Nerine Dorman's Blog, page 75
September 11, 2013
On the Road by Jack Kerouac #review
Title:
On the Road
Author: Jack Kerouac
Publisher: Penguin Books, 2012
On the Road is one of those books people either love or hate – I very much fall into the love camp on this one. I can’t think of any better way to get into the Beat Generation writers than starting with this slim volume. Jack Kerouac based the novel on experiences he shared with his friends while they embarked on epic road trips across the US. Though all the characters are fictionalised, it’s easy to make the connections. Dean Moriarty is Neal Cassady, Bull Lee is William Burroughs, and Sal Paradise is Jack Kerouac… and so on.
If anyone has a passing familiarity with the Beat Generation, then the varied cast that crops up in On the Road will be old friends. Only, now the dynamics of their relationships are brought to life in a haze of liquor, wild jazz, marijuana smoke, fast cars and tender affection.
Primary to On the Road is the relationship between Sal and Dean. They exist as polar opposites of each other. Plainly put, Dean is a womanising hedonist, who lives completely in the moment, while Sal hero-worships the man. I gain the impression that this was a situation of mutual fascination – each possessed qualities the other admired. Charismatic Dean is impulsive, while Sal is a sensitive, somewhat retiring sort. The two complement each other as they embark on their brave misadventures together.
I admit I wanted to throttle Dean on more than one occasion. Some story arcs, such as Dean’s atrocious driving and what he did to cars, made me cringe and laugh out loud, yet at the same time I couldn’t quite shake my growing sense of sadness at Dean’s eventual outcome. The way Sal frames him in the narrative, it is clear that his friend is a star that burns quickly and brightly, while his own journey, though no less complicated, will eventually lead him down another path.
Throughout On the Road, I am struck by the sense of the ephemeral, transient nature of life, and how the more we quest after those defined moments of awareness, the more we are aware of the impermanence of experience.
The question is, do we grasp every maximum moment, or do we err on the side of caution and conformity? How do we define ourselves in a world that is hostile to individuality? On the Road offers a glimpse back to an era when the concept of the nonconformist was as yet unexplored and brings to life a sheer, manic exuberance and passion for living and, much like life, there is no tidy ending.
Author: Jack Kerouac
Publisher: Penguin Books, 2012
On the Road is one of those books people either love or hate – I very much fall into the love camp on this one. I can’t think of any better way to get into the Beat Generation writers than starting with this slim volume. Jack Kerouac based the novel on experiences he shared with his friends while they embarked on epic road trips across the US. Though all the characters are fictionalised, it’s easy to make the connections. Dean Moriarty is Neal Cassady, Bull Lee is William Burroughs, and Sal Paradise is Jack Kerouac… and so on.If anyone has a passing familiarity with the Beat Generation, then the varied cast that crops up in On the Road will be old friends. Only, now the dynamics of their relationships are brought to life in a haze of liquor, wild jazz, marijuana smoke, fast cars and tender affection.
Primary to On the Road is the relationship between Sal and Dean. They exist as polar opposites of each other. Plainly put, Dean is a womanising hedonist, who lives completely in the moment, while Sal hero-worships the man. I gain the impression that this was a situation of mutual fascination – each possessed qualities the other admired. Charismatic Dean is impulsive, while Sal is a sensitive, somewhat retiring sort. The two complement each other as they embark on their brave misadventures together.
I admit I wanted to throttle Dean on more than one occasion. Some story arcs, such as Dean’s atrocious driving and what he did to cars, made me cringe and laugh out loud, yet at the same time I couldn’t quite shake my growing sense of sadness at Dean’s eventual outcome. The way Sal frames him in the narrative, it is clear that his friend is a star that burns quickly and brightly, while his own journey, though no less complicated, will eventually lead him down another path.
Throughout On the Road, I am struck by the sense of the ephemeral, transient nature of life, and how the more we quest after those defined moments of awareness, the more we are aware of the impermanence of experience.
The question is, do we grasp every maximum moment, or do we err on the side of caution and conformity? How do we define ourselves in a world that is hostile to individuality? On the Road offers a glimpse back to an era when the concept of the nonconformist was as yet unexplored and brings to life a sheer, manic exuberance and passion for living and, much like life, there is no tidy ending.
September 10, 2013
Red House by Sonya Clark
Title:
Red House
Author: Sonya Clark
Publisher: Lyrical Press, 2012
This is not a review per se, more like a bit of long-overdue praise for Sonya, who’s one of the authors I worked with when I was still editing for Lyrical Press. So yes, I unashamedly give this book five stars because that’s how much I adore her writing, and I’ll stand by my rating. I give praise where it’s due.
Red House is book two in Sonya’s Mojo Series, which starts with the aptly named Mojo Queen (so if you’re looking to get started, pick up that one first, you won’t regret it).
Once again, in Red House, Sonya blends all the elements I love: Southern Gothic, music, magic and mysteries, all laced with memorable characters (like Daniel, the country music loving vampire ancestor) and fantastic dialogue.
Roxie does root work. This means she does everything from making mojo hands through to house cleansings. But things haven’t gone well for her since she lost her house in the flood, and in way she’s lost her mojo almost literally. And it doesn’t help that the first job she takes on to get her groove back is possibly even more challenging than the one she was faced with in book one.
All actions have consequences, especially the magical ones, and it’s how characters deal with these situations that gives me a quiet thrill. So that’s all I’ll say about the plot, and suggest that if you’re looking for urban fantasy with authentic-feeling characters who face real-life issues along with supernatural ones, then go read this book. If you’re a long-term fan of the Supernatural TV series or Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, then Sonya Clark’s tales will hit the mark.
Author: Sonya Clark
Publisher: Lyrical Press, 2012
This is not a review per se, more like a bit of long-overdue praise for Sonya, who’s one of the authors I worked with when I was still editing for Lyrical Press. So yes, I unashamedly give this book five stars because that’s how much I adore her writing, and I’ll stand by my rating. I give praise where it’s due.Red House is book two in Sonya’s Mojo Series, which starts with the aptly named Mojo Queen (so if you’re looking to get started, pick up that one first, you won’t regret it).
Once again, in Red House, Sonya blends all the elements I love: Southern Gothic, music, magic and mysteries, all laced with memorable characters (like Daniel, the country music loving vampire ancestor) and fantastic dialogue.
Roxie does root work. This means she does everything from making mojo hands through to house cleansings. But things haven’t gone well for her since she lost her house in the flood, and in way she’s lost her mojo almost literally. And it doesn’t help that the first job she takes on to get her groove back is possibly even more challenging than the one she was faced with in book one.
