Michael Patrick Hicks's Blog, page 86

Science Fiction II: the literary stuff

Originally posted on CONTRARY BRIN:

== SF that’s for reading and the mind ==

The Three-Body Problem is part one of an award-winning trilogy by Liu Cixin— and is arguably the best Chinese science fiction novel ever translated into English. Liu uses the “three-body problem” of classical mechanics to ask some terrifying questions about human nature and what lies at the core of civilization.

The series explores the world of the Trisolarans, a race that is forced to adapt to life in a triple star system, on a planet whose gravity, heat, and orbit are in constant flux. Facing extinction, the Trisolarans plan to evacuate and conquer the nearest habitable planet, and finally intercept a message—from Earth. The Three-Body Problem, due out in October 2014, has been translated into English by award winning writer, Ken Liu.

Special note… TTBP deals very closely with the issue of the Fermi Paradox and whether we should shout “yoo-hoo!” into…

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Following Up with the 50 Self-Published Books Worth Reading Shortlist

You may have heard that Indie Author Land is hosting an open voting round to compile a reader’s choice list of the top 50 self-published books worth reading.

You may have also noticed my huckstering for votes. And while the shortlist names are in, and mine is not included, I’m here to encourage all of you wonderful readers to consider tossing my title, CONVERGENCE, into the contest once more.

The good/incredible news is that CONVERGENCE walked away with as many votes as Hugh Howey‘s DUST! Not bad for a first-time self-publishing newbie, if I do say so myself. (In all fairness, Hugh did get some nods for several of his other works and SAND did make it to the shortlist for voting…but still…I tied with DUST, people!)

So, here’s where I need you. You can still cast a write-in vote for CONVERGENCE by selecting OTHER in the Science Fiction category and writing in my name (Michael Patrick Hicks, by the way…) and book title (CONVERGENCE, in case that hasn’t been made apparent yet). If you’d like to see CONVERGENCE pop up in the next round, get to typing!

Go vote!: http://www.indieauthorland.com/vote-50-self-published-books-worth-reading-201314-science-fiction/

And, of course, many, many, many thanks to those of you voted already. Your support is incredible and humbling!

Also, while you’re over at Indie Author Land, check out the interview I did with them earlier this month.

My Indie Author Land Interview: Welcome to near-future Los Angeles. You’ll hate it here.

Up today, my interview with Indie Author Land. Do check it out, and, if you’re of a mind to, tweet, retweet, like, share, blog, etc. Enjoy!

Welcome to near-future Los Angeles. You’ll hate it here – Indie Author Land.

Indie Author Land: The 50 Self-Published Books Worth Reading (2013/14): Nominations

Although CONVERGENCE has not been out long, it has managed to gain some legs over the past month+ of its release. If you read and enjoyed my novel, please take the time to cast a write-in nomination over at Indie Author Land. It’d be much appreciated, and thanks in advance! Nominations are being collected until April 6.

The 50 Self-Published Books Worth Reading (2013/14): NominationsIndie Author Land.

2014 Best Kindle Book Awards Contest

Michael Patrick Hicks:

Could be a cool contest to look into, fellow writers and ABNAers. Anyone have direct experience with previous Best Kindle Book Awards contests?

Thanks to Michael W. Anderson for the heads-up on this one.

Originally posted on Fidgity Digits:

When it comes to getting publicity for books, an author can’t put all his or her eggs in one basket. And while the biggest thing going on in my world right now is the

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest

, it would take a little bit of luck to go win it. So, I’ve been looking for more contests to enter 

Provoke Not The Children

in. I found a good option last week in the

2014 Best Kindle Book Awards

. I heard about it largely because I’m a huge fan of

Hugh Howey

(all the campaigning he does on behalf



of self-published writers, that is. I have yet to read his books. But I will). Howey won the 2012 Best Kindle Book Awards. I’m not sure that the award contributed much to his success, but it couldn’t have hurt.

Unlike the ABNA, the Best Kindle Book Awards is not a free contest…

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Japan can no longer legally hunt whales

Michael Patrick Hicks:

I’m just going to echo Jerry Coyne’s sentiments here – It’s about damn time!

Originally posted on Why Evolution Is True:

And about damn time, too!  I knew that this case was pending at the International Court of Justice, the judicial arm of the United Nations, but five minutes ago I got a notice there’s just been a ruling. No more slaughter of whales! From CNN alerts:

The International Court of Justice ruled today that Japan can no longer continue its annual whale hunt, rejecting the country’s argument that it was for scientific purposes.

