The Clock Man: and Other Stories - A Review

The Clock Man: and Other Stories by Eric Lahti is an excellent collection which both stands on its own for new readers, but also fleshes out the world of Henchmen for those who have been keeping up with the author.  Eight stories make up this collection, which takes Lahti’s imagination and share it out with readers.

All of the stories feel like they can live and breathe within the same universe of interconnected worlds, which is no mean feat.  Lahti opens by providing us with a glimpse into the broader universe that he’s been working in and some background as to how it truly functions.  He then moves right into the story an old “friend”, Wilford Saxton, the government foil who somehow survived the end of Arise, setting the stage and providing an exciting glimpse into Lahti’s next book.

Pretty girl.  Pretty deadly.

Of course, the real gem of this collect is “The Clock Man”.  Here, readers are introduced to a new character. Felix Crow, and a new world that is somehow connected to our own.  Felix is a classic noir character, but placed in a neo-wuxia setting that mixes Eastern and Western themes with great success.  My only criticism is that “The Clock Man” while a complete tale, felt like it had the potential to be its own novel, and spin out more of the universe that Lahti is operating from.

Lahti is an excellent storyteller and he weaves together his characters and his worlds into a convincing tapestry.  Each story stands well on its own, but also adds to an ever-expanding universe that will make readers eager for more.

 

In Which A Fan and Friend Totally Makes My Day

Happy Level—Doing the Carlton!

I’ve been anxious recently.  Not chew-the-fingernails-down-to-nubs freaked out, but certainly some edge-sitting distress.  Tears of Heaven always had the potential for a sequel, but it could easily have stood alone as a complete story.  I would have been very satisfied that it had seen the publishing light of day and told the tale of Del.

The fans started asking for more stories.

So I wrote another story.

Yes, of course.  As simple as that—plus or minus nine months of blood, sweat and tears.

I felt that Hell Becomes Her was a better product.  Through no fault of my own, but no little effort on the part of my editor, Shawn, I’m an older, wiser and better writer.  Yes, Shawn can control space and time.

But was it?  Was it really?  Would it resonate with the fans who had enjoyed and supported Del in Tears of Heaven?  Would they accept a “kinder, gentler” Del who would literally (yes, literally) shake the pillars of heaven in defense of her family?

Apparently, they would:

Fantastic follow up to Tears of Heaven, our compelling protagonist, Del is used as a pawn in a deadly game played by immortals. Flawed, deadly, and hopeful, Del tries to do everything she can to keep those she loves safe, and those she hates destroyed. The sequel adds deeper layers of mythology, in a unique and captivating way. Highly recommended.

Thanks Mike!  Your review (and all those like it) totally made my day.  If you don’t think you can impact an author that you enjoy, write them a review.  Less than 1% of readers actually write reviews, and unlike fan mail, these can have an impact on the author and on other readers.  It’s so great to have that kind of input!

I still need more (many, many more) reviews.  I'm still happy to provide review copies to anyone who would be willing.  Love it or hate it—the only obligation you should feel is to write the review.

Of course, I'd prefer you love it . . . ya know, if I have a say at all!

Star Wars at 3.5

Are you implying I'm old?

I was 3.5, living in Bountiful, Utah and my parents took me to see Star Wars on opening weekend. There was no “A New Hope” at that point.  It was simply Star Wars and all the literature and media coverage at the time will confirm that for you.  That’s not really important, unless you’re on a tearing rant about George Lucas.

I’m not.

Today.

Because of the social structure of the Salt Lake City valley, my parents took me to the theater on Sunday and walked right in, only pausing to buy tickets. Lines that had been out the door and around the block the previous night had evaporated Sunday morning.

Huzzah for cultural Mormonism!

I do not remember watching the movie, as I do later films.  I remember the sense of wonder and fantasy that the movie created.  I remember, quite simply, loving it.  My parents, clever folks that they are, picked up on this and in short order Star Wars themed merchandise began to appear.  Sheets, action figures, ships, etc.  My mother (if I recall correctly) cut out the Time article about the movie, which came with tons of movie images, and taped them to my bedroom wall.

I’m sure I drove them nuts with Star Wars this and Star Wars that—as only an imagination-driven three year old can.

I am not, currently, a Star Wars nut.  I enjoy the films, the books, the culture.  But I found Star Trek much more to my liking, and—sin of sins—fantasy far superior.

