First of all, Rick Chesler’s “kiDNApped” has nothing to do with the Robert Louis Stevenson book of the same name, though I can’t rule out any influence here since Rick’s books tend to involve the ocean in some way. After all, he is a marine biologist.
But Rick’s books involve science, as well. Where WIRED KINGDOM was a tale of a whale-cam (influenced by Herman Melville, perhaps?) that accidentally records a murder at sea, this one involves a kidnapping at sea which is also recorded, but in a rather ingenious way—with living DNA.
kiDNApped starts with a bang when a diver’s employer is murdered and the body sent down to the depths—right next to the diver. Then the boat is stolen, taking his air supply with it. Not a good situation, but he manages to save himself with some old-fashioned ingenuity.
FBI Agent Tara Shores from WIRED KINGDOM marks her return as she tries to solve the riddle of what happened to a scientist who creates something almost as incredible as the cure for leukemia. Some not very nice people would like to get their hands on that creation and they’ll do anything—including murder, and lots of it—to gain singular control.
But the scientist left clues to his fate in a place no one but his own scientist daughter would think to look. You guessed it—inside a DNA sequence.
After her high-profile case in the first book, Agent Shores is transferred from Los Angeles to Hawaii, where she meets the family of the missing scientist. Like any good mystery, there are a lot of plot-twists that will leave you wondering who’s on which side. Suffice it to say that everyone in the family is not what they seem to be.
The thing about Rick’s writing is that he has the knack of putting you in the story. As a marine biologist, and I would imagine also an experienced diver, you’re right down there in those claustrophobic ocean depths. The descriptions of Hawaii are strikingly detailed and really made me want to go there for a visit.
WIRED KINGDOM was a great techno-thriller and with kiDNApped I think Rick stepped his game up a notch. Fans of Michael Crichton would probably enjoy this book. He has a new publisher this time out (Chalet Publishers) and some really great cover art by Stan Tremblay. I look forward to seeing more from Rick Chesler.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Author Rick Chesler: Writing for the thrill of it
Rick Chesler, author of the techno-thriller WIRED KINGDOM and the just-released kiDNApped talks about my favorite subject: What it takes to write a good thriller!
First of all, many thanks to author Toby Tate for having me as a guest on his blog!
So I’ve been asked, what does it take to write a good thriller? Good question. I try to write something I would like to read myself—a story that has some familiar elements culled from the books I liked, but with a unique premise, plot, style, and a voice of my own. But how to actually get there?
First of all, I think it takes a solid premise of some kind, or maybe a what-if scenario, that has the potential for lots of serious conflict. Sometimes these are inspired by real-life events. For example, several years ago I read a news report about a team of researchers who successfully encoded the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner into the DNA of living cells, essentially turning living bacteria into a data storage medium, just like your hard drive--except that they’re alive, and every time they reproduce, they reproduce your message. From there I read about how some companies with potentially valuable gene patents were encoding their patent numbers right into the genetically engineered cells. I kind of put those two things together and came up with:
What if a scientist working on some ultra-lucrative applied genetics was kidnapped and held for ransom…and the only way he could send a message for help was to encode it into the DNA of the very cells he was working with? That was my starting point. I had to ask and answer a lot of questions along the way (How would he get into that situation? Who would kidnap him? What exactly was he working on? What happens to him in the end?)
The result was kiDNApped, and starting March 1, 2011, it is available for purchase here:
kiDNApped on Amazon.com
The process was similar for my first novel. One day, many years ago, I had a thought:
What if a whale tagged with a webcam were to broadcast a murder at sea?
That’s the premise of my debut thriller, WIRED KINGDOM, which was published in May of 2010. I started with that simple premise. From there, the questions multiplied like rabbits: who gets murdered? Who kills them and why? Why does the whale have a web-cam tag on it? How would that kind of technology even work? Who would be tasked with solving the crime? The answers to each of these questions lead down multiple paths of their own, and once I realized I could no longer mentally keep track of them all, I had to start typing them into the computer. After a few months of thinking about it like this, I had a solid opening, a general ending, and a couple of stepping stones in between. With that I began the first draft. The end result can be seen here:
WIRED KINGDOM on Amazon
Characterization and setting are also extremely important: believable personas with palpable motivations battling it out in exotic settings is what I shoot for, but there’s no one correct way to handle it.
