Still Waiting (Somewhat Patiently).. Still Writing (Though Never Enough)

Still no response from Analog about Noah's Custodian. Perhaps I'll get word shortly after the New Year, and hopefully a good word!

In the meantime, I've been a bit lazy in the writing department, still have not returned to The Deathcheater's Diary, but I did start another short story. I've been circling a Big Idea for a series for years now, a story I've been dying to tell but just haven't felt ready. It's a little intimidating because it will be a full-length novel with a few characters I want to use in prequels and sequels.

Short stories are easier to manage and are also a wonderful way to hone one's writing skills. They can also be a way to dip a toe into a fictional world, start fleshing out some background, perhaps even get to know the characters and find new ones. My first dalliance into this world I wish to build is called Ashe. It is set in 1881, right here in Michigan. Sort of.

I anticipate getting the story done in January. Other ideas are falling in line behind it, and I daresay it won't belong before I start work on the main act, for which I have two ideas for a title, but I'm going to withhold those for awhile.

No NaNoWriMo

I previously noted that I'd be endeavoring to write another 50,000 words in 30 days as part of the 2013 National Novel Writing Month challenge. I wrote over 4000 words of a story I called The Death Cheater's Diary. While I intend to finish the story, I'm now envisioning it more as a short story, and I'd like to try to sell it to an outlet such as Analog magazine, or another purveyor of such fare.

As far as my back out of NaNoWriMo, I have a 'been there, done that feeling' after completing the challenge with Noah's Custodian. The issue I have with NaNoWriMo is that it is so dead focused on a number, not really the art or love of novel writing. I get it- I understand what they are about- erasing the excuses and writing, come hell or high water, quality and substance be damned (but if you can do that too, more power to you). The breakneck pace did have the effect- for me- of writing a real page turner- the story literally sprinted along. But it took a year of polishing to get it to where I was comfortable trying to sell it.

I still await word on Analog's acceptance or rejection of the novel, but that's just fine. I've scribbled the beginnings of a couple of other novels, and I continue to plug away at Death Cheater's Diary, though now as a short story.

Just have to keep putting words on the screen.

Will Noah's Custodian Get Published?

I am about to embark on my first publishing odyssey. My 2012 NaNoWriMo challenge has been massaged into what I think is a cohesive and worthwhile short novel. I'm sure I could spend years on it, adding and expanding, but it's time to move on.

It wound up at just over 54,000 words- 4,000 words longer than the first draft. Most works are supposed to get shorter after editing, but given that it was written in an extreme hurry, it needed more exposition and details. It is fairly different from the first iteration.

I want to thank my good friend Jeff Saladin for helping push me to make it better. His advice was invaluable and very insightful. And, of course, I must thank my family for putting up with me as I worked on it. My wife has fully supported me in my dream to be an author. She'd love me to be a best selling author and make lots of money at it so she can spend her time building a foundation, being home with the kids, and working on photography. I'm trying!

Analog magazine is one of the most prestigious Sci-Fi publications out there, and it accepts novel-length submissions of up to 80,000 words (they are serialized). I'm going to start there, and I believe I could then seek traditional or self-publication in book form some time after publication if they give me a chance. The downside is that I may not be able to see my work in print for a couple of years, but that's the biz. They pay upon acceptance so that would be nice. So, I have to format my manuscript for Analog and send it in, I'll do that this week.

If that doesn't fly, I may try querying a couple of agents and sending it to some publishers. The problem I'm likely to run into is that it is short for a novel- I read in many places that the big publishing houses want 70,000 words, minimum. So I'll look at some Indie publishers and see where that takes me.

If all else fails, I will self-publish on Amazon. So, it will get published, one way or another.

At any rate, we'll see where this takes me. More importantly, I'm excited to move on to something new. I have so many ideas for novels, and I want to write them all. There is only one way to do it.

A New Challenge

Even as I aim to finish prepping Noah's Custodian for publication (formally if accepted, by myself if no taker is found), my thoughts have turned to the next NaNoWriMo beginning November 1st.

My musings have lead me to another story that already has a title. My next novel will be named The Death Cheater's Diary. Once again, I'll shoot to write 50,000 words in 30 days.

While the central premise has a sci-fi twist, I expect this to be a human condition story, as many sci-fi stories are.

