Stuart Aken's Blog, page 226

#BookADayUK; A Reader Event For October.

Books Are My Bag.com are running a campaign to celebrate bookshops. What author could resist getting involved, in whatever way he might? The event is a collaboration between publishers, bookshops and authors and is the biggest ever promotion for bookshops. All readers love bookshops, of course, but do they promote their local store, assuming they have one? Well, this is your chance to do just that.

The idea behind this campaign is to keep those precious havens of learning, entertainment and fun on the go. If we, the readers and writers, don’t do something to keep these stalwarts of literature afloat, who else will?
So, reader or writer, get into town and take a picture of yourself outside your favourite book buying place on 11th October, and then post it to Twitter, using the #bookadayuk. And follow @booksaremybag.
For a little more fun, you can always get involved with the suggested events for the whole month. I intend to. See the picture above for details.
Today, we nominate a book to curl up in front of the fire with. The idea is you give the title and author and attach the #bookadayuk with a tweet to your friends. You can use other social networks as well. This way, we’ll get loads more people interested in books and reading. Game?
So, a book to curl up with in front of the fire? I’ll avoid the obvious temptation to promote my own work; hardly in the spirit of the event.

Curl up in front of the fire with Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes, a tale of love, loss and betrayal. #bookadayukRelated articles October is #BookADayUK - Enjoy! Join Us - Do You Own A Bookshop? #bookaday 2014: week 1 #Bookaday, volume the third

Epitaphs, by Anthological Poets, Reviewed.

As just one of the seventy-two poets featured in this remarkable volume, I clearly have to declare my interest. Amongst those bards you’ll find university professors, a prince, engineers, social workers, technicians, scientists, teachers and a good number of professional writers and poets. Many of the contributors have won awards for their writing and a most have published in many different forms. They hail from lands as diverse as India, Africa, USA, Canada and the UK. So, this international collection is far from being unrepresentative. I’m honoured to have been invited to contribute.
There are epitaphs here to make you smile, laugh, sigh and cry. The different styles range from the thoughtful to the exotic, the simple to the complex and profound. Suffice it to say that there is something here for everyone.
The fact of death is inescapable, of course. But here we have words to celebrate, express gratitude, proclaim greatness, explain lives unknown and sorrow for those who have left us behind. You may find solace, fellow-feeling, humour and respect amongst the different expressions of grief, loss and love.

Lovers of poetry will find much here to admire and enjoy. For those who are strangers to poetry, this is a gentle introduction to many different poets expressing human feelings in distinct ways. I recommend it unreservedly.
You can by the paperback by clicking this link.Related articles Epitaph of the Day 7 My Epitaph. Epitaph for The Reader

Ruled by Intellect or Emotion? Tips on Word Choice #4

English: No skinny-dipping Unusual warning sign provided by the East Riding County Council at Auburn Sands near Fraisthorpe, south of Bridlington. Naturist groups have voiced their disapproval at the sign which seems to equate naturism with indecency, and also claim that this stretch of beach on the North Sea coast has long been recognized as a naturist resort. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Certain words/phrases can induce fairly specific responses in readers. As writers, we all know this, but do we use the power of emotion in our work?
For the next few weeks, I’ll be looking at something subjective: how to choose between emotional and intellectual words for effect.
In this series I’m looking at the difference between words that seem intellectual as opposed to those that invoke a more emotional response. How you use them is obviously up to you. The point is that the alternatives have the same, or very similar, meanings, but their effect upon the reader can be markedly different. I’ve made some suggestions here, but I’m sure you can think of others.
Intellectual: AidEmotional: Help
‘I am seeking aid for my project on the increasing instances of injustice in Western Democracies.’
‘I could do with a bit of help over here shifting this rubbish.’
Intellectual: GratificationEmotional: Enjoyment
‘There is a great sense of gratification to be had from performing one’s duty to the high standards one expects of others.’
‘Shirley had great enjoyment skinny-dipping on the secluded tropical island.’
Intellectual: TerminateEmotional: End
‘Due to the nature of your request for a fair salary in exchange for your labours, we are obliged to terminate your employment with immediate effect.’

