Phil Giunta's Blog, page 85
December 25, 2013
Book Review: Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke
Millions of years in the future, only two territories remain on Earth, separated by a vast desert that had once been an ocean. Diaspar, the city into which so many other major metropolises had been absorbed throughout the ages, is populated by a nearly immortal race of humans whose intellectual curiosity and ambition has stultified and been replaced by decadence and fear. For the citizens of Diaspar care not what lies beyond the city's walls. That is, all but Alvin, the first child born in Diaspar in seven thousand years.
Alvin's tutor, the much elder Jeserac, reveals to him the vast history of humanity. Mankind had once reached beyond the stars until they found themselves at war with the Invaders. Swiftly defeated, humans agreed never to leave their home planet again or risk the wrath of the Invaders once more. As such, the people of Diaspar have been content to remain within the confines not only of Earth, but of their city.
Filled with an explorer's spirit, however, Alvin seeks a way out of Diaspar. He travels to the Tower of Loranne which overlooks the vast desert that, supposedly, is all that remains of Earth. There, Alvin finds a mysterious inscription that leads him to inquire with Rorden, the Keeper of Records. Hesitant at first to help Alvin in his quest to leave the city, Rorden nonetheless begins researching the inscription which then leads the pair on an expedition to discover secrets hidden below the surface of Diaspar, including an ancient transportation system and map showing all of the cities of Earth, long ago claimed by the desert. That is, all but one called Lys, the only other surviving territory.
A supersonic rail car still in operation takes Alvin to Lys where he discovers a race of mortal humans with highly developed telepathic abilities living in rural paradise. While there, Alvin meets Theon and his mother Seranis. While they are gracious hosts, Seranis warns Alvin that he has only two options now. Either stay on Lys for the rest of his life, or submit to a memory wipe if he chooses to return to Diaspar. The people of Lys do not wish to risk cultural contamination.
However, Seranis takes pity on Alvin and asks that she be allowed five days to work out another solution with the Council. During that time, Alvin and Theon become fast friends and decide to explore parts of Lys in which no one has set foot in recent memory. Their adventures lead them to unlock even more secrets about Earth's past. Bolstered by new knowledge and resources gained as a result, Alvin escapes Lys and returns to Diaspar where he recruits Rorden on a quest to reunite Lys and Diaspar...a quest which leads to the ultimate truth of humanity's history and paves the way to the future.
While the theme of the story is not entirely original (individual rebels against stagnant society), Clarke presents a well-developed and intellectual journey of the indomitable human spirit. As usual in such tales, our protagonist is aided in his mission by an elder, wiser mentor (Rorden) and a young contemporary (Theon). Albeit, Alvin seems quite independent and recalcitrant at times without any encouragement or assistance.
All told, Against the Fall of Night is reminiscent of a Heinlein juvenile novel. A fun read!
Alvin's tutor, the much elder Jeserac, reveals to him the vast history of humanity. Mankind had once reached beyond the stars until they found themselves at war with the Invaders. Swiftly defeated, humans agreed never to leave their home planet again or risk the wrath of the Invaders once more. As such, the people of Diaspar have been content to remain within the confines not only of Earth, but of their city.
Filled with an explorer's spirit, however, Alvin seeks a way out of Diaspar. He travels to the Tower of Loranne which overlooks the vast desert that, supposedly, is all that remains of Earth. There, Alvin finds a mysterious inscription that leads him to inquire with Rorden, the Keeper of Records. Hesitant at first to help Alvin in his quest to leave the city, Rorden nonetheless begins researching the inscription which then leads the pair on an expedition to discover secrets hidden below the surface of Diaspar, including an ancient transportation system and map showing all of the cities of Earth, long ago claimed by the desert. That is, all but one called Lys, the only other surviving territory.