Billy Boyle

I recently read "Billy Boyle: A World War II Mystery" by James R. Benn. I've never been a murder mystery kind of guy, but this one caught my eye since it was briefly offered as a free Kindle book and it was set during WWII. I loved the book- I enjoy fiction intertwined with real history and I'm fascinated by WWII. Billy Boyle's investigations continue in a series of sequels. I'm looking forward to reading them all. Benn's prose and dialog are wonderful. The first book is in first-person- normally not my favorite- but Benn's style is enjoyable and fresh. Always a treat to discover a new author.

Facing Rejection

As I prepare Noah's Custodian for publication in some form, I've been looking at my options, learning about the various avenues I can try. Analog Science Fiction and Fact is one potential avenue that posts no restrictions on length or such, only that it be a strong story with believable characters against any science-related backdrop. The science must be integral to the story. They will serialize longer submissions, which would have to be the case for my book.

Other avenues include traditional publishing, but that remains a tough nut to crack for a first-time novelist. A good story should speak for itself, but you still have to cross all the T's and dot all the I's and get the right eyes on it. Plus- my book is barely considered a novel in terms of length. It may grow a bit more, depending on feedback, but I can't see it getting past 60,000 words; most publishers of traditional novels want 70,000+ minimum.

As mentioned previously, many publishers now offer digital-only imprints, and my novel is well-suited for that, but there are challenges with many of these new imprints.

At any rate, a first time novelist is likely to be rejected many times. Even JK Rowling still gets rejected, albeit writing under a pen name. Still, it pays to be persistent, if you know you have a good story, as evidenced by Irish novelist Donal Ryan's 47 rejections prior to finding a publisher.

As for my efforts of late, considering which project to work on, all have been started to various degrees: an unconventional fantasy novel (good start on this), a contemporary science-fiction series aimed at tweens and young teens (decent start), or my long gestating Christmas short-story (research, some sketchy plot ideas written out). I'm also kicking around an idea for a new series of sci-fi short stories with recurring characters. We'll see!

Getting Published After 40

Age doesn't figure to be a barrier of entry when getting a novel published for the first time. However, it is encouraging to see a growing segment of middle-aged folks realizing their dreams and even starting a second career in writing.

I've been told time and again that I should be writing, and I agree. No more excuses!

Clive Cussler

One Christmas many years ago, I think I was around 16 or so, my Aunt Karen gave me Clive Cussler's book, Treasure, involving the NUMA team's search for the lost Library of Alexandria's treasures.

Prior to that, I mostly read fantasy tales and some science fiction. That book opened up the realm of the historical techno thriller, leading me not only to the rest of Cussler's work, but to Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton as well. In more recent years, I've read James Rollins (Map of Bones hooked me while on a camping trip), Doug Preston and Lee Child, Steve Berry, Jack Du Brul, and Dan Brown.

USA Today interviewed Cussler recently. I love the old vintage Cussler books, but have been less enamored with his new direction of only co-authoring with 4 to 5 other authors. Cussler has become a brand, and while I've enjoyed many of the collaborations (especially the ones with Paul Kemprecos and Du Brul), they're not the same as the solo Cussler works of yesteryear.

 I'm glad others have picked up the mantle, especially Rollins, who'd I consider Cussler's heir apparent.

Noah's Custodian is Out to My Critical Readers

I finished my first rewrite and have sent the novel out to four volunteers. They are my heroes. I'll incorporate their feedback, give the manuscript a final spit and polish, then try to get the thing published.

If all else fails, I will publish it myself, for better or worse. No reason not to. More importantly, its time to start moving away from that novel for good and begin work on the next one!

Digital Imprints

I read today that Random House, a huge traditional publishing house, has launched some 'digital imprints' aimed at would-be self-publishers and new authors in an attempt to expand their footprint. These digital-only books are a result of the sky-rocketing popularity of certain genres in ebooks- namely, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Chick Lit/Romance, so called 'New Adult' (college age fiction), and Mystery/Suspense.

My book, Noah's Custodian, may be a nice fit for them. I am considering self-publishing it in ebook format, and had thought in the 1 in a million chance that someone want to publish it, then it could get a print edition that way. However, I'm intrigued by Random House's overture and will give that a go!

Which means.. I need to finishing editing the darn thing and submit it!

Speaking of Michael Chrichton...

The US Supreme Court ruled today that human genes cannot be patented. While it seems like an obvious outcome- discovery is not invention- big business would love a monopoly any way it can get it.

Michael Crichton wrote a book about this very issue: Next. I'm sure he would have applauded today's outcome.

Dan's Inferno

I've never read the Divine Comedy by Dante.Alighieri, but after reading Inferno by Dan Brown, he of The Da Vinci Code fame, I'd like to.

