Michelle E. Goldsmith's Blog, page 6

Top 5 Fantasy Debuts of 2011

2011 was undeniably a great year for fantasy fans and provided us with a multitude of exciting new releases, many of which came from debut authors. Since I started this blog early in the year I have had the pleasure of reading many of these and am therefore proud to present you with this list of  my Top 5 Fantasy Debuts of 2011.

As a personal list, this only consists of books I  managed to read throughout the year which is, due to other commitments, a fair few less than I would have liked to. As a result there are quite a number of other 2011 debuts I have purchased or received but have yet to read. These include, but are not limited to: Miserere by Teresa Frohock, The Emperor's Knife by Mazarkis Williams, Among Thieves by Douglas Hulick, God's War by Kameron Hurley, Germline by T. C. McCarthy, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Songs of the Earth by Elspeth Cooper. Be assured that this will be remedied as soon as possible.

 

 1. Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

Dark and captivating, relentless and haunting, Prince of Thorns is a brilliant epic fantasy that more than delivers in all respects. It is the spectacular debut novel of talented new British author, Mark Lawrence, and the first installment in the Broken Empire trilogy. Not one for the squeamish, Lawrence's fast-paced and relentless narrative plunges the reader headfirst into a brutal and bloodthirsty world, as seen through the eyes of Jorg, his twisted and warped teen protagonist.Those that can stomach the graphic violence and dark humor that define the novel can expect an exhilarating ride. Dazzling in its brilliance, Prince of Thorns is a must-read for any fan of gritty, epic fantasy that delves into the darkest depths of humanity, and a well-deserved winner of the title "best debut of the year" both on The Ranting Dragon and as my personal number one.

 

Check out the full review of Prince of Thorns by Stephan and Michelle.

 

 

 

2. Hounded by Kevin Hearne

 Hounded was the impressive debut novel of Kevin Hearne, and was closely followed by the equally brilliant sequels Hexed and Hammered. Although I'm not a particularly avid fan of urban fantasy in general, Hearne's endearing characters and wit won me over immediately. And what's not to love? A charming Irish druid protagonist, a loveable wise cracking wolfhound companion, multiple pantheons of interfering gods, witches, vampire and werewolf attorneys, and a neighbourly old widow who doesn't mind you burying a body in her yard, as long as it's English..

 

Unfortunately I didn't get the time to review Hounded. However, Caleigh from The Ranting Dragon did a mighty fine job of it here.

 

 

 

 3. Empire State by Adam Christopher

While technically an early 2012 release, Empire State is already available in some stores and thus I have decided to include it in the best of 2011. Empire State is the genre-bending debut novel of New Zealand-born author Adam Christopher, one of Angry Robot's exciting new acquisitions. A parallel world, Prohibition-era detective noir novel with a superhero spin, its nearly endless plot twists make for a fast-paced and unique saga of surprises that is sure to keep countless readers up into the early hours of the morning.

 

Want more? Read my full review of Empire State. 

 

 

 

 

4. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me is the much anticipated debut novel of US author Tahereh Mafi. The first book in a projected trilogy, it provides an intense mix of dystopian fantasy and young adult romance with a superhuman twist. I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel as young adult paranormal romance is usually a genre I steer well clear of. However, even I had to admit that this was a rather impressive and page-turning debut complete with great characters and a steamy romance. With its interesting premise and a deft execution, Shatter Me is a undoubtedly a rung above your average paranormal teen romance. 

 

Interested? Check out my full review of Shatter Me.

 

 

 

5. Debris by Jo Anderton

Debris is the debut novel of Australian author Jo Anderton and the first in a projected trilogy, The Veiled Worlds, to be published by Angry Robot Books.Those who take pleasure in checking out new talent on the fantasy scene will have a hard time finding fault with this year's debuts, and Debris is yet another impressive and promising title to add to the list. Complete with believable and flawed characters, a fascinating world and plenty of story to build on, Debris marks Anderton as an author to watch in the future. Personally, I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series and have a feeling that the next book, Suited, will be even more impressive.

 

Want to know more about Debris? Read the full review.