But you can’t really forget your first, the one that instilled in you a passion and desire you didn’t even know existed.  At 3.5, being shown what is easily the seminal science fiction film, it certainly has an impact.  And like Lucas or love him or hate him or tolerate him, you have to give it up to Star Wars.

Many of us would not be who we are today.

Hang Out with Me!

Things are moving fast, especially with the upcoming holidays, so here’s hoping I can keep everything together.

First, in case you weren’t aware, there’s the author signing coming up in one week (Thursday, December 17^th from 6pm to 9pm PST) at A Shop Called Quest.  There will be paperback copies of TEARS OF HEAVEN and HELL BECOMES HER, and I’ll gladly scribble a few words to you!

Next, I’m going to be interviewed on Blab.  It’s like a TV interview, only its live and it’s on the internet, and apparently there’s a degree of audience interaction.  That will also happen on Thursday, December 17^th at 4pm PST.  Here’s the link for that.

After that, I drive with my middle son to Las Vegas where I pick up my parents and fly out to Michigan to see my brother receive his doctorate in history.  Jamie (said brother) helps me out from time to time with my history, Latin translations, and a few ideas that I bounce off him.  Tristan will be going on his first ever plane ride.  He’s a little nervous about that, but I’m sure with a Kindle in his lap, he’ll be happy enough.

Next Del Book—Chapter 1, Page 1

As my dear friend and fellow writer pointed out, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with agony and bitching.”  That wasn’t quite the case with the new Del book, but it certainly started with some cursing and several drafts digitally crumpled and thrown in the trash can icon.

Here for your inspection is what I hope is the start of something beautiful:

Only took me ten hours!

Demon-busters and Mythbusters

What we really need is a flamethrower!

Happy Monday everyone!  I’m follicles deep into the next Del book, and trying to write like the wind—having been advised to do so by several friends.

Writing like the wind is not easy.  The wind is swift, silent and invisible—except when it collects a lot of dust and debris . . . but for our purposes, we’ll ignore that.  I am, by contrast, quite corporeal, “type angry” and in these later years not as fast as I once was (but once I was as fast as I’ve ever been).

One of these days, Del may change her evil ways, but until then she’ll ride on.

In other news, I’m taking my two oldest boys to see the Mythbusters live show.  I’ve seen them before, and my boys love to watch the episodes, so I have little doubt that Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage will prove entertaining.

Ride on!

Little, and Broken, but Still Good

Yeah, he's a good one.  I can tell.

It’s been a bit shaky here in SoCal that last 48 hours.  Last night, my speech and debate team grilled me for a good hour about the shootings, gun violence, and terrorism before we moved on to the more mundane things like Russia throwing a tantrum about Montenegro.

You know, lighter fare.

So it was really nice to come in this morning and have a new, five-star review for Hell Becomes Her.  I totally agree with this review, except for the bit about the motion sickness.  Del doesn’t get sick, she’s afraid to fly.  It’s a Nephilim thing:

The sequel is actually better than book 1. You can read this without reading the first book in the series although for you to fully understand what Del actually is and has been through you should read book 1. In this one we find Del at the mercy of a new enemy that has kidnapped her daughter, frankly anybody dumb enough to kidnap her daughter is in for a world of hurt. The addition of Jane to the story worked for me as a companion for Marrin even if she is not immortal. Del frequently loses it in this book anger being her thing after all she has however become a calmer person since adopting Jordan. Finding out there are two races of Elves in the desert comes as a shock to her and the misdirection and lies by the leader of one almost does the group in. In the end Del figures it out but it is quite the battle to get to the truth. Of course our favorite angel to hate Ahadieil plays a much bigger role in the end of this one. The one real issue I have with this book is Del having motion sickness after reading her past and her time on a ship that just does not work for me.

Wow, good stuff!  It’s always fascinating to see the different takes on the stories and characters that I created.  Once they’re out there, there’s no arguing with the readers—and really, why would you want to?  We tell stories to entertain, not to be right.

Buy HellBecomes Her today!

Thanks, But Hard Pass

Your use of capslock has given us all something
to think about.

I appreciate the effort you're going through here.  I really do.

The sarcastic responses.  The use of fallacious arguments.  The ad hominem attacks.

It’s a lot of work for you to keep that up, time and time again.  Your Google-fu is pretty strong as well, from the numerous, though irrelevant, citations you keep providing.  The heavily-slanted (filled with lead weights) opinion pieces are my personal favorite.  Arguing from rage, yours or your pet editorials, almost always ends with everyone shaking hands and exchanging numbers for a weekend barbecue.

