Raymond Gaynor's Blog, page 53
November 9, 2020
PRE-HOLIDAY BOOK SALE!
NOW though 26 November 2020, most Savant/Aignos printed books, CDs and DVDs are 25%-off the Suggested Retail Price with free shipping using “HOLIDAYSALE” discount code at checkout from any of Savant’s four online bookstores:
Savant Bookstore Atlantic: www.savantbookstoreatlantic.com
Savant Bookstore Midwest: www.savantbookstoremidwest.com
Savant Bookstore Pacific: www.savantbookstorepacific.com
Savant Bookstore Honolulu: www.savantbookstorehonolulu.com
Choose the bookstore nearest to you for fastest shipping.
Prefer an Amazon Kindle eBook? Browse our eBook section at the above bookstores and snatch it up for only $2.99 (regularly $7.95) through 26 November 2020!
https://youtu.be/o4V5oikSLpI
Includes all books by Raymond Gaynor
Savant Bookstore Atlantic: www.savantbookstoreatlantic.com
Savant Bookstore Midwest: www.savantbookstoremidwest.com
Savant Bookstore Pacific: www.savantbookstorepacific.com
Savant Bookstore Honolulu: www.savantbookstorehonolulu.com
Choose the bookstore nearest to you for fastest shipping.
Prefer an Amazon Kindle eBook? Browse our eBook section at the above bookstores and snatch it up for only $2.99 (regularly $7.95) through 26 November 2020!
https://youtu.be/o4V5oikSLpI
Includes all books by Raymond Gaynor
November 8, 2020
THE EROTIC FUTURE?
Romance is often defined as a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love, accompanied by a feeling of remoteness from everyday ho-hum life. Love on the other hand can be defined as an intense feeling of deep affection, generating interest and pleasure, often involving erotic sexual attachment. By these definitions, THE EDGE OF MADNESS is in every way a romance, erotic love story. Set in the future, it affords the reader a convenient way to experience, enjoy and reflect on romance, love and eroticism as they might exist in the future, and as exists in present society through the “mirror of the future.” Are love, romance and eroticism subject to time and cultural change? I think, yes, and this is why, collectively, I like to call THE EDGE OF MADNESS a relationship rather than a love, romance and/or erotic novel per se, though strong elements of each appear in plenty.
Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.
By far the most profound and dangerous challenges are those surrounding relationships aka romance, love, eroticism and sex. And explore, they do, sometimes even holographically, begging the question of what, if anything, now or in the plausible future is “real.” Put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray, open a copy of THE EDGE OF MADNESS and settle back for a titillating T-rip like never before.
The Edge of Madness
Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.
By far the most profound and dangerous challenges are those surrounding relationships aka romance, love, eroticism and sex. And explore, they do, sometimes even holographically, begging the question of what, if anything, now or in the plausible future is “real.” Put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray, open a copy of THE EDGE OF MADNESS and settle back for a titillating T-rip like never before.
The Edge of Madness
November 7, 2020
HOW DOES TYRANNY END?
A tyrant has been defined as any person in a position of authority who exercises power oppressively or despotically. Hmmm. Now who does that remind me of? But the real question in my mind is how does a tyrant’s time end? Not well, I suspect based on history and current events.
First, however, I want to congratulate our nation in being one of the first democracies I know to actually vote out a tyrant without a civil war. So far, at least. That’s really something. Our new president-and-vice-president-elect deserve kudos for letting the American democratic process do it’s work and not resorting to popularism. Not an easy task given the last four years.
Now I want to return to the question of how a tyranny ends. At present, it doesn’t look entirely peacefully. Challenging the election results, well, that’s a privilege politicians have in the USA, and we’ve a month or so for the current president and his followers to do just that. Try to use the Supreme Court to overturn the election through favoritism? That’s not so good, though hopefully, the judges will exercise diligence, relying on their morals rather than “payback” favoritism, should that happen. If not, our nation will once again descend into the throes of chaos, something that seems historically to accompany the end of tyranny.