A supersonic rail car still in operation takes Alvin to Lys where he discovers a race of mortal humans with highly developed telepathic abilities living in rural paradise. While there, Alvin meets Theon and his mother Seranis. While they are gracious hosts, Seranis warns Alvin that he has only two options now. Either stay on Lys for the rest of his life, or submit to a memory wipe if he chooses to return to Diaspar. The people of Lys do not wish to risk cultural contamination.
However, Seranis takes pity on Alvin and asks that she be allowed five days to work out another solution with the Council. During that time, Alvin and Theon become fast friends and decide to explore parts of Lys in which no one has set foot in recent memory. Their adventures lead them to unlock even more secrets about Earth's past. Bolstered by new knowledge and resources gained as a result, Alvin escapes Lys and returns to Diaspar where he recruits Rorden on a quest to reunite Lys and Diaspar...a quest which leads to the ultimate truth of humanity's history and paves the way to the future.
While the theme of the story is not entirely original (individual rebels against stagnant society), Clarke presents a well-developed and intellectual journey of the indomitable human spirit. As usual in such tales, our protagonist is aided in his mission by an elder, wiser mentor (Rorden) and a young contemporary (Theon). Albeit, Alvin seems quite independent and recalcitrant at times without any encouragement or assistance.
All told, Against the Fall of Night is reminiscent of a Heinlein juvenile novel. A fun read!
December 23, 2013
About This Writing Stuff...
Starting off the new year, Joe Konrath announces his predictions for the publishing industry in 2014. Michele Filgate focuses on the writer's propensity for self-loathing and how to address it. Michael Rosenwald examines the rise of the indie bookstore while David Corbett discusses character building through the use of secrets and contradictions. From the Write Practice, we get tips on perfect first lines and first pages. Robyn LaRue reveals key lessons learned from writing novels and offers advice on setting writing goals in the new year.
All that and a little more. Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Publishing a Book Won't Change Your Life (At Least Not The Way You Think) by Jill Di Donato
Literary Self-Loathing: How Jonathan Franzen, Elizabeth Gilbert, and More Keep it at Bay by Michele Filgate
Secrets and Contradictions by David Corbett
Independent Bookstores Turn a New Page on Brick-and-Mortar Retailing by Michael S. Rosenwald
10 Lessons I Learned from My Novels and 7 Tips for Setting Achievable Writing Goals in 2014 by Robyn LaRue
Konrath's Publishing Predictions 2014 by Joe Konrath
7 Keys to Write the Perfect First Line of a Novel by Joe Bunting
How to Write the Perfect First Page by Monica M. Clark
Brain Function 'Boosted for Days After Reading a Novel' by Tomas Jivanda
All that and a little more. Enjoy and Happy New Year!
Publishing a Book Won't Change Your Life (At Least Not The Way You Think) by Jill Di Donato
Literary Self-Loathing: How Jonathan Franzen, Elizabeth Gilbert, and More Keep it at Bay by Michele Filgate
Secrets and Contradictions by David Corbett
Independent Bookstores Turn a New Page on Brick-and-Mortar Retailing by Michael S. Rosenwald
10 Lessons I Learned from My Novels and 7 Tips for Setting Achievable Writing Goals in 2014 by Robyn LaRue
Konrath's Publishing Predictions 2014 by Joe Konrath
7 Keys to Write the Perfect First Line of a Novel by Joe Bunting
How to Write the Perfect First Page by Monica M. Clark
Brain Function 'Boosted for Days After Reading a Novel' by Tomas Jivanda
December 16, 2013
BY YOUR SIDE Continues on Audio with Chapter 16!
For your FREE listening pleasure, we near the climactic final chapters of BY YOUR SIDE!
Chapter Sixteen – A Child for a Child
Possessed by Nancy Vernon, April Meade leads Miranda on a near fatal chase into traffic. Leaving April's broken body, Nancy attacks Robert, then goes after their son, Matt. Colin appears to Miranda and urges her to fight for the boy who would otherwise die alone.
Click here to listen!