Opinions can always be changed when we use our CAPSLOCK!

But let's be clear—you're not persuading me, and you're not going to.

Rethinking my position, I see you have many valid points.

Your firm belief that anyone who is against your particular point of view must therefore be politically motivated is, I’m afraid, a flawed conclusion.  Why these two seem to go hand-in-hand, and why they result in what you clearly feel is an unassailable hand-waving argument, is disingenuous at best if not outright deceitful.  It’s an argument from the armchair, and not one of those comfortable Lay-Z-Boy recliners.  No.  I’m talking about the armchairs that envelop you in an ocean of cotton with Shiatsu massage on 97 chi pressure-points.

The kind of chair that makes you think you’re doing something both illegal and immoral.

Rather, do me the common courtesy of considering for just a moment that I've actually done the research, looked at the issues, read the scientific studies and arrived at a conclusion that has nothing to do with politics.  Yeah, it makes me sound like a big ol’ nerd—all that research and analysis before arriving at a conclusion.  But that’s just me.  That’s the way I was taught to do things, and the way that I’ve found yields the best results.  Gaming the system certainly has its fine points, and that’s great for you.

For me, I’d prefer you stop shouting in my face.  The spit, you understand, is gross.

A Free Copy of HELL BECOMES HER

Hey pal, wanna read a good book?

Hey!  Yes, you!  You look like an individual of integrity and discerning taste.  What if I was to tell you that you can have, in your digital hands, a copy of Hell Becomes Her for absolutely free?

What’s that?  I must be lying?

No, no.  I assure you.  This offer is 110% legit.  I did the math myself.

Well, of course “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch”, but this deal comes darn-tootin’ close.  Let me explain.

There are some magic numbers in the book-selling industry, especially if you’re dealing with Amazon (and almost everyone is).  Two of those numbers, which are really important to writers and their publishers are: 25 and 50.

Innocuous though they may seem, these two numbers represent bright-lines for any particular book.  Around 25 reviews, Amazon’s algorithm starts to include a book in the “Also Bought” and “You Might Like” categories.  These are helpful if you happen to be interested in a specific genre, say urban fantasy, and would like to read similar titles.

Starting around 50 reviews, Amazon begins to really get aroused.  The system will start to look more seriously at the book and may push it to spotlight positions.

Two books are better than one!

Good reviews are also important.  The higher the rating, generally speaking, the higher quality the book (or at least the potential enjoyment).  Some advertisers even use the number of reviews and the review average to determine if a book is worth highlighting to their subscribers.

So that’s the deal, plain and simple—receive a free copy of Hell Becomes Her and, if you enjoyed the book, post a review on Amazon.  The review doesn’t have to be long.  One of my favorite reviews (or at least most memorable) for Tears of Heaven is: “Still A Better Love Story Than "Twilight".”  I assure you, I'm not buying your review, and you're in no way obligated to give a review—positive or otherwise.

If you’re breathing and if you have an opinion and if you’re capable of sharing it, I would like to give you Hell Becomes Her absolutely free.

Click here to Email me for your FreeCopy!

Dance with the One What Brung Ya!

Don't MESS with Shawn the Edi-Thor!

Although Hell Becomes Her released a few weeks ago, I haven’t been in Del’s world for about six months.  Instead, I’ve been in Aubrey’s steampunk world, researching archaic firearms, horse-drawn carriages, airship designs and telegraph wires.  I’ve loved working with Aubrey’s character, as she’s wholly different from Del.

Different circumstances should result in different personalities.

I worked so hard on Constable of Aqualinne that I actually finished the last chapter a week ago, and submitted it to my beta team.  They gave me the thumbs up yesterday, so the first draft is complete.  Knowing that I was that close, I turned to consult the great sage and wisdom, my editor Shawn.

Shawn likes to crush all my romantic notions of authorship with a single, simple blow from her hammer “Reality”.  She wields it with more skill than Thor hefting Mjolnir.  Essentially, Shawn smacked me upside the head and said, “That’s great kid, but you’ve set up a third Del book.  You need to write at least one more.”

Mind the cane, boys!

After I recovered from my coma, I realized that wasn’t as big a problem as it would seem.  I’ve actually been considering several new books that would take place in Del’s world.  There’s nothing set in stone, but here are the concepts that I’ve come up with:

Working Title “Purgatory’s Cage”—Del faces her toughest challenges yet, not the least of which is a romantic relationship!