“Japan shall revoke any extant authorization, permit or license granted in relation to JARPA II, and refrain from granting any further permits in pursuance of that program,” the court said, referring to the research program.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Sydney Morning Herald, the suit was initiated by Australia, as a breach of the International Whaling Convention’s moratorium on hunting, which has been in force since 1986. In the past 27 years, the Japanese have slaughtered…

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Brothers Grimm’s Fairy Tales Illustrated In Ghostly Photographs by Killian Shoenberger

Michael Patrick Hicks:

Awesome set of photographs by Killian Shoenberger, by way of the awesome Ania Ahlborn by way of Bored Panda, that were too cool not to share.

Originally posted on Ania Ahlborn | The Blog:

ARTICLE VIA BORED PANDA

“I am colourblind and I can‘t distinguish green and red“. This is how Kilian Schoenberger, one of the finest contemporary landscape photographers, introduces himself on his Facebook profile. This fact strikes even harder, when we observe his recent works – the beautiful, yet ghostly illustrations of the Brothers Grimm‘s fairy-tales.

Schoenberger took the dreary photographic illustrations in remote rural areas throughout Middle Europe. The collection called Brothers Grimm‘s Homeland masterfully plays with our imagination, as these are probably the kind of landscapes that might have easily inspired the famous brothers to create their hair-raising tales.

The professional photographer and geographer was born in Germany. Growing up in the generous area of woodland, Schoenberger has shaped his peculiar taste in gloomy and haunting lansdscapes. The photographer‘s eye and lifestyle have been also shaped by his tight life-long relationship with nature and its mystical side.

On his profile,…

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March Madness!

With CONVERGENCE now having been live for purchase for a bit more than a month, I thought a recap of recent activity was in order. Let the #Humblebrag commence!

Today, IndieView posted the interview I did with them a few weeks back. I think it turned out pretty great. You can check it out here!

Earlier this week, CONVERGENCE cracked the Top 100 Paid eBooks in the category of Science Fiction > Cyberpunk Kindle over at Amazon. Unfortunately, it has since fallen off that listing, but it has racked up two wonderful 5-star reviews. Not a bad trade-off.

To those readers, my thanks go out to you for giving the work of this newbie author a shot. I hope you got your money’s worth. If you did enjoy, please consider leaving a review over at Amazon, Goodreads, or your etailer of choice.

Speaking of etailers, many customers recently received refunds to their accounts as a result of the antitrust eBook settlements with the US government. You can read about this bit of news here. If you’re looking for a book to spend the refund on, might I suggest CONVERGENCE, which is only $3.99?

Over the last few weeks, my novel has been mentioned on a few other websites, so I must thank ECHOES author Therin Knite, who was kind enough to feature CONVERGENCE as part of the Awesome Indie Book Roundup. Knite also highlighted my work on the Awesome Indie Books Facebook page. So lots of kudos to Therin! Thanks also to Geoff Wakeling who featured CONVERGENCE on his Science Fiction Books group March 4 and March 17, and to the fine folks over at Remarkable Reading for their Feb. 27 mention, as well. If you’re a Facebook user, go give these pages a Like and keep an eye out for other great reads, as they update frequently.

On March 15, Bards and Sages Publishing opened the doors again for their annual writing contest. This year, proceeds from the contest’s $20 entry fee will be going to support the Operation Backpack program run by Volunteers of America Delaware Valley. Those entering the contest will be treated to a complimentary copy of CONVERGENCE, as well works from several other authors, as a thank you for participating. You can read more about all this in this earlier post. If you’re a speculative fiction writer, this is a great contest with a terrific sense of quid pro quo and a chance at making some decent cash as a winner. Check them out and toss your hat in the ring with an unpublished work of up to 50,000 words.

Hopefully I’ll be back with some more updates and new postings in April!

National Reading Month

As some readers may know, March is National Reading Month. We opened 3-2014 with Read an eBook Week, and this past weekend Bards and Sages Publishing kicked off their annual writing contest (it runs until October 31) to support Operation Backpack, for which I am providing a “Thank You” copy of CONVERGENCE to contestants (read more about that here). So, words aplenty for March!

So far this month, I’ve read two books by Ania Ahlborn. First up was THE BIRD EATER, followed by THE SHUDDERING. I dug them both pretty severely, but ended up favoring THE SHUDDERING  a tad bit more. As I posted back in January, I’m a big fan of winter-set horror. There’s just something about blood-tinged snow, the omnipresent threat of freezing cold, and the suffocating claustrophobia of being caught in a white-out, blinded by the extremes of weather and knowing that some…thing…is lurking out there, waiting for you. I love it. It’s why John Carpenter’s THE THING is one of my favorite flicks. With THE SHUDDERING, Ahlborn was able to tap into that vein of weathery fright, offering up a classic cabin-in-the-woods threat, and I just dug the hell out of it, plain and simple. As I was nearing the last hundred pages or so, my part of Michigan was treated with yet another nasty snowstorm to remind us that despite being nearly out of the woods, it was still winter, and its icy fingers were still grabbing us by the throat. While the lone survivors of Ahlborn’s tale were being hounded by vicious creatures, the wind was screaming around my house and the snow was piling up. It was a terrific, authentic bit of atmosphere to experience her story in.

