Dragon Awardsresultshave been announced, and there is already an abundance of blog posts and commentary available from people more eloquent than I, who are much more familiar with the some of the more intricate details.
Why, then, am I taking the time to write yet another post? I suppose for the same reason anyone writes anything: I believe that I do in fact have something different to say, coming as I am from several different perspectives.
As a nominee, I am of course both flattered and humbled thatmy debut novelhas touched enough fans to be placed in the company of some of the biggest names in fantasy and science fiction. My first reaction was that I didn't belong there, but then I realized that it was not, in fact, true. After all, the very point of a fan-driven award is that the fans decide who belongs, and their voice is not to be taken lightly. Those familiar with my views regarding other types of awards will know this opinion is not new to me, nor will it change depending on my personal success or lack thereof. Thus, I thank my fans as well as the fine folk at DragonCon for getting me to this point and giving me and other new indie authors an inspiration to carry on.
As a reader and a fan, I love to see quality writing publicized and rewarded for the simple, selfish reason that we are now likely to see more of it. Not that prolific authors like Correia and Wright and Butcher ever needed a reminder to hurry up and give us more books, but it works on a wider scale. Once authors realize that the doors to success and professional recognition are no longer guarded by the select few and access no longer filtered through a particular prism, more creativity will naturally result, to the delight of those of us always trying to find fresh fuel for our love of reading.
As a co-founder ofConservative-Libertarian Fiction Alliance(join us! we have fun! and books!) I am gratified to see our members among both the nominees and the winners.Larry Correia,Nick ColeandBrian Neimeier(with credit to editorL. Jagi Lamplighter) won their respective categories.Declan Finn,Mark Wandrey,Dave FreerandGibson Michaelsreceived well-deserved nominations, and are no doubt are on the road to bigger and better things as a result.
Last but not least, as a minor culture warrior of the "home front and covering fire" variety, I must give special mention to a the authors whose wins have a special meaning to those of us concerned about the state of the culture in general and arts in particular.
Nick Cole had his now award-winning book was rejected by the publisher for openly political reasons, as previously covered in myCensorship post, forcing him to choose between artistic freedom and losing the publishing contract. Nick wisely put the art first, and clearly the fans approved.
John C. Wrightsome years ago joined a small but select group of authors (Andrew Klavan, Dean Koontz and David Mamet come to mind off the top of my head) who, after a period of critical acclaim, miraculously "lost their talent" after becoming vocal about their unapproved political views and/or religion. Or so all the "important" people would have you believe. Fans think otherwise, and fortunately it's the fans and not the now mostly ineffectual gatekeepers will always have the last word.
Why are the above examples important? Because they show to those of us occasionally hesitant to stay true to our beliefs that it can be done. You can succeed and be appreciated without the express approval or help of those who put their ideology above art and want to bend everyone to their will. Especially in a genre that is meant to thrive on imagination, freedom of thought is not a luxury. It's a requirement.
All in all, pathetic grumblings from the usual dark corners of the 'net notwithstanding, Sunday has been a great day for writers and fans alike, no matter what our genre preferences might be. Here is to many more years of great books, inspiration and above all FUN! Once again, many thanks to DragonCon organizers and everyone who played a part in making the awards happen.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have more reading to do.
I have done several online radio appearances, but the flow of this one surprised me. We ended up speaking less of my novel, specifically, than of the general theme of freedom and how some people appreciate it more than others. While "don't know what you got till it's gone" is a cliche, like most cliches it became so for a reason, and it applies to freedom perhaps more than to other values.
During the interview, the closest analogy that popped into my head is that healthy individuals don't truly know what it's like to be chronically sick. They can understand it through research or being around the sick, but they never quite appreciate what a gift it is to be healthy, free of pain, with all of one's organs functioning as intended. I did touch on this in one of my earlier posts when I spoke of gratitude. We don't tend to be grateful for what we don't notice on a daily basis. Health is a given. As a cancer survivor, I can confirm that once recovery is complete, the temporary gratitude wears off and the little annoyances of life very quickly outweigh the simple joy of being alive, mobile and relatively whole.