 

 

 

There are many other Best Debut lists across the internet that are worth checking out. The Ranting Dragon has a longer list consisting of picks from multiple reviewers (including myself) here. I also like this one from Justin of Staffer's Musings, our tastes seem pretty similar and he managed to read and review quite a few of the books I missed.

Empire State by Adam Christopher

Empire State is the genre-bending debut novel of New Zealand-born author Adam Christopher, one of Angry Robot's exciting new acquisitions. Empire State successfully combines science fiction, Prohibition-era detective noir, comic book superheroes, and nearly endless plot twists to create a fast-paced and unique saga of surprises that is sure to keep countless readers up into the early hours of the morning.

Welcome to the Empire State

Empire State primarily tells the tale of Rad Bradley, an out-of-work private detective who, despite bordering on middle age, can't remember anything much further back than the last decade. The majority of the story takes place within Rad's home city, the Empire State, which is not surprising, really, as according to the authorities, there is nowhere else. Seemingly, the only ones ever to have left the Empire State's boundaries are the human-robot hybrids incrementally sent off into the surrounding fog to fight a mysterious and unnamed enemy. None of these have ever returned. The city itself is a dismal place where the majority of citizens struggle to make ends meet, relying on scant Wartime rations, and an authoritarian government uses their fear of the unknown as a tool of oppression.

However, a new case will see Rad caught up in a series of strange events and multilayered conspiracies with roots deep into the heart of the Empire State itself. Rad is about to discover that the Empire State is not the only place; in fact, it is merely a pocket dimension that was created in the image of the larger city of New York during a battle between two scientist heroes. Soon the fate of both cities may lie in Rad Bradley's hands.

And now for something just a little bit different…

The first thing I have to say about Empire State is that it will probably not be quite what you are expecting. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Although Empire State deals with the concept of a multiverse and contains quite a number of other science fiction elements, it is not an example of hard science fiction. In fact, I would venture to say that Empire State is not really a science fiction novel. Nor is it really a superhero novel in the classical sense. The most adequate description I can find for it is a parallel world, Prohibition-era noir, detective novel with a superhuman twist.

Anyone for some Prohibition-era detective noir?

In my opinion, the noir elements are what really make the novel and give it pathos. The shadow of Wartime Prohibition lies over the entire narrative like a distorting lens, lending it a distinctive tone and aesthetic. Even when more immediate events take precedence and temporarily push these aspects into the background, their presence is still undeniably felt. Related themes of inequality and repression also underpin the narrative as do the concepts of self and other, belonging, and the temptation of something greater. The latter two are embodied in a grass is greener mentality that has the character's constantly questioning whether the Empire State is but a poor reflection of the 'real' New York City and whether they would be happier on the other side.

The characters themselves are also complex and memorable, ranging from the strange and quirky to the creepy and morally reprehensible. In addition, their motivations are believable despite never being quite what you expect. Christopher's protagonist Rad Bradley is a standout character throughout the novel, remaining likable and sympathetic despite his flaws. He is a man we can all relate to, just trying to get by and do the best he can in a world gone mad.

A nonstop saga of surprises

Christopher packs numerous little twists and turns into the novel, and Empire State contains all the elements to make it a rip-roaring read—from creepy religious cults, dark humor, murder, and intrigue to the concept of Wartime and a dash of aeronautical piracy. Once the novel gets started, it just keeps increasing in tempo, resulting in a fast paced revelation-fest that will continue to surprise even the most savvy readers.

So many surprises may occasionally come at the cost of clarity. Readers looking for a no-holds barred succession of surprises will no doubt be delighted, while those who prefer to have some idea where the story is going may find themselves a little lost. In addition, the reader is not made explicitly aware of the fact that the Empire State is a parallel world reflection of New York City until quite a way into the novel. Although this should be easy enough for most readers to figure out, and is stated quite clearly on the blurb, more literal readers may find it a little off-putting. As I discovered after a few failed attempts to read it late at night after a long work shift, Empire State is a novel you have to keep your mind focused on so you don't lose track of what is going on and who is betraying whom. Nevertheless, those who give the novel their undivided attention will be well rewarded for doing so.

