"Journal" reader feedback
A Journal of the Crazy Year has been out for a couple of months now. I'm thrilled to say that quite a few copies moved during the recent promotional event on Amazon – many thanks to my new friend Travis Luedke for his assistance. The pace of reader feedback is beginning to pick up as well. As I type this, Journal holds a 4.5 overall rating on Goodreads, and 4.6 on Amazon.
I'm an old school science fiction fan from way back, having grown up reading the works of the grand masters, such as Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and their contemporaries. Because of my upbringing, so to speak, I'm a firm believer that science fiction should, to the fullest extent possible, follow the rules of nature. Of course, you have to dodge some of them – for instance, there will be few novels about interstellar travel if we don't find a fictional device to get us around the speed of light. But having come up with a star drive, a sci-fi writer can't suddenly dispense with other physical laws. It's amazing to me how many fictional works – especially sci-fi movies – do exactly that. Such violations can be as simple as hearing a big ol' "swoosh" in the vacuum of space as a starship whizzes by, or as mindless as having astronauts "walk" from one spaceship to a different one that's not even traveling in the same orbital plane. The list goes on and on.
The desire "to keep it real" presented a problem to me when I decided to finally write the zombie tale that's been banging around in my head for years: how do you get around the fact that no complex organism has ever been scientifically shown to rise from the dead? (And I might add, some readers have a real problem with that from a religious standpoint.) For fictional purposes, we can simply wave a wand and say that zombies do that – which is exactly how most zombie tales proceed. Such stories are pretty far afield from science fiction – not that there's anything wrong with that; I love a good horror story, too. But, as an alternative, can we find a plausible way to tell the zombie story without having to invoke supernatural forces? And by the way, for this purpose simply saying that a zombie is "infected" won't do – not if the zombie is said to have been dead before being re-animated by the disease.
It was with that thought in mind that I delved into the research for Journal. And the research paid off. The novel's prologue (which you can read for free by way of the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon.com, whether you have a Kindle or not) is not fictional. The disease it discusses really did happen. The facts detailed in the prologue are substantially correct; the disease mysteriously appeared, and then disappeared just as mysteriously, as described. Could it return, in an even more virulent form? That question sets the stage for a zombie story that, while unlikely, nevertheless does fall within the realm of possibility – while, at the same time (as a side benefit) not requiring anyone to set their religious convictions aside.
I've also been fascinated for a long time with the idea of lost civilizations. There is evidence to suggest that our current advanced civilization, which has about 5,000 years of recorded history, was not mankind's first, and maybe not even his second. What happened to those earlier civilizations? Why did they disappear? Was there some kind of disaster? Could it happen again?
Throw those questions into the pot of our current crazy 21st century world, add in an old-fashioned boy-meets-girl love story, toss in a comet or two, stir, and you have "A Journal of the Crazy Year."
Here's what readers are saying so far, along with some reaction from me:
Sara (just posted this week): Five stars. "I don't write many reviews, so I apologize for the brevity. My family almost didn't have mashed potatoes or cranberries on Thanksgiving, and it's thanks to this book! Could NOT put it down. Absolutely loved it."
My reaction: Thanks, Sara! The words "could not put it down" are the kind of praise an author fantasizes about hearing! That is the exact effect I was aiming for.
Fantascize.com: Five stars. Reviewer F.J. Bayog of this popular sci-fi and fantasy site gives a nod to the ton of research that went into the book, calling its historical and scientific details "impressive," and writes: "The origins of the comets and some cool references to Atlantis and the Genesis flood, interestingly make a point that history is about to repeat itself. There's education and mystification in the midst of the thrilling narrative, and they fit well." The reviewer goes on to place me in some pretty impressive writing company, concluding: "If you like World War Z [Max Brooks], Cell [Stephen King] or other apocalyptic stories that inquisitively examine the humans' dark psyches and moral tendencies, A Journal of the Crazy Year is worth checking out."
My reaction: I really appreciated this review not only because it came from someone who consumes tons of sci-fi and cranks out a lot of reviews for a widely-viewed site dedicated to the genre, but because the scientific and historical details made a difference for this reader – as should be the case for all good sci-fi!