Chapter Sixteen – A Child for a Child
Possessed by Nancy Vernon, April Meade leads Miranda on a near fatal chase into traffic. Leaving April's broken body, Nancy attacks Robert, then goes after their son, Matt. Colin appears to Miranda and urges her to fight for the boy who would otherwise die alone.
Click here to listen!
December 8, 2013
BY YOUR SIDE Continues on Audio!
The latest episode of my paranormal thriller, By Your Side, is available now for your FREE listening pleasure!
Chapter Fifteen – Last on the List
Desperate for answers, Denny calls Miranda to Gray’s house to test her psychic-medium abilities. The Vernon girls tip off Miranda as to their mother’s final victim.
Click here to listen!
Chapter Fifteen – Last on the List
Desperate for answers, Denny calls Miranda to Gray’s house to test her psychic-medium abilities. The Vernon girls tip off Miranda as to their mother’s final victim.
Click here to listen!
Book Review: Shifting the Monkey by Todd Whitaker
Indiana State University professor Todd Whitaker takes a humorous and insightful approach to handling slackers in the workplace using the old metaphor of "monkey on the back". Essentially, when poor performing employees force their peers or managers to take up their slack, or provide poor customer service, they are essentially "shifting the monkey" of responsibility off themselves.
Whitaker condenses his message down to three principles:
Where is the monkey?
Where should the monkey be?
How do I shift the monkey to its proper place?
The book details specific examples and tactics that managers can use to deal with bad employees ranging from criers and liars to complainers, from those that always have a ready excuse for their failures to those who are simply apathetic. The workplace is replete with "monkeys" of all types and some, such as Guilt Monkeys, Fear Monkeys, Worry Monkeys, and Punishment Monkeys, are not the best management approaches for dealing with bad employees.
Whitaker's scenarios reach beyond the office environment, however. It extends to service organizations, department stores, restaurants and any business that employs a staff large enough to contain a few miscreants. Shifting the Monkey details methods for putting the responsibility and accountability back where it belongs onto the bad employees, thereby allowing them to either improve their performance or continue on the path to eventual termination.
Poor management decisions and blanket policies intended to address problem customers and employees can also place unnecessary "monkeys on the backs" of valuable customers and solid employees, the results of which could easily inflict even more damage to the company through loss of business and heavy turnover.
While some of the examples cited in the book may seem simplistic, they can be adapted to just about any given business situation and further, into your personal life. How many family members or friends are constant liars, criers, complainers, or slackers? We all know them and Whitaker provides a set of transformative tools for dealing with them.
Whitaker condenses his message down to three principles:
Where is the monkey?
Where should the monkey be?
How do I shift the monkey to its proper place?
The book details specific examples and tactics that managers can use to deal with bad employees ranging from criers and liars to complainers, from those that always have a ready excuse for their failures to those who are simply apathetic. The workplace is replete with "monkeys" of all types and some, such as Guilt Monkeys, Fear Monkeys, Worry Monkeys, and Punishment Monkeys, are not the best management approaches for dealing with bad employees.
Whitaker's scenarios reach beyond the office environment, however. It extends to service organizations, department stores, restaurants and any business that employs a staff large enough to contain a few miscreants. Shifting the Monkey details methods for putting the responsibility and accountability back where it belongs onto the bad employees, thereby allowing them to either improve their performance or continue on the path to eventual termination.
Poor management decisions and blanket policies intended to address problem customers and employees can also place unnecessary "monkeys on the backs" of valuable customers and solid employees, the results of which could easily inflict even more damage to the company through loss of business and heavy turnover.
While some of the examples cited in the book may seem simplistic, they can be adapted to just about any given business situation and further, into your personal life. How many family members or friends are constant liars, criers, complainers, or slackers? We all know them and Whitaker provides a set of transformative tools for dealing with them.
December 3, 2013
About This Writing Stuff...