But what I’m really interested in, is what a tyrant does when he or she sees the end of his or her reign. Especially if it’s been a contentious one that has energetically polarized people. From a historical perspective, tyrant’s can’t lose. It’s a narcissistic thing. And if such an unthinkable thing were to happen, there’d be retribution to be exacted for “disloyalty.” It seems to come from placing oneself above the very reason for one’s being in power to the point of believing that power is “God sent” and either fated or at the least immutably “chosen” to wield power. Permanently. Forever. Just look at our contemporary world tyrants. From the tyrant’s viewpoint, however, dealing with the “humilation” of an impossible defeat rather than the good of the people, a nation or a political system would be unbearable.
Having said that, I’m going to make a really “crazy” prediction: I suspect the red party will sooner or later become known as the party of organized crime and, with the passing of its tyrant of choice, slowly meet it’s demise. When that happens, I can see the blue party filling the void, becoming the new “conservative” party, requiring the green party to become the new progressive party. Same old, same old, yes, but with differently constructed visions following the “shakeup.” I say this because so much of this election was about “getting rid of a tyrant” rather than fixing the failing infrastructures that plunged our nation into disarray following the COVID-19 pandemic, our “warning shot” across the bow for the future. Will there be more sparks to light the fuse? I don’t doubt it for a moment. The key to survival is whether our governmental, social, political, ethical, transportation, environmental, health care, educational and religious infrastructures are able to survive such insults. I’ll be the first to concede that my prediction could easily not come to pass if we as a nation can come together, address and fix these infrastructures for the future. It’s okay, you can call me “crazy” if you like. I’ve felt like it sometimes during the past four years, haven’t you?
My newest book, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor isn’t a “political” novel. It does, however, address some of the underlying factors that I believe have made the current president and party, as well as COVID-19 so powerfully destructive [see my and William Maltese’s pre-quel, TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)]. It’s all about Sci-Fu — Science-based Futuring — giving ourselves a peek at what infrastructures need to be changed and how. Try it, you might like it (I predict).
The Edge of Madness
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
First, however, I want to congratulate our nation in being one of the first democracies I know to actually vote out a tyrant without a civil war. So far, at least. That’s really something. Our new president-and-vice-president-elect deserve kudos for letting the American democratic process do it’s work and not resorting to popularism. Not an easy task given the last four years.
Now I want to return to the question of how a tyranny ends. At present, it doesn’t look entirely peacefully. Challenging the election results, well, that’s a privilege politicians have in the USA, and we’ve a month or so for the current president and his followers to do just that. Try to use the Supreme Court to overturn the election through favoritism? That’s not so good, though hopefully, the judges will exercise diligence, relying on their morals rather than “payback” favoritism, should that happen. If not, our nation will once again descend into the throes of chaos, something that seems historically to accompany the end of tyranny.
But what I’m really interested in, is what a tyrant does when he or she sees the end of his or her reign. Especially if it’s been a contentious one that has energetically polarized people. From a historical perspective, tyrant’s can’t lose. It’s a narcissistic thing. And if such an unthinkable thing were to happen, there’d be retribution to be exacted for “disloyalty.” It seems to come from placing oneself above the very reason for one’s being in power to the point of believing that power is “God sent” and either fated or at the least immutably “chosen” to wield power. Permanently. Forever. Just look at our contemporary world tyrants. From the tyrant’s viewpoint, however, dealing with the “humilation” of an impossible defeat rather than the good of the people, a nation or a political system would be unbearable.
Having said that, I’m going to make a really “crazy” prediction: I suspect the red party will sooner or later become known as the party of organized crime and, with the passing of its tyrant of choice, slowly meet it’s demise. When that happens, I can see the blue party filling the void, becoming the new “conservative” party, requiring the green party to become the new progressive party. Same old, same old, yes, but with differently constructed visions following the “shakeup.” I say this because so much of this election was about “getting rid of a tyrant” rather than fixing the failing infrastructures that plunged our nation into disarray following the COVID-19 pandemic, our “warning shot” across the bow for the future. Will there be more sparks to light the fuse? I don’t doubt it for a moment. The key to survival is whether our governmental, social, political, ethical, transportation, environmental, health care, educational and religious infrastructures are able to survive such insults. I’ll be the first to concede that my prediction could easily not come to pass if we as a nation can come together, address and fix these infrastructures for the future. It’s okay, you can call me “crazy” if you like. I’ve felt like it sometimes during the past four years, haven’t you?