Dan Brown's writing has never impressed me- I think it is adequate at best. However, he has a true knack for crafting thrillers steeped in history, symbols and trivia. Inferno is worlds better than his last effort, The Lost Symbol, especially in the prose department. Its Big Idea is controversial and blessedly nonreligious this time around.

Robert Langdon is not his usual self in this one, and the history seems a bit forced from time to time. The antagonist's plot is elaborate and it seems a bit forced, too, as it ties to Dante's masterpiece as literally as it can. However, as an escapist summer read, and as the basis of an inevitable movie, it does just fine. Not as explosive as the Code, but Brown will never match that height again, no author could. You only get to catch lightning in the bottle once.

If you liked his other Langdon books, you'll enjoy this one for what it is- a breeze of a read, soon forgotten but a worthwhile pastime.

Interesting Parallel

I try to stay abreast of what is going on in the world of science and fantasy fiction (often lumped together.. not sure why) and came across an interesting article that covers some ideas I explore in my upcoming short novel, Noah's Custodian. Many folks feel that science and faith contradict each other. I am not one of them, though I understand the viewpoints. Still, I'm one of those that can reconcile Natural Law with Creation. Someone could have created the order of things!

Stephen Hawking recently reversed himself (or publicly revealed what he privately held all along) that God wasn't necessary in the creation of the universe. Fine as a theory, perhaps, but our knowledge of the Natural Law is still so nascent it is arrogant to presume we have enough information to declare anything with certainty.

Physicists are busily working on theories and proofs that may show that everything could have sprung from nothing, no divine intervention required. I, for one, believe this is irrelevant to our faith. Both can exist- there is no need for one to cancel or disprove the other. There is plenty of room for both.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/jun/07/god-in-science-fiction

Band of Brothers

I'm admittedly late to the Stephen E. Ambrose party in that I've only read two of his books. I read Undaunted Courage, which is an acclaimed description of Lewis & Clark's legendary trip to explore the West and find a path to the Pacific. I recently completed Band of Brothers. While I've seen the HBO series several times, I just got around to reading the book.

While the series is wonderful, Ambrose relies on first person accounts- often using the veterans' own words to describe what the soldiers saw, felt and thought. You do get bits and pieces of that in the show, but it is especially moving to read their accounts. It is an incredible book for that reason. Granted, Easy Company was an extraordinary group, but its veterans' descriptions of war and comradarie are staggering in their power and honesty.

I heartily recommend the book (truly a short, approachable read) and the series!

Back to Work

A brief post today to acknowledge the long break between my preview posts of Noah's Custodian and the bit about Michael Crichton. As I say right in the description of this blog, it's difficult for a 'part-time' writer to write everyday, especially being a family man with a career.

That said, my career- love it as I do- is my second choice. My first choice would be to be a writer, though to look at how I spend my leisure time you wouldn't think it.

I harp on my children on how you have to work at something to achieve your goal. I'm a hypocrit in that regard- I believe I have the talent to be a published author. Don't know if I can make a living at it, and that's not really the point. But it is a dream of mine, within my power to achieve, if I just put in the work. So, immediately upon posting this, I'm getting back to editing Noah's Custodian. My self-imposed deadline is rushing toward me.

The take-away: do something every day that gets you closer to your goal, no matter how trivial it may seem. In my case, even if I sit down to edit a paragraph or write 100 new words, it's progress. Not ideal.. but progress none-the-less. If I wrote just 100 words a day, that would be 36,500 by the end of the year- about half way through a 300 page novel. I know I can do better than that, but it illustrates the point.

Back to work!

Michael Crichton

I've always enjoyed the late Michael Crichton's work and was recently thrilled to learn that he wrote a number of books early in his career under pen names. These books will soon be available as eBooks, and I'll likely read many, if not all of them.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/may/31/michael-crichton-novels-out-of-print-ebooks

I admired Crichton's ability to write a plausible, interesting thriller around any subject he found interesting. You can tell that he wrote what he was interested in, researched it thoroughly, and usually could build a compelling, 'for the masses' story around a given concept, historical subject or technology. Too bad we lost him at such a young age.

He is the author I'd like most to emulate- I wouldn't want to be stuck in one genre. Starting out, it may be smart to use pen names as brands within particular genres, giving one the ability to 'break' into various genres while satisfying the market's need to pigeonhole. It is a rare popular author that can avoid that fate and cross genres with equal success.