This week, social scientist Dana Beth Weinberg examines the data from the Digital Book World/Writers Digest 2013 survey to determine the motivations, productivity, and income potential of each major method of publishing (self, hybrid, and tradtional). I found this to be a fascinating study. James Scott Bell sites some of the findings from this survey in his article regarding self-publishing income. Jessica Bennett offers insights about self-publishing from her experience as a book reviewer while Allison Winn Scotch talks about her plunge into DIY publishing.
On the craft side, Donald Maass imparts excellent advice on weaving your characters' backgrounds into the fabric of your story. Jodie Renner goes deep into scenes and if you think you have a book series in you, Ann Greenwood Brown provides sagacious advice on how to proceed. All that, and a little more...enjoy!
Out of Print, Maybe, but Not Out of Mind by David Streitfeld
E-books Can't Burn by Tim Parks
Self-Publishing Debate: A Social Scientist Separates Fact from Fiction Part One , Part Two , Part Three by Dana Beth Weinberg
10 Ways to Add Depth to Your Scenes by Jodie Renner
10 Things I Learned from Evaluating Self-Published Books for a Year by Jessica Bennett
Practical Tips for Writing a Series by Ann Greenwood Brown
The Red Roadmaster by Donald Maass
How Much Money is in the Self-Publishing Game? by James Scott Bell
A Brave New World: Let's Do This by Allison Winn Scotch
The Seven Stages You Pass to Become a Writer by Ani Chibukhchyan
On the craft side, Donald Maass imparts excellent advice on weaving your characters' backgrounds into the fabric of your story. Jodie Renner goes deep into scenes and if you think you have a book series in you, Ann Greenwood Brown provides sagacious advice on how to proceed. All that, and a little more...enjoy!
Out of Print, Maybe, but Not Out of Mind by David Streitfeld
E-books Can't Burn by Tim Parks
Self-Publishing Debate: A Social Scientist Separates Fact from Fiction Part One , Part Two , Part Three by Dana Beth Weinberg
10 Ways to Add Depth to Your Scenes by Jodie Renner
10 Things I Learned from Evaluating Self-Published Books for a Year by Jessica Bennett
Practical Tips for Writing a Series by Ann Greenwood Brown
The Red Roadmaster by Donald Maass
How Much Money is in the Self-Publishing Game? by James Scott Bell
A Brave New World: Let's Do This by Allison Winn Scotch
The Seven Stages You Pass to Become a Writer by Ani Chibukhchyan
December 2, 2013
Chapter 14 of By Your Side available on Audio now!
For your
FREE
listening pleasure, the latest episode of By Your Side! You can purchase the paperback or eBook from
Amazon
,
Barnes and Noble
and many online retailers! Thank you for supporting independent authors and small presses.
Chapter Fourteen – Last Stand
Leland and Elias betray Hagen. Leland and Lori Switzer end up on the same doomed flight and Elias meets a fitting end at the hands of Nancy Vernon.
Click here to listen!
Chapter Fourteen – Last Stand
Leland and Elias betray Hagen. Leland and Lori Switzer end up on the same doomed flight and Elias meets a fitting end at the hands of Nancy Vernon.
Click here to listen!
November 29, 2013
You're Invited to a Dead Man's Party
At the Great Allentown Comic Con earlier this month, I had the pleasure of sharing a table with artist Scott Barnett. Scott and writer Jeff Marsick are the co-creators of the gritty crime comic book series,
Dead Man's Party
. When the world's top hit man is convinced he's dying, he decides to go out the honorable way--by taking out a hit on himself (aka a Dead Man's Party). Unfortunately, things do not go as planned for our world-class assassin and he changes his mind.
But of course, it's too late for that.
Today, we chat with Scott about the origins of the story and what goes into producing an independent comic book.
First, tell us where we can find you online.
I’m always loitering around the Dead Man’s Party Facebook page or our website
www.DeadMansParty.org . You can also find me on my personal FB page or by my Twitter handle, @ScottBarnettArt.
What inspired the idea for Dead Man’s Party and what brought you and Jeff Marsick together for the project?
