Matthew Ledrew's Blog, page 55

Flight or Fight by Scott Bartlett | Other Indie

Written by Sam Bauer, special to Other Indie.

[image error][image error]The end of our world fascinates us. From Ragnarok, the end of the world in Norse mythology, to the groundbreaking 1984 by George Orwell, to the more modern Hunger Games and Maze Runner, not to mention countless disaster movies, TV shows and video games. It is enough to make one sick of dystopia, groan at zombies, and run screaming from a nuclear or biological holocaust. (Though I must admit, I do the last one on basic principle.) Indeed, it is rare for me to find a dystopic or apocalyptic novel that I enjoy.

But, as the more astute of you have already guessed, I have found a rarity. Its name is Flight or Fight, a 2016 cyberpunk satire written by Scott Bartlett and published by Mirth Publishing.

Taking place in the Schrodinger-awful city of Dodge, a governmentless, anarchic place where everything is run by private corporations, everybody hates their job, and everybody works to get on a plane to the “New World”, a place of peace and plenty. Early in the novel, the main character, Carl Intoever, is told he is the messiah of the only religion -that being Probabilism- and as such, is labelled “Schrodinger reborn.” The novel then chronicles his change from being desperate to “get out of Dodge” so he may fulfill his destiny in the new world to that of taking on the corrupt establishment of Dodge at great personal risk.

What I focused on in the novel was the handling of the economy. Now, I know that economic arguments are often seen as boring, but I would argue that the whole premise of the novel is based in economics. The city of Dodge is without any government, instead it is run by corporations. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is free. You buy load times for your sites through “Net-Neutrality” subscriptions. Your activity is monitored through social media and a video recording of your life, called your “LifeLog”, resulting in other corporations buying that info to jack up prices for important meals, taxi rides, and probably anything, based on how much they can extort from you. It is almost comical, a caricature of the ideas of Libertarianism, Laissez-Faire Capitalism, and the current interference of large corporations in government.

Touted often by the characters in the novel is the idea of the Free Market. Xavier Ofvalour, the person with the highest “LifeRank” -basically a leaderboard for life, with certain actions increasing your score and certain actions decreasing it- is known as the “Hand of the Market”. But, as certain characters make evidently clear, the market is not really free. It is controlled by monopolies, with a social system that punishes innovation by removing credit from the innovator and giving it to the one in power. It is stagnant, with the populace being fed the lie that “innovation is not needed, as technology has met the needs of the people completely.” Despite this being absolutely false, even in the context of the novel, the sentiment is, in a way, right if even only for the world of the novel.

Without spoiling anything, the state of affairs in Dodge can be thought of as the endstate of laissez-faire capitalism. Without an effective government, companies would grow larger and larger, eventually get to the point where they have no competitors, and the need to innovate is gone. Companies would take over the normal role of government. Innovation would stifle, and quality of life would decrease. Human rights would begin to crumble, and a despotic government of the rich would rule. Exactly as it does in Fight or Flight. But enough of my rambling about how I adore this dystopic view of laissez-faire capitalism, how is the novel as a novel?

The thought with which Scott Bartlett tackles this philosophical dystopia is both the strongest and weakest point of the novel. A big plus to Fight or Flight is the use of topical terms. The idea of having a “net neutrality subscription” brings memories of the constant stream of videos and posts about the near abolishment of the real world’s net neutrality laws, and pulls me deeper into seeing if this world is possible from our own. Another large plus is the lack of privacy and how pervasive it is. Nothing is really secret. People can see your life from your eyes, with the right to shut off that service limited to corporate employees given that right and preachers. That lack of privacy combined with the pervasiveness of technology is sinisterly similar to our world in the same way as 1984. The monetization of everything, as well as the bureaucratic opaqueness with hints of Catch-22, adds to the other strong points and creates a potent and slightly unsettling world, as any good satire should.

Matthew LeDrew, founder of Engen Books, loves taking the Freudian method of dream analysis and applying it to literature. Quick/Dirty rundown: you take the part of the book that bothered you the most, then spin the analysis so that that is what the book is about. At least, what it’s about for you.

What bothered me about Flight or Fight comes from same place as the highest points, the world. From early on, the only religion is Probabilism. This is where Carl’s title of “Schrodinger Reborn” is from. But, save for this crucial role, the religion is mentioned in passing, with someone being “A devout Probibalist” and the use of “prayer dice.” But there is nothing more made of it. Carl goes to a sermon at one point, reminds the reader that he is “Schrodinger Reborn” on occasion, but the church remains ever unexplored. It carries the sinister corporate pseudo-slogan of it being “the only religion left because all others were outcompeted” and at points seems to act as a way to influence the populace, but nothing is really made of it.