"The Voracious Reader": Four point five stars. She writes that she is no big fan of the zombie genre but then goes on to say, "This one surprised me. I loved it…. Will look forward to more from this author."
My reaction: Zombies are big right now, and there are a lot of zombie books out there, some of them really good. I deliberately set out to write one that's a bit different, a novel that might appeal to not only those fans but also, perhaps, to a larger audience as well. That meant that I couldn't simply emulate what was already out there. There's action in the novel, of course – some people do get eaten (a good zombie will do that). But there's also a love story and even a literary allusion or two, along with the fruits of many days of research time spent on line and in a university medical sciences library. At the recommendation of one of my new writer friends, a few weeks ago I asked Judy Shafer, a prolific reviewer of all genres who writes a blog called The Voracious Reader, to take a look at my work, and I was nervous about her reaction. When the review came in, I was very pleased to see that at least with her, I seemed to have accomplished that goal of writing something with broader appeal.
"Dawn G": Four stars. She writes, "The story surprised me and the ending wasn't what I anticipated. It was nice to read a PA [post-apocalyptic] book that I didn't have mapped out by the second chapter."
My reaction: Yes! Like Dawn, I consume a lot of fiction, both in written form and by way of watching TV and motion pictures. Many times when viewing one of the latter with my wife, I'll turn to her after five or ten minutes, and then accurately predict the ending, or at least the essence of it. She hates it when I do that. So I don't want it done to me, and that was one of my key goals when I sat down to write. Yes, in Journal people do get munched, zombies get shot by the dozens, and civilization as we know it skids off the road. But there's more to it than that. The main character has to make some decisions that will affect not only his wife's life, but perhaps the fate of the race. And in the interest of not spoiling the ending, that's all I'll say about that.
"Randi" gives Journal five stars. She writes, "This is a unique take on a 'zombie' type of book which made it fun and interesting! …The twists and turns make it hard to put down (thanks for no sleep that night when I found myself finishing it up at 4 am on a work night!) and the ending was just so unexpectedly PERFECT." She goes on to say, "You will get some gore [zombie novels must have action!] but mainly, you will get a story of the love a man has for his wife and how he will do anything to make sure that she survives."
My reaction: Randi posted her review about two days after I published the novel – I have no idea how she got hold of it and finished it so fast, but was I thrilled at her comments. She is a self-styled "zombiehead" – so the fact that she liked this book while also acknowledging that it's not the traditional type of zombie story she's used to reading made my day. I was also really happy to see that she liked the love story, a part of the novel that was very important to me. And for reasons noted above, I was glad both that Randi felt good about the ending, and that she didn't see it coming.
"Journal" was my second novel, but my first sci-fi. I got into this self-publishing business because, for one, I had some stories I wanted to tell, and for another, I needed to see if my writing style had any chance of flying with the public. The feedback I've received so far (my other novel, Messages, has a 4.09 rating on Goodreads and a stellar 4.7 on Amazon) suggests that, at very least, I have potential. I can't tell you how encouraging I find that to be!
I recently wrapped up several weeks of research for project #3, and have now begun writing that one. It's also sci-fi, and will deeply explore some of our oldest questions -- the nature of man, God and the Universe (one of my favorite themes) – while also telling what I hope will be a gripping horror tale, and taking you on a type of voyage you haven't read about before or seen in a movie or on Star Trek. I expect to finish that one in a couple or three months. Watch this space! Meanwhile, please please PLEASE keep that feedback coming! And if you like what you read, spread the word! Reader reviews and recommendations are critically important for new authors like me who are struggling to get known. I also love to hear from readers in person. Below are three points of contact plus links to my two novels (and remember, you can read the first few pages for free even without a Kindle).
Happy holidays!
Forrest Carr
Writer and recovering journalist
A Journal of the Crazy Year (sci-fi/zombie/post-apocalyptic/romance)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FY3GFDE
Messages (general fiction/mystery/humor)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECK0DBK
Facebook author page (please "like"!!!)
http://www.facebook.com/forrestcarrau...
