Graham Storrs's Blog, page 9

Review: The Sea and Summer by George Turner

(This review first appeared in the New York Journal of Books.)

Those of us old enough may remember how easy it was as a young person to find the best, most thrilling science fiction on the library shelves. All you had to do was look for the yellow spines with the Gollancz logo at the bottom. Whatever the book happened to be it was bound to be good. So it is fitting that Gollancz’s SF Masterworks series continues this tradition, making available to a new audience excellent science fiction year after year since 1999. The 2013 list alone is enough to make a sci-fi fan drool, with 21 titles from the likes of Sheri Tepper, Isaac Asimov, Alastair Reynolds, Robert Heinlein, and T. J. Bass.

The Sea and Summer by George Turner sits comfortably in this august company. A family saga set in the crumbling ruins and failing economies of the mid-21st century. Battered by rising seas and soaring global temperatures, failing agriculture and sinking cities, we follow the fortunes of the Conway family—much of it seen through the eyes of the two boys, Teddy and Francis—as it falls from a life of comfort among the Sweet (people with jobs) to the unimaginable poverty of the Swill (the other 90% of people).

It is written in a “literary” style—the kind that attracts awards—but it is nevertheless an intelligent and nuanced look at a possible future, where climate change has happened, where the predictions of the collapse of capitalism in “The Limits to Growth” have come to pass, and where our hapless grandchildren struggle vainly to keep what is left of our society from degenerating into chaos. It should be chastening to us all that The Sea and Summer was first published in 1987, and we are still on the same trajectory.

As the author says in the postscript,

“We talk of leaving a better world to our children but in fact do little more than rub along with day-to-day problems and hope that the longer-range catastrophes will never happen.

“Sooner or later some of them will.

“The Sea and Summer is about the possible cost of complacency.”

The book is written in a “framing narrative” style, from the perspective of an historian in a utopian future (that also faces its own ecological apocalypse) looking back at the bad times in which most of the book is set. Since the bulk of the novel is presented as the manuscript of a novel (called The Sea and Summer) about those bad times, written by the historian, it is quite easy to imagine this whole framework being removed to leave only the inner novel, without doing any harm at all to the book.

In fact the inner novel does have what seems to be a serious structural flaw in that its second half suddenly veers away from the slow-paced coming of age stories of the two boys and their widowed mother’s acceptance of the care and love of the heroic but flawed slum-boss, Billy Kovacs, to become a more action-packed yarn about a nefarious scheme by the society’s power elite. It’s almost as if the author snaps out of a lit-fic reverie and realizes that some kind of plot better start happening soon.

It’s a shame that this change of pace and style spoils the book somewhat, yet it is a very good book all the same. There isn’t a sympathetic character in the whole novel (except maybe the historian in the outer narrative), and it is something of a triumph that we can keep on rooting for them because of the recognition we feel for their weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

This is a world we could be living in sooner than we would like, and these are the people we know, the people we are—facing a slow catastrophe with the same paucity of courage, the same lack of internal resources. For me, this makes The Sea and Summer almost the definition of what good science fiction is about.

Sales Trends of an Independent Publisher

Today’s guest post is from Karen Henderson of Kayelle Press. For some of us who have self-published a book, the idea that we might offer this service to others and turn ourselves into an indie publisher, is a temptation that whispers in our ear from time to time. Here, Karen talks about the reality of running such a business.

Sales Trends of an Independent Publisher

Setting up an independent press can be daunting. You will need to consider many things before getting started. These issues can differ depending on your location, but basically the most important ones are:

You’ll need to decide on, and register, a business name.
In Australia, you’ll need to obtain an Australian Business Number.
You’ll have to ensure you have bookkeeping skills and other skills to run a business.
It’s essential to know your legal requirements and what your tax obligations are.

It’s scary to think about it, let alone put the idea into motion. But once those details are complete, what happens next? When does the money start rolling in? When can you start planning that world trip you’ve always dreamed of?

The publishing industry has changed dramatically in recent years. Once, aspiring authors would sit alone working late into the night never actually knowing how many other writers were doing the same thing. Now, the internet has opened their eyes to a new world. Those writers sit ‘chatting’ to each other, swapping tips and giving encouragement, all while they continue to work on their next masterpiece in separate parts of the world.

