Book Review: Metro 2033

Echoing many voices from the other reviews, this book would probably look a lot different and have a lot fewer pages if it were to go through the hands of an industry editor. The typos from the Russian to English translation didn't bother me, but there was a fair amount of gumpf that could've been cut. At least half of the book must be dialogue, which was fine - I quite liked the stories that the many cast told - however, the same points were often repeated, with each next sentence elaborating further and further on the previous one, even though we got it after the first sentence.

TV Review: Hulu's Chance with Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie stars as Dr Eldon Chance, a forensic neuro-psychologist who gets mixed up in a shady under-world of dark goings on, in Hulu’s new show, Chance. Following his success playing a sarcastic genius in House, Hugh again tries his hand as a doctor, but this is a completely different character. No doubt many House fans will be giving Chance a chance, if only to see if this is House 2.0, so don’t be fooled. In spite of House’s gammy leg, Chance is positively lethargic in comparison.

http://culturedvultures.com/take-chance-hulus-chance/

Game Review: The Tomorrow Children (PS4)

The Tomorrow Children is a now free-to-play social game available on the PS4 (was out for a price earlier this year) – and it’s pretty weird. There wasn’t much information about it on the PS Store screen, but as someone who’ll try all or most of the free games, I began the download.

http://culturedvultures.com/the-tomorrow-children-ps4-review/

TV REVIEW: The Walking Dead Season 7 – Episode 2: The Well

If last week’s season premiere was a home run, that baseball was severely smacked out of the park, hitting a few unsuspecting heads on its way. Episode 2 was sure to be a bit of a bunt in comparison, but it was a welcome change of pace; in effect, it was the show taking back control.

http://culturedvultures.com/walking-dead-season-7-episode-2-well/

11 Unsettling Movie Scenes That Got Under The Skin

Around Halloween, I’m always checking the listings to see what specials are going to be on. Perhaps something that Netflix can’t recommend me, or a classic I haven’t seen in awhile. With that in mind, it got me thinking of scenes which, for one reason or other, got under my skin...

http://bit.ly/2e8273d

TV Retrospective: House

In light of the recent landing on Hollywood Boulevard of Hugh Laurie’s marbley star, I thought I’d take a look back at his most famed success, House. 

http://bit.ly/2dXBRoE

TV REVIEW: The Walking Dead Season 7 Premiere

Season 7 seemed a long way off back in April after the cliffhanger that was the season 6 finale. I hated that ending: all tension without a pay-off, and for me it was lazy writing. They had the opportunity to create a “Red Wedding” moment in the “Game of Thrones” vein...

http://bit.ly/2eyMwdC

What would make No Man's Sky a better experience?

“No Man’s Sky.” Three little words that have become a byword for disappointment. Just Google it and what stands out is not the slew of complaints and controversy, which this article won’t go into, but the utter silence.

http://culturedvultures.com/make-no-mans-sky-better/

Westworld: The Good, the Bad, and the Robots

So here it is, another new TV show flying off the conveyer-belt. You’ve barely hungrily devoured “House” (4.9 hours of my life I’m reliably told), and now the familiar *beep* as another morsel of television somehow makes its way into your shopping bag...

http://bit.ly/2eJc7hk

The Strain – TV Horror for Halloween You May Have Missed

Channel FX’s The Strain is one of those love-to-hate TV shows that you can pick on and tease, like a younger sibling. Not an episode goes by that I don’t comment snarkily as...

http://bit.ly/2famVta

New short story available on blog

Hi folks,

I've made a new short story available to read right here on the blog. To check it out, click on the Dawn tab above, or click here: https://adamjsmithauthor.blogspot.co.uk/p/dawn.html.

This is a sample of what can be expected in the eerie ghost novel Spirits of Eden, where the narrator is the frontier, watching a group of families as they try to survive for a television show (similar to Frontier House).

I hope you enjoy - if you check it out, do let me know what you think. It was submitted to various competitions, but you never get feedback from those!

The Risen Giveaway

To be in with a chance to win a signed copy of The Risen, check it out on Goodreads and enter the Giveaway (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31917043-the-risen). It will be running from the 15 September to the 15 October.

Good luck!

When society collapses... and the undead rise...

