My Novel

So, I wrote a speculative fiction novel.

It’s not the best novel ever written, but it’s not the worst either.  I’ve been sending it around to agents without any luck, trying not to feel like too much of a failure, but then I realized that even if I don’t get it published I would at least like it to be “out there,” wherever that may be.  I believe in it that much at least, in its ideas, and for various reasons I don’t consider self-publishing or e-publishing an option.

This, then, is what I’ve decided on: to copyright it and put it on my very modestly-viewed blog, and to then use my pathetic social networking capabilities so that the greatest possible number of interested readers may have easy, free access.  That’s what the link below is (assuming I got it to work properly): a pdf that you may download at will, take with you, leave here, share, etc.  For free, let me remind you.  I may someday get a Paypal arrangement set up so that people can donate if they think the work merits it, but I kind of doubt it.

Without further ado, then, you may have a look.  I’m including here the query letter I have sent to agents so that you may get an idea of the actual content, though it’s not necessary for your reading enjoyment.  Just let me sweep you up in my cautionary tale, in a world that could some day be ours if we’re not careful. . . Oh, and let me know what you think.

I-Land

Query Letter:

I am seeking representation for my first completed novel, a 120,000-word speculative fiction cross between Octavia Butler and 1984. I-Land is the hyper-realistic, dystopian tale of an oppressive corporate hegemony and the rebels sworn to resist it. It’s a world secured by the corporate-owned police force, where metal claws are used for citizen lockdowns. It’s a world where smartphones and tablets are obsolete and screen-embedded contact lenses are required by law. A world where citizens are granted rights according to how much they spend, and where non-consumers fend for themselves in the Nink (Non-Incorporated Zone).

I-Land targets commercial fiction audiences and offers pointed commentary on technology, war, spirituality, corporatism and popular culture. It’s perfect for movie adaptation à la Hunger Games and Divergent, and I’ve already written detailed notes for a planned sequel.

In the year 2181, more than a century has passed since the Second Civil War demolished the United States. The most powerful of the five remaining provinces, the eponymous I-Land, is controlled by a technology and telecom megacorporation named Illiex. I-Land’s inhabitants, the Citizens, are child-like simpletons drugged into complacency by mandatory “I’s,” screen displays embedded in their contact lenses. The four protagonists – Mohsin, Betancourt, Dani and Eche – are leaders of a well-organized insurgent group called the People, which has created a new religion around the ideals of Truth, Freedom and Justice. The novel begins at the People’s initiation of a Grand Strategy against Illiex, a battle plan almost two decades in the making. The telepath Mohsin manages the entire enterprise, while Betancourt faces the suspicions of his new allies after defecting from the I-Land Police Force. Eche must cope with the loss of her family while learning how to embrace her burgeoning telepathic power. Meanwhile Dani, a former Citizen, harbors a darkness that could destroy the People and everyone else. The novel documents four days of insurrection in a 3rd-person limited voice that shifts between six different characters. The reader, in turn, witnesses the riveting action through each of their eyes.

My novel stands apart from other such works by its realism and philosophical ideology, along with my conscious defiance of genre clichés. Also remarkable is my incorporation of gender and racial equality into the story; the females are at least as strong as the males and all races enjoy a positive portrayal. There is also a rare depth to the book’s world, best exemplified by the inter-chapter backstory constituted by “excerpts” from the fictional People’s Anthology of the 3rd Millenium. Basically, I-Land differs from other genre fare by being thoughtful – a few pages are enough to discern the heft behind it.

I thank you for your consideration in changing the world.

Sincerely,
Blake Rosser

Welcome

Before you read any of my reviews, you should know these things:

First, I have a decidedly alternative opinion on most cultural and social phenomena.  If you are trying to decide whether you should watch one of these movies with your family or with your partner at the local megaplex after shopping at the mall, these reviews probably will not help you.  Unless, of course, you take the exact opposite meaning of all of my reviews, in which case these critiques could probably form quite the useful guide.

Second, my primary criterion in considering a film is how good it is.  This does not mean how entertaining, or how scary, or how funny, or how sad it is.  I consider film to be very much like art, therefore I usually look at how well-made or technically competent it is, how consistent, and how true to its aim, among other factors. When I watch a film I look at the acting, editing, script/direction and cinematography, and probably more.  I look at how much I believe it. I generally like intelligent films that make you think, but I can appreciate stupid comedies as well, as long as they’re well-made.

I like all genres except for romantic comedies, which are not only useless but actually harmful in that they poison our societal notion of love.

Last, I generally don’t provide complete synopses in my reviews. The reason I got into reviewing wasn’t because I thought it would be super-awesome to waste my time.  I got into it for two reasons:  1) a writer/director friend of mine told me I should do it after I sent him an email about how much “No Country for Old Men” actually sucked, even though all these people loved it (which was really only because they didn’t want to seem stupid by admitting they had no idea what was going on throughout the entire film). 2) I was sitting on my rocker, jacked up on instant coffee, after viewing “Reservoir Dogs,” “Munich,” and the original “Solaris” in a two-day span, and I thought, Man I have some great opinions on these movies, the world really deserves to get in on this shit. But back to the point:  if you want to know what a movie is about, go to imdb.com or wikipedia and come back here afterwards.  Or don’t.

Update 8/31/2013: All of these words now apply to my book reviews, which I am beginning to include here.  These are actually the only reviews I am now continuously adding (I watch too many movies and have too many children — one — to be able to keep up with all the reviews anymore).