Beautiful Release – Babylon

tran·scen·dence

adj

Definition of TRANSCENDENCE

1a: exceeding usual limits : surpassing b : extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience c in Kantian philosophy : being beyond the limits of all possible experience and knowledge

2: being beyond comprehension

3: transcending the universe or material existence

4: universally applicable or significant

http://www.merriam-webster.com

Whether its celebrating Easter or the arrival of Spring, this time of year always reminds me of this one magnificent word – of how life is able to transform itself out of a dormant or dreary cold state into something… renewed, or even possibly anew.

And this, my friends, is where we now find our beloved Heroine, Alexandra Contreras.

I am absolutely thrilled to officially announce that Matthew C. Plourde’s latest novel, and long-awaited second book in the Eden Saga, is available for online purchase and your reading pleasure beginning today: Babylon. 

Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Babylon-Eden-Saga-ebook/dp/B007SR72HM

Nook:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1110031971?ean=2940014121408

Neither have a Kindle nor E-Reader?  No worries – the paperback and hardcover will be released very soon, so stayed tuned by following Matt’s blog or Facebook page.

Also, as a special treat to all the fans, Eden will be free at the Kindle store starting tomorrow, Thursday, through Monday, April, 16, 2012.

Finally, to either renew or get you into the spirit of things, check out the fabulous trailer: http://youtu.be/JzhBHetrlFk

-LFJ

(note: Babylon is also on Smashwords in ALL eBook formats – including plain-Jane PDF. Check it.) – Matt

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A Tower will rise…

Oh nelly, it’s really happening!

Babylon, the follow-up to Eden, will have it’s first-ish draft done in 2 weeks. I am taking the rest of my vacation time to finish it and there’s no stopping me now! (I say “ish” because the manuscript has been the victim of stops & starts, so it’s quite a polished 1st draft)

Sorry about the radio silence – I’m still deciding what to do with this blog. For now, I think it best I leave it to announcements and updates and we’ll go from there. Just as “a soul without aim loses itself” (Father Callahan, Eden… or, Michel de Montaigne depending on who you ask), so too — a blog without purpose gets lost. For now, updates!

And we certainly do have a treat today. The first bit of artwork for Babylon is rolling off the presses from the incomparable Axel Torvenius. I’ll be hounding my #2 for a trailer soonish. You saw Erzulie in Eden’s trailer, expect another leading lady for Babylon. For now, let’s start at the start:

Artwork by Axel Torvenius, all rights reserved. Babylon by Matthew C. Plourde

(this post brought to you from the shittiest hotel internet connection I’ve ever suffered behind)

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More on P-L-O-T

I reviewed Hunger Games recently and I left this bit out of my review. Mainly because it would have spurned me into a tangent from which I may have never recovered. There are less spoilers here than in my review, so it’s quite safe to read if you haven’t gotten to the book yet.

As I mentioned in my review, I liked this novel. Despite my subjective wants (a more fitting ending) and personal tastes (I wasn’t too invested in the POV character), I still enjoyed Hunger Games.

But.

There was one little thing that irked me once I put the book down. One nagging tug at the back of my writer’s brain that refused to be ignored. And you may not agree with me here, but I believe this is a perfect example of why I believe fiction shouldn’t be plotted & planned.

I find the entire premise of “The Games” to be complete and utter bullshit.

Hear me out. And for those of you who haven’t read the book, knowing this shouldn’t spoil your fun.

The “Hunger Game” in the novel is a televised sporting event, of sorts, where the oppressive Capitol selects 2 contestants from each district to pit into mortal combat. It’s like the Thunderdome, but with more people and less Tina Turner. 24 people enter, 1 leaves victor.

Matt, that doesn’t sound so bad!

I know. Just wait.

Okay, so I’m kinda digging the premise and where this author (new to me) is going to take it. And then we get more detail and I actually put my phone down to wrinkle my nose. Did I read that right? Double-check and yup, I got it: The Games are orchestrated by the Capitol as a punishment for the other districts, who lost a civil war against the Capitol ~75 years ago.

Yes, the ruling government comes to each district once a year and selects 2 contestants to send to their deaths as a reminder of how much control the Capitol wields and how powerless the districts are to challenge that authority.

Hmmm, really? I’m not sure which part stresses my ability to suspend my disbelief more: the unbelievable douchebaggery of the Capitol or the idea that a government can basically murder innocent civilians each year without repercussion? Take your pick.

Now, I suppose the winner’s district gets rewarded when they win, so there is some amount of “sport” and chance for gain. It’s maybe not outright murder, like in The Lottery. But, the premise of The Lottery made more sense – too many mouths to feed (that, and it was allegorical). I just felt the believability factor was reduced in The Hunger Games by revealing that everybody seemed to know of the supreme evil behind the Capitol’s motives.

This is exactly what I mean when I continually say “don’t plot your stories.” Without this act of utter what-the-fuckness by the dystopian government, much of the tension and need to see the villain (the Capitol) punished wouldn’t exist. I cannot stretch my disbelief far enough to accept this premise, I’m sorry but I can’t.