All actions have consequences, especially the magical ones, and it’s how characters deal with these situations that gives me a quiet thrill. So that’s all I’ll say about the plot, and suggest that if you’re looking for urban fantasy with authentic-feeling characters who face real-life issues along with supernatural ones, then go read this book. If you’re a long-term fan of the Supernatural TV series or Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, then Sonya Clark’s tales will hit the mark.
September 9, 2013
Passion Play by Beth Bernobich #review
Title:
Passion Play
Author: Beth Bernobich
Publisher: Tor Books, 2010
First off, many thanks to Cat who told me to go read this book. I was not disappointed at all. Passion Play is a glorious, slowly unfolding fantasy epic that drew me into a world so well realised it left me breathless.
Central to the plot is Ilse Zhalina, the daughter of a well-to-do merchant, whose disastrous attempt to run away from an arranged marriage brings her to the doorstep of the pleasure house owned by Raul Kosenmark, and into a world of intrigue.
First off, there were so many things that I loved about this novel. A big one for me was that so many of the characters were clearly non-Caucasian. [Does big happy dance for that—no blue-eyed, blond-haired damsels in sight.] Another big thing for me that made me extremely happy was the fluidity of sexual preference. In fact, traditional gender roles are blurred, as both men and women can take up soldiering as a career (about time too in fantasy). An intriguing element that Beth Bernobich blends in is the world’s cosmology, which hints at some sort of experience of past lives, and how magic, small and large, is an everyday occurrence and a skill that is learned (though wielded with some proficiency by those of obvious talent).
Okay, so the world building really worked for me. Bernobich’s writing is tactile, and I was left with a very definite sense of place. I could taste those pastries and smell the coffee, so to speak.
My only criticism against the novel is the way she compresses time. But this is understandably tricky because the novel covers two years, and of course to go into exhaustive detail that entire time would’ve resulted in a doorstopper that would have dragged. There was one spot where I felt the pacing jerked, but one only. And it honestly didn’t bother me too much because this entire novel is one glorious celebration of fantasy I’ll happily compare favourably to the likes of George RR Martin and Jacqueline Carey.
Ilse as a character is resilient. Hats off to Bernobich for not wrapping her characters in cotton wool. Ilse’s choices are not always the wisest, and she gets hurt for her mistakes, and badly at the onset of the story. But she learns, and it is an absolute pleasure watching her come into her own. Raul is more of a cipher. Perhaps his greatest fault is his arrogance, and his propensity for secrets. But when he gives his love, he loves fiercely, and I’m curious to see whether he’ll step out of the shadows in the next novel and take a more active role.
Passion Play moves slowly, but every step of the journey is exquisite, if you’re looking for story that blends myth, magic and intrigue against a greater backdrop that hints at an epic past. And if you feel the same way I did, you’ll rush out and buy book two before you’re even done with book one.
Author: Beth Bernobich
Publisher: Tor Books, 2010
First off, many thanks to Cat who told me to go read this book. I was not disappointed at all. Passion Play is a glorious, slowly unfolding fantasy epic that drew me into a world so well realised it left me breathless.Central to the plot is Ilse Zhalina, the daughter of a well-to-do merchant, whose disastrous attempt to run away from an arranged marriage brings her to the doorstep of the pleasure house owned by Raul Kosenmark, and into a world of intrigue.
First off, there were so many things that I loved about this novel. A big one for me was that so many of the characters were clearly non-Caucasian. [Does big happy dance for that—no blue-eyed, blond-haired damsels in sight.] Another big thing for me that made me extremely happy was the fluidity of sexual preference. In fact, traditional gender roles are blurred, as both men and women can take up soldiering as a career (about time too in fantasy). An intriguing element that Beth Bernobich blends in is the world’s cosmology, which hints at some sort of experience of past lives, and how magic, small and large, is an everyday occurrence and a skill that is learned (though wielded with some proficiency by those of obvious talent).
Okay, so the world building really worked for me. Bernobich’s writing is tactile, and I was left with a very definite sense of place. I could taste those pastries and smell the coffee, so to speak.
My only criticism against the novel is the way she compresses time. But this is understandably tricky because the novel covers two years, and of course to go into exhaustive detail that entire time would’ve resulted in a doorstopper that would have dragged. There was one spot where I felt the pacing jerked, but one only. And it honestly didn’t bother me too much because this entire novel is one glorious celebration of fantasy I’ll happily compare favourably to the likes of George RR Martin and Jacqueline Carey.
Ilse as a character is resilient. Hats off to Bernobich for not wrapping her characters in cotton wool. Ilse’s choices are not always the wisest, and she gets hurt for her mistakes, and badly at the onset of the story. But she learns, and it is an absolute pleasure watching her come into her own. Raul is more of a cipher. Perhaps his greatest fault is his arrogance, and his propensity for secrets. But when he gives his love, he loves fiercely, and I’m curious to see whether he’ll step out of the shadows in the next novel and take a more active role.
Passion Play moves slowly, but every step of the journey is exquisite, if you’re looking for story that blends myth, magic and intrigue against a greater backdrop that hints at an epic past. And if you feel the same way I did, you’ll rush out and buy book two before you’re even done with book one.
September 5, 2013
Best Riff Raff award for Wild’s production of Rocky
WHEN I noticed that one of the rather lovely usherettes on our side of the theatre wasn’t really a girl, I knew it was only a matter of time before the Very Grumpy Old Man a few rows down might get a surprise. I wasn’t wrong, and the unintentionally hilarious results of his discovery resulted in the first of many laughs this evening. The Rocky Horror Show at Cape Town’s The Fugard Theatre was off to a fabulous start.
Me and Rocky go back a long way. For some kids of my generation (we’re talking pre-internet era here, folks) it was the Grease or Dirty Dancing soundtrack. For me it was Rocky. On my piano, I tried to play the musical score which, thanks to an older sibling, lurked inside the piano stool. A friend of mine had a cassette tape of the soundtrack, which we listened to until it was stretched to hell and gone – but there was no watching the film, since it was banned. And oh hell no, don’t even consider the stage production, me lovelies. Getting to know Rocky was like not having all the pieces of the puzzle, enigmatic.
I had no idea what the story was about, but my 12-year-old self sang along to Science Fiction/Double Feature with a strange kind of wistfulness. There was something strangely exotic and subversive about this forbidden show that appealed to this sheltered little Afrikaans girl, and I had no idea why I loved it so much. Of course I gobbled it up when the film was finally on telly, but it’s on stage that Rocky comes alive.