Of course there’s more to writing a great thriller than only the premise, plot, characters and setting. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and so the execution of your idea needs to be as flawless as possible. Give ten writers the same short descriptions like those I started with above, and you’ll get 10 different books. The importance of exactly how it’s executed is what truly makes it your book.
Thanks for reading,
Rick
Rick Chesler.com
Twitter: @rickchesler
Facebook: Rick on Facebook
First of all, many thanks to author Toby Tate for having me as a guest on his blog!
So I’ve been asked, what does it take to write a good thriller? Good question. I try to write something I would like to read myself—a story that has some familiar elements culled from the books I liked, but with a unique premise, plot, style, and a voice of my own. But how to actually get there?
First of all, I think it takes a solid premise of some kind, or maybe a what-if scenario, that has the potential for lots of serious conflict. Sometimes these are inspired by real-life events. For example, several years ago I read a news report about a team of researchers who successfully encoded the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner into the DNA of living cells, essentially turning living bacteria into a data storage medium, just like your hard drive--except that they’re alive, and every time they reproduce, they reproduce your message. From there I read about how some companies with potentially valuable gene patents were encoding their patent numbers right into the genetically engineered cells. I kind of put those two things together and came up with:
What if a scientist working on some ultra-lucrative applied genetics was kidnapped and held for ransom…and the only way he could send a message for help was to encode it into the DNA of the very cells he was working with? That was my starting point. I had to ask and answer a lot of questions along the way (How would he get into that situation? Who would kidnap him? What exactly was he working on? What happens to him in the end?)
The result was kiDNApped, and starting March 1, 2011, it is available for purchase here:
kiDNApped on Amazon.com
The process was similar for my first novel. One day, many years ago, I had a thought:
What if a whale tagged with a webcam were to broadcast a murder at sea?
That’s the premise of my debut thriller, WIRED KINGDOM, which was published in May of 2010. I started with that simple premise. From there, the questions multiplied like rabbits: who gets murdered? Who kills them and why? Why does the whale have a web-cam tag on it? How would that kind of technology even work? Who would be tasked with solving the crime? The answers to each of these questions lead down multiple paths of their own, and once I realized I could no longer mentally keep track of them all, I had to start typing them into the computer. After a few months of thinking about it like this, I had a solid opening, a general ending, and a couple of stepping stones in between. With that I began the first draft. The end result can be seen here:
WIRED KINGDOM on Amazon
Characterization and setting are also extremely important: believable personas with palpable motivations battling it out in exotic settings is what I shoot for, but there’s no one correct way to handle it.
Of course there’s more to writing a great thriller than only the premise, plot, characters and setting. The devil, as they say, is in the details, and so the execution of your idea needs to be as flawless as possible. Give ten writers the same short descriptions like those I started with above, and you’ll get 10 different books. The importance of exactly how it’s executed is what truly makes it your book.
Thanks for reading,
Rick
Rick Chesler.com
Twitter: @rickchesler
Facebook: Rick on Facebook
Friday, January 28, 2011
Guerrilla marketing and the publishing battle
DIABLERO is kind of a modern-day adventure/horror novel about a group of people chasing a demon-possessed Blackbeard the pirate from North Carolina to Virginia to South Carolina and then to the Caribbean hoping to prevent him from literally opening the gates of hell. There’s a lot of great character development in there, so it’s not just plot driven. It’s getting five-star reviews on Amazon and selling pretty well online and in some independent bookstores mainly in the southeast.
The number one thing is to write a book that people will want to read. Everything else you do hinges on that.
Even if you have a publisher, if they’re small like mine, they will have limited resources. But even large publishers can’t do everything. Your book is only going to sell as much, or as little, as you want it to. Besides obvious things like e-mail and advertising, there are tons of things indie authors can do to promote themselves.
I think one of the factors that help sell my book is having the endorsement of bestselling author Steve Alten who wrote the MEG series and the apocalyptic GRIM REAPER: End of Days. Favorable reviews on Goodreads, HorrorNews.com and a few blogs don’t hurt, either. If you can get reviews on websites that are relevant to your particular genre, that really helps make people aware that your book is out there. You really should figure out who your core audience is and focus on them.