The Risen is a horror-thriller, set mid-apocalypse, exploring the themes of isolation and purpose in a world that has been irrevocably changed. In middle-England, Nate and his family are cut-off from the rest of the country - London in particular - keeping calm and carrying on, until tragedy strikes. And there's Ruby and her mother, risking it all, exposed on the open roads. They must find each other, and find a way to deal with the new world; coming to terms with life as it is now, where every day just stepping outside your door can mean death. 

Neon Driver cover competition

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Art / Graphic design competition - Neon Driver

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I would love to be able to afford to hire an artist to create some amazing, cool, cyberpunk-style artwork for this, but alas, I am poor. Maybe the promise of credit and 5 free hard copies of Neon Driver would be enough?

I'm opening up a competition which won't close until the final book proof has been made: design me a book cover that you think would match well with this story, or even just artwork in general that I could use to adorn a website, and I will post you 5 hard copies of the finished book. Email me submissions or questions to ajsproof@yahoo.co.uk.

Artwork and covers I love (ha-ha, I'm dreaming)

http://josan.bigcartel.com/category/original-art

https://igorpiwowarczyk.artstation.com/

http://thanuka.com/kubrick/

http://amzn.to/2blPXCo

Neon Driver chapter one draft: Kingdom City

Readers, friends, comrades; behold: Neon Driver's opening chapter has passed its first draft. Since this is my opening foray into cyberpunk and sci-fi, and because it's generally a good idea to get off on the right foot, I have made it available to download in PDF form. I would massively appreciate it if any of you could take the time to read it and complete the questionnaire (all links below). Anyone who does so will receive a free review copy of the finished book. Comments also welcome here!

'Til the darkness takes over...

Download link: http://bit.ly/2bujqbZ
Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/72FD5LH

Having fun with covers and new novel update

Walking around bookstores and looking at horror and thriller covers, I came to the conclusion that I didn't like mine much! So I changed it up and 'rebranded' my image slightly, setting a template that I could use for future books. Here are the results. Check out the blurbs for Spirits of Eden and Neon Driver to see if they whet your appetite!

The journey of a novel

My journey for The Risen was a pretty pragmatic one. I've procrastinated for years (in part because I didn't feel ready though) but last Nanowrimo I told myself to complete a project, and so I wrote it in a month, doing around 2,000 words or more a day. I began with a theme and a couple characters, and an idea of the world, and that was it. Previously I had planned too much and what I was coming up with didn't feel very natural. With Nanowrimo, the goal was to let the characters lead the way, and to write an adventure-style narrative; and overall, to go for quantity over quality. It was a lot easier afterwards to edit, as the hard work had already been done. When you're so involved in your story every day, you live with it, and ideas come easy. I didn't know the ending until half-way through, but when it came, it was very natural.

Short Story: Hereafter

I'm perhaps overly protective of my short story 'Hereafter'. Or overly keen about it. It has a dual meaning for me: it reminds me of one of my favourite books, 'The Virgin Suicides' and is also the first thing I wrote consciously.

That sounds odd. But also right. Everything before had an unconscious element - a lack of connection with anything, a lack of substance. I just... wrote, without much thought aboutwhat I was writing, or how.

So I still see 'Hereafter' as a turning point. I just wish I could claim its content, and its tone, as my own. But I can't. The characters are Eugenides'. The tone is Eugenides'. It exists because of him. The trick now is to create things that exist because of me.

'Hereafter' has been uploaded to Goodreads in its entirety, should anyone care to read it. Just click on the Read Book or Download eBook link.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30623567-hereafter

24 Hours on Free

So, 24 hours of being free and The Risen has - risen - from around 2,000 to number 23. Hopefully the downloads will exponentially increase the higher it gets and the more exposure it gets. At least in my mind that's how it should work, logically. We'll see.

It's one thing to know a handful of people were reading the book, but now knowing the number will likely be in the thousands by the end of the week - and then anxiously awaiting some non-friend reviews - is a bit exciting!

Whatever happens, it's a bit addictive. Makes me eager to finish my next one!

Grab a copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H9VETZ4

The Risen Promo

In the interest of spreading the word and climbing the auspicious Amazon ranking ladder,The Risen will be available as a free download for Kindle from the 25 - 29 July.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H9VETZ4

Otherwise, it's only £0.99 or $0.99, so grab yourself a copy now if you like stories that are simultaneously awesome and about apocalypses and zombie-like undead that are so numerous they are like a carpet of flesh clogging the daily commute run. Also, sex, because books with sex sell. Also, shit hitting the fan stuff. Also, horrible things in general happening.