I first saw Rocky at the tender age of 13. It was my first year of high school. I did not expect, in the middle of the Cape winter, to see a young man attend theatre in nothing else but gold-sprayed sneakers, spray-on tan and a shiny gold Speedo. Or his friends all dressed in a mish-mash of costumes inspired by the show. Or the level of audience participation. My mom had always told me to sit still and not say a word in the theatre. Evidently she was wrong.
I was ready for the hooliganism the next time I saw the show in the late 1990s. For once we were part of the madness, dressed to the nines in top hats and tails, ghastly face paint and crazy grins. And oh boy did we do the Time Warp . The old fogies must’ve had conniption fits.
Now, in my mid-30s, I’m a veteran of not one but four Rocky stage productions, and each one has brought fresh magic to this musical. I can with great authority offer a standing ovation to director Matthew Wild and his cast and creative team. This iconic show and film has crept into the hearts of so many, and fans will have many expectations, so it’s a tricky thing if you’re going to add a few flourishes to put your personal stamp on a production.
But there is no doubt in my mind that Wild has succeeded. Overall he’s stayed true to the Rocky we know and adore. Everything, from the seamless blend and interchange between the projected animations and the set, to the band’s tight performance and the best choreography I’ve seen for this show, has been a treat.
An imposing Brendan van Rhyn as Frank-N-Furter sports a Grace Jones-style hairdo and totally steals the show. As he should. How he manages in those killer heels I don’t know. And his voice. Just incredible. My award for “Best Riff Raff Ever” goes to Andrew Laubscher. Well done, mate. You were utterly creeptastic and it gave me wicked thrills. Shaun Smit as Rocky was not quite what I expected, since previous incarnations I’ve seen had always been rather big, strapping lads – but hey, it made a change and he was rather adorable. I always have a soft spot for Columbia, and Dominique Maher puts her heart and soul into this energetic character. Little spots of South African accents creeping out here and there made me smile.
A big part of what makes Rocky such a thrill is the level of audience participation. This production isn’t about passively sitting in the seat. It’s about using your audience participation pack (which you can buy upon arrival) and throwing the confetti, brandishing glowsticks, snapping on gloves and tooting on those party blowers. It’s about laughing out loud and singing along to old favourites. Hell, it’s about messing around with Frank-N-Furter’s “anticipa… tion”. Essentially, this is a show about letting your hair down and revelling in the camp, pulpy glory that is The Rocky Horror Show.
As they say, “Don’t dream it, be it.” And that’s probably why I love the show so much, and I hope that if I make it to my seventies, I’ll still be doing the Time Warp and behaving like a hooligan the moment the usherettes start waving their torches before the show starts.
The Rocky Horror is currently running at The Fugard Theatre in Cape Town (Until October 29, 2013). Please note, there’s an age restriction of 16 on this show.
Me and Rocky go back a long way. For some kids of my generation (we’re talking pre-internet era here, folks) it was the Grease or Dirty Dancing soundtrack. For me it was Rocky. On my piano, I tried to play the musical score which, thanks to an older sibling, lurked inside the piano stool. A friend of mine had a cassette tape of the soundtrack, which we listened to until it was stretched to hell and gone – but there was no watching the film, since it was banned. And oh hell no, don’t even consider the stage production, me lovelies. Getting to know Rocky was like not having all the pieces of the puzzle, enigmatic.
I had no idea what the story was about, but my 12-year-old self sang along to Science Fiction/Double Feature with a strange kind of wistfulness. There was something strangely exotic and subversive about this forbidden show that appealed to this sheltered little Afrikaans girl, and I had no idea why I loved it so much. Of course I gobbled it up when the film was finally on telly, but it’s on stage that Rocky comes alive.
I first saw Rocky at the tender age of 13. It was my first year of high school. I did not expect, in the middle of the Cape winter, to see a young man attend theatre in nothing else but gold-sprayed sneakers, spray-on tan and a shiny gold Speedo. Or his friends all dressed in a mish-mash of costumes inspired by the show. Or the level of audience participation. My mom had always told me to sit still and not say a word in the theatre. Evidently she was wrong.
I was ready for the hooliganism the next time I saw the show in the late 1990s. For once we were part of the madness, dressed to the nines in top hats and tails, ghastly face paint and crazy grins. And oh boy did we do the Time Warp . The old fogies must’ve had conniption fits.
Now, in my mid-30s, I’m a veteran of not one but four Rocky stage productions, and each one has brought fresh magic to this musical. I can with great authority offer a standing ovation to director Matthew Wild and his cast and creative team. This iconic show and film has crept into the hearts of so many, and fans will have many expectations, so it’s a tricky thing if you’re going to add a few flourishes to put your personal stamp on a production.
But there is no doubt in my mind that Wild has succeeded. Overall he’s stayed true to the Rocky we know and adore. Everything, from the seamless blend and interchange between the projected animations and the set, to the band’s tight performance and the best choreography I’ve seen for this show, has been a treat.
An imposing Brendan van Rhyn as Frank-N-Furter sports a Grace Jones-style hairdo and totally steals the show. As he should. How he manages in those killer heels I don’t know. And his voice. Just incredible. My award for “Best Riff Raff Ever” goes to Andrew Laubscher. Well done, mate. You were utterly creeptastic and it gave me wicked thrills. Shaun Smit as Rocky was not quite what I expected, since previous incarnations I’ve seen had always been rather big, strapping lads – but hey, it made a change and he was rather adorable. I always have a soft spot for Columbia, and Dominique Maher puts her heart and soul into this energetic character. Little spots of South African accents creeping out here and there made me smile.
A big part of what makes Rocky such a thrill is the level of audience participation. This production isn’t about passively sitting in the seat. It’s about using your audience participation pack (which you can buy upon arrival) and throwing the confetti, brandishing glowsticks, snapping on gloves and tooting on those party blowers. It’s about laughing out loud and singing along to old favourites. Hell, it’s about messing around with Frank-N-Furter’s “anticipa… tion”. Essentially, this is a show about letting your hair down and revelling in the camp, pulpy glory that is The Rocky Horror Show.
As they say, “Don’t dream it, be it.” And that’s probably why I love the show so much, and I hope that if I make it to my seventies, I’ll still be doing the Time Warp and behaving like a hooligan the moment the usherettes start waving their torches before the show starts.
The Rocky Horror is currently running at The Fugard Theatre in Cape Town (Until October 29, 2013). Please note, there’s an age restriction of 16 on this show.