Flight or Fight (The Out of Dodge Trilogy Book 1)[image error] by Scott Bartlett is available in print and electronic formats. I thoroughly enjoyed this take on laissez-faire capitalism taken to the extreme, and Scott Bartlett has earned his place on my shelf beside the likes of George Orwell and Joseph Heller. I recommend it to everyone, and look forwards to reading more from Scott Bartlett.

‘Other Indie’ is a recurring series of articles on Engen Books in which authors highlight the best in independent publishing, in the hopes of helping readers break through the cluster of books they may not be sure about in an age when anyone can publish via digital formats. Engen Books is an independent small-press publishing company based in St. John’s Newfoundland and is proud to highlight the talent of independent authors not our own. Flight or Fight is © 2016 Scott Bartlett. This review is © 2016 Sam Bauer.  ‘Other Indie’ banner photo credit: Steve Lake.

Fight or Flight by Scott Barlett | Other Indie

Written by Sam Bauer, special to Other Indie.

[image error][image error]The end of our world fascinates us. From Ragnarok, the end of the world in Norse mythology, to the groundbreaking 1984 by George Orwell, to the more modern Hunger Games and Maze Runner, not to mention countless disaster movies, TV shows and video games. It is enough to make one sick of dystopia, groan at zombies, and run screaming from a nuclear or biological holocaust. (Though I must admit, I do the last one on basic principle.) Indeed, it is rare for me to find a dystopic or apocalyptic novel that I enjoy.

But, as the more astute of you have already guessed, I have found a rarity. Its name is Flight or Fight, a 2016 cyberpunk satire written by Scott Bartlett and published by Mirth Publishing.

Taking place in the Schrodinger-awful city of Dodge, a governmentless, anarchic place where everything is run by private corporations, everybody hates their job, and everybody works to get on a plane to the “New World”, a place of peace and plenty. Early in the novel, the main character, Carl Intoever, is told he is the messiah of the only religion -that being Probabilism- and as such, is labelled “Schrodinger reborn.” The novel then chronicles his change from being desperate to “get out of Dodge” so he may fulfill his destiny in the new world to that of taking on the corrupt establishment of Dodge at great personal risk.

What I focused on in the novel was the handling of the economy. Now, I know that economic arguments are often seen as boring, but I would argue that the whole premise of the novel is based in economics. The city of Dodge is without any government, instead it is run by corporations. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is free. You buy load times for your sites through “Net-Neutrality” subscriptions. Your activity is monitored through social media and a video recording of your life, called your “LifeLog”, resulting in other corporations buying that info to jack up prices for important meals, taxi rides, and probably anything, based on how much they can extort from you. It is almost comical, a caricature of the ideas of Libertarianism, Laissez-Faire Capitalism, and the current interference of large corporations in government.

Touted often by the characters in the novel is the idea of the Free Market. Xavier Ofvalour, the person with the highest “LifeRank” -basically a leaderboard for life, with certain actions increasing your score and certain actions decreasing it- is known as the “Hand of the Market”. But, as certain characters make evidently clear, the market is not really free. It is controlled by monopolies, with a social system that punishes innovation by removing credit from the innovator and giving it to the one in power. It is stagnant, with the populace being fed the lie that “innovation is not needed, as technology has met the needs of the people completely.” Despite this being absolutely false, even in the context of the novel, the sentiment is, in a way, right if even only for the world of the novel.

Without spoiling anything, the state of affairs in Dodge can be thought of as the endstate of laissez-faire capitalism. Without an effective government, companies would grow larger and larger, eventually get to the point where they have no competitors, and the need to innovate is gone. Companies would take over the normal role of government. Innovation would stifle, and quality of life would decrease. Human rights would begin to crumble, and a despotic government of the rich would rule. Exactly as it does in Fight or Flight. But enough of my rambling about how I adore this dystopic view of laissez-faire capitalism, how is the novel as a novel?

The thought with which Scott Bartlett tackles this philosophical dystopia is both the strongest and weakest point of the novel. A big plus to Fight or Flight is the use of topical terms. The idea of having a “net neutrality subscription” brings memories of the constant stream of videos and posts about the near abolishment of the real world’s net neutrality laws, and pulls me deeper into seeing if this world is possible from our own. Another large plus is the lack of privacy and how pervasive it is. Nothing is really secret. People can see your life from your eyes, with the right to shut off that service limited to corporate employees given that right and preachers. That lack of privacy combined with the pervasiveness of technology is sinisterly similar to our world in the same way as 1984. The monetization of everything, as well as the bureaucratic opaqueness with hints of Catch-22, adds to the other strong points and creates a potent and slightly unsettling world, as any good satire should.

