K.M. Alexander's Blog, page 94
October 18, 2013
Friday Link Pack
It’s time to share a few interesting links I have found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! I’m always looking for new links if you have any suggestions, let me know.
Writing:
“The Stars Were Right” is on sale!
Apparently Google decided to put “The Stars Were Right” on sale, and as they do, Amazon matched them. What does that mean? You can save 23% on Stars! Until when? I have no idea, but have at it!
Damning Orson Scott Card
With his recent anti-gay article and his racists rants there has been a lot of backlash towards sci-fi author Orson Scott Card, his book Ender’s Game, and it’s forthcoming movie. Setsu over at KatanaPen posted a great article asking, can we separate the author from their art? For myself, as a fan of Lovecraft’s work (himself a racist,) I found it applicable and it gave me pause. Worth a read.
Art:
The Dunwich Horror
I posted about this set before, but I figured why not make the art section of this weeks Link Pack “Lovecraft” themed. Artist Sigrid Rødli renders one of Lovecraft’s most well known stories with detailed folk-art. The pieces ooze atmosphere, seriously, so good.
Guillermo Del Toro’s Sketchbook
One of my favorite directors is also a really talented artist. Make sure you check out his work. As with his movies, his sketches are also very much rooted in weird-fiction.
Yog-Blogsoth
Artist Michael Bukowski has taken it upon himself to draw every monster Lovecraft has written about and he started a blog to showcase these drawings. The results are terrifying, creepy, often NSFW, and sometimes quite metal.
Random:
An 1893 map of London overlaid atop a modern map of London
This is way too cool. The level of detail in the 1893 map, including the floor plans of many of the buildings, is astounding. If you’re at all a maps fan this is worth your time.
The curious world of Walter Potter
Walter Potter was an amateur taxidermist who built tableaux that became icons of Victorian whimsy. The Guardian shares some photos of his bizarre and fascinating creations.
Bad Lip Reading and Game of Thrones
In their latest YouTube Video the Bad Lip Reading crew turns HBO’s Game of Thrones into a comedy about a theme park. It’s hilarious.
Lovecraft Story of the Week:
Nyarlathotep
“And it was then that Nyarlathotep came out of Egypt. Who he was, none could tell, but he was of the old native blood and looked like a Pharaoh.”
Farewell Gif(s) of the Week:
__________________________________________________________________
Want more content like this? Sign up for my monthly newsletter: The Telegram. It’s packed full of writing tips, reading recommendations, news on my books, interesting links, and even a few guest posts. Sign up today!
October 16, 2013
Some visual inspiration…
I found these photos by artist and photographer Nicolas Bouvier taken at various location around my hometown of Seattle. They were too good not to share. Make sure you check out more of his photos on his flickr page and see his latest work by following his tumblr.
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
[image error]
October 15, 2013
Dan Michaelson has written a book
This parody video from UCB too funny not to share. If I ever do a book trailer it needs be exactly like this:
Old Broken Road
I have mentioned “Old Broken Road” before. Recently I have received emails from a few folks who have noticed the counter appearing on the right side of the blog claiming it is done. With “The Stars Were Right” out the door (and reviewing really well) it’s time to spend a bit more time talking about my next title: “Old Broken Road.”
“Old Broken Road” is the sequel to “The Stars Were Right.” Set a year after the events in Stars, OBR follows a few characters from the previous book as they set off on another adventure. This time we move outside of the megalopolis of Lovat and into the harsh lands of the Territories. Like the book before it, there will be strange new places to visit, new races to discover, and a new evil lurking. I’m excited for you to read it.
As of May the manuscript was finished. I have gotten feedback from my beta-readers and I am elbows deep in the editing process. Should my stars be right I’m hoping for an early 2014 release. So stay tuned! Expect a cover reveal coming soon, a new site, and like “The Stars Were Right” I plan on releasing an excerpt. Those folks subscribed to my monthly newsletter will get the info first, so make sure you subscribe!
Old Broken Road – Coming in 2014
Some roads should stay less traveled.