Jeff (DMP’s co-creator and writer) and I have been friends for many years, and we’d been trying to find something we could work on together for a while. One night a few years back, I’m watching TV and an idea pops into my head: a hitman putting out a contract on himself. I wrote myself a page of notes, with a note to call Jeff about this. The very next day, he e-mails me, bringing up the subject of collaborating again. “Funny you should ask; I have an idea." I outline my concept to him, and I can almost HEAR his jaw drop. Turns out he had a hitman idea floating in the back of his head forever but didn’t know what to do with it. His idea was the competition of the Dead Man’s Party itself, complete with the name. Our ideas intertwined so well, we knew we had our concept right then and there!
For those who’ve never heard of the book (shame on you, by the way), Dead Man’s Party is a crime fiction comic series about a world-class assassin and what happens when he’s forced to arrange a Party, which is a competition amongst a hitman’s peers, giving them thirty days to compete for his scalp and his Swiss bank account (there really is no retirement plan for that career path, after all). The invitations are sent, the killers are coming... and that's when things go horribly wrong. If you’re a fan of the Jason Bourne trilogy, this series is right up your alley.
What advice do you have for those that might be interested in producing an independent comic book?
I don’t want to sound too much like Nike, but JUST DO IT! The opportunity to do your own thing has never been greater. The technology exists to be able to do virtually everything yourself. You can create your book with standard art software like Photoshop and Illustrator, write your scripts with a wide variety of scripting tools, websites have never been easier to create with all the services that supply customizable templates, and of course, social media like Facebook and Twitter are there to get yourself in front of a global audience. You can even print to your individual needs. If you can’t afford (or don’t need) large print runs, there are digital printers who will print exactly whatever small quantities you need.
The trick is balancing two factors- time and money. If you can afford to bring in people to help you with creating the book, promoting it and selling it, that’s awesome. If you can’t, that’s okay, too- it’s just going to take more time. If you’re committing to a self-publishing venture, you’re going to have to put in a LOT of time. That’s just a simple fact. But if you have a passion to tell that story of yours, you gotta go for it.
Can you expand upon that a bit? Where are the primary expenditures (layout, printing, binding)?
We’ve found that there is SO much more that goes into the process of creating an independent series than we realized. Actually creating the content (the writing and the art) is only about half the work. There’s printing, creating (and updating) a website for it, promoting it on social media, making appearances at comic shops and conventions to sell to the public and spread the word, and visiting comic shops to sell product to. As I mentioned before, the tools exist to do as much of this as you’d like, to save money, but it takes more time, and more likely than not, you’re already working a ‘day job’ to make sure the lights stay on at home. But it is doable- I know many people besides Jeff and myself who juggle jobs, their personal lives and their labor of love.
But for the sake of answering the question as stated? Besides creating the actual content, you simply need the services of a digital printer, preferably one that specializes in printing comic books. By that, I don’t mean the printer in your office. I’m talking about a printing service that specializes in small print runs. Off-set printers usually require large print runs (in the thousands) to justify the costs of setting up their presses.
A digital printer, however, doesn’t use printing presses. They print from computer equipment, I believe, which allows them to print whatever quantity you’d like, even one copy at a time, if you so choose. The advantage to this is that you can print based on your demand. If you know you can’t sell 5000 copies and don’t want to keep that much inventory, you can use a digital printer to print you the 150 copies you think you’re going to sell. In dealing with a digital printer, you don’t need to worry about laying out the whole book or how it’s going to get bound. They take care of that- all you need to know is exactly what format your printer requests for your individual page files and the order in which the pages will run. It’s really that simple.
What can readers expect from you next?
Well, Jeff and I are currently working on the fourth, and final, issue of Dead Man’s Party, which should be available during the first quarter of 2014; issues one, two and three are available now. I recently did a cover for M3 , an independent crime series from Vices Press; my cover (issue #10) is a few issues away from publication. Jeff is also currently wrapping up the first mini-series of his other creator-owned series, Z-Girl and The Four Tigers with Kirk Manley (co-creator and artist). And Jeff and I will be sitting down shortly to discuss our plans for a sequel to Dead Man’s Party.