September 4, 2013
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman #review
Title:
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Headline Review, 2013
As a die-hard Neil Gaiman fan, I’ve often felt that his The Sandman comic book series published by Vertigo was a tough act to follow. I admit that, for me, most of his subsequent works have paled in comparison to that epic.
That hasn’t made me love his writing any less, for Gaiman has a way of approaching storytelling that sets him apart from most. If I’m put on the spot I struggle to say what it is exactly that draws me to Gaiman’s writing except that it resonates deeply with me.
I’m happy to report, however, that The Ocean at the End of the Lane hits the mark for me the same way The Sandman does, and the author has recaptured that mythical essence that had me enthralled the same way the Lord of Dreams had me bewitched.
Whether it was that Gaiman was writing from the heart, or he simply tapped into the right creative current at the right time, it hardly matters. What you’ll hold in your hands is the work of a master craftsman.
The story and the writing seems simple: we follow our narrator along a journey into his childhood. All we are told is that there has been a death in the family, though it’s implied it might have been the father.
Fuelled by nostalgia, the narrator explores past haunts and returns to the Hempstock farm where he recalls incidents that occurred when he was seven. What we are reminded of is the fluidity of memory and how these remembrances evolve depending on our perspective.
Thought the majority of this story is told by a seven-year-old, and could be read by children as well, this is not strictly speaking a children’s story. The Maurice Sendak quote at the start of the book is on the mark: “I remember my own childhood vividly… I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustn’t let adults know I knew. It would scare them.”
The Ocean at the end of the Lane is a tale filled with powerful archetypes, be it images of the Triple Goddess or the eternal ocean that links all things. This is more than just a story about childhood, and coming to terms with
the fact that the world is a dangerous, unpredictable place.
Gaiman tells us that even as grownups we don’t have all the answers, yet we’re poorer for having lost that childlike sense of wonder. This is a story for those who still dare to dream or for those who might have forgotten how.
Author: Neil Gaiman
Publisher: Headline Review, 2013
As a die-hard Neil Gaiman fan, I’ve often felt that his The Sandman comic book series published by Vertigo was a tough act to follow. I admit that, for me, most of his subsequent works have paled in comparison to that epic.That hasn’t made me love his writing any less, for Gaiman has a way of approaching storytelling that sets him apart from most. If I’m put on the spot I struggle to say what it is exactly that draws me to Gaiman’s writing except that it resonates deeply with me.
I’m happy to report, however, that The Ocean at the End of the Lane hits the mark for me the same way The Sandman does, and the author has recaptured that mythical essence that had me enthralled the same way the Lord of Dreams had me bewitched.
Whether it was that Gaiman was writing from the heart, or he simply tapped into the right creative current at the right time, it hardly matters. What you’ll hold in your hands is the work of a master craftsman.
The story and the writing seems simple: we follow our narrator along a journey into his childhood. All we are told is that there has been a death in the family, though it’s implied it might have been the father.
Fuelled by nostalgia, the narrator explores past haunts and returns to the Hempstock farm where he recalls incidents that occurred when he was seven. What we are reminded of is the fluidity of memory and how these remembrances evolve depending on our perspective.
Thought the majority of this story is told by a seven-year-old, and could be read by children as well, this is not strictly speaking a children’s story. The Maurice Sendak quote at the start of the book is on the mark: “I remember my own childhood vividly… I knew terrible things. But I knew I mustn’t let adults know I knew. It would scare them.”
The Ocean at the end of the Lane is a tale filled with powerful archetypes, be it images of the Triple Goddess or the eternal ocean that links all things. This is more than just a story about childhood, and coming to terms with
the fact that the world is a dangerous, unpredictable place.
Gaiman tells us that even as grownups we don’t have all the answers, yet we’re poorer for having lost that childlike sense of wonder. This is a story for those who still dare to dream or for those who might have forgotten how.
September 3, 2013
A Discourse in Steel by Paul S Kemp #review
Title:
A Discourse in Steel
(Egil and Nix #2)
Author: Paul S Kemp
Publisher: Angry Robot, 2013
While this is book number two in what seems like is going to be a series, and it took me a few pages to get the pair of tomb-robbing protagonists straight in my head, it didn’t take me long to become fully invested in Egil and Nix’s doings.
Egil’s a big bloke and a priest of a dead god (complete with an eye tattooed on his shaved head) who’s handy with his hammers; Nix is the nimble, crafty little blighter armed with a falchion and a bag filled with magical “gewgaws” that help when he’s in a tight spot. They’re inseparable and nigh unstoppable, it seems, and always willing to help a damsel in distress.
An initial brush with the sinister Blackalley – which at first seems like some sort of alternative dimension that exists within the darkest part of the city’s slums – turns out to be a dubious blessing later when Egil and Nix find themselves coming up against the somewhat sinister Thieves Guild. And their sojourn through Blackalley does result in some unexpected consequences later on in the story.
A Discourse in Steel is exactly what it says: a straight-up adventure filled with snappy dialogue, a spot of tomb-raiding, breaking and entering, and general asskickery. The magical key that opened any lock once it had a taste of a particular fruit or veggie was just one of the quirky touches strewn throughout the tale.
Paul S Kemp keeps up a relentless pace without flagging, and the characters are certainly kept on their toes throughout. The milieu they inhabit is built on the crumbling remains of an ancient culture, and Kemp deftly paints in snatches of ancient mystery and history in broad strokes that serve to tantalise.
Readers come in at the tail-end of an epic saga, and can only wonder at the cataclysmic events that shaped the Egil and Nix’s world. There are no gallant knights in this novel, the monsters are far more terrible than mere dragons, and the damsels themselves aren’t as helpless as they might appear.
Kemp delivers a solid, satisfying fantasy adventure populated with memorable characters and a setting so real you can smell the stink of the city streets.
Author: Paul S Kemp
Publisher: Angry Robot, 2013
While this is book number two in what seems like is going to be a series, and it took me a few pages to get the pair of tomb-robbing protagonists straight in my head, it didn’t take me long to become fully invested in Egil and Nix’s doings.Egil’s a big bloke and a priest of a dead god (complete with an eye tattooed on his shaved head) who’s handy with his hammers; Nix is the nimble, crafty little blighter armed with a falchion and a bag filled with magical “gewgaws” that help when he’s in a tight spot. They’re inseparable and nigh unstoppable, it seems, and always willing to help a damsel in distress.