Meanwhile, publishers remain unchanged to a large degree. The large publishing houses continue to do what they’ve always done—print and sell books. But times have changed and reading methods are changing too. I remember when I first heard of an ebook and thought “that will never take off”. I believe the large publishing houses thought the same thing. They didn’t feel threatened, but that’s no longer the case.

Honestly, take a look around and you’ll see bookstores disappearing everywhere. Avid readers tell me they love the real thing—the feel of a printed book in their hands, the smell of the pages. I can relate to that and I’m sure you can too. I doubt books will disappear altogether, but each year more of my friends are purchasing reading devices. They love the convenience of carrying dozens or hundreds of books with them, wherever they go.

When can you go on that trip? Well, don’t start packing just yet. If you’re looking to make large amounts of money in this business then you’re looking at the wrong business; unless you have a lot of money behind you and can afford to pay exorbitant amounts in advertising.

Let me tell you what I’ve discovered in the past three years, while operating my own independent press. Printed books do sell, but not enough to make a living from. If I were permitted to only sell paperbacks then I would have shut the press down long ago, because no publication has paid for itself through paperback sales alone. Not one title. The figures show they don’t even come close.

In my case, the sellers are ebooks. The ebook sales are compensating for the lack of paperback sales. To put it bluntly, the ebook sales are reimbursing me for the money I outlaid for the printed versions.

So what are the figures?

In 2012 I sold a total of 1,381 books. Only 65 of those were paperbacks. Can you see why I would have shut the doors if I had to rely on paperback sales? My family and I would starve. As for a trip overseas or to the next town, for that matter, forget it!

The good news is that 1,316 ebooks were purchased, mainly through reading devices where the user installed apps like iBooks, Kindle, Kobo or something similar. No, it’s still not enough to make a living off but it’s certainly an improvement.

The difference between the paperback and ebook sales is huge. But let’s put it into perspective.

A bookstore owner wants to make money. For this reason they will stock books they know are going to sell, so they pick books by big authors, published by large publishing houses. There’s less risk. I understand and accept this.

Small presses rely on online shoppers. Those shoppers will try new names if the prices are right. But then there’s the added cost of postage, which might be a deterrent. Finally, if everything else is acceptable then there’s the waiting time between purchase and delivery. We live in an instant world and don’t like waiting so this might be the breaking point. Hence, the small number of printed books sold.

However, with ebooks there is no wait. The file is downloaded instantly. The purchaser can start reading right away. The price is usually substantially lower so the risk factor isn’t as great. And … this translates to more sales. More sales can equal profit so maybe that overseas trip isn’t so far away after all.

Should you start an independent press? That’s your decision to make. My only suggestion is to make sure you understand what is involved and don’t give up your day job … not yet, anyway.

Earlier in this post, I mentioned that a lot of people still claim they prefer a printed book over an ebook. What’s your preference and why?

The Tomorrow Book Tour and Prize Draw!

This guest post is part of the “Tomorrow” Virtual Book Tour starting on 6 July 2013. To find out more about the stories, the authors and the publication go to the virtual book tour schedule page.

I am offering Graham’s readers a chance to win a copy to the “Tomorrow” ebook (in the format of the winner’s choice). Just leave a comment on this post and your name will be in the draw. One name will be randomly drawn and the winner will be announced in the comments section, in a couple of days.

Before I go, I’d just like to say a big thank you to Graham for hosting this stop on the book tour. If you haven’t been here before you should take a moment to look around as Graham shares interesting writing tips, reviews and information on what’s happening in the writing world.

About Karen Henderson

Karen Henderson is an editor at Kayelle Press, a small independent publisher of speculative fiction in Australia. Their latest release is “Tomorrow”, a post-apocalyptic anthology exploring the possible outcomes of plagues, biohazards, human error, natural disasters and intergalactic travel. The book is available in paperback and various digital formats from their website and from most online bookstores. Visit the website (www.kayellepress.com) to find out more.

