Mark McClelland's Blog, page 2
July 30, 2016
Best Reader Response Ever
Just received this Facebook post from a reader. Made my week. (And at a time when I’m definitely wanting for writing motivation.)
Upload
Upload
December 29, 2014
"Upload" Among Best Books of 2014 - Chicago Book Review
While eating breakfast and checking email this morning, I discovered that Upload made Chicago Book Review's list of the Best Books of 2014! As I work on my next novel, it's great to be reminded that people loved my first — very encouraging.
Those of you familiar with Upload may be surprised to see it listed in a 2014 best-of list, since it was first published in late 2012. It's a self-published novel, and Chicago Book Review didn't review it until May of this year.
Thanks again to Vicky Albritton for an insightful and well-written review, and to Kelli Christiansen of Chicago Book Review for taking a chance on a self-published sci-fi novel.
(Re-blogged from my main author blog.)
Those of you familiar with Upload may be surprised to see it listed in a 2014 best-of list, since it was first published in late 2012. It's a self-published novel, and Chicago Book Review didn't review it until May of this year.
Thanks again to Vicky Albritton for an insightful and well-written review, and to Kelli Christiansen of Chicago Book Review for taking a chance on a self-published sci-fi novel.
(Re-blogged from my main author blog.)
November 11, 2014
Do you prefer ePub?
Back in April, I wanted to run a promotion where Upload would be free on Kindle around the release of Transcendence. Regardless of how good or bad the film was (I personally think it was weak, but didn’t deserve to be hammered quite so hard by critics), it was a great opportunity for me to draft a marketing giant. I “sold” over 2500 copies in three days, which was huge by my standards. But, in order to take advantage of Amazon’s KDP Select marketing features, such as Countdown Deals, Free Promotions, and free lending via the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, I had to make the eBook available exclusively on Amazon for the 90 day KDP Select membership period. I had to de-list it everywhere else. Since Amazon completely dominated eBook sales, at least where my own book was concerned, this was no great loss for me. In fact, I never bothered to re-list it elsewhere. Until this morning, when I received a tweet from someone who was specifically looking for the book in ePub format, and couldn't find it. So I republished the eBook to Lulu and Kobo, and it will eventually show up on Nook Books, Google Play Books, and iTunes Books, after their review processes. (Kudos to Kobo for making it easy and fast to re-list a book!)
Which made me curious. How many readers are disappointed if they can't get a book in ePub format?
And, if you prefer ePub, why?
Which made me curious. How many readers are disappointed if they can't get a book in ePub format?
And, if you prefer ePub, why?
April 14, 2014
Upload FREE on Kindle 4/17 - 4/20
Readers of the award-winning techno-thriller Upload are comparing it to Transcendence, starring Johnny Depp. To celebrate the April 17 release of the film, the Kindle edition of UPLOAD will be FREE 4/17 - 4/20.
UPLOAD on Kindle - Free 4/17 - 4/20
Invite friends to the Goodreads event and the Facebook event. Help spread the word!
For a lot of people watching Transcendence, it will be their first exposure to mental uploading and the Singularity. Intrigued by the concept of humanity ditching our biological bodies and moving into computers? If you're excited -- or scared -- by what lies on our technological horizon, UPLOAD is a thought-provoking way to explore what this future might look like.
A winner of ForeWord Reviews 2012 Book of the Year Award in Science Fiction, UPLOAD is the story of the first person to upload his mind into a computer, an unlikely hero in an all-too-plausible tale of transhumanism and the Singularity.
To find out more about the book, check it out here on Goodreads or at uploadthenovel.com.
If you've already read UPLOAD and are looking for a different perspective on the same topic, check out David T. Wolf's Mindclone: When You're a Brain Without a Body, Can You Still Be Called Human?, a more humorous take on mental uploading that's been getting great reviews.
UPLOAD on Kindle - Free 4/17 - 4/20
Invite friends to the Goodreads event and the Facebook event. Help spread the word!
For a lot of people watching Transcendence, it will be their first exposure to mental uploading and the Singularity. Intrigued by the concept of humanity ditching our biological bodies and moving into computers? If you're excited -- or scared -- by what lies on our technological horizon, UPLOAD is a thought-provoking way to explore what this future might look like.
A winner of ForeWord Reviews 2012 Book of the Year Award in Science Fiction, UPLOAD is the story of the first person to upload his mind into a computer, an unlikely hero in an all-too-plausible tale of transhumanism and the Singularity.
To find out more about the book, check it out here on Goodreads or at uploadthenovel.com.
If you've already read UPLOAD and are looking for a different perspective on the same topic, check out David T. Wolf's Mindclone: When You're a Brain Without a Body, Can You Still Be Called Human?, a more humorous take on mental uploading that's been getting great reviews.
March 22, 2014
Amazon Prime Members, Borrow Upload Free!