So it is for Americans with freedom. I know we're all aware that our country has major issues on that front. But not only are we more free than nearly every other nation, we have inside us an ingrained assumption that this is a natural state of human existence. Even those eager to trade some of their freedom away in exchange for either tangible rewards or a promise of security come from the knowledge that freedom is theirs, something that belongs to them at the outset and something they can choose to diminish, as foolhardy as it might be.
As I pointed out to my host during our discussion, most of the world does not have that assumption. On the contrary, it is entirely foreign to them. Immigrants who come to this country, even those who seek not the promise of economic advancement but specifically an escape from oppression, have a hard time adjusting to the concept. A more common premise throughout the world, whether civilized or less so, is that freedom is something granted to you by the government (or your friendly warlord, as the case may be). You don't even have a chance to trade your freedom away. It is doled out in small pieces to those deemed deserving. There's a quote from V. I. Lenin somewhere on the 'net precisely to that effect. Which, of course, makes it something entirely different from freedom as we understand it.
I think the reason for the current proliferation of dystopian novels is that time is right for us to once again to start appreciating the baseline of what we have. Just as zombie and vampire novels allow us to work out our anxieties as to our safety and lack of trust in our fellow human beings (hey, that's a whole 'nother blog post right there, isn't it?), politically themed dystopias show us a "what if" of freedom lost so we can vicariously put ourselves into that situation and then come back to our normal life with a new appreciation of what we still have.
Since this was originally meant to be a self-promotional post (yeah, I'm not great at those), what I tried to do with my particular take on the genre is to not only scare us to the possibilities, for I believe the real world had already scared us enough. My main goal was to show that lost freedom can in fact come back, if sometimes at a terrible cost.
The problem freedom fighters across all times and societies face is that the more entrenched the forces of oppression, the less natural the instinct for freedom becomes. We as Americans are not yet at that point, but should keep that lesson in mind as we watch the world around us and make decisions, whether it's to choose a political leader or to speak up against censorship (looking at you, Facebook!). We should respond to any threat and refuse to give ground so that we, or our children, would never have to find out the cost of bringing back something that we had no business losing in the first place.
For generations centrists and everyone right-of-center simply have not shown up for the culture wars. Predictably, the leftists have blitzed right through battlefields of opinion and ideas unopposed-like the Red Army rolling through eastern Poland in 1939-so that their monopoly on the flow of information, including creative expression, was ironclad.
And yet...
Marxists (cultural and otherwise) are not only vulnerable, they've become arrogant from never being challenged for so long, and prove to be weak, inept cowards when confronted by a smart, determined opposition. They are beatable. Very much so.
I have stated this many times, albeit with less flair, to my despairing friends in the loosely defined pro-freedom cultural movement. The reason the Left seems to have unbreakable dominance in culture is because our side has not been on the field. Oh sure, we get excited about this or that issue once in a while, make some noise, occasionally even win, BUT - and this is crucial - once the excitement dies out, we, to continue with the military theme "declare victory and go home," leaving the battlefield to those more determined (or those less preoccupied with the general business of life, such as family and day jobs, as the case might be).
The only way to win long term, to reclaim the hearts and minds of the people who have fallen under the siren song of the Left, is not with political gains, nor with more educational materials, although both have their place. The real answer lies in entertainment, and more specifically in storytelling. "The Narrative" is a popular expression nowadays, usually utilized in negative, politicized context, but it need not be so. Simply put, the side that tells the better story wins. And the more I look around at the amount of raw (and not-so-raw) talent in the pro-freedom movement, the more convinced I become that we can do this. We can win, handily, and have fun doing it.
It was with that goal in mind that a fellow authorKia Heavyand I formed Conservative-Libertarian Fiction Alliance group on Facebook, and the response has been both enthusiastic and gratifying. Since Machine Trooper has done such an excellent job summarizing our purpose and progress to date, I suggest you read the rest of his posthere.Afterwards, I hope you follow his advice to check both ourwebsiteand theFacebook groupand join us in our battle to advance the cause of freedom through promoting high-quality fiction.