But a writer’s best friends are social networking sites like Facebook, because you can go on there and search for people that have similar interests and friend them. You can also create a page for your book and an ad campaign that will reach thousands of potential fans for a couple of dollars a day. Facebook can be linked with Twitter, MySpace and a host of other sites that will post any messages you put up on Facebook.
Another great tool is a blog. You should try to blog about subjects related to your book, which in my case would be horror, sci-fi, fantasy, Blackbeard, pirates, writing and things like that. That gives people a reason to stick around plus you’re not always talking about your book all the time. You’re giving people something that interests them. Guest blogging on other blogs is a great way to spread your name around, too. Oh yeah, and podcast interviews!
Besides Facebook and Twitter, there are also writer’s websites like Writer Face, Filed By, Authors Den, Book Hitch and tons of other places where you can hook up with readers and other writers. If your book has local appeal like mine does, you can also get on some message boards. Try to get interviews or reviews in your local paper, as well, because lots of people will support local authors.
Get your book in some local book stores, set up some author signings and talk to people who come to the store. Being nice and talking to people will sell your book faster than anything. The introverts who sit at the table waiting for customers to come to them are usually going to be disappointed. Build a local following that can eventually branch out into a bigger following.
Also, most computers have built-in video editing programs like Windows Movie Maker and I highly suggest creating a book trailer and putting it on YouTube. You can find plenty of free music, photos and videos online to create your own video. Or pay someone to do it. I’ve had over 1,300 hits on my YouTube channel in the last month alone.
But all the promotion in the world can’t sell a bad book. If you don’t get good word of mouth, you’re sunk before you even set sail.
The number one thing is to write a book that people will want to read. Everything else you do hinges on that.
Even if you have a publisher, if they’re small like mine, they will have limited resources. But even large publishers can’t do everything. Your book is only going to sell as much, or as little, as you want it to. Besides obvious things like e-mail and advertising, there are tons of things indie authors can do to promote themselves.
I think one of the factors that help sell my book is having the endorsement of bestselling author Steve Alten who wrote the MEG series and the apocalyptic GRIM REAPER: End of Days. Favorable reviews on Goodreads, HorrorNews.com and a few blogs don’t hurt, either. If you can get reviews on websites that are relevant to your particular genre, that really helps make people aware that your book is out there. You really should figure out who your core audience is and focus on them.
But a writer’s best friends are social networking sites like Facebook, because you can go on there and search for people that have similar interests and friend them. You can also create a page for your book and an ad campaign that will reach thousands of potential fans for a couple of dollars a day. Facebook can be linked with Twitter, MySpace and a host of other sites that will post any messages you put up on Facebook.
Another great tool is a blog. You should try to blog about subjects related to your book, which in my case would be horror, sci-fi, fantasy, Blackbeard, pirates, writing and things like that. That gives people a reason to stick around plus you’re not always talking about your book all the time. You’re giving people something that interests them. Guest blogging on other blogs is a great way to spread your name around, too. Oh yeah, and podcast interviews!
Besides Facebook and Twitter, there are also writer’s websites like Writer Face, Filed By, Authors Den, Book Hitch and tons of other places where you can hook up with readers and other writers. If your book has local appeal like mine does, you can also get on some message boards. Try to get interviews or reviews in your local paper, as well, because lots of people will support local authors.
Get your book in some local book stores, set up some author signings and talk to people who come to the store. Being nice and talking to people will sell your book faster than anything. The introverts who sit at the table waiting for customers to come to them are usually going to be disappointed. Build a local following that can eventually branch out into a bigger following.
Also, most computers have built-in video editing programs like Windows Movie Maker and I highly suggest creating a book trailer and putting it on YouTube. You can find plenty of free music, photos and videos online to create your own video. Or pay someone to do it. I’ve had over 1,300 hits on my YouTube channel in the last month alone.
But all the promotion in the world can’t sell a bad book. If you don’t get good word of mouth, you’re sunk before you even set sail.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Researching a horror/sci-fi/fantasy/technothriller
When I was preparing to write my first supernatural thriller, I wanted to learn the best ways to do research, but there weren’t really any books out there on the subject. I just had to jump into the fray and figure it out for myself.
Writing my first novel took a lot more research than I thought it would. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to guess at things, especially technical details. I want to know what kind of boat it is, what kind of engine it has, how fast it can go, who built it, how far it can go on a tank of fuel, how many compartments it has—well, you get the picture. I hate for people to read my books and go, “Whoa, dude—those boats don’t have diesel engines, they have gas engines. Epic fail!”