Website
www.forrestcarr.com
Email
forrestcarr99@gmail.com
I'm an old school science fiction fan from way back, having grown up reading the works of the grand masters, such as Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and their contemporaries. Because of my upbringing, so to speak, I'm a firm believer that science fiction should, to the fullest extent possible, follow the rules of nature. Of course, you have to dodge some of them – for instance, there will be few novels about interstellar travel if we don't find a fictional device to get us around the speed of light. But having come up with a star drive, a sci-fi writer can't suddenly dispense with other physical laws. It's amazing to me how many fictional works – especially sci-fi movies – do exactly that. Such violations can be as simple as hearing a big ol' "swoosh" in the vacuum of space as a starship whizzes by, or as mindless as having astronauts "walk" from one spaceship to a different one that's not even traveling in the same orbital plane. The list goes on and on.
The desire "to keep it real" presented a problem to me when I decided to finally write the zombie tale that's been banging around in my head for years: how do you get around the fact that no complex organism has ever been scientifically shown to rise from the dead? (And I might add, some readers have a real problem with that from a religious standpoint.) For fictional purposes, we can simply wave a wand and say that zombies do that – which is exactly how most zombie tales proceed. Such stories are pretty far afield from science fiction – not that there's anything wrong with that; I love a good horror story, too. But, as an alternative, can we find a plausible way to tell the zombie story without having to invoke supernatural forces? And by the way, for this purpose simply saying that a zombie is "infected" won't do – not if the zombie is said to have been dead before being re-animated by the disease.
It was with that thought in mind that I delved into the research for Journal. And the research paid off. The novel's prologue (which you can read for free by way of the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon.com, whether you have a Kindle or not) is not fictional. The disease it discusses really did happen. The facts detailed in the prologue are substantially correct; the disease mysteriously appeared, and then disappeared just as mysteriously, as described. Could it return, in an even more virulent form? That question sets the stage for a zombie story that, while unlikely, nevertheless does fall within the realm of possibility – while, at the same time (as a side benefit) not requiring anyone to set their religious convictions aside.
I've also been fascinated for a long time with the idea of lost civilizations. There is evidence to suggest that our current advanced civilization, which has about 5,000 years of recorded history, was not mankind's first, and maybe not even his second. What happened to those earlier civilizations? Why did they disappear? Was there some kind of disaster? Could it happen again?
Throw those questions into the pot of our current crazy 21st century world, add in an old-fashioned boy-meets-girl love story, toss in a comet or two, stir, and you have "A Journal of the Crazy Year."
Here's what readers are saying so far, along with some reaction from me:
Sara (just posted this week): Five stars. "I don't write many reviews, so I apologize for the brevity. My family almost didn't have mashed potatoes or cranberries on Thanksgiving, and it's thanks to this book! Could NOT put it down. Absolutely loved it."
My reaction: Thanks, Sara! The words "could not put it down" are the kind of praise an author fantasizes about hearing! That is the exact effect I was aiming for.
Fantascize.com: Five stars. Reviewer F.J. Bayog of this popular sci-fi and fantasy site gives a nod to the ton of research that went into the book, calling its historical and scientific details "impressive," and writes: "The origins of the comets and some cool references to Atlantis and the Genesis flood, interestingly make a point that history is about to repeat itself. There's education and mystification in the midst of the thrilling narrative, and they fit well." The reviewer goes on to place me in some pretty impressive writing company, concluding: "If you like World War Z [Max Brooks], Cell [Stephen King] or other apocalyptic stories that inquisitively examine the humans' dark psyches and moral tendencies, A Journal of the Crazy Year is worth checking out."
My reaction: I really appreciated this review not only because it came from someone who consumes tons of sci-fi and cranks out a lot of reviews for a widely-viewed site dedicated to the genre, but because the scientific and historical details made a difference for this reader – as should be the case for all good sci-fi!