My newest book, THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor isn’t a “political” novel. It does, however, address some of the underlying factors that I believe have made the current president and party, as well as COVID-19 so powerfully destructive [see my and William Maltese’s pre-quel, TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)]. It’s all about Sci-Fu — Science-based Futuring — giving ourselves a peek at what infrastructures need to be changed and how. Try it, you might like it (I predict).
The Edge of Madness
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
November 6, 2020
THE EDGE OF MADNESS by Raymond Gaynor - Excerpt #3
(This Excerpt is PG-rated)
The entire foray celebrated his continued ascent into adulthood. Billie smelled and looked unfazed. Andry smelled and looked stunned, then incredulous, then annoyed, aggravated and finally disgusted. What is with Simi? Draff wondered, raising his eyebrows at the staccato olfactory slaps he sensed coming from her, all seeming aimed directly at him. Why did he feel so hurt? More important, why should her reactions bother him so deeply, or at all for that matter?
Draff noticed Billie staring at Simi. And what’s with those two? he thought before his better judgment kicked in and he dismissed his conflicting thoughts, reburying himself in the tsunami of forearm-clasps, hugs and well-wishes.
Everything is going so well, he reflected happily.
Everything isn’t quite coming together as I’d hoped, Simi reflected with concern.
Everything is going to hell, Billie reflected angrily.
About this Book:
It is my pleasure to present the long awaited sequel to my and William Maltese’s pop sexual-political-thriller TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009), entitled THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020). NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, is now leaner and meaner. Once again commanding wealth and power thanks to a series of sociopolitical advances and technical innovations like Eugitors, ShimmerSuits, ContraSpray, T-rips, CandyShades and CandyCable, NewAmerica a challenging and dangerous place for three young firebrands to live “on the edge of madness.”
Set in the near future, THE EDGE OF MADNESS explores the evolving relationships between three friends, all of whom know little to nothing about their past and even less about their futures. What they do know is that each is unusually gifted: Rob, an uber-conscious male with an enhanced sense of smell; Frann, an ostentatious gay male with an Olympian physique; and Andry, a brilliant moon-child and professional acronymeur with a taste for Wicca…and her two male friends.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS is an exploration of a possible future, where every hedonistic pleasure is available — if one can afford it. People work in order to purchase the newest technologies promising ultimate pleasure. But as in Aldous Huxley’s BRAVE NEW WORLD and George Orwell’s 1984, citizens are watched carefully by emotionless “Enforcers” who show up anytime unusual events occur.
Like Huxley and Orwell’s works, THE EDGE OF MADNESS has something to say about almost everything present and future. But it’s also a love triangle and a coming-of-age story of three youths in a future where anything and everything goes. The ultimate question for them is: Can true love or sanity be found in such a world?
This story will make some excited about what the future may hold while others may recoil at a world of such extremes. Either way, it’s an engaging ride in a world where, for example, teachers and students appear holographically together in instructional classrooms while remaining safely at home, begging the question of what, if anything, in this future world is “real.” Put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like never before.
About the Author:
Raymond Gaynor is the pen-name of the multi-award-winning, reclusive writer-artist-photographer-videographer, who, in his own words, “lives and breathes” San Francisco. He co-authored with William Maltese on the Tripler and Clarke gay political thriller, TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) and with A. G. Hayes on the fifth Koski & Falk adventure, QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016). He is the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction works published under a variety of different pseudonyms. THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) is his first wholly authored work.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor; 257 pages – 5.25 x 8″ B&W Pocket Book with Color Softcover; ISBN 978-0-9996938-5-8; Suggested retail price $16.95
Available directly from the publisher via the Publisher’s Store with FREE SHIPPING ANYWHERE WITHIN THE USA INCLUDING ALASKA AND HAWAII at
https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ...
Also available from Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859, Amazon affiliate sites worldwide, Savant Bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific, Honolulu) and other fine online sites worldwide.
Now available with free worldwide shipping from The Book Depository at https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Ed...
Raymond Gaynor, Multi-award-winning Author of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020); Co-Author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016); Co-Author with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 209)
Amazon Author Central Site at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
The entire foray celebrated his continued ascent into adulthood. Billie smelled and looked unfazed. Andry smelled and looked stunned, then incredulous, then annoyed, aggravated and finally disgusted. What is with Simi? Draff wondered, raising his eyebrows at the staccato olfactory slaps he sensed coming from her, all seeming aimed directly at him. Why did he feel so hurt? More important, why should her reactions bother him so deeply, or at all for that matter?