Why should you read this book?

Overall, Empire State is sure to provide an interesting and immersive read for fans of offbeat science fiction and detective noir or anyone simply looking to try something a little new and different from an up-and-coming debut author. Furthermore, it has also been selected as the basis for Angry Robot's first Worldbuilder project, which allows readers to contribute works of their own based upon the world of Empire State. As a result, reading the novel may provide one with an exciting opportunity for their own creative endeavors. However, readers expecting a novel primarily involving super humans flying around shooting lasers out of their eyes may find themselves more suited to Christopher's newly announced second novel, Seven Wonders, which promises all that and more.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me is the much anticipated debut novel of US author Tahereh Mafi. The first book in a projected trilogy, it provides an intense mix of dystopian fantasy and young adult romance with a superhuman twist. While it may seem a mean feat to live up to the hype generated for this release, with the large media campaign and the film rights already sold, Mafi's debut does a decent job of it. With an interesting premise and a deft execution, Shatter Me is a undoubtedly a rung above your average paranormal teen romance.

Shatter Me takes place in a post-apocalyptic near future where the sky is scorched, food is scarce, and the human population has been decimated by disease. Most survivors live in closed compounds ruled by an oppressive organization known as the Reestablishment. Amidst all the chaos the world seems to have forgotten about Juliette, a seventeen year old girl who is locked away in an institution for a murder she didn't mean to commit. For unknown reasons, Juliette's touch causes severe pain and may be fatal if maintained for any extended period of time. While this marks her as a freak, shunned by society and cast aside by her parents, there are those in the Reestablishment that think her strange power may be useful. However, Juliette is less than willing to become anyone's weapon.

An engaging tale with a unique style

First of all, I should probably say that young adult paranormal romance is usually a subgenre I avoid. Thus I was somewhat surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. This may be due to the fact thatShatter Me is quite fast paced and a little more intense than the majority of young adult fiction I'd read. In fact, this book is quite a page turner. Although the plot isn't extremely complicated, it is very well executed and I found it engaging enough to hold my interest to the point where I finished it in one sitting.

The unusual writing style is also worth mentioning. The story is told in the first person, through the eyes of the protagonist Juliette, and in the present tense, adding a sense of familiarity and urgency to the narrative. Furthermore, Juliette hasn't emerged unscathed from her experiences; she is a damaged and conflicted character with a number of quirks. For instance, as a result of her incarceration, she is obsessed with numbers and minute details which she faithfully recounts to the reader. The prose is also rich in metaphors and imagery, presumably as Juliette has spent so much time alone with nothing but her own imagination for company. Thoughts that she represses or doesn't want to admit to appear as cross-outs. Personally, I found that these stylistic alterations add to the unique flavor of the text and help make the reading an interesting and engaging experience. Nevertheless, this is a matter of taste and some readers may find this jarring or think that it detracts from the story itself.

Great characters and a steamy romance

The characters themselves are imperfect and relatable, displaying various strengths and weaknesses as they struggle to survive in an inhospitable world. Despite Juliette's tribulations and near-crippling insecurities, she is no hapless victim and is willing to stand up for herself and what she believes in. Little more can be said without spoiling the story, but I was also glad to see the female protagonist acting the hero for a change. The antagonist Warner is also a standout character—intense, depraved and frightening while remaining believably three dimensional.

The romantic aspects of the novel are also very well done, and rather steamy compared to those in most young adult fiction, perfectly conveying a sense of urgent passion and repressed sensuality. I would usually be a little sceptical of such a sudden, intense romance between two characters that had never met before, so I was glad to see Juliette and Adam's history explained to lend their connection some credibility. Thankfully, there is also far too much going on in this world for anyone to indulge inexcessive teen brooding or tedious lovelorn moping.