Matthew LeDrew, founder of Engen Books, loves taking the Freudian method of dream analysis and applying it to literature. Quick/Dirty rundown: you take the part of the book that bothered you the most, then spin the analysis so that that is what the book is about. At least, what it’s about for you.

What bothered me about Flight or Fight comes from same place as the highest points, the world. From early on, the only religion is Probabilism. This is where Carl’s title of “Schrodinger Reborn” is from. But, save for this crucial role, the religion is mentioned in passing, with someone being “A devout Probibalist” and the use of “prayer dice.” But there is nothing more made of it. Carl goes to a sermon at one point, reminds the reader that he is “Schrodinger Reborn” on occasion, but the church remains ever unexplored. It carries the sinister corporate pseudo-slogan of it being “the only religion left because all others were outcompeted” and at points seems to act as a way to influence the populace, but nothing is really made of it.

Flight or Fight (The Out of Dodge Trilogy Book 1)[image error] by Scott Bartlett is available in print and electronic formats. I thoroughly enjoyed this take on laissez-faire capitalism taken to the extreme, and Scott Bartlett has earned his place on my shelf beside the likes of George Orwell and Joseph Heller. I recommend it to everyone, and look forwards to reading more from Scott Bartlett.

‘Other Indie’ is a recurring series of articles on Engen Books in which authors highlight the best in independent publishing, in the hopes of helping readers break through the cluster of books they may not be sure about in an age when anyone can publish via digital formats. Engen Books is an independent small-press publishing company based in St. John’s Newfoundland and is proud to highlight the talent of independent authors not our own. Flight or Fight is © 2016 Scott Bartlett. This review is © 2016 Sam Bauer.  ‘Other Indie’ banner photo credit: Steve Lake.

New covers for Call of the Sea and Zombies on the Rock!

Zombies on the Rock, Paul Carberry

The Engen Books launching in both digital and physical in late 2016, Zombies on the Rock: Outbreak by Paul Carberry and Call of the Sea by Amanda Labonté.

“We’re excited by these titles,” said Matthew LeDrew. “Between the two of them they show a broad spectrum of what Newfoundland authors have to offer, which is very important to us. Both take elements of popular culture within their concepts and set them against a Newfoundland backdrop, making for unique, interesting, and unpredictable consequences.”

Zombies on the Rock: Outbreak is an action-thriller by Corner Brook native Paul Carberry and was independently published via AuthorHouse, a self-publishing print-on-demand business based in the United States. It is set in the near future and stars an ensemble cast of likeable, identifiable characters as they deal with the very early onset of a zombie outbreak (hence the novel’s subtitle). Characters like Hank, Chris, Eric, and Cathy must navigate the astonishing and brutal landscape of this not-too-distant future in order to be among the survivors as the island of Newfoundland — and the entire world — is plunged into an apocalyptic nightmare.

Call of the Sea, Amanda Labonté

Call of the Sea by Amanda Labonté is the story of twins Alex and Ben who, while at sea, get into a fight that leads to Ben’s  sudden disappearance.  Determined to find his brother, Alex begins the biggest adventure of his life, armed only with a mysterious musical talent and the help of a local girl named Meg. But his best hope just might come from the same place as a song he’s been hearing since childhood ― the alluring and dangerous girl he finds amidst the frothing ocean waves.

Praise for the novel includes: “A mysterious figure in the ocean, a suspicious loss in the waves, a riveting treasure hunt, and surprise after surprise, how could anyone not want to read this novel?” ~Alice Kuipers, author of 40 Things I Want to Tell You and Life on the Refrigerator Door.

Be sure to check back for both soon!

The Six Elemental | Ali House

The myth of the Six-Elemental is almost seven hundred years old, and the possibility of someone having the power of more than one Element has been thoroughly disproven by science. None of this matters, however, when Kit Tyler receives the power of all six Elements on her twenty-first birthday.

Unsure of how the world will react, or how to wield her powers, Kit keeps this information a secret, swearing that she will reveal it when she is stronger and more worthy. After all, the only thing worse than being a walking myth is being a disappointing one. When the opportunity comes along to help prevent an impending war, she sees this as her chance to prove herself.If she can do this then nobody will question why she, of all people, was chosen.

The Six Elemental

Ali House

[image error][image error]Purchase:

Canada:

The Six Elemental (amazon.ca)

The Six Elemental (chapters.ca)

US:

The Six Elemental[image error] (amazon.com)

The Six Elemental (Barnes&Noble)

Title Information:



ISBN:
978-1926903309


Release Date:
October 31, 2016


Status:
Available


Book Type:
Paperback (5 x 8 in)


Cover Price:
Buy Local: $20 / EBook: $4.99


Page Count:
286




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Reviews

“Blending the worlds of science and mythology, The Six Elemental is a compelling page-turner with a heroine we can all relate to.”