An initial brush with the sinister Blackalley – which at first seems like some sort of alternative dimension that exists within the darkest part of the city’s slums – turns out to be a dubious blessing later when Egil and Nix find themselves coming up against the somewhat sinister Thieves Guild. And their sojourn through Blackalley does result in some unexpected consequences later on in the story.
A Discourse in Steel is exactly what it says: a straight-up adventure filled with snappy dialogue, a spot of tomb-raiding, breaking and entering, and general asskickery. The magical key that opened any lock once it had a taste of a particular fruit or veggie was just one of the quirky touches strewn throughout the tale.
Paul S Kemp keeps up a relentless pace without flagging, and the characters are certainly kept on their toes throughout. The milieu they inhabit is built on the crumbling remains of an ancient culture, and Kemp deftly paints in snatches of ancient mystery and history in broad strokes that serve to tantalise.
Readers come in at the tail-end of an epic saga, and can only wonder at the cataclysmic events that shaped the Egil and Nix’s world. There are no gallant knights in this novel, the monsters are far more terrible than mere dragons, and the damsels themselves aren’t as helpless as they might appear.
Kemp delivers a solid, satisfying fantasy adventure populated with memorable characters and a setting so real you can smell the stink of the city streets.
September 2, 2013
Trancehack with Sonya Clark - Cover reveal
Some of you might already know that Sonya Clark, one of the authors with whom I've worked, has a new book releasing in October via Carina Press entitled Trancehack. It's the first book in the Magic Born series, and it's a futuristic paranormal romance witchpunk yarn. Her publisher says, "Forbidden romance and illicit magic in cyberspace are a combustible mix that will shake up, break up, and perhaps ultimately save a dark future world where Magic Born witches have no rights and Normals have been cowed by fear into giving up many of theirs. In the sprawling city of New Corinth, the two sides will come together, crossing boundaries and risking it all for love and their shared future."
Yup, it sounds fabulous, if you ask me, and I can't wait to read it.
So, here's the blurb:
It’s 2065. Those born with magic abilities live in government-run zones, without rights or freedoms. Fear of magic created this segregated world and fear keeps it intact.
A high-profile murder brings Detective Nathan Perez to Magic Born Zone 13. He’s had little experience with the Magic Born and isn’t sure what to expect during his first encounter with a witch, but he never thought he’d be so drawn to her.
Trancehacker Calla Vesper uses magic to break into computers and aid the Magic Born underground. She has no interest in helping a cop, even if he is smoking-hot, but money’s tight and Nate offers a tidy amount for help navigating the Zone. Calla’s determined to keep it all business, but sparks start flying before the investigation even gets started.
When Calla’s trancehacking and Nathan’s investigation uncover a conspiracy, Calla becomes a target. Nate can protect her by keeping her role a secret—but then who will protect Nate?
So of course I had to hunt Sonya down so we could have a little Q&A. Welcome, Sonya! Tell us more about your two lead characters – why do you like them?
Magic Born witch Calla Vesper grew up in the zone, nicknamed Freaktown. The Magic Laws have shaped her existence but she’s worked hard to carve out the best life for herself she could. She’s smart, tough, and she’s a talented jewelry designer, something that allows her to make a bit better living than many other Magic Born. She’s also loyal and generous, spending much of her time and money helping with the underground. I think what I like best about Calla is her fearlessness - she’s not afraid to mouth off to authorities or take serious risks. Her biggest risk is getting involved with a Normal cop.
Detective Nate Perez is a good guy. He’s solid and dependable and believes in doing his job to the best of his abilities. He’s also fascinated by Calla, and by magic itself. He didn’t grow up in a city with a zone so this is new to him and he doesn’t harbor the prejudices many Normals have against the Magic Born. I like the fact that he wanted to get to know Calla for herself, rather than making assumptions based on stereotypes. I also like that when it came down to it, she was more important to him than his job.
Tell us more about the magic in your world.
There are two kinds of magic in this world. One is the more familiar type - glamours, enchantments, charms, things of that sort. Then there’s the secret kind, something that Calla and very few others can do - astral projection as a means of entering computer systems and cyberspace. Let me give you a bit of backstory on the world-building:
The Magic Born were revealed when hacktivists released documents showing that not only did governments know about them, but also used witches as agents in what came to be known as “black magic ops”. Most countries recovered from the shock but some fundamentalist places didn’t fare so well, the US being one of them. Mass killings of witches and people simply accused of witchcraft took place, until finally the government stepped in and offered a solution to stop the death and allay fears: the Magic Laws. Magic Born were sent to live in urban zones - urban because Normals believed magic to be related to nature. This was thought to be something that would weaken the Magic Born. By 2065, roughly fifty years after the Magic Born were revealed, some witches are displaying some decidedly urban-oriented magical abilities.
Why do you think magic wielders are feared?
The first revelation of the existence of magic in this world wasn’t some kindly woman blending a good luck spell into a cup of tea, it was the existence of secret agents wielding terrifying magic at the behest of governments. Think about the type of rampant paranoia one can easily find by scratching the wrong corner of the internet, or striking up a conversation with the wrong relative. It wasn’t hard to imagine a situation where that got out of control. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are afraid of things they don’t understand, or things that they misunderstand.
What's stopped the magic wielders from rising against their unjust treatment?
There’s a bit of backstory mentioned in the book that talks about a period of Magic Born terrorism. The overwhelming response to it is also mentioned. Basically, the Magic Born are greatly outnumbered, and they just want to survive. They’ve been through so much bloodshed already. They have the desire to change things, and certainly some skills to bring to affecting change, but they don’t have basic rights of citizenship like voting and legal emigration. What it would really take to change things is Normals deciding they’ve had enough of turning over their Magic Born children to live in zones.
I hear there are sequels in the works... Can you share more?
There’s a secondary character in Trancehack named Vadim, a witch who runs the notorious zone club called Sinsuality. The second book, which I’m working on now, is his story. He’s a fantastic character to write. His book will involve blackmail, a deeper look at the Magic Born underground, and worsening tensions between those in New Corinth who want to let go of old fears and those who use those fears to hold on to power. Book three will take a look at those “black magic ops” rumors, and also have rolling street battles and a desperate effort to change the course of history.
Make no mistake, though. For all the action and intrigue, forbidden love is at the heart of these stories. The right to be free and equal, the right to love and build a life with the person of your choosing - those ideals have inspired this trilogy from the beginning. And also some really cool ideas about mashing up magic and technology, like combining disco and industrial rock. ☺
TRANCEHACK will be released by Carina Press on October 28 and is now available for pre-order for Kindle and Nook. Find author Sonya Clark at her website, Twitter, and Facebook. Subscribe to her newsletter for updates.