I suppose this means I need to come up with a series title.
October 14, 2013
Shoggoths in Bloom
A few weeks ago my friend Josh Montreuil recommended Elizabeth Bear‘s short story “Shoggoths in Bloom” to me. It is found in her anthology of short stories with the same name. It’s a quick read, but I absolutely loved it, which is why “Shoggoths in Bloom” is my latest reading recommendation.
It’s no secret the dark stain on the H.P. Lovecraft’s legacy was the man’s overt racism. While Lovecraft fans are generally honest about his beliefs, it is rarely addressed in fiction influenced by his work. “Shoggoths” is different: set along the Maine coast in 1938 Bear masterfully use the mythos to have a serious conversation about racism, while still keeping that looming sense of unknown and mystery. At the center of the story we find a black college professor named Harding. While his skin color might be different from Lovecraft’s typical white-bread heroes, Harding still fits the academic archetype seen throughout Lovecraft’s own work. Harding is well-rounded, brave, and smart, but Bear write him in such a way that we find him struggling in his own way to deal with the issues of his day. It’s a refreshing take on Lovecraft, and in my opinion, one of the best recent additions to the mythos in years.
Shoggoths in Bloom is available on Kindle and in paperback Amazon, or on Nook and in paperback Barnes and Noble.
__________________________________________________________________
Want more content like this? Sign up for my monthly newsletter: The Telegram. It’s packed full of writing tips, reading recommendations, news on my books, interesting links, and even a few guest posts. Sign up today!
October 11, 2013
Friday Link Pack
It’s time to share a few interesting links I have found throughout the week. Some of these I mention on Twitter, if you’re not already following me there, please do! I’m always looking for new links if you have any suggestions, let me know.
Writing:
A bookstore inside a gothic cathedral
Only in the Netherlands.
Analysis of ISBN numbers shows self-publishing jumped 59% last year
Some interesting data from ISBN marketplace Bowkers surrounding the ever growing marketplace of indie publishing. Almost 60% is an enormous leap forward.
Art:
“The Innsmouth Look” by Kari-Lise Alexander
I am loving this new piece my wife is finishing up for a group show. (Also shown cropped up above.) It’s an elegant take on Lovecraft’s fishy Innsmouth residents and the “peaked diadem” described in the story.
The Sultan’s Elephant
This is incredible. It’s part installation and part performance art involving a huge moving mechanical elephant, a giant marionette of a girl and other art installations. You can see a video of The Sultan’s Elephant in action here.
Submarine in Milan
Speaking of installation art…this submarine “surfacing” in the streets of Milan is equally cool. I don’t even care if it is for an ad campaign. Bonus points if they repeat this in Venice.
Random:
Russian Insults (NSFW)
I’d be a moodeela if I didn’t share this with you all. Some of the characters in “Deep” are Russian, so I was happy when I found this list of Russian language curses and insults. I wonder about the accuracy. If anyone is a native Russian speaker and can confirm…let me know.
Migaloo the Albino Humpback Whale
“What the white whale was to Ahab, has been hinted; what, at times, he was to me, as yet remains unsaid.” —Herman Melville, Moby Dick
Migaloo also has his own website over here.
Lovecraft Story of the Week:
The Shadow Over Innsmouth
Since I mentioned Kari-Lise’s current work in progress why not feature my favorite of Lovecraft’s stories. The Shadow Over Innsmouth includes some of Lovecraft’s best: a lurking evil, a strange esoteric cult, a surly New England drunk, a cool chase scene, and a lot of observations on architecture.
Farewell Gif(s) of the Week:
__________________________________________________________________
Want more content like this? Sign up for my monthly newsletter: The Telegram. It’s packed full of writing tips, reading recommendations, news on my books, interesting links, and even a few guest posts. Sign up today!
October 10, 2013
Some visual inspiration…
Third Avenue, 1951. Photo by Esther Bubley.
Stars is on Google Play, longer excerpt now available, and more!
I am seeing some great activity around “The Stars Were Right,” and the feedback has been really exciting. I am glad everyone is enjoying it and having fun. That was my goal. As always tell your friends and please leave honest reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. They go a long way.