If the coal miners, their families and all those who do business with them have been oppressed in this way for 70+ years, wouldn’t that district do something a little more believable by now? Like, I dunno, tell the Capitol to mine their own coal? (or grow their own wheat, etc etc) Can any government destroy their own people to the point where they cannot function as an organized body?

Or, if the Capitol just has that much control and nobody dare oppose them in the slightest, is everyone living in the clean Capitol a total douche? Are they all okay with the televised, sanctioned slaughter of their neighbors in the districts? I would perhaps buy this if so many people in the districts weren’t so moved to sadness by The Games. It’s clear the social mindset isn’t full of bloodthirsty arena-goers just yet. The Capitol even forces everyone to watch – as further reminder that they can do whatever they want to the districts.

With so many rickety supports for the basic premise, my brain tells me that there is just no way the people in the Capitol nor the people in the districts would have allowed The Games to continually rape the population. Sympathizers from within and massed workers from below would have put a stop to such an overtly evil act long ago. When every citizen knows that The Games are just a way for the Capitol to exert its dominion, I just cannot swallow it.

Actually, this is the same problem I have with many good vs evil, overthrow the government works of fiction. To believe a government is evil right down to every last soldier is just not good fiction. I have many current and former military friends. If their commanding officer told them to shoot a 12 year old American citizen “because it will be fun to watch them die,” I’m pretty sure none of them would follow that order. To me, it’s just like asking that same soldier to go round-up a citizen to bring to an arena “because it will be sporting to watch them die.”

I think I would have “bought it” if the people of the Capitol/districts were portrayed as truly believing some sort of lie – that these games are needed for some functional purpose. That taking your 12 year old daughter from you was somehow mandatory for the continuation of the society. Then, I could look upon this work as an allegory and marvel at the lessons within.

Instead, I’m asked to swallow a too-large pill (for me – your mileage may vary). Disclaimer disclaimer disclaimer – this is just my takeaway from the book, perhaps the author meant for different feelings to be impressed upon me.

I’m going to end with stating that I did enjoy this book. The writing was clean, quick and entertaining. In the end, I got over myself and had a great time in this world. I just think the premise is a tad contrived and I think it makes an excellent case study in the evils of p-l-o-t (a 4-letter word in my house). Don’t rip your readers from the fabric of your story with manufactured plot. Get them there naturally, naturally.

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Camping Book Reviews! (2011 edition)

Well, I’m back from a very lazy week on my camping chair.

Just like I did last year, I crammed some reading in-between naps and chasing the kids around. I read 1.5 books on my new iPhone and 1 paperback from the legendary Bookbarn in Niantic CT. The reviews below only contain minor spoilers, though likely less than a “typical” review. Anyway…

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I’ve had this book on my list for quite some time now – it’s post apocalyptic and a #1 Kindle book. That’s awesome stuff!

I wasn’t terrified of the Young Adult (YA) categorization. Unlike many readers, my ability to enjoy a book isn’t limited to the audience it was intended for. That, and I’m not about to look down my nose at a work just because it was intended for younger readers. A novel need not be full of heady ideas to be enjoyable.

Well, with that disclaimer out of the way, let’s get down to it!

I was quite entertained by this book. The dystopian setting had me intrigued as we caught glimpses of it while moving along. The author doesn’t bore you with a heavy prologue tho – setting details are revealed by showing their impact upon characters… good stuff!

The story was also very interesting to me. Though I have a severe distaste for “survival” post-apoc (you know, where every fire lit is described in gory detail), this book has a good amount of “hunting” and “survival” passages/descriptions. In the end, it didn’t bother me. Since these things were intertwined with more than just a struggle to keep breathing, I think it all worked well for my strange taste. Where things got going for me was with the whole play between the oppressed citizens/POV character and the heavy-handed “Capitol” (the collective villain here). I was tantalized by what the characters would do to give the Capitol their come-uppins and it kept me engaged.

Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the story, it also let me down at the end. Everything was setup for a truly spectacular ending and I was frothing at the mouth when it seemed I would get the finale I was hoping for (ala Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.). But sadly, the YA mark left its stain on me a little because it finished with a gigantic puss-out. While my wife would like the ending, I was left feeling a tad cheated.

Don’t get me wrong, I still highly regard this book and the author’s skill in entertaining me… I was just bummed by the fizzle at the end. I almost bought Catching Fire, the next book in the series, but I refrained. Why? Not because of the ending but more due to the fact that I didn’t identify with any characters, thus leaving me not caring too much what happens to them next. I left this last bit till the end because I realize this is an entirely subjective opinion. I see where Katniss would appeal to the YA reading crowd (coming-of-age girl who dazzles the world with her uncovered beauty, smarts and irresistibility). But I just didn’t find her engaging enough to me to continue.

So, while I enjoyed the book contained within itself, I was too let down by the ending and not invested in the characters enough to continue through the series. However, I do recommend it to anyone who enjoys post-apoc! 