About the author: Sonya Clark grew up a military brat and now lives in Tennessee with her husband and daughter. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance with a heavy helping of magic and lots of music for inspiration. Learn more at www.sonyaclark.net.
Yup, it sounds fabulous, if you ask me, and I can't wait to read it.
So, here's the blurb:
It’s 2065. Those born with magic abilities live in government-run zones, without rights or freedoms. Fear of magic created this segregated world and fear keeps it intact.A high-profile murder brings Detective Nathan Perez to Magic Born Zone 13. He’s had little experience with the Magic Born and isn’t sure what to expect during his first encounter with a witch, but he never thought he’d be so drawn to her.
Trancehacker Calla Vesper uses magic to break into computers and aid the Magic Born underground. She has no interest in helping a cop, even if he is smoking-hot, but money’s tight and Nate offers a tidy amount for help navigating the Zone. Calla’s determined to keep it all business, but sparks start flying before the investigation even gets started.
When Calla’s trancehacking and Nathan’s investigation uncover a conspiracy, Calla becomes a target. Nate can protect her by keeping her role a secret—but then who will protect Nate?
So of course I had to hunt Sonya down so we could have a little Q&A. Welcome, Sonya! Tell us more about your two lead characters – why do you like them?
Magic Born witch Calla Vesper grew up in the zone, nicknamed Freaktown. The Magic Laws have shaped her existence but she’s worked hard to carve out the best life for herself she could. She’s smart, tough, and she’s a talented jewelry designer, something that allows her to make a bit better living than many other Magic Born. She’s also loyal and generous, spending much of her time and money helping with the underground. I think what I like best about Calla is her fearlessness - she’s not afraid to mouth off to authorities or take serious risks. Her biggest risk is getting involved with a Normal cop.
Detective Nate Perez is a good guy. He’s solid and dependable and believes in doing his job to the best of his abilities. He’s also fascinated by Calla, and by magic itself. He didn’t grow up in a city with a zone so this is new to him and he doesn’t harbor the prejudices many Normals have against the Magic Born. I like the fact that he wanted to get to know Calla for herself, rather than making assumptions based on stereotypes. I also like that when it came down to it, she was more important to him than his job.
Tell us more about the magic in your world.
There are two kinds of magic in this world. One is the more familiar type - glamours, enchantments, charms, things of that sort. Then there’s the secret kind, something that Calla and very few others can do - astral projection as a means of entering computer systems and cyberspace. Let me give you a bit of backstory on the world-building:
The Magic Born were revealed when hacktivists released documents showing that not only did governments know about them, but also used witches as agents in what came to be known as “black magic ops”. Most countries recovered from the shock but some fundamentalist places didn’t fare so well, the US being one of them. Mass killings of witches and people simply accused of witchcraft took place, until finally the government stepped in and offered a solution to stop the death and allay fears: the Magic Laws. Magic Born were sent to live in urban zones - urban because Normals believed magic to be related to nature. This was thought to be something that would weaken the Magic Born. By 2065, roughly fifty years after the Magic Born were revealed, some witches are displaying some decidedly urban-oriented magical abilities.
Why do you think magic wielders are feared?
The first revelation of the existence of magic in this world wasn’t some kindly woman blending a good luck spell into a cup of tea, it was the existence of secret agents wielding terrifying magic at the behest of governments. Think about the type of rampant paranoia one can easily find by scratching the wrong corner of the internet, or striking up a conversation with the wrong relative. It wasn’t hard to imagine a situation where that got out of control. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who are afraid of things they don’t understand, or things that they misunderstand.
What's stopped the magic wielders from rising against their unjust treatment?
There’s a bit of backstory mentioned in the book that talks about a period of Magic Born terrorism. The overwhelming response to it is also mentioned. Basically, the Magic Born are greatly outnumbered, and they just want to survive. They’ve been through so much bloodshed already. They have the desire to change things, and certainly some skills to bring to affecting change, but they don’t have basic rights of citizenship like voting and legal emigration. What it would really take to change things is Normals deciding they’ve had enough of turning over their Magic Born children to live in zones.
I hear there are sequels in the works... Can you share more?
There’s a secondary character in Trancehack named Vadim, a witch who runs the notorious zone club called Sinsuality. The second book, which I’m working on now, is his story. He’s a fantastic character to write. His book will involve blackmail, a deeper look at the Magic Born underground, and worsening tensions between those in New Corinth who want to let go of old fears and those who use those fears to hold on to power. Book three will take a look at those “black magic ops” rumors, and also have rolling street battles and a desperate effort to change the course of history.
Make no mistake, though. For all the action and intrigue, forbidden love is at the heart of these stories. The right to be free and equal, the right to love and build a life with the person of your choosing - those ideals have inspired this trilogy from the beginning. And also some really cool ideas about mashing up magic and technology, like combining disco and industrial rock. ☺
TRANCEHACK will be released by Carina Press on October 28 and is now available for pre-order for Kindle and Nook. Find author Sonya Clark at her website, Twitter, and Facebook. Subscribe to her newsletter for updates.
About the author: Sonya Clark grew up a military brat and now lives in Tennessee with her husband and daughter. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance with a heavy helping of magic and lots of music for inspiration. Learn more at www.sonyaclark.net.
August 30, 2013
Dramarama averted ... Back your work the fuck up.
The worst thing that can ever happen to an author who's stressing over a WiP happened to me today. Be it a quirk of the way the servers are set up at my office, or just a wobbly file format from me having worked over multiple computers with one document (yes I knew I was taking a chance but it's always worked up until now) ... But I lost the Jackal MS (cue the sound of whiny violins). I got a snarky little message from MS Word which told me it was unable to save the file due to an internal problem and then... Blegh. Nothing.
Here, have a picture of Ash,
he'll save the day... Everything kinda grinds to a halt at that point, and a nasty ringing starts in your ears as your heart gives a last few spastic contractions. And you mutter Fuck, fuck, fuckity-fuck under your breath while you wonder if there's a Control + Z button for your fucking life.
At that point your colleagues start looking at you funny, and you consider ripping off all your clothing and go running screaming down St George's Mall as if all the demons of hell were after you. It's preferable to *this*.
No point sending that error report to Microsoft.
It's not like they care. I checked my Gmail. Yep, I'd last backed up on Sunday, which meant I'd have lost about 5k words that I started since Monday. I wanted to weep. That's three hours of my life I'm not getting back. WHAT IF I WROTE DEATHLESS PROSE AND IT'S ALL GONE NOW???