Unnamed Jane Book—A spin-off with Jane, the first time a mortal will take front and center in the series as she attempts to save the man—well, Nephilim—she loves.

Unnamed Dami Book—This one is a fan request which I’ve been mulling over for a couple years.  Tears of Heaven didn’t tell the whole Del and Dami story.  Or at least didn’t get into some of their other adventures . . . and what adventures they are!

Constable of Aqualinne isn’t going anywhere.  It’s still on the schedule, and more Aubrey Hartmann stories keep coming at me.  Her world of airships and clockworks and magic is a fun amusement park for an author to visit.  I’m looking forward to going back there just as soon as I can.

In the meantime, the girl that brought me to the dance gets at least one more spotlight—sweet, sweet Del.

Another Five Star Review for HELL BECOMES HER

Ien Nivens was the first to point out that my urban fantasy actually fell into an exclusive, and very cool, subgenre “angelpunk”.  It’s certainly not all halos and harps, the way steampunk isn’t all leather and brass (though they certainly help).  For some definition, enjoy my primer.

Angelpunk also sounds cool.

The same way Revenge of the Jedi sounded cool—and still does.

Angelpunk.

But I digress.  Nivens’ five-star review was such a lovely thing to read first thing on a Monday.  Enjoy:

No demons have been harmed in the making of R. A. McCandless’s follow-up to Tears of Heaven, but the same cannot be said of the celestials. It is entirely possible to read and enjoy Hell Becomes Her without having read the first novel in the Flames of Perdition series, but McCandless sets the character of lead Nephilim and die-hard contrarian Omedeliah “I told you, my name is Del” bar-Azazel so powerfully well in the first book that—do yourself the favor. Get both.

All Del wants is to get her daughter back safe and sound, but her usual slash and burn approach to problem solving will not advance her cause this time, but never fear; the fight scenes are more intense than ever. McCandless takes us on an inventive elevator ride into unexpected territory, exploring two new cultures that have blended and bunkered themselves into the austere Northern Nevada landscape in a bid to escape detection by the Throne.

Del shreds curtain after curtain to expose the motives and the means of a new enemy and displays a knack for diplomacy she is uniquely positioned to craft and deliver. But nothing is as it seems, nor as it seems to seem, in this surprise-laden, irreligious angel thriller, and his second volley advances the range of a genre McCandless seems determined to define on his own terms.

Buy HELL BECOMES HER today!

Happy Turkey Day—2015

This year, 2015, I’m giving thanks:

I’m grateful to my family, near and far—You didn’t get to pick me, and we know that’s a good thing.

I’m grateful to all my friends around the world—You did get to pick me, and I’m glad you did.

I’m grateful to all my fans (friends, family and others)—You’re the reason I’ve had any success at all.

Thank you and happy Thanksgiving!

Five Star Review for HELL BECOMES HER

And she loves steampunk too!

Seregon O’Dassey is one of those people you can’t make up.  I “met” her after she reviewed TEARS OF HEAVEN and her insight was very enlightening.  I’m not certain if you can overestimate O’Dassey, but you underestimate her at your own peril.  Actress, model and writer, she reads voraciously, thinks deeply, and I was honored that she read, and reviewed my work.

Of course, I offered her first shot at HELL BECOMES HER, and I wasn’t disappointed (thankfully, neither was she):

I got the first one - Tears of Heaven - for a Christmas present last year. They go in order. Usually a sequel isn't as good as the first one. Once in a while the sequel is better. This one fits into that category of being better.

I love Del. She's tough, cocky, independent, and doesn't put up with anyone's b.s. She's certainly not one of those dumb submissive pushovers that seem to be littering indie published books these days. She has, however, "calmed down" quite a bit since having adopted a kid (even if it wasn't 100% voluntary). She still has to take orders from on High, but when Jordan is kidnapped, Del and her partner Marrin have to deal with light and dark elves and Hell to get her back. Marrin, who's as easy going as ever, even if he still is a darn good fighter. Then there's Jane. I hate her. She's stupid, useless and as far as I'm concerned-a homewrecker. Here's Del's, Jordan and Marrin with their happy little family life, and in comes Jane who likes to sleep with Marrin, be depressed about not being able to have his kids b/c he's a Nephilim.