Amanda Labonté, author of Call of the Sea

“‘The Six Elemental’: a compelling page-turner!” | Amanda Labonté

[image error][image error]“In a grim future where peace can never be taken for granted, we are introduced to Kit Tyler, an ordinary young woman who receives extraordinary powers. As the possibility of war looms with ever increasing certainty, we follow Kit as she questions her new abilities and her role in the coming conflict.

Blending the worlds of science and mythology, The Six Elemental is a compelling page-turner with a heroine we can all relate to.”

Amanda Labonté, author of Call of the Sea.

‘The Six Elemental’ launches in two provinces!

[image error][image error]The Six Elemental, the breakout novel by author Ali House, launches this week and kicks off the 10th year of Engen Books. If that wasn’t big enough, the launch is happening in two different provinces, on the same weekend.

November 4-6 2016, author Ali House will be at the Halifax World Trade & Convention Center as a part of Hal Con, alongside other great authors such as Kevin Hearne, Maggie Stiefvater, and Christopher Walsh. She will have copies of her book on hand for sale and signing!

At the same time, on November 5 2016, Engen partner Ellen Curtis will be bringing the title, along with many others, to the Fall Craft Fair at the St. John’s Health Care Lions Club. Doors are open from 10am-4pm, and admission is just $2.00.

Whichever Atlantic province you happen to be in this weekend, be sure to check out this amazing new novel that’s sure to excite even the most jaded of readers!

Engen rockets into its 10 year anniversary starting tomorrow

On October 31, 2006 the first (and now extremely rare) ashcan edition of Black Womb hit the Newfoundland independent publishing scene with just 500 copies. The publishing company, Engen Books, saw its full release in 2007 with the release of Transformations in Pain at the second annual Sci-Fi on the Rock convention.

In the 10 years since, Engen Books has become a force to be reckoned with in the indie publishing market. It has produced over thirty titles in that time and brought over two dozen Atlantic Canadian authors  to print. The original Black Womb series completed its 10 book run, as intended, as spun off into the Xander Drew series. The Infinity series was launched, as well as the broader Engen Universe with light|dark, and the From the Rock series, which highlights local upcoming and established talent side by side.

And we’re just getting started.

[image error][image error]The Engen Books 10 year anniversary starts tomorrow with the release of The Six Elemental, the first book in a powerful new YA Fantasy series by Ali House, whose short fiction work has seen acclaim in the Halifax-inspired Bluenose Paradox collection, as well as 2016’s short prequel story to the novel, Twenty-One.

The story features a introduction to House’s stunning new world, where there is a legend that in times of great need, a person wielding the power of all six Elements will come forth to bring peace to New Earth.

The myth of the Six-Elemental is almost seven hundred years old, and the possibility of someone having the power of more than one Element has been thoroughly disproven by science. None of this matters, however, when Kit Tyler receives the power of all six Elements on her twenty-first birthday.

The eBook is available for preorder now and goes live tomorrow, as well as orders for print copies. Anyone looking to meet the author and obtain a signed copy can first do so at the 2016 Hal-Con in just 4 days at the Halifax World Trade & Convention Center, as well as meet guests such as Gates McFadden, Phil LaMarr, Christopher Walsh, and Natalina Tena.

[image error][image error]Then in 2017 the anniversary celebration kicks into high gear with the release of Call of the Sea, a supernatural thriller from Newfoundland author Amanda Labonté.

The first of what will currently be three novels released a year apart, the series draws heavily from Newfoundland settings, culture, and iconography to tell the uniquely special tale of twins Alex and Ben, who get into a fight while at sea, when Ben disappears. Determined to find his brother, Alex begins the biggest adventure of his life, armed only with a mysterious musical talent and the help of a local girl named Meg. But his best hope just might come from the same place as a song he’s been hearing since childhood ― the alluring and dangerous girl he finds amidst the frothing ocean waves.

Advance Praise for the novel includes:

“A mysterious figure in the ocean, a suspicious loss in the waves, a riveting treasure hunt, and surprise after surprise, how could anyone not want to read this novel?”

~Alice Kuipers, author of 40 Things I Want to Tell You and Life on the Refrigerator Door.

“Call of the Sea is a vividly imagined novel of folk lore and legends smoothly mixed with realistic, colourful characters of an East Coast village. Amanda Labonte’s paranormal coming of age story effortlessly lifts you along with Alex’s journey to the brink of suspended disbelief…”

~BR Myers, author of Asp of Ascension and Girl on the Run.