Microsoft Word is not the best word processing software, but it's pretty much industry standard. Hence the reason why I use it. I've had my friends tempt me with LibreOffice but because I'm an old dog, I'm resistant to new tricks. No. You can't scratch my tummy and I won't roll over and play dead either.
I've also come to know (and loathe) all the different quirks my various versions of MS Word have. On my old Dell running Windows XP, Word would sometimes crash when I'd selected text for italics and the programme decided to run an auto-save. Argh.
On my Macbook I run MS Word 2008. It often crashes for no discernible reason. Also, it doesn't like it when I have multiple .doc files open. Then it freezes one of them so I have to close the programme and open it again. Argh. More lost work if I hadn't saved.
Here at work, where I often use my lunch hour for my personal writing time, we don't even have *real* computers. We run on thin clients, which means my "harddrive" is scattered in percentages across several servers. Several servers which are 1 200 or so kilometres away in Joburg. Which translates to the occasional gremlins deciding "Oh, dear, we can't save this file, whoops. Let's just corrupt this file already."
LUCKILY for me, I have friends who could help out. Icy was able to open the file on her side and resave into .rtf format. Brian said he could open the file. I only lost about 200 words because I am a compulsive saver. (thank fuck for that, princess) Barry kindly suggested that I should really start using Google Drive and Docs.
So, yeah, I'm going to give that a shot now. No more emailing the document to myself at the end of every week. What I will do is save versions once a week into DropBox so that I've got backup in a different spot.
Moral of the story: BACK UP YOUR WORK. Redundancy is the key. Can you imagine if I'd written this (so far) 63k-word novel without this backup? I'd be slitting my wrists with a blunt spoon round about now. Don't be afraid to embrace new technology. Today's little dramarama has reinforced an important lesson. And don't think that you won't have your moments. We all have them.
The awesome news is that I'm headed into the last third of Jackal, my post-Z little saga involving rangers embattled with an elusive enemy. This has been a very weird book to write. That is all. And not a single vampire in sight.
P.S. And my scary new editor, David Niall Wilson, of Crossroad Press, keeps Tweeting me with his progress on first-round edits for Dawn's Bright Talons. I'm afraid. I'm very, very afraid. But in a good way.
P.P.S. I'd really like to give a little love to my Books of Khepera 1# and 2#. If you've read either of them, do go and find the new editions on Goodreads and leave a review. If you're interested in checking out my earliest writing (which is kinda cute and crunchy in a darkly occultish way) then go show Jamie some love and feed your preferred reading device some love this weekend.
Here, have a picture of Ash,he'll save the day... Everything kinda grinds to a halt at that point, and a nasty ringing starts in your ears as your heart gives a last few spastic contractions. And you mutter Fuck, fuck, fuckity-fuck under your breath while you wonder if there's a Control + Z button for your fucking life.
At that point your colleagues start looking at you funny, and you consider ripping off all your clothing and go running screaming down St George's Mall as if all the demons of hell were after you. It's preferable to *this*.
No point sending that error report to Microsoft.
It's not like they care. I checked my Gmail. Yep, I'd last backed up on Sunday, which meant I'd have lost about 5k words that I started since Monday. I wanted to weep. That's three hours of my life I'm not getting back. WHAT IF I WROTE DEATHLESS PROSE AND IT'S ALL GONE NOW???
Microsoft Word is not the best word processing software, but it's pretty much industry standard. Hence the reason why I use it. I've had my friends tempt me with LibreOffice but because I'm an old dog, I'm resistant to new tricks. No. You can't scratch my tummy and I won't roll over and play dead either.
I've also come to know (and loathe) all the different quirks my various versions of MS Word have. On my old Dell running Windows XP, Word would sometimes crash when I'd selected text for italics and the programme decided to run an auto-save. Argh.
On my Macbook I run MS Word 2008. It often crashes for no discernible reason. Also, it doesn't like it when I have multiple .doc files open. Then it freezes one of them so I have to close the programme and open it again. Argh. More lost work if I hadn't saved.
Here at work, where I often use my lunch hour for my personal writing time, we don't even have *real* computers. We run on thin clients, which means my "harddrive" is scattered in percentages across several servers. Several servers which are 1 200 or so kilometres away in Joburg. Which translates to the occasional gremlins deciding "Oh, dear, we can't save this file, whoops. Let's just corrupt this file already."
LUCKILY for me, I have friends who could help out. Icy was able to open the file on her side and resave into .rtf format. Brian said he could open the file. I only lost about 200 words because I am a compulsive saver. (thank fuck for that, princess) Barry kindly suggested that I should really start using Google Drive and Docs.
So, yeah, I'm going to give that a shot now. No more emailing the document to myself at the end of every week. What I will do is save versions once a week into DropBox so that I've got backup in a different spot.
Moral of the story: BACK UP YOUR WORK. Redundancy is the key. Can you imagine if I'd written this (so far) 63k-word novel without this backup? I'd be slitting my wrists with a blunt spoon round about now. Don't be afraid to embrace new technology. Today's little dramarama has reinforced an important lesson. And don't think that you won't have your moments. We all have them.
The awesome news is that I'm headed into the last third of Jackal, my post-Z little saga involving rangers embattled with an elusive enemy. This has been a very weird book to write. That is all. And not a single vampire in sight.
P.S. And my scary new editor, David Niall Wilson, of Crossroad Press, keeps Tweeting me with his progress on first-round edits for Dawn's Bright Talons. I'm afraid. I'm very, very afraid. But in a good way.
P.P.S. I'd really like to give a little love to my Books of Khepera 1# and 2#. If you've read either of them, do go and find the new editions on Goodreads and leave a review. If you're interested in checking out my earliest writing (which is kinda cute and crunchy in a darkly occultish way) then go show Jamie some love and feed your preferred reading device some love this weekend.
August 29, 2013
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini #review
Author: Christopher Paolini
Title: Brisingr (The Inheritance Cycle #3)
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf, 2008
Ooookay. Paolini's going to string along the die-hards who're OCD about reading an entire series, and the same issues that dogged book two are present in book three. Not a helluva lot happens in Brisingr until right at the end. Lots of random battles, a new sword is forged, lots of details about the ongoing war. We find out some Top Secret Stuff about dragons that, predictably, comes into play and reveals a glimmer of hope.
Some of the writing is extremely clunky. Mine twitchy little editor's red
pen itched and itched for me to have a chance to do its thing.