I mentioned that O’Dassey doesn’t pull punches right?  If something was sorely wrong with the plot or with a character (like Jane), I get called out for it.  Speaking of which, I especially love O’Dassey’s view of Jane.  In my mind she’s an interesting character, but her story really hasn’t been told yet.  So Jane is only cool in my head.  I may have made the mistake of overlooking her with all the doings in HELL BECOMES HER.  Sometimes the necessity of the story means that things gets dropped.

Hopefully, I can make up for that in the future!

Buy HELL BECOMES HER today!

Author Signing Excitement

Needs more Scotch!

There are many trappings of the Writing Life that can make an author smile.  Getting that first email of actual interest.  Signing the contract with your publisher.  Seeing the draft for the cover art.

I’ve done all these, and they still make my heart go pitter-pat.  Maybe someday, they’ll be more rote and can be taken for granted, but currently they’re still fresh and fun and exciting.

Author signings are also thing.  A thing that I haven’t done before.  A good friend of mine, Ashley, hit me up when I was gushing about the release of Hell Becomes Her and said, “You should come do an author signing at our comic book store.”

Oh.  Ok!

It makes me feel all grown up and stuff.  Like this whole writing for the past twenty-plus years wasn’t a quirky hobby that I did in my spare time.  It IS a quirky hobby that I do in my spare time, but the signing gives a bit of legitimacy that I can sell to my wife.  All that “research” I’ve been doing (aka reading books) and hours spent at my computer (definitely NOT playing Hearts or Facebooking) have actually paid off.

So, if you’re in the Southern California area, or if you’re going to be in the Southern California area, or if you just need an excuse to fly out, here are the details!

Boys and Mountains

Last night (after tears, time-outs, and songs) Xavi, with a very serious and mature face said:

“Daddy, I want to talk to you about my hiking mission.”

Yep, those are Xavi Tears.

My boys were off from school yesterday (and again today) and their sitter took them up Mt. Rubidoux.  It has a very nice, wide, paved pathway that meanders around the very short mountain to the top.  I used to run it as part of my training, and if memory serves, it’s just under two miles to the peak.  From the way Xavi and the other boys tell the story, it was nothing but laughter, fun and frolicking.

The sitter tells a slightly revised version involving, brides, tears, threats and pleas to any passing deities.

The "Giant's Sword"!

The key take away, from Xavi, “Dad, I touched the giant's sword at the top!”

Achievement unlocked.

Nooks and iPads and Kobos—OH MY!

They're big, and they're . . . big.

Amazon is the 800 pound gorilla in the room, so a lot of attention is paid to them over any other book retailer.  It can’t be helped.

Or can it?

For those of you bucking the tiger, standing against the rising tide, and otherwise playing Rebel Alliance to the Evil Empire, you my friends are in luck.

Nook readers, here's your Barnes& Noble link.

iPad users, your iTunes link is this way.

Kobo, love you guys.  Here's your travel orders.

PC/Other readers, head right through this door to my publisher.

Of course, I can’t forget the gorilla.  If you don’t feed him, he gets cranky.  So, if you’re like me, enjoying your Kindle, here’s the Amazon link.

Buy early.  Buy often.  They make great Thanksgiving turkey stuffers!

Hell Becomes Her - Available Today!

Be careful what you wish for.  You wanted more Del.

Del is back.

You already know that angels should be a human’s worst nightmare. Del didn’t think there was anything worse than angels, or their fallen kin, demons. She and her partner Marrin helped to keep the world safe from the horrors of escaped demons for generations. But when Del’s daughter is kidnapped by a shadowy group, she’ll find that the world is even more dangerous than she suspected.

There are worse things than angels and demons.

“Let me help,” Jane said.

Del wanted to hit the other woman. She didn’t want help. She wanted Jordan. She wanted her daughter. She wanted to empty two full magazines into the smug, angular face of the bastard who took her, and let Jordan know nothing like this would happen again. But she was tired, weak and in pain. They’d taken Jordan, and she didn’t know who to hit or who to shoot. She wasn’t certain if she was capable of either in her current state. She started to wave Jane off, but the other woman’s strong hands slid under Del’s arms and took enough of her weight to help. Del was able to get into the nearest chair and sit somewhat normally in one burst of effort.

“Burning burning Hell,” Del swore again. “How long?”

“A little better than four hours,” Jane said.

“Damn it,” Del muttered.

Any time at all was too much. Four hours could put the attackers and Jordan on a plane and across the country by now. If it was a charter flight, or if the arrangements had been well planned, they could be on their way to anywhere in the world.