"The Voracious Reader": Four point five stars. She writes that she is no big fan of the zombie genre but then goes on to say, "This one surprised me. I loved it…. Will look forward to more from this author."
My reaction: Zombies are big right now, and there are a lot of zombie books out there, some of them really good. I deliberately set out to write one that's a bit different, a novel that might appeal to not only those fans but also, perhaps, to a larger audience as well. That meant that I couldn't simply emulate what was already out there. There's action in the novel, of course – some people do get eaten (a good zombie will do that). But there's also a love story and even a literary allusion or two, along with the fruits of many days of research time spent on line and in a university medical sciences library. At the recommendation of one of my new writer friends, a few weeks ago I asked Judy Shafer, a prolific reviewer of all genres who writes a blog called The Voracious Reader, to take a look at my work, and I was nervous about her reaction. When the review came in, I was very pleased to see that at least with her, I seemed to have accomplished that goal of writing something with broader appeal.
"Dawn G": Four stars. She writes, "The story surprised me and the ending wasn't what I anticipated. It was nice to read a PA [post-apocalyptic] book that I didn't have mapped out by the second chapter."
My reaction: Yes! Like Dawn, I consume a lot of fiction, both in written form and by way of watching TV and motion pictures. Many times when viewing one of the latter with my wife, I'll turn to her after five or ten minutes, and then accurately predict the ending, or at least the essence of it. She hates it when I do that. So I don't want it done to me, and that was one of my key goals when I sat down to write. Yes, in Journal people do get munched, zombies get shot by the dozens, and civilization as we know it skids off the road. But there's more to it than that. The main character has to make some decisions that will affect not only his wife's life, but perhaps the fate of the race. And in the interest of not spoiling the ending, that's all I'll say about that.
"Randi" gives Journal five stars. She writes, "This is a unique take on a 'zombie' type of book which made it fun and interesting! …The twists and turns make it hard to put down (thanks for no sleep that night when I found myself finishing it up at 4 am on a work night!) and the ending was just so unexpectedly PERFECT." She goes on to say, "You will get some gore [zombie novels must have action!] but mainly, you will get a story of the love a man has for his wife and how he will do anything to make sure that she survives."
My reaction: Randi posted her review about two days after I published the novel – I have no idea how she got hold of it and finished it so fast, but was I thrilled at her comments. She is a self-styled "zombiehead" – so the fact that she liked this book while also acknowledging that it's not the traditional type of zombie story she's used to reading made my day. I was also really happy to see that she liked the love story, a part of the novel that was very important to me. And for reasons noted above, I was glad both that Randi felt good about the ending, and that she didn't see it coming.
"Journal" was my second novel, but my first sci-fi. I got into this self-publishing business because, for one, I had some stories I wanted to tell, and for another, I needed to see if my writing style had any chance of flying with the public. The feedback I've received so far (my other novel, Messages, has a 4.09 rating on Goodreads and a stellar 4.7 on Amazon) suggests that, at very least, I have potential. I can't tell you how encouraging I find that to be!
I recently wrapped up several weeks of research for project #3, and have now begun writing that one. It's also sci-fi, and will deeply explore some of our oldest questions -- the nature of man, God and the Universe (one of my favorite themes) – while also telling what I hope will be a gripping horror tale, and taking you on a type of voyage you haven't read about before or seen in a movie or on Star Trek. I expect to finish that one in a couple or three months. Watch this space! Meanwhile, please please PLEASE keep that feedback coming! And if you like what you read, spread the word! Reader reviews and recommendations are critically important for new authors like me who are struggling to get known. I also love to hear from readers in person. Below are three points of contact plus links to my two novels (and remember, you can read the first few pages for free even without a Kindle).
Happy holidays!
Forrest Carr
Writer and recovering journalist
A Journal of the Crazy Year (sci-fi/zombie/post-apocalyptic/romance)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FY3GFDE
Messages (general fiction/mystery/humor)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ECK0DBK
Facebook author page (please "like"!!!)
http://www.facebook.com/forrestcarrau...
Website
www.forrestcarr.com
forrestcarr99@gmail.com
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