Draff noticed Billie staring at Simi. And what’s with those two? he thought before his better judgment kicked in and he dismissed his conflicting thoughts, reburying himself in the tsunami of forearm-clasps, hugs and well-wishes.
Everything is going so well, he reflected happily.
Everything isn’t quite coming together as I’d hoped, Simi reflected with concern.
Everything is going to hell, Billie reflected angrily.
About this Book:
It is my pleasure to present the long awaited sequel to my and William Maltese’s pop sexual-political-thriller TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009), entitled THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020). NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, is now leaner and meaner. Once again commanding wealth and power thanks to a series of sociopolitical advances and technical innovations like Eugitors, ShimmerSuits, ContraSpray, T-rips, CandyShades and CandyCable, NewAmerica a challenging and dangerous place for three young firebrands to live “on the edge of madness.”
Set in the near future, THE EDGE OF MADNESS explores the evolving relationships between three friends, all of whom know little to nothing about their past and even less about their futures. What they do know is that each is unusually gifted: Rob, an uber-conscious male with an enhanced sense of smell; Frann, an ostentatious gay male with an Olympian physique; and Andry, a brilliant moon-child and professional acronymeur with a taste for Wicca…and her two male friends.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS is an exploration of a possible future, where every hedonistic pleasure is available — if one can afford it. People work in order to purchase the newest technologies promising ultimate pleasure. But as in Aldous Huxley’s BRAVE NEW WORLD and George Orwell’s 1984, citizens are watched carefully by emotionless “Enforcers” who show up anytime unusual events occur.
Like Huxley and Orwell’s works, THE EDGE OF MADNESS has something to say about almost everything present and future. But it’s also a love triangle and a coming-of-age story of three youths in a future where anything and everything goes. The ultimate question for them is: Can true love or sanity be found in such a world?
This story will make some excited about what the future may hold while others may recoil at a world of such extremes. Either way, it’s an engaging ride in a world where, for example, teachers and students appear holographically together in instructional classrooms while remaining safely at home, begging the question of what, if anything, in this future world is “real.” Put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like never before.
About the Author:
Raymond Gaynor is the pen-name of the multi-award-winning, reclusive writer-artist-photographer-videographer, who, in his own words, “lives and breathes” San Francisco. He co-authored with William Maltese on the Tripler and Clarke gay political thriller, TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) and with A. G. Hayes on the fifth Koski & Falk adventure, QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016). He is the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction works published under a variety of different pseudonyms. THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) is his first wholly authored work.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor; 257 pages – 5.25 x 8″ B&W Pocket Book with Color Softcover; ISBN 978-0-9996938-5-8; Suggested retail price $16.95
Available directly from the publisher via the Publisher’s Store with FREE SHIPPING ANYWHERE WITHIN THE USA INCLUDING ALASKA AND HAWAII at
https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ...
Also available from Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859, Amazon affiliate sites worldwide, Savant Bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific, Honolulu) and other fine online sites worldwide.
Now available with free worldwide shipping from The Book Depository at https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Ed...
Raymond Gaynor, Multi-award-winning Author of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020); Co-Author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016); Co-Author with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 209)
Amazon Author Central Site at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
November 5, 2020
THE EDGE OF MADNESS by Raymond Gaynor - Excerpt #2
(This Excerpt is PG-rated)
The Edge of Madness
Clothes? Jackson, now there was an interesting anachronism. Until SweetSixteen, clothes were strongly frowned upon though in some distinctly retro circles still tolerated, but with general public disgust and distrust. Afterwards, adult clothing was even more strongly discouraged, being outright prohibited in all public and many private spaces. The contemporary drift was that the absence of clothing imparted a feeling of security to passersby, given that nakedness was a way of demonstrating that one was weaponless and need not be feared. It also allowed bodies to more clearly broadcast and receive emotional signals of interest and intent. Only Enforcers these days always wore clothes, and that was primarily to broadcast their authoritative status and, of course, to intimidate.
Raymond Gaynor is the pen-name of the multi-award-winning, reclusive writer-artist-photographer-videographer, who, in his own words, “lives and breathes” San Francisco. He co-authored with William Maltese on the Tripler and Clarke gay political thriller, TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) and with A. G. Hayes on the fifth Koski & Falk adventure, QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016). He is the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction works published under a number of different pseudonyms.