Right now I’m researching my next thriller and believe me; I’ve had to go around a lot of roadblocks. It’s what I call a supernatural techno-thriller; a Tom Clancy meets Dean Koontz kind of thing. People get a little nervous when you start asking about classified information, though I haven’t really gotten into anything quite that heavy, but so far I’ve found some cooperative people who are glad to help. Not only will they be getting their names in the acknowledgements, but they’ll receive a first-edition signed copy, as well.
The first thing I have to do for this type of book is figure out the basic story from beginning to end. You really have to know the ending, or at least I do, in order to figure out how to get where you want to go, whether it’s character driven, plot driven or both.
Once I’ve outlined the story and figured out who my characters are, it’s time to start writing. Personally, I prefer to research as I write, that way I learn whatever I need to know to move the story along. If I research first and then end up changing the story around because I don’t like the way a certain thing is working, then I have wasted time researching for nothing.
Most of my research is done on the Internet. You can find out almost anything you need to know from Yahoo, Google or any of the other search engines. If it’s not there, then the local library is the next best place. In fact, some may even like it better than the Internet—it’s a personal choice.
It’s also helpful to find people who have been in the situations that you’re writing about. If you’re writing about a Navy ship, find a Navy sailor who has served aboard the same type of ship that’s in your story. You can’t beat real world experience.
That brings me to my next point. If you can actually spend time in a place like the one you’re writing about, such as a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, for instance, or a certain city like New York or wherever your story is set, nothing will make it more real to a reader than first-hand experience. I happen to live in the place where most of my first book takes place and I’ve visited the other places, such as Charleston, Williamsburg and the Caribbean.
If you need to find out technical details about certain types of guns, or DNA, or animals, or glass blowing, find someone who sells guns, or works in a crime lab, or is a veterinarian, or makes glass bottles. And don’t forget to give them credit.
But whatever you need to do to make your story believable, do it. It will only be made all the better for it.
Writing my first novel took a lot more research than I thought it would. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to guess at things, especially technical details. I want to know what kind of boat it is, what kind of engine it has, how fast it can go, who built it, how far it can go on a tank of fuel, how many compartments it has—well, you get the picture. I hate for people to read my books and go, “Whoa, dude—those boats don’t have diesel engines, they have gas engines. Epic fail!”
Right now I’m researching my next thriller and believe me; I’ve had to go around a lot of roadblocks. It’s what I call a supernatural techno-thriller; a Tom Clancy meets Dean Koontz kind of thing. People get a little nervous when you start asking about classified information, though I haven’t really gotten into anything quite that heavy, but so far I’ve found some cooperative people who are glad to help. Not only will they be getting their names in the acknowledgements, but they’ll receive a first-edition signed copy, as well.
The first thing I have to do for this type of book is figure out the basic story from beginning to end. You really have to know the ending, or at least I do, in order to figure out how to get where you want to go, whether it’s character driven, plot driven or both.
Once I’ve outlined the story and figured out who my characters are, it’s time to start writing. Personally, I prefer to research as I write, that way I learn whatever I need to know to move the story along. If I research first and then end up changing the story around because I don’t like the way a certain thing is working, then I have wasted time researching for nothing.
Most of my research is done on the Internet. You can find out almost anything you need to know from Yahoo, Google or any of the other search engines. If it’s not there, then the local library is the next best place. In fact, some may even like it better than the Internet—it’s a personal choice.
It’s also helpful to find people who have been in the situations that you’re writing about. If you’re writing about a Navy ship, find a Navy sailor who has served aboard the same type of ship that’s in your story. You can’t beat real world experience.
That brings me to my next point. If you can actually spend time in a place like the one you’re writing about, such as a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, for instance, or a certain city like New York or wherever your story is set, nothing will make it more real to a reader than first-hand experience. I happen to live in the place where most of my first book takes place and I’ve visited the other places, such as Charleston, Williamsburg and the Caribbean.
If you need to find out technical details about certain types of guns, or DNA, or animals, or glass blowing, find someone who sells guns, or works in a crime lab, or is a veterinarian, or makes glass bottles. And don’t forget to give them credit.