These are trying days for freedom lovers, but do not despair. Politics is transitory, but art endures. And because the best art is rooted in truth, this is the battle we will not lose. All we need to do is keep showing up.
**Cross-Posted from Marina's Musings**http://marinafontaine.blogspot.com/
This is a tough one. How to review a novel that doesn't play by the rules, that switches genres, tone and even characters without warning? (That last part might be overstating it, but not by much). I was almost prepared to take a coward's way out, put a one-liner "Great stuff! Buy it!" on Amazon and call it a day. But then I remembered the true purpose of a review. Aside, of course, from helping sales and visibility by its mere existence (yes, kids, authors need reviews,but that's another blog post) a review acts as a matchmaker between the book and the reader. Thus, itcould be done without excess reference to the particulars, but simply by describing what type of reader would enjoy the work. With this in mind, here comes the "Will you like this?" test.
You will enjoy this novel if:
You believe in the power of love in all its forms. Romantic love, sure, but also lovethat is inherent in deep, abiding friendship;a scholar's love of knowledge and a philosopher's love of truth; and ultimately, if you're a believer of any stripe,the Creator's love for this world and all its inhabitants. While the story is given its momentum with a simple hook of two lovers in an exceptionally difficult and strange predicament, it rises well above its humble beginnings by the time it's all over.
You are tired of bland, interchangeable characters that populate most modern fiction and are ready to meet real heroes and villains, characters who are more than they appear, subject to forces and passions of epic proportions, and who never cease to surprise you as you follow them on their journey.
You appreciate the plot that keeps building and revealing layer upon layer, making you climb along the twisted path until you arrive at the pinnacle of a perfectly satisfying ending. The novel bends and mixes virtually every genre, from romance to urban fantasy to heavy-duty mythology to horror, in a way very few authors attempt and fewer still succeed.
As for the reading experience itself, I would almost want to compare it to playing a video game, one where you finish a simple level and then go on to something more challenging. I am not a gamer, but I kept getting that feeling while moving from one chapter to the next. Each step brings more revelations, more complexity more demands on the reader's brainpower and attention span, and you come out on the other end having not justreadbutexperiencedsomething very special. This is a novel well worth your investment, both in time and effort. It will stick with you long after the last turn of the (virtual) page, and you will be the richer for it.
Purchase Iron Chamber of Memory on Amazon
********Cross Posted from Marina's Musings (marinafontaine.blogspot.com)*******
Alaska Hunt is marketed mostly as M/M romance due to the nature of its publisher, but to pigeonhole it that way would be to sell it short. It is primarily a mystery/psychological thriller that contains a strong romantic element. The setting in Alaska gives it a different feel from most mysteries, and the protagonist is not a professional detective, but someone who takes extra interest in the case partly for personal reasons. And then, predictably enough, it gets REALLY personal.
The romance subplot comes naturally enough within the story, not just the usual "let's throw in a love interest" trope. It is an M/M romance between adults, one of whom is fairly comfortable in his own skin and the other is still figuring out his sexual preferences, but beyond that both of them have to decide where they belong and what they want to do with their lives. There's mystery to solve, tragedy and loss to overcome, and all the while, mortal danger is just around the corner ... The writing style can be somewhat disorienting in its combination of highly descriptive, almost flowery prose with a decidedly hard-boiled, unabashedly masculine vibe (think Andrew Klavan meets Nora Roberts). But then again, that's what makes it interesting to a reader who is open to trying something new.
I liked the variety of intertwining themes of the novel: healthy respect vs. worship of nature; modern man's quest for fulfillment vs. individual responsibility; and the many facets of what constitutes romantic love.
The mystery itself gives plenty of clues to anyone paying attention (although there is a good reason for the protagonist to be slow on the uptake), and so the Big Reveal is not particularly shocking, but the extra-thrilling final confrontation is still a nail-biter, and the ending is satisfying on every level.