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure - Quantum Death
“If you’ve ever wondered what the world and relationships might be like in the future,” says Gaynor, “this book is for you. Though set in the future, it is a plausible one. Whether it ends up exciting or horrifying, get hold of a copy of THE EDGE OF MADNESS, peer over the edge and don't be afraid to look, eyes open and sometimes wide..”
THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor; 257 pages – 5.25 x 8″ B&W Pocket Book with Color Softcover; ISBN 978-0-9996938-5-8. Suggested retail price $16.95
Available internationally from Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
and/or
The Book Depository with free international shipping at
https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Ed...
Aignos Publishing, an imprint of Savant Books and Publications, offers avant garde, experimental and innovative works that “push the leading edge” of publishing. Savant Books and Publications publishes enduring, transformative literary works with a twist.
Raymond Gaynor
Author website and blog at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
YouTube Video Book Preview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
The Edge of Madness
Clothes? Jackson, now there was an interesting anachronism. Until SweetSixteen, clothes were strongly frowned upon though in some distinctly retro circles still tolerated, but with general public disgust and distrust. Afterwards, adult clothing was even more strongly discouraged, being outright prohibited in all public and many private spaces. The contemporary drift was that the absence of clothing imparted a feeling of security to passersby, given that nakedness was a way of demonstrating that one was weaponless and need not be feared. It also allowed bodies to more clearly broadcast and receive emotional signals of interest and intent. Only Enforcers these days always wore clothes, and that was primarily to broadcast their authoritative status and, of course, to intimidate.
Raymond Gaynor is the pen-name of the multi-award-winning, reclusive writer-artist-photographer-videographer, who, in his own words, “lives and breathes” San Francisco. He co-authored with William Maltese on the Tripler and Clarke gay political thriller, TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) and with A. G. Hayes on the fifth Koski & Falk adventure, QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016). He is the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction works published under a number of different pseudonyms.
Total Meltdown: A Tripler and Clarke Adventure - Quantum Death
“If you’ve ever wondered what the world and relationships might be like in the future,” says Gaynor, “this book is for you. Though set in the future, it is a plausible one. Whether it ends up exciting or horrifying, get hold of a copy of THE EDGE OF MADNESS, peer over the edge and don't be afraid to look, eyes open and sometimes wide..”
THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor; 257 pages – 5.25 x 8″ B&W Pocket Book with Color Softcover; ISBN 978-0-9996938-5-8. Suggested retail price $16.95
Available internationally from Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
and/or
The Book Depository with free international shipping at
https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Ed...
Aignos Publishing, an imprint of Savant Books and Publications, offers avant garde, experimental and innovative works that “push the leading edge” of publishing. Savant Books and Publications publishes enduring, transformative literary works with a twist.
Raymond Gaynor
Author website and blog at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
YouTube Video Book Preview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
November 4, 2020
THE EDGE OF MADNESS by Raymond Gaynor - Excerpt #1
(This Excerpt is PG-rated)
Although he wouldn't completely understand it until much later, it began well before he was born a pudgy-looking, seven and a half pound naked ball of flesh, fat, gristle and bone, screaming its head off. And why shouldn't he have protested? Every trusted thing he'd known had been ripped from him: the constant warmth; the gentle, protective floating feeling; the ruddy aura that had always surrounded and protected him, the ever-present thump-hiss, thump-hiss, thump-hiss in the background that, like a metronome, established the meter of his universe. Even the occasional, distant, often perplexing background sounds, a kind of symphony inexplicably directed at him by some higher, beneficent power whose sole reason for being was to watch over and protect him. Moments ago he was as he knew and imagined himself: the center of all that was, is, and would ever be. Now he was…he really didn't have a clue, except that every second he was fighting for his life.
Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS
(Aignos 2020)
by Raymond Gaynor
257 pp. - 5.25" x 8"
Softcover Pocket Book
ISBN 9780999693858
Suggested Retail Price (SRP) $16.95
Press Release at https://www.prlog.org/12825474
Available directly from Savant Bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific, Honolulu) at 10% off Suggested Retail Price with free shipping within the USA using discount code "ONLINE" at checkout or by direct purchase at
https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ...