 

 

 

 

Enter to Win Timesplash AND True Path

SF Signal just put up a guest post by me called “Graham Storrs on The Physics of Time Travel (+ Worldwide Giveaway!)”. (Don’t you like the way I said that as if it happens every week?) The “Worldwide Giveaway” part refers to the fact that, simply by emailing them your ebook format preference, you will be put in a draw for BOTH the Timesplash novels – Timesplash and True Path. There are TEN pairs of books to be be won (thanks to the amazing generosity of my publisher, Momentum) so I reckon you stand a pretty good chance of bagging a brace.

The draw remains open for entries until 12th July, so hurry along there. http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2013/07/graham-storrs-on-the-physics-of-time-travel/

And, while I’m at it, even though it is not at all manly of me, I would just like to say, “SQUEE! I’m on SF Signal!”

Astounding True Path Giveaway!

Yesterday, I explained the mechanics of the True Path 24-hour round-the-world non-stop Twitter tour. (Jump back in time and refresh your memory, if you wish.) Today I can announce that my publisher, Momentum, is offering an astonishing prize to the first person to finish reading True Path and to post a review on the site they bought it from. The only catch is that you have to do it before the Twitter tour finishes. And the prize is the entire Momentum sci-fi and fantasy backlist in the ebook format of your choice (EPUB or Kindle). That’s 20+ excellent SFF novels!

We know reading and reviewing a book in just 24 hours is possible because some amazing people achieved it during my first 24-hour round-the-world non-stop Twitter tour, even without the incentive of a prize. So, clear your diary, push the dog off your favourite armchair and get reading. This prize is so good I wish I could enter myself.

When you’ve posted the review, tweet me (@graywave). And remember to use the hashtag #truepath.

The True Path 24-Hour Round-the-World Non-Stop Twitter Tour

Three years ago on the day of the launch of Timesplash, I did the world’s first 24-hour round-the-world non-stop Twitter tour. As I explained it at the time:

OK. This is going to sound crazy but here’s how it will work. From 7pm to 8pm New York time, I will be tweeting about the book to everybody in the GMT-5hrs timezone. This includes all of Eastern USA, about a quarter of Canada, plus Cuba, Peru, Ecuador and the Bahamas.

As 8pm strikes, I will move west by one timezone, to GMT-6 hours, where it will again be 7pm. I’ll be jumping backwards in time! This first jump puts me in another chunk of Canada and the USA, and includes most of Mexico along with El Salvador, Costa Rica and so on. I’ll be tweeting at those guys until 8pm too. Then I move west again.

Each hour I move on, going steadily westward over the next 24 hours until I’m in the GMT-4 hours timezone between 7pm and 8pm the next day (talking to Chile, Peru, parts of Brazil and a teensy bit of Canada, among others.) What this means is that, wherever you live in the world, at 7 – 8pm* … I’ll be tweeting at you …. For me, it will be 24hours of it being 7 – 8 pm!

Of course, some hours may be quieter than others. At GMT-1 and -2, I’ll be in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. GMT+7 will find me in the frozen wastes of central Russia. GMT+10 to +8 should be relatively lively though as I cross Australia (along with Japan, China and another chunk of Russia).

And now I’m about to do the same thing to mark the worldwide launch of True Path, the sequel to Timesplash, and a time travel thriller that deserves at least as much madness as its predecessor. And, besides, that jumping back in time thing is just so utterly appropriate.

I know it sounds crazy and I’m painfully aware that everyone I’ve tried to explain it to has either failed to understand it, or failed to see why anyone would want to do such a thing. And, of course, any tweets I make will be visible to the whole world at once, not confined to a single timezone. But I’m launching an ebook here. It will be available to everyone on the Internet who can access the major online bookshops. And that’s nearly everybody in the whole darned world! Sitting in the bookshop in the local mall signing bookmarks (or whatever) seems far too limited in scope for what is really happening. So I want to visit everywhere in the world, for just one hour, to say hello and to tell people about my book.

The tours starts at 7pm in GMT-5 on 1st July (which is 10am on 2nd July here in Brisbane!) I hope you’ll indulge me by being around at 7pm to 8pm your local time* to give me a wave as I pass through your town. I’ll be using the hashtag #truepath if you’d like to drop in at any time to see how I’m getting on.