But yeah... So I read this for the same reason that I'd probably read an exhaustive bit of fanfiction. Because this is still pretty much the plot of Star Wars smooshed with Lord of the Rings and Dragonriders of Pern. The writing is average. The characters and dialogue are passable.
My main gripe is the pacing... Lots of slogging to get to the exciting battle sequences at the end.
But what gives this story it's fourth star is the imagination. I like the world-building. I like the concepts Paolini plays with. They're not new, but they're fun, and I enjoyed this novel despite the obvious flaws. Deathless prose this is not. This is not the present era's answer to Tolkien, but I'm still motivated to find out how the heck Paolini's going to wrap up all the threads.
Personally, I think Eragon is an insufferable little Marty Stu, but I like Saphira, so I'll put up with his wangsting about who his daddy is.
Title: Brisingr (The Inheritance Cycle #3)
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf, 2008
Ooookay. Paolini's going to string along the die-hards who're OCD about reading an entire series, and the same issues that dogged book two are present in book three. Not a helluva lot happens in Brisingr until right at the end. Lots of random battles, a new sword is forged, lots of details about the ongoing war. We find out some Top Secret Stuff about dragons that, predictably, comes into play and reveals a glimmer of hope.Some of the writing is extremely clunky. Mine twitchy little editor's red
pen itched and itched for me to have a chance to do its thing.
But yeah... So I read this for the same reason that I'd probably read an exhaustive bit of fanfiction. Because this is still pretty much the plot of Star Wars smooshed with Lord of the Rings and Dragonriders of Pern. The writing is average. The characters and dialogue are passable.
My main gripe is the pacing... Lots of slogging to get to the exciting battle sequences at the end.
But what gives this story it's fourth star is the imagination. I like the world-building. I like the concepts Paolini plays with. They're not new, but they're fun, and I enjoyed this novel despite the obvious flaws. Deathless prose this is not. This is not the present era's answer to Tolkien, but I'm still motivated to find out how the heck Paolini's going to wrap up all the threads.
Personally, I think Eragon is an insufferable little Marty Stu, but I like Saphira, so I'll put up with his wangsting about who his daddy is.
August 28, 2013
Brian Katcher and Everyone Dies at the End
And yet more good news from my publisher...
Dark Continents Publishing is pleased and excited to announce that author Brian Katcher has been offered and has accepted a contract to publish his Young Adult/Mystery novel Everyone Dies in the End.
Everyone Dies in the End tells the story of driven high school student, Sherman Andrews. At 17 Sherman is accepted into the Missouri Scholars Academy, a summer college program for the academically oriented students in the state. In Sherman’s case, he has a 10 year program to become a reporter and leave behind the stagnant life he has been living with his low-brow, plumber father and his absent mother.
While conducting project research for the program, Sherman encounters photos and news stories from 1935 detailing the murder or disappearance of four men. Sherman quickly realizes he has poked his nose into something people want to keep quiet when he survives a determined assassination attempt.
At this point Sherman has to decide to continue and take the next step in being the reporter he dreams of being, or back out and play it safe. The only people who can help him now are Charlie, the cute, chubby student librarian at the Historical Society, and Denton, the wild-eyed conspiracy theorist, who just happens to currently be confined to a psychiatric hospital.
“I completely fell in love with this book as soon as I looked at the files,” said David Youngquist, President of Dark Continents Publishing. “I knew I wanted this book before I even finished reading it, so I had to jump on it before someone else snapped it up.”
Everyone Dies in the End will be released in 2014 and will be the flagship book of Dark Continents Publishing’s new Young Adult line of novels. It will join Katcher’s previous books published by Delacorte: Playing with Matches , which won the 2010-2011 North Carolina Young Adult Book Award and was listed on the American Library Association’s 2009 list of Best Books for Young Adults as well as Almost Perfect which was the Winner of the 2011 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award. It was also listed by the American Library Association as one of the Best Books for Young Adults in 2010.
Youngquist and Katcher met in 2011 at Archon, an industry event which encompasses all genres of writing and film near St. Louis, MO. One of DCP’s editors sat in on a panel in which Katcher was the speaker. She then introduced the two after the panel ended. They hit it off, and as they talked, Katcher said he would send in a manuscript during DCP’s open submission period. From this promise, comes a new step for Dark Continents Publishing, and a chance for Katcher fans to get their hands on a great new book by their favorite author.
Dark Continents Publishing is pleased and excited to announce that author Brian Katcher has been offered and has accepted a contract to publish his Young Adult/Mystery novel Everyone Dies in the End. Everyone Dies in the End tells the story of driven high school student, Sherman Andrews. At 17 Sherman is accepted into the Missouri Scholars Academy, a summer college program for the academically oriented students in the state. In Sherman’s case, he has a 10 year program to become a reporter and leave behind the stagnant life he has been living with his low-brow, plumber father and his absent mother.
While conducting project research for the program, Sherman encounters photos and news stories from 1935 detailing the murder or disappearance of four men. Sherman quickly realizes he has poked his nose into something people want to keep quiet when he survives a determined assassination attempt.
At this point Sherman has to decide to continue and take the next step in being the reporter he dreams of being, or back out and play it safe. The only people who can help him now are Charlie, the cute, chubby student librarian at the Historical Society, and Denton, the wild-eyed conspiracy theorist, who just happens to currently be confined to a psychiatric hospital.
“I completely fell in love with this book as soon as I looked at the files,” said David Youngquist, President of Dark Continents Publishing. “I knew I wanted this book before I even finished reading it, so I had to jump on it before someone else snapped it up.”
Everyone Dies in the End will be released in 2014 and will be the flagship book of Dark Continents Publishing’s new Young Adult line of novels. It will join Katcher’s previous books published by Delacorte: Playing with Matches , which won the 2010-2011 North Carolina Young Adult Book Award and was listed on the American Library Association’s 2009 list of Best Books for Young Adults as well as Almost Perfect which was the Winner of the 2011 Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award. It was also listed by the American Library Association as one of the Best Books for Young Adults in 2010.
Youngquist and Katcher met in 2011 at Archon, an industry event which encompasses all genres of writing and film near St. Louis, MO. One of DCP’s editors sat in on a panel in which Katcher was the speaker. She then introduced the two after the panel ended. They hit it off, and as they talked, Katcher said he would send in a manuscript during DCP’s open submission period. From this promise, comes a new step for Dark Continents Publishing, and a chance for Katcher fans to get their hands on a great new book by their favorite author.