Yet some questions remain…

That's not to say that Shatter Me is perfect or that it will suit every reader. For instance, the worldbuilding throughout the novel is relatively sparse and many elements are left only partially explained. We are never really told how the world reached its sorry state, although it is hinted that it deteriorated quickly and that society crumbled with it. Although this lack of worldbuilding is understandable, given that the characters were relatively confined for most of the book, I am quite interested in the answers to these questions and hope that Mafi will expand upon her creation in the next instalments. In addition, although it's largely irrelevant, I though the finished cover art was an unusual choice that didn't really suit the tone of the novel.

Why should you read this book?

Shatter Me is a unique and well executed dystopian young adult novel that should appeal to a wide range of readers. I would recommend it to fans of post-apocalyptic fiction or anyone looking for a quality paranormal romance with more action and better characterization than most. Overall, this is an extremely promising first instalment in a series and an impressive debut. I'm sure we'll be hearing much more about this talented young author in the future.

Interview with Richard K. Morgan

Richard K. Morgan is the multi-award winning British author of various science fiction works including Altered Carbon, Market Forces and Black Man (US title—Thirteen). However, in 2008 he burst onto the epic fantasy scene with The Steel Remains, the first book in a projected trilogy known as A Land Fit for Heroes. Three years later and after much anticipation, the second installment, The Cold Commands, has finally hit shelves. Having been lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this novel, it gives me much pleasure to say that it's definitely worth the wait.

So what do you do when you finish a novel and three hours later you're still feeling shellshocked? Why, you go and request an interview with the author, of course! Much to my delight, Richard readily agreed to answer some questions.

 

Introducing Richard Morgan

Hi Richard, thanks very much for joining us. I've just finished reading The Cold Commands and I'm still catching my breath.

Thank you very much.

How do you envisage readers responding to your books? If you could choose just one thing for each reader to take away from your work, what would it be?

Impossible to say—each reader brings a different self to a book, so, not unreasonably, each reader takes something different away. For me personally, the stories are sketches in inevitable loss and courage in the face of that loss, the potential beauty in life and the human stupidity that pisses that beauty away. As Roberto Benigni's character says in Jim Jarmusch's Down By Law, "it's a sad and beautiful world", and as Marcus Aurelius (apparently) said, "Death grins at us all; all a man can do is grin back". That's the ground I'm interested in working. Whether readers tune in to that or find something else there is way beyond my control.

While you say that your novels are meant primarily to entertain, you are also quite open about the fact that they hold deeper meaning and contain various degrees of social and political commentary. Do you think that any writer can truly distance themselves from their views when they write?

Well, you can. The question is why would you? Of course, there is a very simple answer to that question, which is so that you can write a fiction bland and trite enough to shift copies to the broadest possible audience and make a shit-load of cash. But then you're not really a writer, you're just a word whore. To me, writing is a form of communication, and how are you going to communicate anything if you carefully extract the essence of who you are from your writing? By definition, a good story takes in broad swatches of the human condition, and each (good) writer will come at those aspects of the story from their own personal standpoint, whatever that may be. If you have anything at all worthwhile to say in your fiction, then there's really no other way to do it.

 

A Land Fit for Heroes: a different kind of epic fantasy

One of my favorite aspects of your fantasy novels is the fact that they are set some years after a large scale war, instead of during it. The wartime experiences of the characters serve to shape them in a number of ways. I've often wondered how the heroes of epic fantasy novels would fare after the war has ended and how they would cope when their society no longer needs them. Was it a similar curiosity that inspired you to choose this setting, or another reason?

Yes, it was pretty much that same feeling for me—why do all these fantasy epics tend to be set during the time of a Great War? That's rhetorical of course—I know why; because we all get off on the thrill of violent conflict. But that said, I think we show an unhealthy fascination for the bright and shiny propaganda end of war, and rather too little interest in the grubby truths and fallout that come after. We tell this simple Boy's Own lie, again and again, full of sound and fury and habitually climaxing with victory and medals, and then the story ends; but in fact that's where the real cost of war, the real story, begins. To take just one example, I read somewhere that the Vietnam War has claimed the lives of more than twice as many American veterans by their own hand in the years since the conflict ended as were killed in the actual fighting. And that doesn't even begin to factor in all those who ended up homeless or in the penal system. This—along with all the common atrocities habitually committed by soldiers—is the hidden face of war, and it really does need more exposure in our popular fiction.