Check out some cover art and a sample from Dead Man's Party...
But of course, it's too late for that.
Today, we chat with Scott about the origins of the story and what goes into producing an independent comic book.
First, tell us where we can find you online.
I’m always loitering around the Dead Man’s Party Facebook page or our website
www.DeadMansParty.org . You can also find me on my personal FB page or by my Twitter handle, @ScottBarnettArt.
What inspired the idea for Dead Man’s Party and what brought you and Jeff Marsick together for the project?
Jeff (DMP’s co-creator and writer) and I have been friends for many years, and we’d been trying to find something we could work on together for a while. One night a few years back, I’m watching TV and an idea pops into my head: a hitman putting out a contract on himself. I wrote myself a page of notes, with a note to call Jeff about this. The very next day, he e-mails me, bringing up the subject of collaborating again. “Funny you should ask; I have an idea." I outline my concept to him, and I can almost HEAR his jaw drop. Turns out he had a hitman idea floating in the back of his head forever but didn’t know what to do with it. His idea was the competition of the Dead Man’s Party itself, complete with the name. Our ideas intertwined so well, we knew we had our concept right then and there!
For those who’ve never heard of the book (shame on you, by the way), Dead Man’s Party is a crime fiction comic series about a world-class assassin and what happens when he’s forced to arrange a Party, which is a competition amongst a hitman’s peers, giving them thirty days to compete for his scalp and his Swiss bank account (there really is no retirement plan for that career path, after all). The invitations are sent, the killers are coming... and that's when things go horribly wrong. If you’re a fan of the Jason Bourne trilogy, this series is right up your alley.
What advice do you have for those that might be interested in producing an independent comic book?
I don’t want to sound too much like Nike, but JUST DO IT! The opportunity to do your own thing has never been greater. The technology exists to be able to do virtually everything yourself. You can create your book with standard art software like Photoshop and Illustrator, write your scripts with a wide variety of scripting tools, websites have never been easier to create with all the services that supply customizable templates, and of course, social media like Facebook and Twitter are there to get yourself in front of a global audience. You can even print to your individual needs. If you can’t afford (or don’t need) large print runs, there are digital printers who will print exactly whatever small quantities you need.
The trick is balancing two factors- time and money. If you can afford to bring in people to help you with creating the book, promoting it and selling it, that’s awesome. If you can’t, that’s okay, too- it’s just going to take more time. If you’re committing to a self-publishing venture, you’re going to have to put in a LOT of time. That’s just a simple fact. But if you have a passion to tell that story of yours, you gotta go for it.
Can you expand upon that a bit? Where are the primary expenditures (layout, printing, binding)?
We’ve found that there is SO much more that goes into the process of creating an independent series than we realized. Actually creating the content (the writing and the art) is only about half the work. There’s printing, creating (and updating) a website for it, promoting it on social media, making appearances at comic shops and conventions to sell to the public and spread the word, and visiting comic shops to sell product to. As I mentioned before, the tools exist to do as much of this as you’d like, to save money, but it takes more time, and more likely than not, you’re already working a ‘day job’ to make sure the lights stay on at home. But it is doable- I know many people besides Jeff and myself who juggle jobs, their personal lives and their labor of love.
But for the sake of answering the question as stated? Besides creating the actual content, you simply need the services of a digital printer, preferably one that specializes in printing comic books. By that, I don’t mean the printer in your office. I’m talking about a printing service that specializes in small print runs. Off-set printers usually require large print runs (in the thousands) to justify the costs of setting up their presses.
A digital printer, however, doesn’t use printing presses. They print from computer equipment, I believe, which allows them to print whatever quantity you’d like, even one copy at a time, if you so choose. The advantage to this is that you can print based on your demand. If you know you can’t sell 5000 copies and don’t want to keep that much inventory, you can use a digital printer to print you the 150 copies you think you’re going to sell. In dealing with a digital printer, you don’t need to worry about laying out the whole book or how it’s going to get bound. They take care of that- all you need to know is exactly what format your printer requests for your individual page files and the order in which the pages will run. It’s really that simple.
