Samit Basu's Blog: Newsletter!, page 5
July 20, 2014
Time to retire?
It might just be time to retire. Two things happened today. One, this:
The photo’s from the New Releases section at Waterstones Piccadilly, where Turbulence was launched last year. Sent by the brilliant Sanghamitra Chakraborty.
Reader self: Surrounded by legends!
Bookseller self: Exactly. Who will buy yours?
Internet self: The other thing that happened today was you found you were on Buzzfeed.
Writer self: It might be time to retire.
July 13, 2014
Resistance round 6: More love!
Huffington Post piece on “Indian” creatures in lit/pop culture around the world.
EXCERPT: Chapter 3, in which we meet the superheroes of the Unit and see what happened to Uzma: SF Signal
Another act of great kindness from Ben Aaronovitch. Thanks Ben!
A guest post on SciFiNow.
And two more super-kind reviews.
‘You think you know which way the story will go and then it takes you in a completely different direction. Basu has maintained his ability of giving a fresh perspective on the genre, taking familiar tropes and archetypes and turning them upside down and inside out.’ – The Geek Hard show
‘Altogether Resistance is a great take on modern portrayals of super-powers. While it is a book as opposed to a graphic novel it does not suffer from the lack of images and indeed allows a reader a closer look into the mindset and personalities of the characters.’ – Vada Magazine
Resistance main page here. Collected reviews here. Interviews here. Posts/pieces here.
July 10, 2014
Finally on io9!
Last year, there were multiple roars of delight in the Basu household as pieces or reviews appeared in most of my favourite sites – Huffington Post, Suvudu, Tor.com, SF Signal, IGN, Wired. The biggest missing name? io9. Which is why I’m delighted to share this, and it gets its own post:
An essay on Bollywood superheroes in io9
Resistance main page here. Collected reviews here.
July 7, 2014
Resistance reviews round 5: Son of Resistance
Resistance main page here. Collected reviews here.
A couple of really kind reviews:
‘I can’t recommend this novel enough simply for the engaging plot, but Basu is obviously breaking new ground, especially for American audiences, in uniting international contexts, a diverse array of characters from multiple nations, and the genre of speculative fiction. This novel is certainly one to add to your reading list, or if you’re an instructor, your syllabus!’ - Asian American Lit Fans
‘When I read Turbulence I thought the bar had been set too high for Basu to reach it again. I was wrong. This book is in fact better than Turbulence.’ - Cult Den
And some interviews at some unbelievably cool sites:
About superheroes, spec-fic and Resistance at SF Signal
Much fun was had doing the Tor Pop Quiz at the End of the Universe.
Take Five on Suvudu
June 30, 2014
Stoob the First is published!
Delighted to announce that The Adventures of Stoob: Testing Times is now published. Buylinks here:
You know what to do.
June 29, 2014
Resistance reviews round 4: Return of Resistance
Collected reviews here.
A few reviews I’ve been waiting to share – Curiosity of a Social Misfit, FanGirl Confessions, and Muggenet, which is a site that as a long-term Potterhead I’ve been to several times. It’s an honour to see my own work there – and a five-star review? Super grateful. Warning, though: the Mugglenet review, while plot-spoiler-free, does give you a great deal of information about the book. So if you like to go into books knowing very little, you might want to read it afterwards – though if you were that kind of person you wouldn’t be here, would you?
‘ If you have the guts to poke your head out of the comfortable and familiar and try a new, somewhat foreign flavor (“international” would be a better description), you will be richly rewarded. Only look out for falling buildings, animated statues, monsters with poisonous flatulence, and the possibility of at least a third book to come!’ - MuggleNet
‘… a tighter pace, well rounded characters and some really well placed revelations about not only the characters but also their powers…. When all the pieces start to come together, it’s just like watching a master painter working on his next piece of art.’ – Curiosity of a Social Misfit
‘What would it be like if normal humans were suddenly given superpowers? I feel both books deal with this issue in a way that isn’t just humorous, but also realistic. And that’s what makes both books a good read’ - FanGirl Confessions
June 25, 2014
Resistance/Turbulence reviews as we head towards pub-day
Some more kind reviews of Resistance are in as we head towards publication day – less than two weeks to go now! The Resistance central page is up.
‘It’s a great read that spans the world and somehow manages to keep things organized and highly entertaining without skipping a beat.’ – City of Films
‘Basu does an excellent job of creating characters that readers can relate with and fully understand on an emotional level. Several of the novel’s characters are originally from Basu’s home country of India, but the story and dialogue between characters is so well written that it easily overcomes any cultural barriers’ – BGG After Dark
Meanwhile, Turbulence is getting talked about as well, and I’m very relieved to see it’s not forgotten:
‘Samit Basu explores not only superhero origins, but where they will go from there, with a spot-on mix of excitement, thoughtfulness, and emotional depth… Basu never misses the mark. And so this book is as highly satisfying as its sequel is eagerly anticipated.’ – Mugglenet/A Fort Made of Books
‘Samit Basu offers a superhero story about people who aren’t American (though American superhero comics exist and are referenced), and in which women aren’t automatically relegated to the status of sex-objects. I really liked it.’ – Fistful of Wits
‘Basu’s novel is so engaging because there’s a wonderful mix of action and humor… Truly, a pyrotechnic feat of the superhero-oriented imagination.’ – Asian American Lit Fans
In other news, I was in an SF Signal Mind Meld a few days ago, on villains.
And in other other news, advance copies of The Adventures of Stoob are here!
June 23, 2014
Resistance excerpt out on Tor.com
Tor.com is one of my favourite sites on the whole Internet, and has always been a source of great joy and discovery. Imagine my absolute delight, then, when I find the first chapter of Resistance in it.
Resistance Chapter One on Tor.com
May 26, 2014
May 20, 2014
Coming soon: Resistance and Stoob.
Resistance is out in the UK and US in July. Was thrilled a few days ago when Nick Harkaway (of whose work I’m a big fan, and I cannot wait to read Tigerman) read and liked Resistance. Here’s his early review.
“Fresh, exciting heroics with a serious spine. What’s not to like?” – Nick Harkaway
This isn’t specifically Resistance related, but if you found Turbulence interesting you should definitely read this post on the myth of heroism by the great Charles Stross and this one by Cheryl Morgan on the rise of the British superhero
The first volume of a new series just went to press today. The Adventures of Stoob is a children’s book. The protagonist is ten, and it’s not a fantasy novel. School stories. The first one is called Testing Times, and is about Stoob’s first big exam. There will be more. Do look out for the lovely illustrations from the very talented Sunaina Coelho.
Will update when I know when it’s out. In other news, a New York visit happened last month, and there are photo-type things all over my Instagram. I’m working on many secret things involving non-disclosure agreements and digital signatures, so more when I can say more.
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