But whatever you need to do to make your story believable, do it. It will only be made all the better for it.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Writing the perfect thriller
What is it makes the perfect thriller? Is it the suspense? The violence? The unpredictability of the plot? The character development? Or a combination of all of the above?
I have to admit I don’t know the exact formula, but it seems to vary book by book. Even authors like James Patterson or Stephen King can have their hits and misses, so it’s probably a good thing they’re so prolific, right?
I read a lot of thrillers. I’m in the midst of a Steve Berry novel and it’s quite engrossing. He puts a lot of detail into his stories…a LOT of detail. Maybe a little too much detail. Tom Clancy is usually guilty of that. If I want to know how to operate a nuclear submarine I’ll read the manual. Some people like that, though. To me it bogs down the story. If the reader doesn’t really need to know, why tell them? I only put in my stories what readers need to know in order to keep the story flowing. Maybe that’s why I’m not a bestselling author yet, I don’t know.
Brad Thor is a guy who only tells you what you need to know to keep the story moving, yet I still come away knowing more than I did when I started, which is a good thing. Same with James Rollins, Steve Alten, Nelson DeMille, Lee Child and most of my other favorite writers. What I like about James Patterson are his very short chapters. I tend to write my stories the same way. I like a fast-paced novel with short chapters. I could attribute that to my ADD, but I think telling a story is more important than giving geography lessons or teaching you how to build your own pyramid.
One thing I love about Nelson DeMille are his characters. I can really get inside their heads, probably because he writes a lot in first person, as does James Patterson. I write in third person, but I still get inside my characters’ heads. I like to show their flaws so readers can identify with them and say, “Hey, they’re imperfect, just like me!” The super-agent who speaks five different languages or the master criminal with the degree from MIT gets a little old after a while. That’s why I usually make the characters in my books regular people in extraordinary circumstances, i.e. the journalist and his wife, the park ranger up against an evil being at war with his own humanity. That’s why people like my characters—they’re real people, not super-humans.
Some authors overdo the blood and gore. I don’t need to see some guy get dissected alive to know the bad guy is pissed. Get on with the story. I don’t want to have to hold a barf bag while I’m reading or have to go for counseling later. Some people get a little too much into the violence. Maybe their editor told them to add more, who knows? Sometimes Stephen King is guilty of that, or Dean Koontz. But they are both master storytellers, so I’m not going to presume to lecture them. I almost always love the characters in their books and the plots are first rate.
My next book has lots of suspense, supernatural overtones, intriguing characters, a compelling plot and great settings. There is also some violence, sex, language and other things that some may find questionable, but it all adds to the story—it’s not just thrown in willy-nilly. I think my current book is the same way. Basically, I write the types of things that I like to read. Isn’t that the way it should be?
For more of my writing and to order my latest supernatural thriller, DIABLERO, go to: Toby Tate Stories
I have to admit I don’t know the exact formula, but it seems to vary book by book. Even authors like James Patterson or Stephen King can have their hits and misses, so it’s probably a good thing they’re so prolific, right?
I read a lot of thrillers. I’m in the midst of a Steve Berry novel and it’s quite engrossing. He puts a lot of detail into his stories…a LOT of detail. Maybe a little too much detail. Tom Clancy is usually guilty of that. If I want to know how to operate a nuclear submarine I’ll read the manual. Some people like that, though. To me it bogs down the story. If the reader doesn’t really need to know, why tell them? I only put in my stories what readers need to know in order to keep the story flowing. Maybe that’s why I’m not a bestselling author yet, I don’t know.
Brad Thor is a guy who only tells you what you need to know to keep the story moving, yet I still come away knowing more than I did when I started, which is a good thing. Same with James Rollins, Steve Alten, Nelson DeMille, Lee Child and most of my other favorite writers. What I like about James Patterson are his very short chapters. I tend to write my stories the same way. I like a fast-paced novel with short chapters. I could attribute that to my ADD, but I think telling a story is more important than giving geography lessons or teaching you how to build your own pyramid.
One thing I love about Nelson DeMille are his characters. I can really get inside their heads, probably because he writes a lot in first person, as does James Patterson. I write in third person, but I still get inside my characters’ heads. I like to show their flaws so readers can identify with them and say, “Hey, they’re imperfect, just like me!” The super-agent who speaks five different languages or the master criminal with the degree from MIT gets a little old after a while. That’s why I usually make the characters in my books regular people in extraordinary circumstances, i.e. the journalist and his wife, the park ranger up against an evil being at war with his own humanity. That’s why people like my characters—they’re real people, not super-humans.