[image error][image error]Also in 2017, Black Womb, the novel and series that started it all, will be released in an anniversary edition along with its first two sequels, Transformations in Pain and Smoke and Mirrors, detailing the extended origins of Xander Drew, Engen, and the all-too mysterious town of Coral Beach.

“It is the writing of it’s generation: visual, to-the-point and in-the-moment.”

The Northeast Avalon Times

“LeDrew’s work is horror that emerges from the urban fantasy tradition — the introduction of a fantastical element into a true-to-life, modern setting.”

The Telegram, Aug 13, 2010

“Evil corporations, faceless villains, people with mysterious identities/pasts… when done right these are powerful archetypes. I love potboiler mysteries, horror and scifi… I have a feeling I’m going to enjoy this series.”

Jay Paulin, author of Emma Awesome

“It takes you on a rollercoaster and ends with a bang… I enjoyed every moment of it.”

Milan McKay

A Neon Village, Dec 2, 2010

“The writing in Black Womb is seamless and to the point, without robbing you of the details or over baring you with them either.”

42 Webs, Feb 15, 2012

“Black Womb  was suspenseful and intriguing from beginning to end with breathtaking twists and turns that kept me hooked and guessing until the end!”

Andrea Edwards, “Scarlett” author

Septembers 6, 2012

“Perhaps the best way to dilute the book’s premise down to a single sentence would be to call it “a bizarre fusion of horror film and superhero gimmicks.”

Mark Pellegrini, Adventures in Poor Taste

November 29, 2012

“Black Womb is an exciting horror story full of action and introducing a bunch of interesting characters. The story flows quickly and is a great read for a first-time novelist.”

GoodReads

June 04, 2013

[image error][image error]In April 2017, the second book in the relaunched From the Rock series will be released in tandem with Sci-Fi on the Rock’s 11th annual convention.

The book will be titled Fantasy from the Rock and see the return of editors Erin Vance and Ellen Curtis who made the first collection the breakout success of the 2015 season. Submissions don’t close until December 31 2016 so authors out there can still get their stories in!

Despite official announcements not happening until January 2017, submissions of original stories have already been received from six established authors and many promising entries from indie authors new to the world of genre publishing! The collection looks to be again one of the highlights of the year!

[image error][image error]Finally, Engen Books returns to its horror roots with the release of Paul Carberry’s epic thriller, Zombies on the Rock: Outbreak. The first novel in a new series depicting a worldwide zombie apocalypse from the point-of-view of those on Newfoundland’s west coast, Carberry’s work fuses genre and setting to create a unique entry into both the world of zombie horror and Newfoundland fiction, adding to both and taking away from neither.

It is set in the near future and stars an ensemble cast of likeable, identifiable characters as they deal with the very early onset of a zombie outbreak (hence the novel’s subtitle). Characters like Hank, Chris, Eric, and Cathy must navigate the astonishing and brutal landscape of this not-too-distant future in order to be among the survivors as the island of Newfoundland — and the entire world — is plunged into an apocalyptic nightmare.

… And even all that is only what we’re ready to announce now. Stay tuned as the 2017 anniversary extravaganza continues! Never Look Back!

Titles by Paul Carberry

Zombies on the Rock: Outbreak is a 2015 action-thriller by Corner Brook native Paul Carberry and was independently published via AuthorHouse, a self-publishing print-on-demand business based in the United States. It is set in the near future and stars an ensemble cast of likeable, identifiable characters as they deal with the very early onset of a zombie outbreak (hence the novel’s subtitle). Characters like Hank, Chris, Eric, and Cathy must navigate the astonishing and brutal landscape of this not-too-distant future in order to be among the survivors as the island of Newfoundland — and the entire world — is plunged into an apocalyptic nightmare.

Paul Carberry

Paul Carberry currently works as a pharmacy assistant and will soon be enrolled in the Reserves with the Canadian Armed Forces. He has always enjoyed the whole horror genre and has always had a special interest in zombies. He is currently living in his hometown of Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador, with his wife, Leah. His dream is to finish this story that he has started and to travel around the world selling his books.

Titles by Amanda Labonté

Call of the Sea

While twins Alex and Ben are at sea, they get into a fight, and Ben disappears suddenly from the boat without so much as a ripple in the water. Determined to find his brother, Alex begins the biggest adventure of his life, armed only with a mysterious musical talent and the help of a local girl named Meg. But his best hope just might come from the same place as a song he’s been hearing since childhood ― the alluring and dangerous girl he finds amidst the frothing ocean waves.