Can you give us any idea of what to expect from the third and final novel in the trilogy?

I think anyone who's read The Cold Commands probably has some reasonable sense of where we're going with this. I don't really want to say much more than that, firstly in order not to spoil Commandsfor anybody who hasn't read it yet, but secondly because I'm right at the start with the new one and only have the loosest of ideas how it will pan out. But suffice it to say The Dark Defiles will collect the whispered implications from the first book, gather in the narrative threads left loose at the end of the second, and provide, to the extent that any of my books ever do, a sense of closure for each of the main characters.

 

On characters, controversy and creative leaps

In my opinion, your characters are the true highlights of your novels. Do they ever threaten to run away with the story? Do you have a favorite or one who you enjoyed writing the most?

In fact, in most cases my stories evolve from the characters, so it's less a case of run away with and more simply run. Very hard to name favorites though—they've all been fun to write in different ways, and often it's secondary characters rather than protagonists that please you most, not least because you don't usually see it coming. Ringil's mother Ishil is a good case in point—she started out very much as a straightforward plot device to move the narrative along, and then I fell in love with her. Her scenes with Gil in Steel are among my favorites in the whole book.

The characters in A Land Fit for Heroes are fascinatingly complex with many shades of grey to their personalities. How did you develop the ideas for these damaged yet undeniably human individuals?

Uhm—don't really know how to write any other sort…

When you first wrote The Steel Remains and decided that Ringil and Archeth should be homosexual, did you expect it to elicit the negative reaction it did from some readers? Did you feel this was something that needed to be done or was it just another aspect of their personalities that evolved as you developed their characters?

Very much the latter. Ringil evolved as gay—originally in a short mood piece I wrote called Hero which eventually became the first chapter of Steel—because it just seemed to fit the context; it accounted for his alienation, it neatly exempted him from having married or fathered any children, it gave him a sensibility not common among more "red-blooded" males. Above all, it made him profoundly alone, gave him instant outsider status, and that was exactly what I needed in a noir protagonist. With Archeth, it was perhaps slightly more deliberate in that, having seen how well it worked with Ringil, I was good and ready with the same device for my principal female character. But still, that said, Archeth's lesbian nature also grew pretty organically out of that first scene she has in Steel with the Emperor and his new slave girl.

As to the negative reactions, I suppose I always knew there would be some—fantasy does seem to be a far more conservative genre than science fiction, so you were bound to have a few lunatic right wingers taking offense, and then there's that whole insecure adolescent male mindset (actually, come to think of it, those two are probably very close to each other, the former growing out of the latter with age). So none of those reactions were very surprising. What did surprise me, though, was the number of people in the he's-only-doing-this-to-shock brigade. People who apparently had visions of me sitting in my study, carefully crafting a character for maximum offense and cackling away to myself haha, this'll alienate a whole bunch of readers. I mean—really?

We hear about some of the rather negative reactions some readers had to the homosexual aspects ofThe Steel Remains; however, I assume you must have received some positive feedback as well. For instance, I have friends, both gay and straight, who absolutely loved these parts of the novel. In fact, one went as far as saying she was really hoping that Archeth would 'finally get some action' in The Cold Commands. Do these kind of readers write to you as well? Or are the vocal haters more likely to respond?

No, on a personal level the positive feedback has far outweighed the negative so far. I think my favorite example so far was a guy who went past my stall at the Trolls et Legendes convention in Belgium this year, saw the copies of Steel (French edition) and did a double take, then came back, asked me "You are Richard Morgan?" and when I said yes, said with much emotion "Thank you for write this book! Thank you!" And marched off again. I've had variations on that from a fair few quarters, both by e-mail and in real time, over the last couple of years. And of course the gay community in general were really great when Steel came out—they ran extensive reviews and coverage, and were very complimentary about the way the gay elements had been handled, which for me is the highest praise imaginable.