Some authors overdo the blood and gore. I don’t need to see some guy get dissected alive to know the bad guy is pissed. Get on with the story. I don’t want to have to hold a barf bag while I’m reading or have to go for counseling later. Some people get a little too much into the violence. Maybe their editor told them to add more, who knows? Sometimes Stephen King is guilty of that, or Dean Koontz. But they are both master storytellers, so I’m not going to presume to lecture them. I almost always love the characters in their books and the plots are first rate.
My next book has lots of suspense, supernatural overtones, intriguing characters, a compelling plot and great settings. There is also some violence, sex, language and other things that some may find questionable, but it all adds to the story—it’s not just thrown in willy-nilly. I think my current book is the same way. Basically, I write the types of things that I like to read. Isn’t that the way it should be?
For more of my writing and to order my latest supernatural thriller, DIABLERO, go to: Toby Tate Stories
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The neverending cycle of movie sequels
I loved Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Okay, maybe Indy is pushing 70, but did you see him climb those crates in that warehouse like a caffeinated monkey? Running from bad guys, riding motorcycles through the halls of academia, swinging from his whip and beating the crap out of of the villains - it just doesn't get any better. I hope to be in as good a shape as Ford when I'm 67.
But the point is, the movie rocked, in my opinion. Maybe the aliens were a bit cheesy, but seriously, is there an Indy movie that isn't? Isn't cheesiness the quality that makes it so much fun? Seriously, you can't take that stuff seriously.
That leads me to another sequel near and dear to my heart - The Chronicles of Riddick. Apparently not as popular as the original, Pitch Black, but a kick-ass movie nonetheless. I'm hoping for some more Riddick movies, which I believe are on the way. I expect it to be even better than the last. Vin is over 40 now, but he still looks like the schizzle.
I wouldn't mind it if they made another Laura Croft movie. I liked the first one best, but who gets tired of watching Angelina Jolie running around in skimpy outfits, shooting huge guns and kick-boxing bad guys in the teeth? Not me. There are two movies so far, and I'm voting for a third.
Just watched the new Star Trek again for the third time. I can't get enough of that movie and I hope there are many more to come. Putting the crew in an alternate universe on a different timeline from the original Trek was a stroke of genius. Now they can do anything and say, "Well, they're in an alternate universe, so we don't have to stick to the original story." The Trouble with Tribbles will never happen, though, and that's just a shame. But they all still ended up on the Enterprise. It's like it was meant to be, no matter which universe they're in. And maybe they can run into Khan again!
I wouldn't mind too much if George Lucas decided to go ahead and make a new series of Star Wars movies, with all the original cast in the future. They're all older now, so it would work. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher - I say bring 'em all back for three more movies. It would be awesome! Throw in some younger stars, of course, to appeal to the younger set. Come on George, what do you say?
I'm ready for some more sequels!
But the point is, the movie rocked, in my opinion. Maybe the aliens were a bit cheesy, but seriously, is there an Indy movie that isn't? Isn't cheesiness the quality that makes it so much fun? Seriously, you can't take that stuff seriously.
That leads me to another sequel near and dear to my heart - The Chronicles of Riddick. Apparently not as popular as the original, Pitch Black, but a kick-ass movie nonetheless. I'm hoping for some more Riddick movies, which I believe are on the way. I expect it to be even better than the last. Vin is over 40 now, but he still looks like the schizzle.
I wouldn't mind it if they made another Laura Croft movie. I liked the first one best, but who gets tired of watching Angelina Jolie running around in skimpy outfits, shooting huge guns and kick-boxing bad guys in the teeth? Not me. There are two movies so far, and I'm voting for a third.
Just watched the new Star Trek again for the third time. I can't get enough of that movie and I hope there are many more to come. Putting the crew in an alternate universe on a different timeline from the original Trek was a stroke of genius. Now they can do anything and say, "Well, they're in an alternate universe, so we don't have to stick to the original story." The Trouble with Tribbles will never happen, though, and that's just a shame. But they all still ended up on the Enterprise. It's like it was meant to be, no matter which universe they're in. And maybe they can run into Khan again!