‘All I did was ask for a decent wage and the buggers brought my job to an end!’Related articles Joe Biden, just a regular guy who goes skinny dipping Shirley Valentine (1989) Now the gloves (and everything else) are off as naturists are criminalised Woman goes skinny dipping at police station Naked swimmers attempt to break skinny dipping record in 13°C sea

Star Maker, by Olaf Stapledon, Reviewed.

Is this the precursor of much of today’s science fiction? The themes, ideas, stories he covers in this long work are multitude. I’ve read developments of these ideas in so many other works. First published in 1937, it is definitely a work of its time. The style, a narrative without dialogue, is dated and I suspect many new readers would find it difficult. But it is well worth the effort of reading the whole work.
The voyage, unexplained in terms of the ‘how?’, is more concerned with the ‘why?’ and deals with this question very well. Multiple imagined worlds are brought alive on the page, alien life is explored and many diverse creatures described.
The author examines the big themes: war, man’s self-destructive nature, religion, relationships, the natural world, and many more. He looks at potential mental development and attempts to get inside the minds of creatures with greater experience, higher intelligence, different moral stances than our own. There is an undercurrent of analogy to the world in which the book was written; a reflection of the concerns and worries engendered by the burgeoning aggression that would ultimately be World War II.
This is a massive work of intellect and imagination. Yes, there are limitations on the science posed by the lack of knowledge at the time of its writing, but there are also surprising references to ideas we still hold dear.
Those who enjoy science fiction for its ability to examine serious themes, to go beyond the guns and rockets and lasers of the gamers and star warriors, will find a lot to enjoy within these pages. Those who thrive on battling superships and military space academicians will be less excited. But this is a work that may well have been seminal for writers who followed. Within its pages are the seeds of many later stories by other writers, and I wonder how many of those seeds began to grow in the fertile brains of developing talent as they read this book.

I enjoyed it and happily recommend it to those who enjoy science fiction with something to say beyond the obvious.Related articles Back In 1937, People Worried That Science Fiction Was Going Downhill #justimagine Author Stuart Aken on Fusion, alien gastronomy and other delights 2013-2063: trekking through the next 50 years

Writing and Running for ME/CFS

After the first run.Generally, I cover writing topics on this blog. But some things in the life of this author are only indirectly associated with writing, and the following is one of these.
For 10 years, from November 2002, when I caught an odd viral infection, I suffered from ME/CFS until just after I retired from employment in April 2013. Leaving work, an environment I found stressful for reasons I’ll discuss later, relieved me of the pressures that were most responsible for the continuation of the condition. I feel I’m now fully recovered (or as recovered as possible).
I’m not going into details here, merely announcing my intention to write an account of my period with ME/CFS in book form. I want to share empathy with and hope for those still suffering the condition, and provide help and personal insights for those involved with sufferers. I’ll donate 50% of the proceeds of the book to the charity that helped me from the beginning. Action for ME was there with advice and information right from the start and I want to support this organisation. I chose the charity as the recipient of 10% of revenue generated by my books published by Fantastic Books Publishing. It’s part of the contract with this company that this amount is donated to a charity of the author’s choice, you see.
As a result of the improvement in health, I’ve decided to regain fitness after so many unavoidably sedentary years. I’ve started training for a half marathon. At present, I can’t say which one this will be, as I’m not yet able to register for it, but I’ve registered an interest and await the announcement of the date on which entries can be made. For that run, I also intend to collect money for Action for ME.
The purpose of this post is to let my readers know my intentions. In future, I’ll make weekly reports of my training progress. As a 66 year old who last ran a half marathon in the early 1980s, that time to raise funds for a local hospice in Colchester, I’ve a good deal of catching up to do.
I began training 3 weeks ago, using a programme suggested by the Great Run website. Today, I performed my first real run. It was only for 5 minutes, followed by 2 minutes walking and then 4 sessions each of 1 minute running and 1 minute walking, but it was the first time I’ve spent that amount of time actually running without a pause for many years. I felt that if I could manage this challenge, then I’ve a good chance of completing the first stage of training, which aims to get me running for 20 minutes by the end of the 8 week period.
So, watch this space. Maybe join me in the effort, if you feel so inclined. Some time in the future, I’ll place a link here to enable people to sponsor me for the actual run. But that won’t come until I’m actually registered for a specific half marathon, which may be some months hence.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I want to ensure that regular readers understand why I’ve decided to do this and why I’m placing the record on this blog. I’ve made a start on the training, and I’ve also made a start on the book, by obtaining copies of my medical records for the period concerned – interesting reading! As my publisher, Dan Grubb of Fantastic Books Publishing, would say, ‘Onward!’Related articles What Motivates Runners?