Few things I want to highlight:
“The Stars Were Right” is now available on GooglePlay for those of you who do your reading on Android and Google devices.
If you head on over to Goodreads you can read the prologue and first three chapters for free! (Don’t forget to add the book to you library.)
I’ll have some big announcements coming in the next few months. Including: the name reveal for “Deep” and the cover reveal of “Old Broken Road” (the sequel to “The Stars Were Right.”) Be the first to see these reveals by signing up for my monthly newsletter: The Telegraph. It takes seconds to sign up.
I am still working on iBooks and Nook support. I am hoping both are ready for release soon.
I am also hunting for a local publisher to do a small run of trade paperbacks. I am not ignoring those of you who want physical copies, it’s coming—not sure when—but it’s coming.
More updates as things happen.
October 7, 2013
Read some early reviews of “The Stars Were Right”
I’m beaming over here. Can you see me beaming? That bright light outside isn’t the sun, it’s me, beaming. Why? I’m starting to see early reviews come in for “The Stars Were Right” and they’re looking great. I am kind of overwhelmed. Right now “The Stars Were Right” is currently getting 5 Stars on Amazon, and has 4.86 Stars on Goodreads. Wow.
I wanted to share a few of the reviews here:
A gritty adventure through a city rich with life and death, in the style of a tale told over some cheap whiskey at a dusty dive bar on the outskirts of a bizarre Lovecraftian town. Excellent pacing, excellent lead character, and excellent world building.
and…
Move over, Mieville – there’s a new author on the scene equal (if not greater!) in his ability to create captivating urban landscapes, people them with a myriad of races and cultures, and show them to readers in a way that mimics the complexity of the real world. Simply put, I appreciate that Alexander treats readers like they’re too smart to be handed a simplistic and overt explanation of the mythological context of the story. Instead, you piece together a vision of what kind of world you’re visiting through colorful experiences.
After exploring it myself, I’ll tell you – this is a world to which I hope to return. Sometime when I have a few dedicated hours to spend, knowing that I’ll be unable to pull away. This is a story with tempo, one that pulls you along in its wake, raising your heart-rate and your need for more with each page. Read an excerpt to see what I mean.
also…
In his first book, K. M. Alexander masterfully introduces us to a new world and exciting lead characters through a story that weaves elements of sci-fi, old world paganism, and the wild west into a page turner that’s hard to put down. Looking forward to the next book in this series!
finally…
A fantastic story with a genuinely likeable protagonist and plenty of suspense. Fast paced and lushly detailed. A very enjoyable read. I look forward to further works from this artist.
Thanks again for those who have purchased “The Stars Were Right”, and thank you to everyone who has left these reviews. They go a long way towards helping out indie authors. So please keep reading, please keep leaving reviews, and please keep letting your friends know.
Oh and one last plug: if you haven’t picked up your copy of “The Stars Were Right” yet you can get it from Kindle, Kobo, or direct for me as a DRM-free epub.
More news coming later this week!
October 4, 2013
Art Highlight: Josh Montreuil
The above image (click to see it larger) comes from my best friend and one of my favorite illustrators: Josh Montreuil. Last Christmas my wife commissioned him to draw the cast of “The Stars Were Right” as a surprise gift for me and he did a fantastic job. Wouldn’t you agree?
As writer I love seeing the different ways people interpret these characters. I posted this piece before, and as I said last year there’s a lot going on that I really like: Wal’s tattoos, to Samantha’s robes, Josh’s take on Wensem, and even the details in the world around the cast: from the open sewer to the strange writing on the storefront window.
Josh Montreuil is available for commissions, check out more of his work at his blog.
I really want this to become a weekly series. So I plan on starting to highlight art from “The Stars Were Right” fans and readers and sharing it with all of you! If you have any submissions please email them to me at: hello@kmalexander.com with the subject line: “Stars Art Highlight.” Include any links to a website showing your work so I can share that as well and let me know if people can buy your piece/prints/etc.