I wouldn't mind too much if George Lucas decided to go ahead and make a new series of Star Wars movies, with all the original cast in the future. They're all older now, so it would work. Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher - I say bring 'em all back for three more movies. It would be awesome! Throw in some younger stars, of course, to appeal to the younger set. Come on George, what do you say?
I'm ready for some more sequels!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Review: Steve Alten's "Meg: Hell's Aquarium"
Miles below the crushing depths of the Philippine Sea, hidden beneath the crust of the Philippine Sea Plate, monsters dwell that should have died 65 million years ago. Luckily for us, they didn’t.
If you like your monsters big, mean and prehistoric, Steve Alten’s “Meg: Hell’s Aquarium” delivers the goods. It also effectively illustrates the point that there is always a bigger fish in the sea.
A follow up to Alten’s “Meg: Primal Waters,” Hell’s Aquarium continues the story of Jonas Taylor, the deep sea diver/ paleontologist who first discovered giant Megalodons, prehistoric cousins of the Great White Shark, on a top-secret dive to the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.
Taylor, the lone survivor of the doomed Navy expedition, is demonized and ridiculed for what he says he saw—until he becomes a paleontologist and manages to find one of the Megs again years later. The Meg follows Taylor to the surface and chaos ensues.
Taylor, along with his wife, Terry and daughter, Dani, is now running his own aquarium, the Tanaka Institute in California, with his own captured Megs—the 76-foot, 50-ton Angel and her brood of “pups,” Angelica, Lizzie, Mary Kate, Ashley and Belle.
The story begins with the Meg from Angel’s first litter, Scarface, becoming lunch for something much, much larger—a creature known as a pliosaur—one of a menagerie of prehistoric creatures that have been discovered to inhabit a vast sea beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. These creatures, it seems, who were once air breathers, have evolved gill slits, which enabled them to stay hidden and procreate all these millions of years.
Now, an Arab gentleman by the name of Fiesal Bin Rashidi, who also happens to be filthy rich and a relation of the Prince of Dubai, has built an enormous aquarium in Dubai, big enough to house these monsters from the deep. Who does he want to enlist to help capture these creatures? Not Jonas Taylor, as you would suspect, but his son, twenty-year-old David, who is home from college on summer vacation. David also happens to be an expert pilot of a new high-tech sub called a Manta Ray, which can withstand the tremendous pressures at the bottom of the Pacific.
David is enlisted, against the will of his father, to help train a team of pilots to dive deeper than any man (or woman) has ever gone before and lure these dangerous creatures into an array of awaiting nets. Unfortunately, once these pilots get down to a few thousand feet, they wig out because of the claustrophobic darkness and the very real possibility of becoming a snack for a sea serpent. It seems David and his newfound girlfriend, Kaylie, a navigator and pilot in her own right, are the only ones who are up to the task. But of course, all does not go as planned.
As if they didn’t have enough problems, it seems Jonas’ fish at the Tanaka Institute are becoming restless and the holding pens are becoming too small for the steadily growing Megs and their ginormous mother. An overzealous animal rights group (called R.A.W.) is also pushing the institute to release the Megs back into the wild and possess no scruples about their methods.
Well, I won’t give away the rest, but suffice it to say that the biggest showdown of all time eventually ensues.
A literary agent once told me that you shouldn’t have too much killing at the beginning of a horror book; you should build up to it. But since this is science fiction, I guess the rule doesn’t apply, and that’s great, because everyone wants to get to the part where the Megs start chowing down. Am I right? It does tend to get a bit graphic, but I don’t think there is really a non-graphic way to describe a giant fish eating people.
Even though Jonas is 66, I figure if Harrison Ford can still be Indiana Jones, then Jonas Taylor can still pilot a sub and tame a giant shark or two. I realize that David will probably eventually assume Jonas’ role just as Mutt will probably assume Indy’s role and Dirk Pitt, Jr. will assume the role of his father in Clive Cussler’s adventures.
One thing I love about Steve Alten is the research he does for his books. The man does have a Ph.D., so I assume he knows how to do research. I actually learn things when I read his books—Domain, Goliath, The Loch—just like I always did with Michael Crichton, one of my all-time favorite authors.