The Proof of the Pudding...

For months, I’ve been keeping daily records of my time usage, entering the start and stop times of each task as I undertake it.  At the end of each month, I add up the times for each type of work and produce a pie chart showing the percentages spent on each. It’s been a singularly informative and productive process.
For July through September, I failed to do this for all sorts of reasons (read ‘excuses’). The result?
Well, I’ve done a lot less actual writing. I’ve probably spent a great deal more time on social networks and other ancillary stuff and a number of domestic and personal issues have eaten up my time. But I come back to the bottom line: I’m a writer, and I’ve done a lot less writing during the period I’ve neglected my time record. So, from October, I will reinstate it.
Why am I telling you this? Most writers suffer from the plague of procrastination. We find all sorts of reasons why we shouldn’t be writing, some of them actually legitimate. Most of the things that stop us writing, however, are inessential. It’s an oddity of the craft that many of us do this, even though most of us actually enjoy the creative process of writing.
And the reason we avoid spending time in creating written works? It’s tiring, demanding, hard. And most of us are lazy. Yes, I hear you: ‘Speak for yourself!’, but I’m addressing those writers who allow procrastination to rule their lives.
Have a real, honest, look at what you spend your time doing and then ask yourself: ‘What do I want to do? What’s most important to me?’ If it isn’t writing, then you might just be in the wrong job.
Related articles Pre-Defined Procrastination #justimagine Author Stuart Aken on Fusion, alien gastronomy and other delights 7 Ways To Stop Procrastinating Right After This Zemanta Power User - Stuart Aken

Ruled by Intellect or Emotion? Tips on Word Choice #3

English: Robert Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Certain words/phrases can induce fairly specific responses in readers. As writers, we all know this, but do we use the power of emotion in our work?
I set out here to suggest a few alternatives some weeks ago. Since then, several barriers have prevented me making regular posts. However, I’m now able to resume, so here goes.
In this series I’ll look at the difference between those words that seem intellectual as opposed to those that invoke a more emotional response. How you use them is obviously up to you. The point is that the alternatives have the same, or very similar, meanings, but their effect upon the reader can be markedly different. I’ve made some suggestions here, but I’m sure you can think of others.
Intellectual: AdditionallyEmotional: there’s more
Cameron gave several reasons for the loathing he experienced from the Scots; additionally, he included the north of England in his pretence to give a damn about the welfare of the people.
Gordon listed the things he most liked about Sarah. He paused when he saw she was less than enthusiastic. ‘And, there’s more.’ He said, adding those qualities he hoped she might treasure.
Intellectual: ConcerningEmotional: About
‘I have to give a talk to my fellow politicians concerning their inability to understand the concept of honesty.’ Said the MP.
‘I’ve got to talk to those prats in Parliament about their total lack of honesty.’ Said the trade union leader.
Intellectual: PerspirationEmotional: Sweat
There is, in the perspiration of extended effort, the joy of experiencing the reward for hard work.

‘Good, honest sweat never hurt me, mate.’

A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Reviewed.