Next up was some lighter fare, with the recently re-issued A RIP THROUGH TIME from Beat to a Pulp publisher’s. Also another terrific read, this trippy, pulpy sci-fi time travel book is a collaborative piece with different authors, including Chris F. Holm of The Collector series of books, contributing a chapter and constructing a complete story. In my opinion, this would be a great Bruce Campbell vehicle if ever adapted for film.

Yesterday, I began reading David Niose’s NONBELIEVER NATION: THE RISE OF SECULAR AMERICA. At the start of the year, I made it a resolution to read more non-fiction and have been kind of slacking on this. I’ve read two books on publishing, and Richard Dawkin’s THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH back in Jan/Feb, and have been itching to get some more non-fic into my reading circulation, especially since I have a pretty sizable backlog of non-fic reads… Here goes my effort to begin amending my lapses.

So, what have you been reading? How’s National Reading Month going for you?

And, oh yeah, let me just point out that coincidentally, National Reading Month just so happens to also be about the time that my own novel, CONVERGENCE, released. It’s a sci-fi thriller that I think fans of cyberpunk will enjoy, but it’s also pretty accessible to open-minded readers who like mystery/thriller books with a bit of a twist and an edge. I think readers who dig neo-noir crime thrillers, or are familiar with other straight-up thriller writers, like Barry Eisler or Lee Child, should be able to find my book right up their alley. Click the link above or poke around the site to find more information, and go snag a copy of the book so you can celebrate National Reading Month with me!

Operation Backpack

I am proud to announce that CONVERGENCE will be included in the “Thank You” gift pack of eBooks given to all contestants of this year’s speculative fiction writing contest from Bards and Sages Publishing. The contest opens today, March 15 and runs until Oct. 31. A significant portion of the contest’s $20 entry fee will be going to support the Operation Backpack program run by Volunteers of America Delaware Valley. Those who submit their stories to Bards and Sages will be rewarded with a collection of titles from KJ Colt, Deirdre Gould, Jeff Bracket, as well as myself and a few others. Entrants will also have a chance to win some audiobooks donated by Red Adept Publishing. For the full-list and details on entering, check out the contest here.

Donations made to Operation Backpack will help provide some of America’s homeless children, or children living in foster care, with much-needed school supplies. It will also help fund VoA’s after-school and youth mentoring programs.

Now, I say “some of” because, let’s face reality here – there are an awful lot of homeless children in the US, kids whose families are poor and struggling, and who don’t have the means and options available to them that a number of other luckier, better-off kids have. And, there’s a number of reasons for this, all of them well beyond the control of these poor, young kids. It’s a sad state of affairs all around. The American Institutes for Research estimates that there are over 1.6 million homeless children in the USA. I would encourage you to read more about this plight here and prepare to be shocked and dismayed, and then, hopefully, use some of that anger, contempt, sadness, or whatever emotions this inspires in you to at least try to help make things right. You can find a list of other Operation Backpack campaigns here.

I know that, sadly, there’s quite a bit of cynicism regarding charitable organizations, and the argument that the only people who really benefit are the wealthy elites organizing the campaigns. I’m sure we’ve all heard about the backlash against Susan G. Komen For the Cure, or remember the criticisms of donation campaigns in the wake of 9/11. Protestations aside, I do believe that acts of kindness, generosity, and charity can go rather far. It’s way too easy to brush aside the kindhearted efforts of these organizations by saying it all just goes into the pockets of the rich fat-cat organizers behind these campaigns. To which I say, do your homework, and don’t paint all charities with the same wide brush. One bad apple, in fact, does not ruin the whole bunch. It’s easy to be cynical, but it’s even easier to be lazy and selfish.

Volunteer’s of America is an accredited Better Business Bureau charity, and ninety cents of every donated dollars goes to the folks who need it. And 1.6 million homeless children certainly do need it. Kids are our future, and we need to make their lives and our world better for them.

Bards and Sages Publishing has been holding this annual speculative fiction writing contest for a few years now, and in that time they’ve raised thousands of dollars for charity, including American Red Cross, Children’s Literacy Initiative, and Doctors Without Borders. They’ve done solid work, for a number of solid, worthwhile programs.

In short, I’m more than happy to take a small part in this fund-raising campaign. To all you speculative fictions writer’s out there, I encourage you to submit your work. At best, you’ll win $500 and a pack of audiobooks, and at worst, you’ll be getting your twenty-dollars worth of reading material. And beyond those fine incentives, you also just might give a child the chance to tough out another school year and let them know that somebody out there cares enough about them to help. Seems like a win-win no matter how you look at this.