West of Eden by Harry Harrison

My good camping buddy picked this book up at the Bookbarn and lent it to me when I was finished with Hunger Games. He thought the title might interest me, so I gave it a read – I’m glad I did!

The whole premise is this: what if the dinosaurs never went extinct? How would reptiles have evolved alongside us mammals?

I started reading and at first I wasn’t sure I’d make it. Lots of large paragraphs and sparse dialog. Plus, I’m no fan of the omniscient point of view – I find it very distracting. However, I was pleasantly surprised when the story finally arrived.

Our hero, a pre ice-age boy Kerrick, gets captured by evolved lizard people, the technologically advanced Yilane. Surprised by this form of mammal, and its ability to apparently speak, the Yilane decide to teach him their language. I’ll leave the motives behind this decision to you to discover, but I will say this: the Yilane society and characters are fantastic. My disbelief was thoroughly suspended as I read about them, and of Kerrick’s views on how they differed from humans. Superb stuff!

The whole “cold blooded lizards evolved in the tropics and the mammals in the north were left alone to evolve into humanity” premise was intriguing. I’m no life sciences expert, so the idea works for me. When they clash, the reader sees it all through the omniscient POV and it is satisfying/believable. Maybe I should lay-off my criticism of omniscience for a little while.

I did labor through some of the long descriptions of both Yilane and human life. How they lived, hunted, crafted, etc. Blech.

I think I would have liked to spend a tad more time with Kerrick and some of the other hunters. I felt the cast was quite large and it’s tough to get too attached to anyone when we’re popping around so much. But, that is a minor gripe… And barely noteworthy.

Raised by the Yilane, Kerrick has no home and this is stressed many times. Though I would have preferred more dialog and less internal thoughts on Kerrick’s struggle as an outcast to both societies, I think it worked. My favorite part of all of that was the fact that Kerrick wasn’t taught the ways of the pre ice age hunter until he was a grown man. Because he is the “hero”, we expect him to win his fights… But he doesn’t. Well, sorta. I’ll let you discover this on your own as it is very well done and believable. Kudos to Mr. Harrison for keeping our hero within the bounds he set.

Though the climax was awesome (one of the best endings I’ve read in quite some time), it did tickle my gamer’s mind a tad. In Master of Orion and Civ, we utterly destroy our opponents. It’s the only way to be sure. With the extreme hatred between the humans and Yilane, I was a tad surprised by a decision at the end, but not enough to leave me unsatisfied. If you can plow through the walls of text, West of Eden is an enjoyable read.

So, that’s that!

Last year, I didn’t like the books I read, so I’m glad to report better entertainment value this year. I’m also currently re-reading Neuromancer and enjoying my ride so far. It’s been many years and it still deserves more recognition than it gets. Perhaps I’ll review it once I’m done.

 

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Coupons, Shelves and Platformers

In random order:

I’m now on Shelfari. That link gets you to my profile page so you can “friend” me. I’m trying to add all the books I’ve read, but it’s a slow process. Only the very good and very bad books are sticking in my memory, it seems. And I’m not a pack rat, so most of the books I’ve read in my life are gone. Anyway, if you are a Shelfari member, please ADD Eden and For Duty to your shelves! 5-star ‘em up and recommend to yer friends! (yes, I’m allowed to be shameless from time to time).

As you can see from my “shelf”, I’m reading Hunger Games now. It’s a post-apoc novel which is currently #1 on the Kindle sales list. To me, that means #1 in the world. Gotta do some research on my colleagues!

Coupons! Don’t have a hard cover version of my books yet? Tsk Tsk. They are quite snazzy, featuring Axel’s artwork on the jacket… really good stuff. Enter this code on Lulu to get 20% off: SUNSHINE305

Expires June 30. Click on the “Matt’s Books” tab here to find the link to the hardcovers.

As kind of an addendum to my “What I’m playing” blog post from last week, I’m now thoroughly hooked on Terraria. Like Minecraft, this game threatens to rule me for a spell. Gameplay is quite similar to Minecraft, but it is a 2D Platformer. (if you are not a geek, see the link)

Our budding outpost in Terraria - like my goggles?

Where do I start with this one? Well, as I said, it’s quite similar to Minecraft. You break blocks, form structures and craft all manner of items. However, Terraria has a very robust combat / adventuring system. It also boasts some neat and different weapons / tools (boomerang!). And it certainly has more of an “adventury” feel to it. Again, one of my buds stood up a server and we can login anytime to continue to explore and/or build some neat things.

Two thumbs up and over the rainbow for this one!

That’s all for now, I guess. I do have the first few pencils in for Eden’s graphic novel and I’m psyched to start sharing some of that with y’all. I know it’s a huge project, so here’s hoping Andres sticks with us through the end! He is an exceptional artist and I’m lucky to have found him.

I’m all settled in the new house, so work on Babylon is starting up again. I will have the 1st draft done by the end of the summer, for sure. If not, feel free to corner me in any airport and punch me in the nuts… I won’t fault you.

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