What can readers expect from you next?
Well, Jeff and I are currently working on the fourth, and final, issue of Dead Man’s Party, which should be available during the first quarter of 2014; issues one, two and three are available now. I recently did a cover for M3 , an independent crime series from Vices Press; my cover (issue #10) is a few issues away from publication. Jeff is also currently wrapping up the first mini-series of his other creator-owned series, Z-Girl and The Four Tigers with Kirk Manley (co-creator and artist). And Jeff and I will be sitting down shortly to discuss our plans for a sequel to Dead Man’s Party.
Check out some cover art and a sample from Dead Man's Party...
Book Review: Telepower by Lee Hoffman
In a dystopian future, the city of Cleveland is protected by a massive concrete wall surrounding the city. Inside, the residents live a life of tranquil seclusion. Their only contact with the outside world are with the caravans of merchants that occasionally arrive to trade goods.
Just beyond the wall lies the city's garrison, filled with obedient soldiers whose only purpose in life is to protect Cleveland from the hoard of mutant, wild rats living in the fields and ruins of the surrounding area. The rats attack the city at random intervals, seeking to feast on human flesh.
The soldiers are considered by the residents to be little more than insensate, mindless drones They are not permitted inside the city's walls or even to communicate with the civilian population. Further, any soldier who displays self-awareness or questions the rules is viewed as potentially insane, a crime punishable by incineration.
Thus, when Beldone begins to dream about the attacking rats, he fears for his own life. Even more so when he realizes the very emotion of fear, which leads him to question the world around him. Surely, this is madness! Soldiers question nothing, they fear nothing. They simply obey. Beldone keeps his newfound concerns to himself, else risk incineration.
Little does Beldone know that one disgruntled resident inside Cleveland's walls has finally decided to act on her telepathic ability. Bored with her life of isolation, Illyna has watched the soldiers defeat the rats time and again. She has joined her fellow citizens on the parapets of the walls to sing the traditional song to the fallen rats after every battle. Quite honestly, she would like to see the rats win for a change.
It is not long before she realizes her telepathy allows her to control the soldiers…and the rats. She focuses her power on Beldone, turning the living automaton into a sentient man, willing him to help her escape, even if that means breaching the city's wall and murdering a civilian. After her successful departure from Cleveland, Illyna joins the rats, living among them almost as their queen. She gathers thousands of them to mount a massive offense against the city.
Meanwhile, Beldone is sentenced to death by incineration for his depraved acts. Held in a cage overnight, Beldone manages to escape captivity by convincing the guard to set him free. Somehow, his interaction with Illyna has awakened his own latent telepathic powers. Now, Beldone must hunt her down and determine a way to stop her attack.
Lee Hoffman skillfully constructs Beldone's character arc and his adjustment to new and strange experiences. However, I'm still not entirely clear why Beldone suddenly gained telepathic powers of his own, other than his exposure to Illyna. It is not clearly explained. Overall, however, Telepower is a fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable dystopian novella.
This printing of Telepower was part of a Belmont double book, packaged with Harlan Ellison's Doomsman. Click here to read my review of Doomsman .
Just beyond the wall lies the city's garrison, filled with obedient soldiers whose only purpose in life is to protect Cleveland from the hoard of mutant, wild rats living in the fields and ruins of the surrounding area. The rats attack the city at random intervals, seeking to feast on human flesh.
The soldiers are considered by the residents to be little more than insensate, mindless drones They are not permitted inside the city's walls or even to communicate with the civilian population. Further, any soldier who displays self-awareness or questions the rules is viewed as potentially insane, a crime punishable by incineration.