Do closed-minded or hateful reactions to your work bother you? Or do you see them as encouragement or an indication that you're doing something right and need to keep it up? What do you do with your hate mail? Do you even bother reading it?

Thing is—if you're going to write anything worth reading, you're almost certain to upset somebody; you simply can't afford to worry about it. Mostly, I find hate mail hilarious—I've even posted a couple of examples of the anti-gay stuff on my website for the amusement of my readers, and because exposure to the light is always the best cure for prejudice. But that amusement is always tinged with an edge of sadness and anger because this is the thin end of the wedge, and at the thick end is stuff like Proposition 8, Ugandan Christianity, and the end of an Iranian rope.

Your characters are very diverse, yet all are well developed as individuals and never seem to be in danger of degenerating into stereotypes. I've heard people say they find it easier to relate to characters of the same gender or sexuality. As a heterosexual male, do you think it's any harder to write believable gay or female characters? Is it really any harder than writing a character that differs from you in any other trait?

Obviously, any character you write is outside your comfort zone to some extent—most of us are just not fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate!) enough to lead lives interesting enough to write novels about. So not only am I not gay, I'm also not a trained swordsman, an accomplished horseback rider or a professional assassin! I've never had sex with a man, but then I've never killed a man either, or a dragon. And it's weird how no one ever questions your ability to imagine those violent things, but as soon as something like race, sex or sexuality comes up, the question suddenly becomes fraught. True, writing gay sex was among the more demanding things I've ever had to do as an author, and I'm quietly proud of the fact that I seem to have pulled it off; but in the end it doesn't do to make too much of that, I think. This is my job, after all—making creative leaps of imagination and putting them down on the page in coherent fashion is what I get paid for.

 

Fantasy, science fiction and genre tropes with a twist

The non-human characters such as the Dwenda and the Helmsmen are quite different from what might be considered more standard fantasy fare and play vital roles in the plot. Where do you find inspiration for such strange creations? Do you have one which you are particularly proud of?

I think my intention was really to put the standard fantasy races in a cocktail shaker, really mash it all up and see what poured out. So you've got elves, sort of, but they're the bad guys and rather than fading from the land in Tolkienesque melancholy, they had to be driven out in a savage total war—and are now intent on a violent comeback. You've got dwarves, sort of, but they're tall and honorable and black, and they steer human affairs rather like a bunch of scumbag CIA military advisers in some third world backwater. You've got demons, sort of, but it's not clear if they are something the dwarf analogue race summoned up and captured or merely built. What I've enjoyed most of all about creating these things is the sense of ambiguity that can be left hanging over them all. You never quite know what you're dealing with. As to a favorite, that's hard to say, but I am particularly pleased with the dynamics I came up with for the Scaled Folk invasion.

There are definitely science fiction elements in A Land Fit for Heroes. In what ways do you think this series was influenced by your background as a science fiction writer?

Really, I think it's more that I've refused to play the standard epic fantasy game of retro-fitted archaism; my novels are unashamedly modernist in their outlook and that bleeds over not only into language and character, but also into how you handle stuff like magic or gods and demons. For example, people have called out the Helmsmen as artificial intelligences, and therefore science fictional, but that's not something I'm prepared to confirm one way or the other—I don't have to, either to myself or to the reader. I quite honestly, quite literally do not know what they really are. You take the Helmsmen as you find them. If a reader is determined to decode them in true SF style, well, then, that reader will end up believing them to be AIs. If you're more mystically inclined, you may decide that the Kiriath summoned powerful spirits from the void and trapped them in iron to be their servants. Or you may decide that those two are actually the same thing, just described in different language. But the beauty of fantasy as a genre is that you don't have to decide at all.

What do you think are the main strengths and limitations of the different genres respectively?

Well, I think we covered some of this above. What I've enjoyed in both Steel and The Cold Commands is that I can create things like the Helmsmen, the Akyia or the Creature at the Crossroads, and I don't have to explain them—they are imagistic, atavistic, the exact measure of their impact on the page; they don't have to make any kind of logical sense and you can take from them whatever speculative interpretation you like. That allows you a freedom SF simply can't provide.