I recommend this novel to any avid reader looking for a change in their usual fair. No matter you normal reading preferences, you are likely to find something in here to appreciate. Read it for the mystery, or the "non-traditional" romance, or for the vicarious trip to Alaska that you get from the vivid prose. Whatever your particular reason, it's worth checking out.
The Conservative-Libertarian Fiction AllianceAnnounces Finalists for 2015 CLFA Book of the Year.
(April 5, 2016) - The Conservative Libertarian Fiction Alliance (CLFA), a network of authors, readers, editors, publishers, reviewers, artists, and cultural leaders who read, write, and promote pro-liberty fiction, has released the list of the ten Finalists for the 2015 CLFA Book of the Year award.They are (in alphabetical order by author's last name):
The Noticeby Daniella Bova
The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlassby Jim Butcher
Son of the Black Swordby Larry Correia
Honor at Stakeby Declan Finn
By the Hands of Men Book Two: Into the Flamesby Roy M. Griffis
The Devil's Dictum by Frederick-Heimbach
Amy Lynn, Golden Angelby Jack July
Amy Lynn, The Lady Of Castle Dunnby Jack July
Her Brother's Keeperby Mike Kupari
The Violet Crowby Michael Sheldon
To qualify, books had to be novel length (minimum 50k words) fiction first published in the calendar year 2015. Self-published, small press and traditionally published works are all eligible, including e-book and audio formats. Authors need not be members of the CLFA or even consider themselves to be politically aligned with the CLFA in order to be nominated and win. Books were nominated by members of the CLFA closed Facebook group. The top ten nominees are the finalists.
Voting to determine the winner will commence on June 1st via a Survey Monkey poll, which will be open to the general public. A link to the survey will be posted on the CLFA public Facebook page and at conservativelibertarianfictionalliance.com, and shared via other social media at that time. Voting will conclude on June 30, and winners will be announced shortly thereafter.
Good luck to all the nominees!
# # #
People interested in joining the
CLFA closed Facebook group may visit www.facebook.com/groups/CLFAgroup/
and request to be added.
Think of the characters alone. A tyrannical King? Check. Evil advisor? Yep. Poor, beautiful and virtuous young woman, tasked with saving her people from certain doom? You got it. A kindly older man, a hero in his own right, giving said woman advice and inspiration? Absolutely. Add a magic wand and you have an old-fashioned Disney film. Ah, but here's the thing. There is no magic. Of course, you already knew that since we're talking a religious tale, but there is also no voice from above, no visible miracles, not even a mention of G-d. The heroes pray for wisdom and strength, but the actions are solely their own, even if in retrospect some of the coincidences must have been divinely guided. This, to me, is the central lesson of this Holiday. In dark times, we might wish for superheroes and extraordinary powers (as we certainly do now, considering our entertainment preferences), but they are not necessary. Often the only quality that separates the heroes from the rest is the will to make the right choices and persevere, no matter the cost.
That brings me to another point, and here comes the inevitable cultural connection. There is a lot of talk nowadays about the need of more Strong Female Characters in fiction. Most people, upon hearing the term, imagine leather-clad Amazonian babes kicking the bad guys into oblivion. Tiny women defeating men twice their size is a modernvariation, currently in the process of overstaying its welcome, but the point is the same: physical prowess is valued above all.
Not so with Esther. It is easy, from the comfort of our modernity to underestimate the level of her courage, or the height of her achievement. She approaches her husband the King (who had ordered his beloved first wife Vashti executed for a single act of disobedience) without being called, in violation of court etiquette that is traditionally punishable by death. Then she proceeds to manipulate and outsmart boththe Kingand his genocidal advisor Haman,thus obtaining mercy for her people and causing Haman's downfall.
How did Esther accomplish such a feat? Certainly not by force. Not by her beauty alone, either. Vashti's beauty did not save her from execution. In fact, Esther had gone through a fasting ritual before approaching the King--not something conducive to looking her best. Still, she succeeds. One can only conclude that her greatest assets, in addition to virtue and faith, were those usually underplayed in modern portrayal of heroic women: charm and patience, intuition and empathy. With those, she melted the heart of a tyrant and out-strategized a ruthless warrior, in a society that used women as disposable playthings. Perhaps modern storytellers could take a lesson as to the different ways in which a female character might be powerful, rather than falling back on the tired cliches of Hollywood and video games.