Another Sneak Peek: Chapter I

I've finished editing (at least the first rewrite) Chapter One of Noah's Custodian. I'll share it here.. the last piece I'll let out before publication. Recall that I posted the prologue last time.

Without further ado:

Chapter I

            The Custodian entered his sparse quarters and found something quite unexpected lying on the small table situated next to his bunk: a book. Setting that unusual fact aside, a small robot sat nearby, adorned with a few indicator lights that flashed in a slow, methodical sequence. Ned blinked a couple of times, rubbed his eyes slowly, then opened them and focused again.

            Still there: A brownish colored book with nine large symbols on its cover, lying on the small table, and a squat, square metallic box that looked much like a trash receptacle with lights sitting next to it. Ned could not fathom how these two objects arrived in his tiny quarters with its simple furnishings. An uncomfortable feeling arose within Ned as the robot sat still, appearing to study him and seeming to wonder how he would react. He understood- he wondered the same thing as his mind swirled in a growing maelstrom of confusion.

            Ned had never seen a real book before. Plenty of robots roamed aboard the ship, but no books lying around. He had seen pictures of books, and flipped through them in the virtual libraries he had access to, but never had his hands held a real book. Never had his fingers rubbed the pebbled leather or woven cloth of a hardbound book, nor had those fingers carefully turn over one page after another. He never owned a book, including the book on the table in his room. Ned blinked again and sighed, still unsure of what to do.

            Ned had no companions aside from robots and his virtual friends in the DivSim, and Noah, the computer that captained, monitored, operated, and maintained the ship. He thought he should probably tell Noah, though he probably already knew about it. Noah controlled all the robots, after all, and sensors of every sort filled the ship, even in Ned’s room. Ned thought that several of the sensors had sensors, too.

            His eyes flicked up to look at one of Noah’s many eyes embedded in the ceilings of the vessel, this one centered in Ned’s room. He blinked again- the camera’s power indicator no longer glowed red, as always did. He looked back at the robot, which still had not moved. Ned took two steps, bringing him to the center of his room, right next to the doorway. He looked up at the camera again- no light, iris closed.

            Ned heard the door slide closed behind him, and a mechanical sound emitted from the robot. Ned spun and put his back against his bed. The robot shuddered and a screen on its apparent front side lit up. A video of a bearded man’s amiable face appeared.

            “Greetings and peace be with you, Custodian!” Ned sat on his bed, staring. He gasped once he realized his breathing had ceased. He did not recognize the face- it did not belong to anyone in the stasis chambers.

            “My friend Cube, here- the robot playing this video- will assist me in preparing you for a very important mission. I realize this is all highly unusual, but I assure you my intentions are nothing but honorable, and if we succeed, you will be a hero whose like the world has never seen.”

            Ned looked up again at the camera- still off. The bearded man continued.

            “We have little time to get started, and this may well be the most important part of your journey. While you are indeed the Custodian of the ARC, that does not mean what you may think. The stated mission of the ARC has something missing. It is up to you and I to revise the goals of the mission and see it to fruition.

            “Don’t worry, I’m sure this is all very unsettling and confusing, but Cube can help clarify some things for you in a hurry. Please, take the vial and drink its contents. I realize it is a lot to ask, but our collective fate relies on a modicum of old fashioned trust.”

            A small door opened above the screen and an arm with pincers came out clasping a cork-stopped vial. Cube rolled forward as Ned leaned back, shaking, and eyes tearing up. His eyes kept darting to the camera in the ceiling.

            The robot’s screen flickered and the video shifted. The bearded man remained there but now a different recording played.

            “Please, Custodian, this vial contains a special compound that will aid in your comprehension of what I’m about to explain. We have little time before Noah intervenes, and that would be problematic in the least.”

            Ned shook his head as Cube extended the vial toward Ned’s chest. He stared at the face in the screen and he noticed the earnestness and warm compassion exuding from the bearded man’s eyes. He wanted to trust this man, wanted to embrace the humanity he saw there. Ned surprised himself when he noticed his own hand reaching for the vial. His other hand took off the stopper in another stunning development and his eyes widened in shock, as he tasted the fluid within, a fragrant liquid imbued with a flavor reminiscent of berries like those grown in the greenhouse.

            Cube backed away and the video shifted to another recording. The bearded man smiled now, nodding, and began to speak again.

            “We have a few moments before our little elixir takes effect. I’ll take the opportunity to reassure you that this is a critical time, and this first step will greatly aid our hoped-for success.