—

*I don’t know when everybody’s daylight savings time is, so I may be there an hour early. I’ll be following the Sun. If you have local daylight savings, please make the adjustment.

Guest Post: Steven Saus and His New Kickstarter

Let me introduce Steven Saus, publisher. Steven is the man behind Alliteration Ink, which has been clocking up a healthy list of excellent anthologies and other books, fiction and non-fiction, featuring some great writers from around the world. Like many good micro-presses in the digital age, Alliteration Ink has been building up a following – among writers as well as readers – and Steven is constantly striving to do better for both. With his new anthology, What Fates Impose, Steven is continuing to push the envelope. Now, let me get out of the way and let Steven say a few words.

I remember Krull.

That’s not true. I remember one kick ass and thoroughly impractical weapon… And I remember Rell. He was a member of a race that only had a tiny bit of precognitive power – they could see their own death.

Worse, they could try to avoid their death. But if they did, death would come anyway. But it would not be an easy death. It would be a hard, painful end.

As an adult, my bullshit meter pegs instantly. (No accidents? No soldiers? Really?) As a preteen, it was huge. Would I want to know my death? Would I want to avoid it?

Those questions persist. They get stronger, more emphatic as each day passes, as the weight of my past begins to outweigh my future.

Did I choose the right path?

Did I do the right thing?

Would I do it again?

Last year, Nayad Monroe approached me with a pitch for an anthology called What Fates Impose. She wanted to get authors tackling exactly these themes.

And she succeeded. She’s gathered a great collection of award-winning authors and stories.

We want to pay these authors professional rates, and that’s why we are running a Kickstarter for exactly that reason.

This is where you come in.

I’d like to ask two small things of you. Take a moment to check out our Kickstarter at bit.ly/kickfate. The video features Alasdair Stuart (of Pseudopod) reading a portion of his introductory essay “Singing From the Book of Holy Jagger.” I love hearing Alasdair talk about stories and culture and life; I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do.

Second, please help spread the word. We have a special page to make it a matter of three clicks at bit.ly/sharefate. If you can’t back the Kickstarter financially, this is a quick and easy way you can still help out.

Between our stories and your help, this project will come to fruition.

I predict that it will be awesome.

An Interview With Sabine A. Reed, Author of The Demon Mages

As promised, today’s interview is with fantasy author Sabine A. Reed. I probably don’t mention enough fantasy writers in these pages, so here’s an introduction to one you might not be familiar with to balance things out a bit.

Q: The Demon Mages is your first full-length novel, I believe, and it’s high fantasy. Have you been building up to longer manuscripts and is all your work in the same genre?

A: The Demon Mages is indeed my first full length novel, and it is also the first in a series The Power of Three. Before this, I published two fantasy novellas with Uncial Press, and self-published Serpentine Love as a free smashwords story. High fantasy novels have always been my favourite, and the novellas were sort of a practice run for my first novel. Serpentine Love and Ashuliya are high fantasy, romance novellas whereas The Demon Mages and The Black Orb have little to no romance.

Q: How have your family and friends reacted to you becoming a published author?

A: The success rate in the publishing industry is so low that they feel I would be better off doing any other job. LOL. But they are extremely supportive, especially my husband who has been my pillar of strength.

Q: You live and write in Bangladesh, do you feel you bring a different perspective or flavour to your work, and would that make your fiction more or less appealing to a global audience?

A: Maybe I add a South Asian touch to my story. Some of the names of my characters are definitely South Asian. I am sure the cultural differences creep in somewhere. But readers love a good tale, no matter what the setting and who the author. So I am sure The Demon Mages will appeal to a global audience.

Q: Genre fans are notoriously difficult to please. Do you do a lot of research when you write a book? Or is that not the kind of reader you’re writing for?

A: Epic or high fantasy readers are always willing to suspend their disbelief as long as the magic system is consistent. I have been reading fantasy since I was a child, so am quite familiar with the genre. Sometimes I have to do research (such as, how long can a horse gallop without rest), but mostly I make things up as they come (the best way to do it, in my opinion.)

Q: What are you reading at the moment and what genres engross you the most?