There is another way in which the tale of Purim diverges from the expected. The King, having decided not to kill the Jews, was unable to revoke his original verdict. Instead, he had given the Jews permission to arm themselves and fight back. And fight they do, defeating trained soldiers who had been sent to exterminate them. Once again, victory does not come from obvious divine interference, but is won by righteous, yet ordinary, individuals who had risen to the occasion. Esther had provided an opportunity for the Jews to save themselves, and they took it. In the final analysis, both parts of the story are equally important.
And so, there is another lesson to be found in this tale, perhaps most relevant to our times. Faith is important, and so is proper leadership. However, neither will save us from darkness if we, as individuals, refuse to act when called upon. Esther's courage would have been wasted had the people not rallied to protect their lives and homes. Let us not today similarly waste the sacrifices of those who came before us, the men and women who built and defended our great country. Freedom, safety and prosperity that we currently enjoy are fragile things, uncommon in history, rarely found even now around the world. By all means, let us choose the leaders who would help preserve them, but we dare not forget that the final responsibility lies, inevitably, within ourselves.
The topic of censorship has been heating up lately, both in the writing word and the wider cultural sphere. Hence, my obligatory 2 kopecks, keeping in mind that people far more eloquent than I have contributed to the discussion over the last few weeks.
First, the relevant technical definition, from Oxford English Dictionary:
Definition of censorship in English:
noun
1. The suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security.
Interestingly enough, the basic definition does not specifically refer to the entity performing the suppression or prohibition. However, the assumption to most readers would be that the censoring comes from the government. Thus, let us accept this as the starting point, and consider the following levels of censorship, based on the type of power wielded by the censors.
Level I. Censorship by the Government.Book burnings, imprisoning journalists, limiting access to the radio stations and, in modern times, the Internet. Generally speaking, when people mention censorship, that's what they have in mind. Then, we Americans pat ourselves on the back for having Freedom of Speech enshrined in our Bill of Rights and shake our heads at our neighbors to the North who put Mark Steyn on trial for saying the wrong thing on his radio show some years ago. Or do we? Nowadays, I'm not so sure. When we've come to the point of setting up hotlines to report hurtful words to the authorities, our hold on the Free Speech supremacy becomes tenuous indeed. But let's accept that premise for the moment. In regards to outright government censorship, by current legal precedent, U.S.A. is sill in a good place.
What people usually forget is that it may not be necessary for codify censorship. All that's needed is for enough free speech opponents to reach positions of power and influence in society, and, to bring up a famous if overused phrase, "for good people to do nothing." In that case, we get censorship that technically isn't, but with the same result.
Level II. Censorship by Non-Government Authorities. Whether it's aCEO forced to step downfor donating to the wrong cause, or anauthor dropped by his publisher,or professional journalists/bloggersbannedormuzzledby social media platforms, the fundamentals of censorship are there. Pick a target, make an accusation and convict, with or without a public trial, depending on which method best serves the cause. Because the censoring happens at a private entity level, even many free speech defenders will hesitate to use the name for fear of sounding ignorant or opposed to free market.
"A corporation should be able to choose whom they employ. A private company is not obligated to give voice to everyone. Boycotting is something the other side does; we're better than that." Never mind the selective enforcement. Never mind that protesting wrongful corporate actions is something that freedom lovers should absolutely be doing. Never mind that leaving the victims behind makes all of us more vulnerable. We wrinkle our collective noses at the situation, sometimes even tell ourselves the victims should have known better, and move on.
And so when someone (maybe even one of us) next considers donating to an un-approved charity, or writing a novel just the way their muse demands, or speaking freely in a public forum, there will be that moment of doubt. What if? What if I become that victim next time, left broken on the side of the road with everyone averting their eyes? Can I risk my livelihood, my reputation, my family's well-being? Is it worth it? Can't someone else do it instead, someone more secure, someone with less to lose? Someone, in other words, who is not me?