            “I know you and your predecessors were all born on the ship and were raised in a very focused manner. You spend your lives mostly alone, having only the knowledge necessary to perform your duties. The DivSim keeps you sane and your mind healthy.

            “So what I’m asking you to do will be difficult for you to grasp. But, as I said, it is vitally important that we succeed.”

            Ned began to relax. Memories stirred in his mind. He closed his eyes and allowed his thoughts to roam. Some of what the bearded man said sounded confusing, incomprehensible even, but he felt if he mulled it over long enough, it could start to make some sense.

            “The elixir is like that you were given daily as you grew up. It imparts memory, knowledge, and skills. My elixir will prepare you to expand your role, and give you the tools necessary to do something you would normally never conceive of.”

            Ned opened his eyes and stared at the screen on Cube’s body. “What do you want me to do?” Ned asked with some apprehension.

            The bearded man smiled, and the video shifted to another recording. The man looked serious now, leaning into the camera, and he said:

“We must take control of this ship.”

Sneak Peek: Prologue to Noah's Custodian

Here is your exclusive first look at the newly edited Prologue of my first novel, Noah's Custodian. I wrote it in answer to last November's NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month.

Just a quick aside on the editing: Many authors, especially novices- myself included- use too many words and a passive voice. David Gerrold, in his book Worlds of Wonder: How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, details this fault in the chapter "To be or Naught to Be". He advocates writing utilizing what is called E-Prime: banishing the word 'be' in all its iterations in your writing. To do it, you must eliminate these words: "am, is, are, was, were, be, been, being and become" from your prose. I would say it's still OK for dialogue- people use those words all the time in their speech. Try it sometime- it forces you to write better sentences.

If you notice, this post is e-prime.. until just then.. oops! Tougher than you think!

So, without further ado:

PROLOGUE

            In 2058, the governments of the world agreed to fund and develop a way to send enough material, digital archives, and genetic repositories to rebuild civilization as well as the natural world should disaster strike and extinction threaten mankind.

            The desire for indefinite survival of the species after an immense, climate-disrupting volcanic eruption drove the creation of the ARC program, so-named in homage to the biblical story of the Great Flood. The ARC’s design, incorporating the latest in quantum technology, space-time warping and other nascent innovations, enabled travel far from Earth, out of the solar system and into interstellar space. The idea: preserve Earth’s flora and fauna, along with massive digital archives of accumulated knowledge, by sending the vessel far from home and recalling it if civilization faced extinction. The ship also could seed a large settlement on a suitable planet should some cataclysm render Earth uninhabitable.

            Construction of the ship began in 2068 for a launch target of 2080. State of the art factories all over the world, orbital space docks, and newly constructed lunar industrial parks all ran around the clock building components. The ship itself slowly came together on a massive dock that orbited the Moon. Countless issues plagued the project, politicians played political games and engineers conquered myriad technical obstacles, but construction finally completed in 2086.

            Special equipment in the ARC allowed for replication of life from genetic material stored on board- including people. A wide variety of artificial wombs and incubators would grow virtually any animal, as well as humans. Other systems capable of mass producing microorganisms, algae, seeds, pollen, and lower classes of animals ensured humankind’s ability to recreate a huge portion of the ecosystem, either on Earth or another desirable planet. Heralded as the most advanced space vessel ever conceived and the crowning achievement of civilization, amazing technology enabled the storage of the sum total of humankind’s knowledge, arts, and innovation.

            Fully vetted crewmembers, scientists and technicians spent years training, success meaning that they would stay a state of cryogenic hibernation until Earth had need of the ARC, which would only happen if an extinction-level event threatened the planet, or if a millennium went by, what ever came first. Should some disaster destroy the Earth or render it unsuitable for life, the ARC would search for another planet to colonize.

            Many folks felt uncomfortable with only a supercomputer and its robotic personnel fully controlling the ship with no human monitoring, so the project leaders consented to having at least one soul awake, watching over the ship and its artificial captain at all times. Thus, one person would fill the position of ship's custodian, replaced as needed over the years by the baby-making artificial womb. The ship contained a training center and diversion simulator that would teach the children and young adults everything they needed to know, allowing them to fulfill their duties as custodians, with the simulator providing various entertainments and hyper-realistic avenues for social interaction to keep them sane and ward off the inevitable loneliness of their solitary existence.