Also available from Amazon in printed and eBook format at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B1663ZZ
Aignos Publishing, an imprint of Savant Books and Publications, offers avant garde, experimental and innovative works that "push the leading edge" of publishing. Savant Books and Publications publishes enduring, transformative literary works with a twist.
Although he wouldn't completely understand it until much later, it began well before he was born a pudgy-looking, seven and a half pound naked ball of flesh, fat, gristle and bone, screaming its head off. And why shouldn't he have protested? Every trusted thing he'd known had been ripped from him: the constant warmth; the gentle, protective floating feeling; the ruddy aura that had always surrounded and protected him, the ever-present thump-hiss, thump-hiss, thump-hiss in the background that, like a metronome, established the meter of his universe. Even the occasional, distant, often perplexing background sounds, a kind of symphony inexplicably directed at him by some higher, beneficent power whose sole reason for being was to watch over and protect him. Moments ago he was as he knew and imagined himself: the center of all that was, is, and would ever be. Now he was…he really didn't have a clue, except that every second he was fighting for his life.
Taking up where TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009) by Raymond Gaynor and William Maltese left off, NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, provides a challenging and dangerous future place for three young firebrands to live.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS
(Aignos 2020)
by Raymond Gaynor
257 pp. - 5.25" x 8"
Softcover Pocket Book
ISBN 9780999693858
Suggested Retail Price (SRP) $16.95
Press Release at https://www.prlog.org/12825474
Available directly from Savant Bookstores (Atlantic, Midwest, Pacific, Honolulu) at 10% off Suggested Retail Price with free shipping within the USA using discount code "ONLINE" at checkout or by direct purchase at
https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ...
Also available from Amazon in printed and eBook format at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B1663ZZ
Aignos Publishing, an imprint of Savant Books and Publications, offers avant garde, experimental and innovative works that "push the leading edge" of publishing. Savant Books and Publications publishes enduring, transformative literary works with a twist.
November 3, 2020
INTRODUCING THE FUTURE
It is my pleasure to present the long awaited sequel to my and William Maltese’s pop sexual-political-thriller TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009), entitled THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor. NewAmerica, a shadow of its former United States of America, is now leaner and meaner. Once again commanding wealth and power thanks to a series of sociopolitical advances and technical innovations like Eugitors, ShimmerSuits, ContraSpray, T-rips, CandyShades and CandyCable, NewAmerica a challenging and dangerous place for three young firebrands to live “on the edge of madness.”
Set in the near future, THE EDGE OF MADNESS explores the evolving relationships between three friends, all of whom know little to nothing about their past and even less about their futures. What they do know is that each is unusually gifted: Rob, an uber-conscious male with an enhanced sense of smell; Frann, an ostentatious gay male with an Olympian physique; and Andry, a brilliant moon-child and professional acronymeur with a taste for Wicca…and her two male friends.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS is an exploration of a possible future, where every hedonistic pleasure is available — if one can afford it. People work in order to purchase the newest technologies promising ultimate pleasure. But as in Aldous Huxley’s BRAVE NEW WORLD and George Orwell’s 1984, citizens are watched carefully by emotionless “Enforcers” who show up anytime unusual events occur.
Like Huxley and Orwell’s works, THE EDGE OF MADNESS has something to say about almost everything present and future. But it’s also a love triangle and a coming-of-age story of three youths in a future where anything and everything goes. The ultimate question for them is: Can true love or sanity be found in such a world?
This story will make some excited about what the future may hold while others may recoil at a world of such extremes. Either way, it’s an engaging ride in a world where, for example, teachers and students appear holographically together in instructional classrooms while remaining safely at home, begging the question of what, if anything, in this future world is “real.” Put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like never before.
Sincerely, Raymond Gaynor
Author of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
Co-author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) and with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)
The Edge of Madness
Author website at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
Author Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/raymond.gayn...
Author Twitter site at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
Amazon Goodreads author page at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Distributed by Savant Distribution at https://www.savantdistribution.com/
Set in the near future, THE EDGE OF MADNESS explores the evolving relationships between three friends, all of whom know little to nothing about their past and even less about their futures. What they do know is that each is unusually gifted: Rob, an uber-conscious male with an enhanced sense of smell; Frann, an ostentatious gay male with an Olympian physique; and Andry, a brilliant moon-child and professional acronymeur with a taste for Wicca…and her two male friends.