 

Fiction, reality and life

When trying to describe your latest novels I often find myself sprouting something along the lines of 'hardcore gritty science fiction fantasy noir with generous servings of bad ass'. How would you describe them?

I couldn't hope to top that—I won't even try.

What do you think the noir elements add to A Land Fit for Heroes?

A sense of reality, a sense that you halfway recognize these people and situations from the world we live in now. A grubby, small-scale intensity of event and character. And an utter denial of the cheap triumphalism inherent in so much of epic fantasy.

Despite taking place in a fantasy setting, your work doesn't shy away from gritty realism. It often explores the darker aspects of society and human nature. Do you think that all people, or at least most, are capable of committing terrible acts given certain circumstances? What would you say to those who might accuse you of being too cynical of humanity?

Atrocities are far more often committed by idealists (Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot) than they are by cynics—I think cynicism is vastly underrated as a civilizing impulse. Imagine how things might have gone in Germany in the thirties if the general response to Ein Volk Ein Reich Ein Fuhrer! had been Yeah – right! Whatever. What most people call cynicism seems to me just the art of standing back and seeing things for what they really are. Human nature is pretty dark at root, we are still essentially violent apes, and unless you apply the necessary civilized checks and balance, societies do tend towards the corrupt and oppressive. There are people who get very shrill when you point out stuff like this, because it seems they would rather not examine the facts too closely. They've made up a story about the universe—God is good, America has a Manifest Destiny to bring democracy to the world, Women are happier in the home, the Classless Society is coming, the Free Market will solve all our problems, you name it—and it upsets them when you forcibly rub their noses in how flimsy the factual evidence for their flights of fancy actually is. But as John Adams said, facts are stubborn things. They won't go away just because you don't like them.

What would you consider your biggest achievement as a writer so far? What would you consider your greatest achievement to date unrelated to writing?

Black Man is probably still the novel I'm proudest of to date. Greatest non-writing achievement would have to be my four month old son Daniel—though he was, of course, co-authored and the co-author did most of the heavy lifting!

Thanks heaps for your time Richard! I, for one, will be awaiting your future works with bated breath. Is there anything else you'd like to say before we finish up?

Hope everyone enjoys the book as much as you did!

Debris (The Veiled Worlds #1) by Jo Anderton

Debris is the debut novel of Australian author Jo Anderton and the first in a projected trilogy, The Veiled Worlds, to be published by Angry Robot Books. Despite some minor flaws, Debris is quite a solid first novel and showcases Anderton's substantial storytelling talent, marking her as a name to watch in the future.

What goes up must come down

Debris takes place in Movoc, a remarkable technologically advanced city that sits in the shadow of a symbolic mountain known as the Keeper. Since the revolutionary discovery that most individuals possess the ability to manipulate the small building blocks of matter known as pions through certain geometric configurations and ritual gestures, Movoc-under-Keeper has led the world in everything from architecture to art and medicine. However, while it may seem like a utopia for those who possess significant pion-binding ability, beneath society's surface lies corruption and oppression. An underclass of 'collectors' are forced to collect the bi-product of pion-manipulation, known as debris, and are shunned by the rest of society.

Like many recent debut novels, Debris is told from a single first-person viewpoint, that of the protagonist Tanyana. When we are first introduced to Tanyana, she is one of the city's elite, a prodigal pion binder and master architect, working on her most ambitious project yet. However, she soon falls victim to a suspicious accident. Her masterpiece is destroyed, she is left scarred, and her connection to the world of pions is severed. Bound into a bizarre 'collecting suit', Tanyana must learn to adapt to life at the lowest rung of society, all the while attempting to discover the truth about her fall. However, there is more to the world of pions and debris than meets the eye. Beneath the surface of society brews something far greater and more dangerous than she ever imagined.

A perfect set-up for some truly epic conflicts

Have you ever read a novel where you had a few gripes with certain characters but were never once tempted to put the book down? How about a novel where at certain points you were not 100% sure what you were reading or what the author was trying to achieve, yet despite it all you were intrigued and still kept coming back for more? This pretty much summarizes my experience with Debris.

