my favorite campgrounds are in Glacier National Park. Another in Olympic National Park, and another in Redwood National Park. The last campground, and perhaps my favorite of all is within the Gallatin National Forest of Montana. I had not been to this campground in almost two years, and when I arrived, my favorite site had seen a few changes….

A windstorm knocked a tree down and crushed the concrete picnic table. Trust me, this table was useful. And I suppose I could still cook on it.

Here, my girlfriend Rachel poses after chopping firewood for the evening. Actually, that’s the work of the U.S. Forest Service, cleaning up the downed trees. Still impressive when you consider these trees are old growth specimens.

There’s a saying in real estate: “location, location, location”. Well, with a good tent, you always have the best location on our public lands. There’s something about camping in the open spaces, listening to a nearby stream as you drift off, or the wind in the pines that connects me not only to our ecosystem, but all ecosystems across the void.

As always, keep it wild, and keep it public.

The Bitterroots

Back in the late 1990’s, my father and I used to pour over maps and property magazines. The target? The Bitterroot Mountains south of Missoula, Montana. This had been a dream for quite some time.

But as the years passed, we never did end up buying property in the Bitterroot Mountains. Instead, I moved right into the middle of Missoula, within walking distance from everything I could need. And these days (thanks largely to climate change), the Bitterroots are a tinderbox, and seemingly always on fire during late summer and early fall.

What I learned is that perhaps we don’t always need to buy land or build right next to the greatest places. Maybe, just maybe knowing they’re near is good enough. As mankind pushes and roads the last roadless habiat, places like the Bitterroot will vanish. But for now, this spectacular wilderness complex exists relatively intact, as this bald eagle will attest to (left side of the image).

The Invasive: Remnants

“Michael, is The Invasive part of a series?”

“Michael, what happened to Yutu?”

“Michael, there have to be more of the creatures left! Another book, please.”

My response to all these questions is this: You thought it was over?

Cover reveal for The Last Colossus

Novel #4.

It’s a diverse novel about the last megalodon, a species thought to have gone extinct due to cooling oceans.

It’s also about sex, death, partying, youth, the loss of family, and the significance of polarity. But most of all, it’s just fun.

The “Last Colossus”, is not just a reference to the megalodon, but also towards Ron Combs, the protagonist.

It’s an important novel for me for several reasons. First, I moved to Missoula two and a half years ago with a Hollywood movie deal in my pocket (my debut novel), and subsequently developed writer’s block. For a hell of a long time.

This novel thankfully represents a turn away from that and back towards the creative aspect of what I do. And I’m thrilled. It took me a year to write this one, the longest it’s ever taken me to craft a novel. But the trench warfare was necessary. It’s the first novel, from first word to last, crafted in Missoula.

Horror Novel Reviews has nice things to say about Black Friday

His unorthodox social commentary focuses on consumerism, race relations, female sexuality and the overpowering need for constant technological connection. Although the narrative takes some time to get going, there’s no stopping it once it does.

Black Friday is a glorious work of literature. The characters live and love and breathe and think and speak. They are visceral entities with powerful backstories and fallible moral compasses. Hodges’ characterization takes these human beings by the hand and forces them to evolve into spectacular shadows of their former selves. He uses exquisite prose to carve out detailed thoughts and emotions.

Check out the full review here.

Preparing for Miscon 31

I’m excited to be appearing at Miscon 31 this year. Looking forward to participating on the panels, which are always my favorite event.

Miscon runs from May 26th to the 29th at the Holiday Inn in downtown Missoula, Montana (pretty much the greatest place in the world).

You can read more about Miscon 31 here.