THE EDGE OF MADNESS is an exploration of a possible future, where every hedonistic pleasure is available — if one can afford it. People work in order to purchase the newest technologies promising ultimate pleasure. But as in Aldous Huxley’s BRAVE NEW WORLD and George Orwell’s 1984, citizens are watched carefully by emotionless “Enforcers” who show up anytime unusual events occur.
Like Huxley and Orwell’s works, THE EDGE OF MADNESS has something to say about almost everything present and future. But it’s also a love triangle and a coming-of-age story of three youths in a future where anything and everything goes. The ultimate question for them is: Can true love or sanity be found in such a world?
This story will make some excited about what the future may hold while others may recoil at a world of such extremes. Either way, it’s an engaging ride in a world where, for example, teachers and students appear holographically together in instructional classrooms while remaining safely at home, begging the question of what, if anything, in this future world is “real.” Put on your CandyShades, breathe in a little ContraSpray and settle back for a T-rip like never before.
Sincerely, Raymond Gaynor
Author of THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859
Co-author with A. G. Hayes of QUANTUM DEATH (Savant 2016) and with William Maltese of TOTAL MELTDOWN (Borgo/Wildside 2009)
The Edge of Madness
Author website at https://garymartine.yolasite.com/raym...
Author Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/raymond.gayn...
Author Twitter site at https://www.savantbooksandpublication...
Amazon author page at https://www.amazon.com/Raymond-Gaynor...
Amazon Goodreads author page at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Distributed by Savant Distribution at https://www.savantdistribution.com/
November 2, 2020
WRITER’S FLOW
Most authors at one time or the other face an event called “writer’s block,” and I’m no exception. I’ve been working on a manuscript opus for over four years now entitled, “The Sword of Kamehameha,” set in 11th century Japan and Hawaii. Two of those years have been spent largely in research both in Japan and Hawaii, visiting museums and meeting with various authorities in period history, sword-making, myth and lore. I put it aside — rather too gladly I fear — to write and publish THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor. And now I’m tempted to do the same for a sequel to my newly released work and another manuscript that’s more than half finished called “Shadow,” about a mentally challenged street person — a former theoretical physicist who was on the brink of discovering an entirely new physics and whose “illness,” unrecognized by him, was his physical existence in multiple universes. I’ve already written a good introduction to the Japan portion of “The Sword of Kamehameha,” but today I was musing on why exactly it was so easy to put aside.
It’s not for lack of good content or a strong storyline. It’s not a lack of memorable characters. It’s not due to my own disinterest. What it has to do with is that every time I add to it, I end up without chicken-skin. You know, that almost otherworldly feeling of lightness and exhilaration that comes of its own when watching a particularly engaging performance, scene in a movie, chapter in a book. It’s something “stumbled upon” that leaves one with the feeling of how good it is to be alive. That’s what’s missing. Call it “writer’s block” if you like, but it isn’t exclusive to writers or authors, and isn’t really a block per se. It is definitely something missing. Like the pinch of herb or salt necessary for a new recipe to explode with animated gusto in one’s mouth.
The question for the writer or author is where to find the spice or salt. And so, I’ve spent the day mulling over where to find the missing piece that will elevate my manuscript to excitingly experiential. I think, in my case, it’s typically my predilection to narration. The characters, interesting enough, need to “come out” more in dialog. Once they do, they seem to take over the story and my role changes from creative artist to scribe, and the challenge is to record all they have to say quickly enough not to lose anything.
I’ve often shared with co-authors William Maltese and A. G. Hayes about this phenomenon, in fact, in a bit of correspondence with William today. So where am I and my “Sword of Kamehameha” manuscript today. The characters and I both seem to be waiting to hear William and A.G.’s opinions. Odd how characters can take on a life of their own — ask any actor about this — and right now they seem to be reawakening. Now that’s what I call “writer’s flow.”
The Edge of Madness
It’s not for lack of good content or a strong storyline. It’s not a lack of memorable characters. It’s not due to my own disinterest. What it has to do with is that every time I add to it, I end up without chicken-skin. You know, that almost otherworldly feeling of lightness and exhilaration that comes of its own when watching a particularly engaging performance, scene in a movie, chapter in a book. It’s something “stumbled upon” that leaves one with the feeling of how good it is to be alive. That’s what’s missing. Call it “writer’s block” if you like, but it isn’t exclusive to writers or authors, and isn’t really a block per se. It is definitely something missing. Like the pinch of herb or salt necessary for a new recipe to explode with animated gusto in one’s mouth.