English: Cover art by Frank E. Schoonover from A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, McClurg, 1917. Uploaded by User:BPK2. Español: John Carter y Dejah Thoris en la cubierta de la primera edición de Una Princesa de Marte por Edgar Rice Burroughs. Illustrador: Frank E. Schoonover. Bajada por User:BPK2. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)This classic, which I mistakenly thought I’d read in my youth, came up amongst some free books on my iPad. Once I started to explore, to see whether I had, in fact, read it, I was hooked.
The story is typical of the author, of course, and the style is dated, as you’d expect. But there is a quality to the writing that keeps the reader engaged. Full of what modern readers would perceive as politically incorrect attitudes, bursting with out-dated ideas about the Red Planet, it may be, but the story moves at a pace, with plenty of action to keep the reader interested.
There’s a good deal of imagination displayed in the solutions to various envisaged problems of living on a dying planet. And the wonderful exaggeration of an Earthman’s prowess on a planet with lower gravity is entertaining rather than irritating.
Written almost entirely as narrative, telling rather than showing and therefore breaking umpteen ‘writing’ rules, this story relies on its powerful plot and strong characters for its success. It may well be dated, but it still entertains. And I love the way the author refuses to be deflected from his tale by the sheer incredibility of his hero’s passage from Earth to Mars and back again. No explanation is given for this remarkable feat, and it’s simple acceptance as an inexplicable happening fits well with the story.
There are some wonderful examples of mixed moral stances, with all sexual references dealt with indirectly and under the covers. The violence and war, however, is accepted as perfectly normal. A reflection, perhaps, of the times and the land in which the author lived at the point of writing? Have things changed very much, I wonder.

I enjoyed this piece of old science fiction and recommend it to those who have grown up with the genre over many years. Younger readers might find the nature of the telling and the idiosyncrasies of the story a little too difficult to take, however.Related articles Romancing the Fantasy - Stuart Aken

Coming Closer, the New Book in the Series!

A copy of my publisher's latest enewspaper, with some more news about Partings, and other things of interest. Enjoy



Congratulations to our Short SF Competition cash winners, Stuart Aken’s 2nd is here and exciting Kickstarter news!


This week we are celebrating the closing of the Fantastic Books Short Science Fiction Competition 2014. The cash winners have been notified and the editorial process has begun!After many months, our judges have finally finished battling with the longlist and have awarded the following people the 5 cash prizes;First prize: Dying Star by Marko Susimetsa
Second Prize: Steampunk Striker by Pierre Le Gue
Third prize: If We Start Killing by Ulla Susimetsa
Fourth Prize: Three Second War by Darren Grey
Fifth Prize: The Moon a Balloon by Rose ThurlbeckThe judging is done completely anonymously and it came as a very nice surprise to see no less than 4 Fantastic Elite Fiction authors in the top 5!Our heartiest congratulations to everyone who made it to the longlist and we really must stress how impressed we were with the high quality of all the entries. It was a very hard job to decide who was in the anthology and who didn’t make it. Well done to everyone who entered, you are all Fantastic.We have now opened our next competition. It is a horror story competition asking for stories of EXACTLY 666 words. It is a tough challenge but after seeing the quality of the entries for our competitions over the last two years, we know you can do it. We look forward to you scaring the pants off us!Now, to other news. Stuart Aken has released the second novel in his ‘A Seared Sky‘ series. Partings continues from where Joinings left off and has a shiny new cover to ensure the final trilogy looks amazing. Our cover designer Heather Murphy has done a wonderful job integrating Stuart’s hand drawn maps into the cover and we couldn’t be more pleased.Stuart’s books are available from ourFantastic Bookstore and also on Amazon.And now to our next exciting project. Although lots of our own Kickstarter gifts are still to be sent out (the boxed sets are in production, the special edition boxed sets won’t begin production until October and the audio books will be ready by December at the earliest), there are still lots of folks who would love to see another Fantastic Books Kickstarter based in the universe of Elite: Dangerous.Thanks to our friend Anthony Olver, who runs the Elite Archives, we are very proud to announce that a brand new Kickstarter will be launching on the 20th September to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the original Elite computer game!The Elite Archives Kickstarter will use your pledges to fund the creation of a beautiful hardback book detailing the 30 year journey this game has taken including interviews, artwork, game tips and tricks, reviews, archive pictures and lots more. Anthony’s passion for the game shines through in everything he does and he has decided that the world needs to know about this amazing game and share his collection that he has painstakingly built up over the years.This will be the first ever book detailing the history, lore, releases and more of this seminal space trading computer game. As massive fans ourselves, we felt very privileged to be approached by Anthony to publish this book and we are prepared to throw everything we have at making this Kickstarter a success. With us on board as publisher the book will benefit from professional editing, proofing, typesetting and cover design as well as joining the other 5 official Elite titles in our bookstore and on Amazon and other retailers.The project goes live on the 20th September and will run for only 48 days. With the help of the Elite Community, Science Fiction fans, Gamers and Collectors alike we hope to push this project over the line quickly and have already formulated some great ideas for stretch goals. And for those of you who still remember our own Kickstarter project, Commander Dan has promised to make an appearance on video too!So when the project goes live in two days time, look out for ‘The Elite Archives Book: A 30 Year History of Elite’ on Kickstarter and make sure you spread the word by liking and sharing all our posts about it. Thanks!By working together on projects that people are genuinely passionate about we can create anything. Just imagine.Come join the family, you’re welcome!Just imagine,The Fantastic Books TeamRelated articles After FantastiCon 2014, What Next? Elite:Dangerous Tales from the Frontier by 15 authors