Congratulations, buddy. You are on your way to ...
Level III. Self-Censorship.That's right. There comes a point in a society that puts up with group-level censorship long enough, when it's no longer necessary to jail or disemploy offenders. Because there are not enough of them left to matter. Because even the "what if" moment above never arrives. The offending thoughts, suppressed long enough and forcefully enough by outside forces, stop appearing in your brain. You have internalized the groupthink. You have learned to love the Big Brother. And you did not even need to be tortured for that to happen. You have done it to yourself. Oh, it was painful enough. Human beings have a need to think and speak freely, and the desire is not easily suppressed. You sit in your comfortable home, watching with practiced detachment the world fall apart on your TV, posting cat pictures on the Internet, and you are content.
Occasionally, the other side of "what if" catches up to you. What if you chose wrong? What if you had spoken up? Would you have met like-minded friends? Kept more of your self-respect? Discovered you're not as vulnerable as you had feared? You quiet those thoughts, but they still fester, along with the small, gnawing certainty that you still are not safe, that someday, somehow, the censors will come for you anyway.
What to do, then? There is no simple solution. Our society is hurtling alongto a place where self-censorship just might become the norm. But we're not there yet, and we can still resist. Some of us are secure enough in their employment and social status to be able to speak up.Most are not, but they can offer support in other ways. We can purchase entertainment that supports our values. We can offer financial assistance, employment, or simple words of encouragement to someone unfairly targeted.We can spread the word among like-minded family and friends, to demonstrate to them the importance of this fight. Every little bit helps, especially in an environment where the opposition is used to moving through without resistance.
Lead the charge, provide covering fire, or throw confetti at an occasional winner. But whatever you do, never, ever leave the field.
_________________________
To discover and/or support the persons mentioned above:
Purchase Nick Cole's self-published book on Amazon.
Check out Milo Yiannopolous YouTube Channel (NSFW)
Read Rober Stacy McCain's Blog
Brendan Eich does not need to be "discovered," and if the buzz about hisbrand new ventureanything to go by, the market will support him just fine.
Anyone who is familiar with my reading preferences knows that the reason I love reading sci-fi and fantasy is for the opportunity to explore Big Ideas. But sometimes, it's good to just curl up with myKindle and a bag of popcorn and allow myself to enjoy a book equivalent of a quality B-movie. (By the way, it doesn't seem that Hollywood makes those anymore. Everything is either super-blockbuster or yawn-worthy Oscar bait. But that's a post for another day.)
The beauty of this book is that it works exactly as advertised: light, fast-paced, with likable characters and just enough sci-fi element to make it interesting. It's almost a throwback these days, when every author wants to write something deep and meaningful but increasingly fewer remember to entertain.
There were a few details I appreciated, and that's the reason the book rises above the standard a "just good" novel. First, the two main characters, both the man and the woman, get through their adventures not simply on their technical and fighting skills, but also on their ability to outwit the enemy. This is important, especially nowadays when everyone focuses to the point of obsession on whether or not a female lead can fight as well or better than the male, or whether there is some kind of parity achieved between the two. Matt and Michelle are a couple. They face danger together, come up with solutions together, but they are not both equally good at everything at the same time. When they're not fighting villains or trying to keep their spaceship from exploding, they also act plausibly as two young people would. They are in love, but are unsure of the relationship, a far cry from many of today's cynical, know-it-all protagonists. Their growth as both action heroes and a romantic couple is interesting to watch and avoids eye-rolling cliches while still giving us mostly what we expect.
My main quibble is that while the Big Reveal at the end is suitably breathtaking, the villain we finally get to see is somewhat of a disappointment and too easily defeated. I don't normally have an issue with that (Dean Koontz, one of my favorite authors, is famous-or infamous, depending on where you stand on the matter-for building up his villains to ridiculous proportions, then dispatching them with ease). However, I was left wanting more of the final confrontation. The good news is that the novel is listed as a beginning of a new series, so I'm sure Matt and Michelle will meet plenty of worthy adversaries along the way and rise to the occasion. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the future.