The question for the writer or author is where to find the spice or salt. And so, I’ve spent the day mulling over where to find the missing piece that will elevate my manuscript to excitingly experiential. I think, in my case, it’s typically my predilection to narration. The characters, interesting enough, need to “come out” more in dialog. Once they do, they seem to take over the story and my role changes from creative artist to scribe, and the challenge is to record all they have to say quickly enough not to lose anything.
I’ve often shared with co-authors William Maltese and A. G. Hayes about this phenomenon, in fact, in a bit of correspondence with William today. So where am I and my “Sword of Kamehameha” manuscript today. The characters and I both seem to be waiting to hear William and A.G.’s opinions. Odd how characters can take on a life of their own — ask any actor about this — and right now they seem to be reawakening. Now that’s what I call “writer’s flow.”
The Edge of Madness
November 1, 2020
WORD-FOR-TODAY: DISINGENUOUS
Two days away from election day, this word just popped into my mind, begging me to share it with everyone. Disingenuous (from Oxford Languages): not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does. Synonyms include dishonest, deceitful, underhanded, duplicitous. Need I say more?
Interestingly, antonyms of disingenuous include ingenuous, candid, equitable, fair, faithful, frank, genuine, good, honest, honorable, just, sincere, straightforward, true, trustworthy, trusty, upright. Everything your mother, Socrates, most religions and the Boy/Girl Scouts of America espoused until…yes, everything human may seem to be one or the other and many want it that way, but humans always have both sides. It’s what makes for a good novel. Especially a thriller, even a sci-fu (science-based futuring) novel disguised as a thriller like THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor. If it looks like a thriller, reads like a thriller, seems like a thriller, well, it must be, mustn’t it? Well, not necessarily. but it does deal directly with the eternal conflict between the disingenuous and the ingenuous, much like that being played out in contemporary America, and that certainly is a thriller, isn’t it?
Available at pre-holiday discount in eBook format from $2.99 from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859) and printed format from any of the four national Savant Bookstores or directly from the Savant Marketplace (https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ...) at 25% off Suggested Retail Price with free shipping anywhere in USA using “HOLIDAYSALE” discount code at checkout. Live outside of USA? Get free shipping anywhere in the world at https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Ed....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
Interestingly, antonyms of disingenuous include ingenuous, candid, equitable, fair, faithful, frank, genuine, good, honest, honorable, just, sincere, straightforward, true, trustworthy, trusty, upright. Everything your mother, Socrates, most religions and the Boy/Girl Scouts of America espoused until…yes, everything human may seem to be one or the other and many want it that way, but humans always have both sides. It’s what makes for a good novel. Especially a thriller, even a sci-fu (science-based futuring) novel disguised as a thriller like THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor. If it looks like a thriller, reads like a thriller, seems like a thriller, well, it must be, mustn’t it? Well, not necessarily. but it does deal directly with the eternal conflict between the disingenuous and the ingenuous, much like that being played out in contemporary America, and that certainly is a thriller, isn’t it?
Available at pre-holiday discount in eBook format from $2.99 from Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859) and printed format from any of the four national Savant Bookstores or directly from the Savant Marketplace (https://savant-bookstore-honolulu.squ...) at 25% off Suggested Retail Price with free shipping anywhere in USA using “HOLIDAYSALE” discount code at checkout. Live outside of USA? Get free shipping anywhere in the world at https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Ed....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
October 31, 2020
ON THE EVE OF SAMHEIN
“It’s HALLOWEEN!” everyone is telling me. But actually, it’s not the “real” halloween (Samhein by the ancient Celtic reckoning) until the sun sets, and runs through to the next sunset. Tonight I’ll be looking for the bonfires, whizzing fire slings, the guising and souling, and, of course, the revels. A harvest celebration with prayers to survive the dark winter days till spring, it’s a holiday of meaning to both Christians and pagans, including Wiccans like Simi Andry Jan [Jan-Rho], the female Wiccan acroynmeur, central to the story. But for that, I commend you to THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor ($2.99 in Kindle ebook format at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859), the perfect Halloween/Samhein read.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je6CC...