I’ve read pretty much all of Mr. Alten’s books and I can say unequivocally that this is his best yet. This book moves along at a great clip and has excellent character development. It’s not a throw-away, run-of-the-mill page-turner—it’s a book that will stand the test of time.
Now out in paperback at about 500 pages, Hell’s Aquarium features two different collectible covers and retails for $9.99.
Check out Steve's Web site at http://www.stevealten.com.
If you like your monsters big, mean and prehistoric, Steve Alten’s “Meg: Hell’s Aquarium” delivers the goods. It also effectively illustrates the point that there is always a bigger fish in the sea.
A follow up to Alten’s “Meg: Primal Waters,” Hell’s Aquarium continues the story of Jonas Taylor, the deep sea diver/ paleontologist who first discovered giant Megalodons, prehistoric cousins of the Great White Shark, on a top-secret dive to the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean.
Taylor, the lone survivor of the doomed Navy expedition, is demonized and ridiculed for what he says he saw—until he becomes a paleontologist and manages to find one of the Megs again years later. The Meg follows Taylor to the surface and chaos ensues.
Taylor, along with his wife, Terry and daughter, Dani, is now running his own aquarium, the Tanaka Institute in California, with his own captured Megs—the 76-foot, 50-ton Angel and her brood of “pups,” Angelica, Lizzie, Mary Kate, Ashley and Belle.
The story begins with the Meg from Angel’s first litter, Scarface, becoming lunch for something much, much larger—a creature known as a pliosaur—one of a menagerie of prehistoric creatures that have been discovered to inhabit a vast sea beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. These creatures, it seems, who were once air breathers, have evolved gill slits, which enabled them to stay hidden and procreate all these millions of years.
Now, an Arab gentleman by the name of Fiesal Bin Rashidi, who also happens to be filthy rich and a relation of the Prince of Dubai, has built an enormous aquarium in Dubai, big enough to house these monsters from the deep. Who does he want to enlist to help capture these creatures? Not Jonas Taylor, as you would suspect, but his son, twenty-year-old David, who is home from college on summer vacation. David also happens to be an expert pilot of a new high-tech sub called a Manta Ray, which can withstand the tremendous pressures at the bottom of the Pacific.
David is enlisted, against the will of his father, to help train a team of pilots to dive deeper than any man (or woman) has ever gone before and lure these dangerous creatures into an array of awaiting nets. Unfortunately, once these pilots get down to a few thousand feet, they wig out because of the claustrophobic darkness and the very real possibility of becoming a snack for a sea serpent. It seems David and his newfound girlfriend, Kaylie, a navigator and pilot in her own right, are the only ones who are up to the task. But of course, all does not go as planned.
As if they didn’t have enough problems, it seems Jonas’ fish at the Tanaka Institute are becoming restless and the holding pens are becoming too small for the steadily growing Megs and their ginormous mother. An overzealous animal rights group (called R.A.W.) is also pushing the institute to release the Megs back into the wild and possess no scruples about their methods.
Well, I won’t give away the rest, but suffice it to say that the biggest showdown of all time eventually ensues.
A literary agent once told me that you shouldn’t have too much killing at the beginning of a horror book; you should build up to it. But since this is science fiction, I guess the rule doesn’t apply, and that’s great, because everyone wants to get to the part where the Megs start chowing down. Am I right? It does tend to get a bit graphic, but I don’t think there is really a non-graphic way to describe a giant fish eating people.
Even though Jonas is 66, I figure if Harrison Ford can still be Indiana Jones, then Jonas Taylor can still pilot a sub and tame a giant shark or two. I realize that David will probably eventually assume Jonas’ role just as Mutt will probably assume Indy’s role and Dirk Pitt, Jr. will assume the role of his father in Clive Cussler’s adventures.
One thing I love about Steve Alten is the research he does for his books. The man does have a Ph.D., so I assume he knows how to do research. I actually learn things when I read his books—Domain, Goliath, The Loch—just like I always did with Michael Crichton, one of my all-time favorite authors.
I’ve read pretty much all of Mr. Alten’s books and I can say unequivocally that this is his best yet. This book moves along at a great clip and has excellent character development. It’s not a throw-away, run-of-the-mill page-turner—it’s a book that will stand the test of time.
Now out in paperback at about 500 pages, Hell’s Aquarium features two different collectible covers and retails for $9.99.
Check out Steve's Web site at http://www.stevealten.com.
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