Matt Forbeck's Blog, page 60
February 7, 2011
Duty Calls at Tor.com
My latest post is up at Tor.com. This one's about Duty Calls, a parody of military-themed first-person shooters. Even though it's an ad for the upcoming game Bulletstorm, it's still hilarious.
February 4, 2011
The Eloquent Page Raves for Vegas Knights
Over at the Eloquent Page, Pablo Cheesecake gives Vegas Knights a rave review. He remarks on a couple fun, spoilery details but adroitly avoids any of the big reveals. (To be absolutely fair, the back of the book likely reveals more.) He writes:
If Hollywood is listening, someone needs to snap up the rights to the movie version of this sharpish. It's a sure fire winner.
My favorite of his notes about the book, though, comes from his Twitter stream the day before he posted the review:
The book I have just finished reading was fucking epic.
Can't tell you how much that made me smile. Thanks, Pablo!
February 2, 2011
Mind Meld: Surprising SF Films
The folks over at SF Signal ran a new "Mind Meld" column and asked me to join in. This time around, they asked "What was the last science fiction film that surprised you in a good way? What about in a bad way? Explain why."
Click on over to read my answer, along with ones from Tobias S. Buckell, Lucius Shepard, Nancy Kress, Kevin Maher, Chris Nakashima-Brown, Derek Johnson, and Mary Robinette Kowal.
February 1, 2011
More Amortals Reviews
A pair of kind Amortals reviews cropped up recently. Over at SFSite.com, Michael M. Jones says many great things, including:
The end result is a much deeper, more complex story than I was expecting, with a thought-provoking ending. What you get, thusly, is an action-filled, tense piece with plenty of cinematic moments and a heck of a payoff. Some of the story beats are reminiscent of Philip K. Dick… [A]ll I can say is that it's a pretty intense read all on its own. Amortals is an SF action-thriller that satisfies on all levels.
On Amazon.co.uk, David Burton received a copy of Amortals through the Amazon Vine reviews program. He gives the book five stars and a short review that caps off with:
One of the more impressive sci-fi books I've read, and one that reminded me of the better work by William Gibson.
As a huge fan of the books of both Dick and Gibson, I'm thrilled to see such comparisons made. Thanks!
Another Vegas Knights Review
Over the weekend, Matthew Caine Gill posted a glowing, five-star review of Vegas Knights over at Living Social. (Cunning as he is, he received an advanced reader copy, courtesy of the Robot Army.) About the book, he writes:
Matt Forbeck delivers an electrifying roller coaster ride, filled with Magic, Poker, and so much more… This book was just a blast to read, I can't even begin to do it justice… So if you see it on a shelf soon, buy it.
Vegas Knights hits stores in the UK and e-readers worldwide on March 3. Print copies arrive in the US on March 29.
January 31, 2011
Flames Rising Interview
Over at Flames Rising, my friend Bill Bodden interviews me about Amortals. The conversation runs from my reasons for writing the book to what's coming up next. (Hint: Vegas Knights.) Be sure to check it out.
January 27, 2011
What's the Big Idea with Amortals?
Over at John Scalzi's blog Whatever today, I have a guest post in his "The Big Idea" series, in which writers explain what inspired them to write a particular book. For mine, I explain how Amortals got its start with a, um, snuff film. As John writes in his introduction:
In the annals of the dreaded author question "where do you get your ideas?" It's entirely possible that Matt Forbeck has got the most interesting response, at least when it comes to his novel Amortals.
Go on over there and read the piece, and let me know what you think of it.
[For those few of you who don't know, John's a stellar writer with a huge following for both his blog and his books. He's also the current president of the SFWA. Be sure to check him out and read his stuff. You'll thank me later.]
Vegas Knights Sample
This morning, my mechanical overlords at Angry Robot released a free sample of my next upcoming novel, Vegas Knights. It encompasses the first five chapters of the book, and you can read it right here. If you enjoy it, be sure to tell all your friends and neighbors — and if you feel like you should do something good for yourself today, go ahead and pre-order it. You deserve it.
Open publication – Free publishing – More vegas
January 26, 2011
Two More Amortals Reviews
Here are a couple more reviews for Amortals that slipped past me in the chaos around the holidays. First up, my friend Bill Bodden enjoyed the book over at Flames Rising. Among other things, he writes:
Amortals is a fast and engrossing read, highly original, and with more than its fair share of surprises. If you like thrillers with a science-fiction edge, check out Matt Forbeck's Amortals, and strap yourself in; it's a wicked ride.
Next, over at the Outhousers, Jeremy Shane checks in with a kind review. He sums up:
Forbeck does a great job with his (or our) future world… If you are fan of sci-fi, cyberpunk, or just good 1st-person detective stories, I think you would enjoy this book.
Project 16:49 in the News
Tonight, look for an interview with my wife Ann on Channel 15 News out of Madison, Wisconsin. They came out to our house this afternoon to ask her about Project 16:49 and the benefit concert being held for it this weekend. Ann and Ruben Burgos (the director of Sixteen Forty-Nine) also appeared on WCLO AM radio this morning, and you can listen to a recording of the show online.
The TV interview took place in my office while I chatted in the kitchen with the three homeless teens who are the subject of Ruben's documentary. If/once that shows up online, I'll post a link to it. That way you can learn more about Ann's work and see where I work at the same time. If you get Madison TV stations, though, be sure to tune in tonight. And if you're around this weekend, be sure to join us at the benefit for some great music and food for an excellent cause.
Update: Turns out the full TV piece will air in mid-February, near to the time that Sixteen Forty-Nine will appear at the Beloit International Film Festival. There may still be a mention of the benefit concert tonight.