“Let’s get this over with,” Del said.

She pulled one of her SIGs and aimed it at Jane. She kept her finger off the trigger, resting on the guard. The mortal woman froze where she stood, slightly stooped over and uncomfortable. The concern on Jane’s face melted into anger and fear. Del didn’t care if the woman hated her right now. She gestured with the gun for Jane to stand up straight.

“Tell me,” Del ordered, “and be honest. Were you in on it?”

Jane tensed. “Are you serious?”

Del narrowed her eyes.

Buy HELL BECOMES HER Today!

Another HELL BECOMES HER Excerpt

When something goes bump in the night, Del bumps back.

Angels should be a human’s worst nightmare. Del didn’t think there was anything worse than angels, or their fallen kin, demons. She and her partner Marrin helped to keep the world safe from the horrors of escaped demons for generations. But when Del’s daughter is kidnapped by a shadowy group, Del will find that the world is even more dangerous than she suspected.

There are worse things than angels and demons.

Excerpt

The doors slid back exactly as they were supposed to, and Del pointed both her SIGs through the opening. She knew it was wrong. Two hands on one gun with a straight-thumbs hold was the correct way to give proper support to aim and shoot quickly and consistently. Hollywood liked to show action heroes shooting from the hip, or blasting away without aiming and taking down a room full of bad guys, whose best response was to fire impotently at the ceiling or comically into other bad guys. It was all so much useless eye candy. A gun in each hand gave support to neither and made it impossible to sight. She’d need independent use of each of her eyes, like a chameleon, to train the guns on different targets at the same time.

Del knew it was wrong, but it looked damned impressive from the receiving end.

“Hold your fire!” a voice commanded from outside the elevator. “Hold your fire!”

You think you've had a hard day?

Del wasn’t certain if the order was for her, the two ranks of Ljosalfar soldiers in their body armor who surrounded the elevator, or both. Either way, holes weren’t being punched into her favorite skin and that was a good thing. She might still die, riddled with bullets and spitting blood, but not yet. Not yet.

She unwrapped and wrapped her fingers on her SIGs, and smiled.

“Hello boys,” Del said. “Who wants some?”

“Hold your fire!” Alfred Waru said again.

“Alfred, you cunning bastard,” Del purred. “Come on in and give me a hug. I’ve solved almost all your problems. There’s only one left.”

“I’d rather you put down your weapons,” Alfred replied. Del homed in on his voice from behind the second rank of soldiers, but couldn’t make him out through all the helmets. “We’ve locked the elevator. The doors won’t close, and the car won’t move. Let’s talk about this.”

“Talk about what?” Del said and laughed. “How you lied to your people?  How you betrayed and murdered your own?  How you’ve doomed them through your schemes and plots?”

Buy HELL BECOMES HER Today!

Passing the Voight-Kampff Test

Rutgar Hauer made doves cry before it was cool.

Philip K. Dick (PKD to most fans) was wrong.

Dead wrong.

Right before he passed away, a loss to the science fiction and fantasy community, PKD predicted that Blade Runner would be a commercial success.  It was crushed beneath the science fiction juggernauts of E.T. and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.  It barely covered its own creation.

Now, of course, it’s regarded as a science fiction, neo-noir classic with depth of world and characters that would have Captain Kirk shouting “Deckard!” so loud it would echo in space.  Ridley Scott’s film is such an incredible, undeniable film fixture that it has had several revised treatments on DVD/BluRay, and elicited no end of comments, discussion and controversy among fans over the key “unanswered” question of Deckard’s true nature. 

Rooooooobbbb!

But that’s the thing about PKD, he was a big idea man who couldn’t quite connect with his readers.  His genius, and he was a genius, was in the conceptual design of stories.  He was fantastically creative.  Fantastically.  So much so that of his 44 novels and 120 short stories, adaptations have earned over $1 billion in total revenue.

But he was always shy of the mark as it applied to his readers.  For example, almost none of works carried PKD’s original title.  His titles were almost always changed by his editors before release.  PKD himself was remembered as having said that if he could have written good titles he would “have been an advertising writer instead of a novelist.”  

So as we consider the news from Ridley Scott that a sequel to Blade Runner is in development, let’s curb the idea that without PKD it’s doomed from the Tyrell Corporation starting gate.  The writer himself, in expressing his delight over the first film, wrote:

As for my own role in the BLADE RUNNER project, I can only say that I did not know that a work of mine or a set of ideas of mine could be escalated into such stunning dimensions. My life and creative work are justified and completed by BLADE RUNNER. Thank you . . . and it is going to be one hell of a commercial success. It will prove invincible.