Do hashtags work here? #KindleUnlimited #KindlePromo #Horror #Suckit

Edit: No

My thoughts on the EU and the UK government

It's been two and a half weeks since the EU referendum, and we've seen a lot of change (what an understatement). Most of us would not have watched BBC News 24 or Sky News so much in our lives before. (How many of us have wished for an alternate, exasperated by the continuing propagandising - have we not learned anything from the referendum result?!) I think first and foremost that it's great that so many people are actively involved in politics, in discussions, in debate. That's why it's taken me this long to even contemplate writing anything down. There's been so much talk and upheaval I'm not even completely sure what I think of it all.

When it was announced that Leave had won, I do remember that my first thought was of this video:

Goodreads blogging

I'm now blogging on Goodreads! here's the first.

Congratulations to everyone following me before the inevitability of my novel The Risen becoming this summer's blockbuster. You'll be able to say you were there on the ground floor - the very first of my amazing, loyal, well-adjusted and highly informed fans.

I can see it now; you're sly, knowing look as someone around the water cooler mentions my book in passing - this new kid on the block. You'll nod and skulk away with a grin on your face, remembering you were the first review, the first star-rating. You began the groundswell of success.

Maybe you'll get a little jealous. Maybe you'll think you deserve a little of that sweet Kindle Unlimited pot. Maybe you'll track me down, bundle me into a van, tie me up and perform horrific acts on me until I relent and agree to have your name in my next novel.

I guess time will tell on that. One thing's for sure: I thank you for following, and for taking a punt on an unknown writer without a star or review to his name. I'm sitting here, seeing the pagereads and wondering - Are they enjoying it? Are they moved or vaguely interested at all? Time will tell on all that while I wait for the reviews to trickle in. Be sure to let me know what you think.

If you entered the Goodreads Giveaway - and indeed if you won - thanks again and congratulations. Signed copies will be in the post on Monday. I'll have the tracking info, so if you get worried, drop me a message or comment and I will see why the postal service is being slow!

Spirits of Eden

There's another novel incoming - hopefully in a couple months. So soon, yes. But I'm a frustrated 33-year-old writer with 23 years' worth of ideas to fulfill. And so the journey begins now, and I hope you'll follow me. Spirits of Eden is a ghost story set on the Frontier, In Montana, where the Frontier itself is the narrator, and where past and present merge. I'll post more info as it develops, including extracts. 

Well, it's Sunday, and the roast is waiting. Not long now until I can afford a live-in chef. Until then - I best go get my hands dirty.

The Risen Preview

Any questions or comments, feel free to get in touch!

Novel The Risen now available - plus giveaway!

The Risen By Adam J Smith

Blurb: Embark on a mind- and body-changing horror-adventure with Nate and Ruby; two souls struggling to cope in the fallout of an international epidemic. In the months following an apocalyptic event, we find Nate, struggling to survive in the new landscape, trying to provide for his mother and brother while avoiding the infected and lethal non-infected. In middle-England, they feel cut-off from the rest of the country; London in particular, and have been forced to ‘sit and wait’ for a solution to come by. But then tragedy strikes, leaving Nate alone and without purpose. And then we meet Ruby; imprisoned by a monster taking advantage of the lawlessness. Will she escape? How will she live with the consequences of her actions? We follow their journey – Nate’s and Ruby’s – discovering along the way the rules of this new world. Are they infected too? Why are the infected getting stronger? What purpose has life when everything they treasured has been lost?

Physical copy:

UK: £6.80 http://amzn.to/24ZtigY USA: $9.85 http://amzn.to/26bqcZM

eBook:

UK: £2.80 (FREE on KindleUnlimited) http://amzn.to/1OxqyFE USA: $4.02 (FREE on KindleUnlimited) http://amzn.to/1PB6jSn

For a chance to win a free review copy:

    Enter Giveaway

Tom Clancy’s The Division: It’s great, but it could be even better

Originally posted here:
http://www.threeifbyspace.net/2016/03/tom-clancys-division-great-even-better/#.VzRu7IQrJpg

Tom Clancy’s The Division has been out for a little over a week, and even though I was lucky enough to start playing a day early, I’m far from the max level of 30. This is fine. I’m okay with that – I’m in no rush. Whenever I’m able to grab half an hour here, an hour there, I’m enjoying strolling the streets, searching every nook and cranny, wiping the snow from my shoulders, and closing every car door.