            Early in 2088, after a massive worldwide tour that served as a hopeful and celebratory send off, the crewmembers settled into their hibernation chambers and soon slipped into a sleep as near to death as possible though still alive. The first ship's custodian, an unmarried loner named Ned, boarded the ship last. He shook hands with some dignitaries, waved at a small crowd watching from a galley within the lunar space dock, and entered the ship. The airlock closed behind him, the anchors released the ship from the dock, and the ship's autopilot (controlled by the ship's unique supercomputer, named Noah by its wistful creators) eased the mammoth ARC out of the dock.

            The dignitaries had suggested that Ned head first to the bridge to get one last glimpse of home, considering he would likely never see it again. Ned did so, standing on the bridge as the ship eased away from the dock, pulled back from the Moon and afforded the custodian a last glorious view of his home world.

            The ship began the slow acceleration out of Earth's vicinity and Ned went about his inaugural duties. The space-time warp drives engaged, a stable wormhole opened up, and the ARC vanished from the solar system.

Footnote 3: Language

Saw today online that the language Jesus of Nazareth spoke, Aramaic, is nearing extinction, as detailed here in this History.com article. As much as I am likely beyond learning other languages- at least fluently- I still hold a healthy respect and a certain sense of wonder of how diverse our languages are. I'm afraid the homogenization of the globe will wipe out many distinctive aspects of our various cultures, and likely with ill effect.

For example, I recently read a Popular Science article about how other cultures have words for emotions that do not have English equivalents. You lose the language, you lose words others have created to describe something we literally have no words for.

I wonder what Aramaic words cannot be translated to English directly.

Chapter 4: A New Direction

Another story idea popped into my head recently, one that actually bumped my new Christmas tale for the time being. The story is set in South America, in the Andes mountains (or, more correctly, beneath them) during the time of the Incan Empire. It will have a supernatural bent.

I'm about ready to finally begin editing Noah's Custodian. I'm a little nervous that I'm going to read it and be disappointed. I know I'll always be my own worst critic. We'll see. I do have some ideas that I want to work in to embellish and round out the principal antagonist.

I'm now reading Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson's A Memory of Light, the concluding novel of the Wheel of Time series. I can hardly believe I've been reading this series since it began in 1990; it survived the death of it's progenitor, who seemed to be getting lost in a morass of prose and exposition in the later volumes. After his death, Sanderson picked up the reins for the final three volumes and what a breath of fresh air! I'd almost given up on the series- Sanderson made me very glad that I'd stuck with it. Apparently Jordan left the outline and various scenes- including the ending- for his successor to work with, and Sanderson has truly done wonders.

I just finished Charon's Claw.. the latest novel by R.A. Salvatore featuring his elven hero, Drizzt Do'Urden. Unfortunately, as has been the case for awhile now, it was another forgettable but passable entry. His fight scenes are as ornate and exciting as ever, but one wearies of the politics and plotting of uninteresting villains as well as Drizzt's constant introspection. It is partly the fault of the Dungeons & Dragons brain trust, who apparently are going to shake things up once again in the Realms and lay the ground work for the direction Mr. Salvatore can take.

Back to School

I learned awhile ago that the University of Michigan joined coursera.org, offering free university-level courses online via video lectures and such.

I'm trying out a course, taught by Eric S. Rabkin, entitled 'Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Human Mind. Our Modern World'. I've been out of college since spring of 2010, and while this is voluntary and ungraded, I hope to slowly build my literature background and experience.

It is hard to believe these courses are being made available- access to wonderful professors and peers in a way unimaginable even a decade ago, at virtually $0. While some may caution 'you get what you pay for', I believe in terms of education you can pay for it by simply putting the work in. You determine the worth of your education by your effort.

We'll see how it goes and I'll post occasional updates here.

Book List 2: The Spy

Just finished The Spy, a historical adventure novel by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott. I've been reading Cussler's books forever, having started with the Dirk Pitt adventure Treasure, given to me one Christmas when I was a teenager. Cussler is my favorite adventure author, though James Rollins has been outdoing him in my estimation these days (with Steve Berry closing in).

Cussler has gone the way of Tom Clancy, becoming a brand-name as much as an author, with hit-or-miss results. He is collaborating with his son Dirk on the further adventures of Dirk Pitt, and ended his long relationship with Paul Kemprecos for the Kurt Austin series, Numa Files. I enjoyed those as well as his collaborations with Jack DuBrul in the Oregon series. I actually read DuBrul's novels prior to his teaming up with Cussler.

The Spy marked my first go-round with the Isaac Bell series, and it was.. mediocre. The tone and historical setting was interesting, the plot a bit convoluted and dull, the prose passable.

I give it a 2.5 out of 5.