A dystopian world of 'haves' and 'have-nots' and the tale of an individual's fall from the highest rungs of society are not exactly new to the fantasy genre, yet Anderton manages to put her own spin on these familiar tropes and make them feel fresh. The world itself is unique, containing a number of intriguing aspects. For instance, the opposing forces of debris and pions make for a compelling and complex magic system. The collecting suit and its relationship with its wearer is also quite a fascinating concept that has many potential uses throughout the series. In addition, the government organization, the veche, provides a satisfyingly foreboding presence and its agents, referred to as 'the puppet men', are undeniably creepy and sinister. Furthermore, I thought that the reliance of Movoc's upper classes on pions and the division between 'binders' and 'collectors' were believable byproducts of a society wherein most individuals possess some degree of pion manipulating power. In some ways this may even be interpreted as social commentary on Western civilization's own growing reliance on technology. Anderton also does a good job of depicting the culture shock suffered by someone used to having everything come easily, suddenly losing it all and being forced to work to fulfill even the most basic needs. Altogether, this provides an excellent stage for a number of conflicts to play out and for various questions to be explored throughout the story.

Imperfect characters you will grow to love

On the whole, the characters are quite well developed and believable. Initially I had some reservations about Tanyana, as I found her a little cold and self satisfied and disliked her haughty demeanor. Nevertheless, as the novel progressed she retained her distinctive 'spark' but adapted to circumstances and grew as a person, becoming much easier to relate to as a result. Due to the first person narrative we don't get as much insight into some of the secondary characters as we could. Nevertheless, many are quite well developed and leave you wanting to learn more about them. For instance, I loved the warmth in the relationship between the group leader Kichlan and his 'broken' brother Lad. In addition, their landlord, Eugeny, also stood out as a complex and three-dimensional individual.

On the other hand, there was one character whose behavior just seemed odd throughout the entire novel and who wasn't believable to me as a person. Without spoiling the novel for others, there turned out to be a legitimate reason for this strange characterization; however, the way it was executed was not particularly subtle. Usually I would consider this a major flaw as it failed to utilize what could, with a slightly lighter touch, have been a shocking surprise. Initially, it also seemed unrealistic to me that a protagonist who had previously been shown as competent and intelligent would fail to have seen this development coming. However, after contemplating why this didn't bother me as much as I thought it should, I had a realization—this novel is not really about the unexpected reveal; it's about the characters and their reactions to each other and the events around them. When I looked at the situation considering the fact that Tanyana had recently lost almost everything that made her who she once was, it seemed fitting that she would ignore seemingly obvious cues in a final desperate attempt to hold onto one last connection to her former life.

Building up to something even more climactic

As Debris is the first novel in a trilogy, its main purpose is to introduce the world and characters and set up events that will culminate in later books. Anderton definitely achieves this and the necessary worldbuilding and characterization is quite fascinating, despite the fact it results in a slightly slower pace. Furthermore, the action really picks up at the end of the novel and there are a number of plot twists that I didn't see coming. The events that occur in the last quarter, as well as the connection I felt to the characters by this point, made me quite eager to find out what happens next.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll mention that there is some violence in this novel, though it's pretty mild by modern standards. Additionally, Anderton shows that she sure knows how to write a sex scene, although I'm sure it's nothing most adult readers can't deal with!

Why should you read this book?

Those who take pleasure in checking out new talent on the fantasy scene will have a hard time finding fault with this year's debuts, and Debris is yet another impressive and promising title to add to the list. Personally, I'm definitely looking forward to the rest of the series and can't wait to see where Anderton goes with her characters and world. I have a feeling that the next book, Suited, will be even more impressive.

Although Anderton makes what could be considered some strange choices throughout the novel, overallDebris worked for me and managed to immerse me in its world. I would definitely recommend it as a book that will appeal to readers who prefer their fantasy complete with a unique magic system, strange technologies, believable characterization and a dystopian edge.

Michelle received a free review copy of Debris courtesy of Angry Robot Books