Now through June 16, Amazon Prime members can borrow Mark McClelland’s award-winning science-fiction novel, Upload, from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library for free.Download Upload on Amazon
Upload is a near-future sci-fi thriller that goes deep into the mind of Raymond Quan, a troubled young hacker with a criminal past and dreams of escaping into a digital utopia of his own creation. Upload is the story of the first person to upload his mind into a computer, an unlikely hero in an all-too-plausible tale of transhumanism and the singularity.
July 1, 2013
Upload Among Winners of ForeWord Reviews 2012 Book of the Year Award
Back in March, I posted to say that Upload was a Finalist in Science Fiction for ForeWord Reviews’ 2012 Book of the Year Award. Well, ForeWord Reviews announced the winners on June 28, and I’m very proud to share my happy news: Upload was among the winners!
What is this award? In their own words, "ForeWord's Book of the Year Awards program was created to highlight the year's most distinguished books from independent publishers." From what I've seen, it's one of the premier awards for books from small publishers, and especially for self-published books like Upload.
The winners in science fiction include:
State of Union: Book Two of the God Head Trilogy, by Sven Michael Davison
The Samsara Effect, by Paul Black
The Water Thief, by Nicholas Lamar Soutter
Upload, by Mark McClelland (me)
For more info, read the ForeWord Reviews press release, or browse all of the BOTYA award winners.
What is this award? In their own words, "ForeWord's Book of the Year Awards program was created to highlight the year's most distinguished books from independent publishers." From what I've seen, it's one of the premier awards for books from small publishers, and especially for self-published books like Upload.
The winners in science fiction include:
State of Union: Book Two of the God Head Trilogy, by Sven Michael Davison
The Samsara Effect, by Paul Black
The Water Thief, by Nicholas Lamar Soutter
Upload, by Mark McClelland (me)
For more info, read the ForeWord Reviews press release, or browse all of the BOTYA award winners.
June 21, 2013
Doing My Part For National Flash-Fiction Day
Fans of super-short stories, today (6/22) is National Flash-Fiction Day, and I'm pleased to be playing my own little part. My story, "Lending a Hand", is up on FlashFlood. They'll be posting stories throughout the day, so keep checking back to read new material.
"Lending a Hand" is a surrealistic story inspired by the work of one of my favorite authors, Barry Yourgrau.
"Lending a Hand" is a surrealistic story inspired by the work of one of my favorite authors, Barry Yourgrau.
June 7, 2013
Interview on Chicago Nerd Social Club Podcast
Check out this week's CNSC Podcast for my discussion of Upload with Jeffery Smith of the Chicago Nerd Social Club. I'm seriously impressed by this group. If you aren't looking for a fun group of nerds to connect with here in Chicago, maybe you should be. Where else can you find a bunch of people who are putting together their own field trip to Fermilab?
(From my original, longer blog post, here.)
(From my original, longer blog post, here.)
April 22, 2013
The Joe Show
Thanks to Joe Teehan for having me on "The Joe Show" to talk about the future union of humans and computers, and about Upload. You can catch the interview on the KGMI-AM website (see "The Joe Show for 4/22/13") or listen to the MP3 on uploadthenovel.com, trimmed down to just my segment.
In doing these radio interviews, I find myself gradually fleshing out my ability to talk about ideas and concerns that flopped around in my head through the many years of writing Upload. I finally touched on one issue in particular that's important to me, which could be in its early stages already:
We as a species have a role as caretakers of the planet, and as we isolate ourselves from the planet through a layer of virtual existence, we lose touch with that. We could become more prone than ever to abusing the world that made it all possible.
In doing these radio interviews, I find myself gradually fleshing out my ability to talk about ideas and concerns that flopped around in my head through the many years of writing Upload. I finally touched on one issue in particular that's important to me, which could be in its early stages already:
We as a species have a role as caretakers of the planet, and as we isolate ourselves from the planet through a layer of virtual existence, we lose touch with that. We could become more prone than ever to abusing the world that made it all possible.
April 7, 2013
Brain Mapping: Will We Be Ready For Humanity 2.0?
The Huffington Post invited me to write an op-ed piece, on the potential union of humans and computers, and it went live this past week, on the Science page of the U.S. edition:
Brain Mapping: Will We Be Ready For Humanity 2.0?
I’m blown away by the positive response it’s receiving, and I'm looking forward to writing my next post. I kind of feel like someone handed me a megaphone, and now I have to figure out what to do with the thing. Exciting stuff, and very much NOT a predicted outcome of publishing Upload.
Brain Mapping: Will We Be Ready For Humanity 2.0?
I’m blown away by the positive response it’s receiving, and I'm looking forward to writing my next post. I kind of feel like someone handed me a megaphone, and now I have to figure out what to do with the thing. Exciting stuff, and very much NOT a predicted outcome of publishing Upload.