Thus, when Beldone begins to dream about the attacking rats, he fears for his own life. Even more so when he realizes the very emotion of fear, which leads him to question the world around him. Surely, this is madness! Soldiers question nothing, they fear nothing. They simply obey. Beldone keeps his newfound concerns to himself, else risk incineration.
Little does Beldone know that one disgruntled resident inside Cleveland's walls has finally decided to act on her telepathic ability. Bored with her life of isolation, Illyna has watched the soldiers defeat the rats time and again. She has joined her fellow citizens on the parapets of the walls to sing the traditional song to the fallen rats after every battle. Quite honestly, she would like to see the rats win for a change.
It is not long before she realizes her telepathy allows her to control the soldiers…and the rats. She focuses her power on Beldone, turning the living automaton into a sentient man, willing him to help her escape, even if that means breaching the city's wall and murdering a civilian. After her successful departure from Cleveland, Illyna joins the rats, living among them almost as their queen. She gathers thousands of them to mount a massive offense against the city.
Meanwhile, Beldone is sentenced to death by incineration for his depraved acts. Held in a cage overnight, Beldone manages to escape captivity by convincing the guard to set him free. Somehow, his interaction with Illyna has awakened his own latent telepathic powers. Now, Beldone must hunt her down and determine a way to stop her attack.
Lee Hoffman skillfully constructs Beldone's character arc and his adjustment to new and strange experiences. However, I'm still not entirely clear why Beldone suddenly gained telepathic powers of his own, other than his exposure to Illyna. It is not clearly explained. Overall, however, Telepower is a fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable dystopian novella.
This printing of Telepower was part of a Belmont double book, packaged with Harlan Ellison's Doomsman. Click here to read my review of Doomsman .
November 26, 2013
About This Writing Stuff...
This week, Kathryn Lilley reminds writers to remind readers about that character that hasn't appeared in the last six chapters. Claire Langley-Hawthorne offers tips for grabbing your reader from the start. Rob Eagar mines the gold in the "digital middle" while James Scott Bell recalls his inspiration to become a writer. Jane Friedman offers insight into effective author bios. Kristine Kathryn Rusch takes a deep dive into discoverability.
All that and bit more…enjoy!
Making Millions in the Digital Middle by Rob Eagar
Author Draws On Personal Struggles to Tackle Dark Issues in Fiction by Erin Wiltgen (via Kathryn Craft)
Nicholson Baker's Best Advice: Writers Must Write Every Day by Daniel D'Addario (via Allyn Gibson)
Death and the Self-Pubbed Writer by Joe Konrath
Readers Aren't Elephants by Kathryn Lilley
Crafting an Effective Opening by Claire Langley-Hawthorne
Death to the Midlist, Long Live the Ownlist and The Day I Decided to Become a Writer by James Scott Bell
Pay Proper Attention to Your Bio by Jane Friedman
While You Were Sleeping-The Difference Between Narrative and Internal Monologue by Lisa Hall-Wilson via Kristen Lamb
Advertising, Print Editions, and Traditional Publishing (Discoverability Part One) and The Helpful Reader (Discoverability Part Two) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
All that and bit more…enjoy!
Making Millions in the Digital Middle by Rob Eagar
Author Draws On Personal Struggles to Tackle Dark Issues in Fiction by Erin Wiltgen (via Kathryn Craft)
Nicholson Baker's Best Advice: Writers Must Write Every Day by Daniel D'Addario (via Allyn Gibson)
Death and the Self-Pubbed Writer by Joe Konrath
Readers Aren't Elephants by Kathryn Lilley
Crafting an Effective Opening by Claire Langley-Hawthorne
Death to the Midlist, Long Live the Ownlist and The Day I Decided to Become a Writer by James Scott Bell
Pay Proper Attention to Your Bio by Jane Friedman
While You Were Sleeping-The Difference Between Narrative and Internal Monologue by Lisa Hall-Wilson via Kristen Lamb
Advertising, Print Editions, and Traditional Publishing (Discoverability Part One) and The Helpful Reader (Discoverability Part Two) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
