Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.
Eternal Night
My book, Eternal Night, is finally edited in such a way that it's readable. Before I send it to publishers, though, I'd like to run it by anyone here who's willing to read it and comment on it. Please don't post it publicly; I want to try publishing it on dead trees. If you think it's bad, say so. Frankly, I think "You shouldn't ever write fiction again" is more useful advice than "oh, it's good" with no specifics.
As a reminder, the plot is about religious nationalism, defined loosely by Dominionism in the US, Islamism in the Islamic world, Hindutva in India, and so on. As Dominionists threaten to win the 2020 Presidential election in the US, in which case they'll be able to pack the Court and roll bills through an obsequious Congress, the protagonist is drawn into large-scale conspiracies to keep them out of the White House.
This eventually becomes a political pissmatch between a secular liberal and multiple religious fundamentalists attacking him on various grounds... and at the same time, an Islamic superstate and a Catholic one are coalescing in the Middle East and Latin America respectively, and China and India are turning to naked aggression to fulfill their national ambitions.
Any takers?
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Note to everyone who hasn't gotten it yet
For at least the next two or three days, I'm embargoing it because I've just gotten a 2,000-word email telling me the book sucks. It gives enough pointers for a rewrite, which would be version 4 of EN. If I get additional comments taking it in a different direction or saying it only needs small changes then I'll just bite the bullet on my overuse of adverbs modifying the verb "to say" and let everyone review the current edition. Otherwise, it would do both me and you a favor if you waited till version 4. When Katie took version 2 apart, I could take a month to edit a chapter; with blog commenters I'll be faster.
before
I'd like to review it as well. You can send it to me either in revised edition or in it's current form. I would think it's better to take all the critiques and incorporate them into whatever your next revision will be. I can assure you I'll have it read w/in a week or less.
Okay, sold
But only because you promised to be fast.
Could I review?
I'd be really interested in reading, and I'd be glad to provide what help I can. If you email it to me, I'll give it a once-over, or if Brent puts it up somewhere, I can get it from there.
Thanks!
Book Preview
Your subject sounds timely considering the upswelling of evangelism in the southern hemisphere and thinking of some of Margaret Atwater's works. I'd be glad to read it and maybe help you out and entertain me. Yes you could email it to me.
Bob
Late to the party.
Morning, Alon.
Well, sounds like an interesting book! I'm deep in a couple of other projects, but would be willing to give it a go when I come up for air in a couple of weeks.
Either way, good luck with it!
Jim Downey
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Like Science Fiction? Read my novel, Communion of Dreams, for free.
How does it compare with Jim Downey's book?
It's interesting that you both have books set in the near future. Have you guys swapped books yet to compare them?
Over on Jim Downey's novel site ( http://www.communionofdreams.com/ ), he says that posting the entire thing online isn't a hindrance to getting published by a brick-and-mortar operation. I've downloaded his book (though I haven't read it yet), and I'd be curious to read yours as well since there's nothing I love more than doing a comparison/contrast of related books.
Sure
I'd be happy to give it a go.
The more you run over a dead cat, the flatter it gets.
______________________
Claybow
I'll have a read, if I get time
Send me a copy. But I warn you - I read the most atrocious trash SF, so my quality filter is not well-tuned.
I prefer not to think of it as SF
I know it straddles the line because it takes place 13-14 years in the future (it starts in 1/2020 and ends in 4/2021), but I aim to make it a mainstream novel rather than a genre one. The timeframe is meant to allow me to demonstrate how imminent political events can unravel: an American invasion of Iran and Syria, lack of resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a failure of EU integration, a gradual takeover of the Democratic Party by Dominionists.
Can I email you the entire 1.1-MB .doc monster (it's only 90,000 words, though)?
Secure Access
Hi Alon - email it to me and I'll convert it to PDF and place it into a secure location on my server. Then, you can just give your potential reviewers the password to access it.
That way you won't have to email it to each person that requests it - you can just send them the URL and the password.
Let me know. I'd like to read it too.
Oh, thanks, Brent
It should be in your mailbox.