A: Fantasy is my absolute favourite genre. But I read pretty much anything that seems appealing. I am reading Inferno by Dan Brown now and next on my list is high fantasy novel, The Last Swordmage by Martin F. Hengst.

Q: You have some novellas published by Uncial Press, but you are self-publishing The Demon Mages. Why is that?

A: I like the control self-publishing gives me. (Yes, I am a little bit of a control freak when it comes to my work). A self-published author can experiment with promotional activities. I can raise or lower my price, offer the book for free to new readers, change the cover or blurb, etc.. [GS: For two days starting tomorrow, 8th June, The Demon Mages will be available for free on Amazon.]

Q: Tell us something about the ideas behind The Demon Mages, where they came from and why you chose those things to write about out of everything else in the universe.

A: I have always been fascinated with the concept of magic. As a child I used to look for fairies and gnomes in my garden (but alas, never found them). Books by Enid Blyton inspired my imagination. I so longed for a wishing chair or a magical faraway tree during my childhood. I can spend my entire life reading or writing fantasy novels. It’s the best job in the world. All I need is a little readers’ support so I can start earning some money.

The Demon Mages was inspired by my decision to write about a mage who is already a skilled sorcerer. It’s not a coming of age story. Zo knows what she is doing, and why she is doing it. I wanted to explore how far she would go to save her family? Would she risk her inherent magic? Would she risk her life? Themes of family and loyalty are always recurrent in my stories. I think, because, at the end of the day, the most powerful mage is as strong as the love she receives from her family.

Q: In the book, your protagonist, Zo, is a strong and determined woman but the odds are stacked heavily against her. Does Zo represent the struggles of all women?

A: Female heroes are rare in fantasy, but I love a strong, kick-ass, female protagonist. Women are generally stronger in real life than they are given credit for, but in my world, females are as equally represented as male characters. Plus as a woman, it’s easier for me to relate to a female hero.

Q: Will there be more titles in the same “world” as The Demon Mages?

A: Yes. I have two sequels planned; The Warrior Mage and The Water Mage. I hope to complete and publish the trilogy by January 2014.

Q: Where else might your imagination take you? What writing projects do you have underway or planned?

A: Right now, I am focused on the sequels to The Demon Mage. The second book is nearly done. Once this trilogy, The Power of Three, is completed, I will think about another project. But I am sure I will always write high fantasy.

Fantasy readers can connect with me on twitter SabineAReed, goodreads, facebook or subscribe to my newsletter on my website.

Thank you, Graham, for this wonderful opportunity.

[GS: You're most welcome. And don't forget, everybody, The Demon Mages will be available for free on Amazon on 8th and 9th June.]

Interviewed by Author Sabine A. Reed

Just a quick note to let you know that I’ve been interviewed by fantasy author, Sabine A. Reed. The interview, in which I refuse to offer advice or name favourites, is up right now on her blog. So, please pop over there and take a look. I do discuss Timesplash and the sequel, True Path (out on July 1 – have I already mentioned that?) and take a look at Sabine’s own work, including her new novel The Demon Mages. I’ll be doing an interview with Sabine shortly so watch this space.

Timesplash is Available Today!

It’s fast, it’s edgy, it’s exciting and it’s out!

My high-adrenaline, near-future, sci-fi thriller, Timesplash, hits the streets today – and this time it’s published by Pan Macmillan’s digital imprint, Momentum. Yes, respectability, global presence and a team of great professionals to work with (I love the new cover and the editor was brilliant). Now all I need are readers.

Which is where you come in. Now, I know most of the people who read this blog have already got a copy of Timesplash (and may even have read it and reviewed it), so I won’t ask you to buy a second copy All I ask is that you hit the Tweet button at the top right of this post so that some different people might notice it. You could also use the social media links at the bottom of this post to mention it on Facebook or Digg or wherever.

And, for those who don’t know the book…

What the Reviewers are Saying

“Timesplash takes a new, and completely unique, stance on time travel in fiction, and the book will keep you involved right from beginning to end. I’m highly recommending this one to anyone who enjoys this genre.”

“This page-turner gets into action from the start.”