Apologies for Absence, And a 5 Star Review!

Regular readers will be aware I've been a bit spasmodic with my posts recently. There are reasons.
Mostly domestic.
My wife's beloved sister died recently. I'm undergoing some minor, but disruptive, medical treatment, my daughter has returned from a lengthy spell of adventure overseas and is now seeking work here, our house is up for sale and attracting viewers, my brother is scheduled for heart surgery, and I'm attempting to end a 10 year spell of relative physical inactivity by making myself fit again (amazing how you discover muscles you never knew were there!).

So, things have been a little disconnected here for a while and will probably remain so for a while longer! Nevertheless, I've kept up with many of the things that keep contact with the wider world, and even done a bit of writing. For the future, I shall attempt to make my posts here a little more regular once more.

In the meantime, here's a 5 Star review of 'Joinings', that I came across by accident whilst searching on Amazon. I thought I'd share it because it's from a complete stranger who has clearly enjoyed the work.

5 stars ONE OF THE BEST FANTASY NOVELS IN A LONG TIME!, April 20, 2014By  Online Book Reviews "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies... The man who never reads lives only one | George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons" This review is from: A Seared Sky - Joinings (Paperback)
Joinings by Stuart Aken is the opening book in the projected A Seared Sky trilogy. This science fiction, romance, action and fantasy-adventure novel of epic proportions spanning over 800 pages will delight lovers of the genres as this is one in which they can afford to really bury their heads in. It is also a testimony of the creativity of this British author who through this book loudly proclaimed that he has much to write and share. The beautiful prose, delectable style of writing and the sharpness of the story is enough to keep one absorbed to the last page.

But what really is inside this tome of a novel? To put it simply, it is the story of Tumalind and her betrothed, Okkyntalah, and the precarious situation in which Tumalind lands when she is deceitfully chosen as a Virgin Gift instead of another with important connections. In a world ravaged by superstitious beliefs, fanaticism and hierarchal corruption of the highest order, nothing ever really stands the test of the ordinary, and nothing is what it seems. Dagla Kaz is no ordinary leader either. As the high priest, he is feared and adored, and he is determined to exchange the virgin gifts before the scorched skies returned to normal.

Stuart Aken crafted an extraordinary story populated by extraordinary characters. Aklon, a renegade and the son of Dagla Kaz, is one fascinating character who readers will root for as he walks the path of redemption. Aglydron, the father of Tumalind, is on the most important mission of his life. Aken beautifully spins a tale that is both complex and riveting, as stunning as the world the characters inhabited.

Will you be stiff bored by this mammoth novel? If you are seeking my advice, here’s my answer: Anyone on the lookout for a mesmerizing read will really enjoy this tome. Though set in a fantasy world, Aken created relatable characters with relatable teething troubles which most readers will be able to identify with.

It is a story driven by false prophecy, recklessness and the desire to right a wrong. Joinings: A Seared Sky by Stuart Aken is one of the most enjoyable fantasy novels that I have read in a long, long time. It is incredibly intriguing, gratifying, gripping and spellbinding.
###
There are buying links here on the blog, but, for your convenience, one click here will take you to your local Amazon page. And a click here will take you to the publisher's store, where UK readers can obtain the print book post free, and may even get a signed copy, if there are any of those left!Related articles Launching a Novel: How it *should* be done! Romancing the Fantasy - Stuart Aken After FantastiCon 2014, What Next? A Seared Sky: Partings. Launch of Book 2 of the Trilogy