Letter to Jeff Walker, Oct. 11, 1981

PKD himself was amazed at what Scott and his team had done in adapting his original work,

How can Deckard not know what he is?

 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.  He knew his core story was there, the bones were good and worthy of the adaptation, but the clever nuance and visual effects that helped create the world were only mentioned, if at all, in passing by PKD.  He knew that Ridley Scott had stood on the shoulders of his story, saw further than the author, and captured that vision for audiences.  

This is true of many PKD works that have been adapted.  Just like George Lucas, the better stories are those told by others who can connect PKD's ideas with audiences.  PKD may have been initially wrong about the movie being a “commercial success”, but he was certainly prophetic that it would “prove invincible”.

It has.

It will again.

In the Wake of Tragedy

This was supposed to be the week that Hell Becomes Her received a full court press of marketing and effort.  After events around the world were punctuated this weekend, I can only summon up sorrow and heartache.

If you think Paris is bad, looking around the world will ruin your day a little more with Lebanon and Kenya , just to name a few.

Just to name a few.

What a horrible sentiment.

There are so many tragedies around the world and in our own backyard that it’s nearly impossible to be aware of them all, let alone express the appropriate level of sorrow and anger that should be warranted.

It’s not like humans only recently started being assholes to each other.  Hate-fueled murder and genocide is not new at all.  Paris is garnering a great deal of media for a series of reasons, but chief among them, for me at least, is that it's a punctuation, an exclamation point, on just how evil people can be when forwarding an agenda of hatred and bigotry.  On the other side, conspiracy theorists are already using the Paris tragedy to their own twisted ends.  Social media is rife with people hating on people for various political reasons.  

The ones that grieve me the most are those who are mocking and denigrating the empathy being shown.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Better yet, let that be the closing remarks.

Traditional v. Self-Publish—TLDR Version

So, you wanna be an author?  Alright, here the first thing you do.  Open your front door, place your hand on the jam and then slam it six or seven times.  That’s the kind of pain you’re about to embark on, only every day, every rejection, every missed opportunity, every hour spent writing and not with your friends.

Advice I Never Got, R.A. McCandless

Still with me?  Groovy.  Now let’s talk some publishing—traditional versus self-publishing.

Presidential Flash Cards!

  There are literally a ga-jillion (I did the math) articles out there already discussing this topic at great length and in great depth.

For the TL;DR version, here’s where you should start:

Money, Money, Money

Yog’s Law tells us that money should always flow toward the author.  That’s a great rule of thumb when applied to the traditional publishing machine.  You should never, ever, never pay a publisher to publish.  That’s not your job.  That’s theirs.  If they do their job, everyone (theoretically) makes money.

It may not be much, but it’smoney.

Self-publishing, however, is a different animal. Yog's Law does not immediately apply, and here's why.

Writing ain't like dusting crops!

Publishing Ain’t Easy, Kid

If you're doing it right, then it's a TON of work and effort. Like any art form that is worth buying, you have to know what you're doing, craft a solid product, ready it for market, and then get it in front of the right people at the right price.

If you're self-publishing, you take on the burden of all that yourself. You'll need to find a good, solid, reputable editor who can help you whip your brilliance into shining glory. You'll need a copy-editor who can give your work a good scrub for grammar and spelling. You'll have to get the work ready for publishing then push it out to the retail stores.  You'll have to pay the cover artist for the artwork.  Seriously, pay a cover artist—unless you’re aiming to make a “worst” list. 

A traditional publisher should make most of that easy—or at least easier. That is they should

Confused yet?

provide editors who help polish your story and clean up the typos and grammar.  You should get a strong graphic artist who can provide a solid, viable, marketable and story specific cover.  Your publisher should also do some marketing as well.  You’ll still be expected to do most of the heavy lifting, but a good publisher should point you in the right direction to market. For doing all that, they take a cut of your sales.

Decision Time

There is no right or wrong answer for which direction to go. There is a right and wrong way to go about it.  Cutting out editors or graphic artists or marketing properly and across media are all perfectly acceptable if writing is just a hobby.  If you want to be a professional author, what you should consider is the time, effort and potential cost v. benefit that you will have to put into traditional publishing OR self-publishing to make your decision.