“Storrs obviously knows how to wrangle a good tale. … the characters are tightly integrated into the action-oriented narrative.”

“From the very first scene, I knew this was going to be something special. … I found myself cheering for Sandra and Jay as they faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles.”

“The timesplash is a brilliant concept. … a great fast read with some excellent ideas.”

The blurb…

It started out as something underground, edgy and cool. Then Sniper took it all too far and timesplashing became the ultimate terrorist weapon.

Scarred by their experiences in the time travelling party scene, Jay and Sandra are thrown together in what becomes the biggest manhunt in history: the search for Sniper, Sandra’s ex-boyfriend and a would-be mass murderer.

Set in the near future, TimeSplash is a fast-paced action thriller. Filled with great characters, a sprinkling of romance, and a new and intriguing take on time travel, TimeSplash is ultimately a very human tale about finding bravery through fear, and never giving up. Jay, Sandra, and the other characters are vividly portrayed; you cannot help but empathise with them.

Highly recommended for science fiction and thriller enthusiasts alike.

Available from your local Amazon store (e.g. Amazon.com), iTunes, Kobo, eBooks.com, and all good ebook retailers. For a brief period, it is at a special, low price, so now is the time to grab a copy.

 

 

Categorising Negative Reviews

Having now been the victim recipient of a number of negative reviews (as well as a swag of good ones, thank the FSM!) I’m beginning to see a pattern emerging. There are some people who just don’t like your book, they find genuine weaknesses in its premise or execution and feel it is their civic duty to warn other people not to waste their money. With these readers, I have no problem at all. I admit I am a flawed human being and perfection is not achievable by one such as I. My only hope is that I can learn from the mistakes these reviewers reveal.

However, other negative reviews seem to be more about the reader than about the book. I believe I can categorise these self-revelatory negative reviews into four basic types. In case you are considering writing one of these, hopefully not for any of my books, you might like to consider which type you are crafting and what it actually says about you.

Here is my list:

The Admission of Stupidity

This one goes, roughly, “I couldn’t understand a word of it. I read about three paragraphs of it before I gave up in disgust. This just didn’t make any sense at all.”

Basically, the reviewer is saying, “I am a moron. I normally only read children’s books and the sports sections of tabloid newspapers. I got this book from a torrent site and thought I’d give it a go, but it was too hard for me. This makes me angry because the author ought to know how stupid I am and only write books that I can understand.”

L’Art Pour l’Art

This one goes, “I don’t normally read science fiction but a friend recommended this book so I gave it a go. Sadly, it reminded me of all the reasons I don’t read this genre. The author’s fixation with action at the expense of deep character development left me rather bored and I found the lack of poetry in the language gave the whole work a sterile, almost utilitarian feel.”

What they really mean is, “I am an Oscar Wilde wannabe who normally only reads Man Booker Prize winners, but I have condescended to read this genre rubbish because sometimes I have an insatiable craving for something that actually excites and entertains me. However, having sated this ugly, primitive urge, I can now return to my normal pose of aloof elitism.”

 The Fundamentalist Jihad

Here’s an interesting one. It goes, “I read this book and really enjoyed it. It was pacey and exciting and everything you’d want from a sci-fi thriller. However, this author clearly hates Christians, so I’m giving it one star.”

What they really mean to say is, “I am a deeply insecure person and my delicate ego is propped up only by my desperate belief that there is a magical being somewhere who thinks I have some value, even though I actually hate myself. My whole existence depends on keeping this fragile belief system going, so much so that I can’t even bear to hear my magical being criticised by a character in a work of fiction (unless that character dies a horrible and painful death). So, since my power in this world is limited to giving one-star reviews, that will be my weapon against all who blaspheme.”

The Total Whack-Job

One of my favourites. This one goes, “Not even good High Fantasy. Where were the werewolves? Even though the science of time travel is a mature field, it doesn’t explain anything about how shooting your own grandfather creates the space-time continuum!”

The words this poor reviewer is struggling for are these, “I forgot to take my meds yesterday. What do you mean, ‘Put the knife down?’ Do you know you have a very interesting aura?”

Perhaps you have other categories you would like to add. Please feel free to mention them in the comments below.