The post “Where the Hell Have You Been, Dave?” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post “Where the Hell Have You Been, Dave?” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post David J. Williams Reading Tonight in DC appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>I met Dave at Capclave a few years back, shortly before the release of his first book, The Mirrored Heavens. We share in common that our books have both gotten blurbs from Peter Watts. Watts says of Dave Williams’ book that it “explodes out of the gate like a sonic boom and never stops.” If you have any doubts, all you have to do is see Dave read. I went to his first reading not sure what to expect — turns out the dude does a reading kind of like you might expect Denethor from Peter Jackson’s Return of the King to do a reading. Intense. Fast. Loud. Intense. With authority. And did I mention intense?
Here’s the description from the back of the book:
With The Machinery of Light, David J. Williams completes his furiously paced, stunningly imagined trilogy—a work of vision, beauty, and pulse-pounding futuristic action.
September 26, 2110. 10:22 GMT. Following the assassination of the American president, the generals who have seized power initiate World War Three, launching a surprise attack against the Eurasian Coalition’s forces throughout the Earth-Moon system. Across the orbits, tens of thousands of particle beams and lasers blast away at one another. The goal: crush the other side’s weaponry, paving the way for nuclear bombardment of the cities.
As inferno becomes Armageddon, the rogue commando unit Autumn Rain embarks on one last run. Matthew Sinclair, an imprisoned spymaster, plots his escape. And his former protégé Claire Haskell, capable of hacking into both nets and minds, is realizing that all her powers may merely be playing into Sinclair’s plans. For even as Claire evades the soldiers of East and West amid carnage in the lunar tunnels, the surviving members of the Rain converge upon the Moon, one step ahead of the Eurasian fleets but one step behind the mastermind who created Autumn Rain—and his terrible final secret.
Yes, it’s cyberpunkish, and it’s also military fictionish. But don’t be dissuaded into thinking these are dumb shoot-’em-ups with ray guns. This is intelligent stuff, heavily researched, detailed and backgrounded. Mr. Williams even caused a little bit of a stir by getting into a science tiff with Jerry Pournelle a little while back, an incident which sounded like great fun.
And hey, if you’re intrigued, it so happens that Dave’s reading tonight at 7pm at the Borders on 1828 L Street NW, and then there’s going to be an afterparty at the Science Club. If you’re really motivated, you might just have time to read books 1 and 2 of his Autumn Rain trilogy before you go.
I don’t expect Dave to run and jump off a tall balcony covered in flames like Denethor did in Return of the King. But you never know. It would make a good finale to the trilogy, wouldn’t it?
The post David J. Williams Reading Tonight in DC appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post The Ending of “Geosynchron” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>Since I’ve received a number of comments and emails asking me about the ending of Geosynchron, I’ve decided to open up about it and discuss it here. Oh yeah, in case you haven’t figured it out, thar be spoilers ahead.
Let me start with a comment by Jason in a previous post:
…[T]urning Natch into a deaf, mute, blind, retarded person did not seem to have a point. The explanation of the role of the autonomous minds felt like half of an explanation because no time was spent explaining how or why they function the way they do. They appeared to be basically, magical, especially in regards to their connection to the Pharisees. I thought the story of the autonomous minds held immense promise and I was hopeful to learn more about their role in the history of the world you have created, so perhaps this is why I feel so let down by the explanation you gave. I feel like I completely missed something either much earlier in the story or even within the last book that would have helped me understand your intent in telling this final part of Natch’s story in the way that you did.
Regarding Natch’s fate: if you think about possible endings for Natch using a(n almost MultiReal-like) process of elimination, you’ll see that there are not many other fates that work for the character. The whole point of the character is for him to go from a state of complete selfishness to a state of complete selflessness. He begins Infoquake callously threatening all of civilization with a fake black code attack; he ends Geosynchron sacrificing everything he knows and loves to prevent an Autonomous Revolt-style catastrophe that threatens humanity.
Natch is presented as a character of limitless drive and desire (see my Big Idea piece on John Scalzi’s Whatever blog for more about that). By the end of MultiReal, he’s achieved everything he ever wanted, or at least everything he always thought he wanted: freedom to explore his programming with virtually unlimited funding, without constraints of government or society. Not only that, but he’s got a program under his command that lets him find the best of all possible worlds with every decision. But he soon sees the emptiness behind these goals, and finds himself in the complete opposite position at the beginning of Geosynchron: trapped in the Patels’ dungeon, unable to move forward, unable to do anything except sit and wait for the world to do what it wants to him. Achieving everything he wanted has led him… nowhere.
Where can Natch go from there?
Clearly by the end of the trilogy, Natch has to pay for the suffering he’s inflicted on his friends and on the world. To make him a martyr is too easy (and not enough of a punishment). If he escaped unscathed, where’s the sacrifice? Clearly he’s got to give up something, and it can’t be something trivial like getting banned forever from running a fiefcorp. Besides which, what would Natch do for the rest of his life in a society where he’s already climbed the highest heights and plumbed the deepest depths?
So he takes responsibility for his mistakes and saves the world in the process, giving up everything he ever held dear to do so (his relationship with Horvil and Serr Vigal, his fiefcorp, his money, his ability to program or experience bio/logics, etc.). He’s stepped off that constant treadmill of boundless want and desire that he’s been on since birth — the treadmill that society has trained him to be on with its constant software “upgrades” and technological “improvements.” And as a result of his decision, Natch winds up at peace for the first time in his life. Did you notice that by the end of the novel, he achieves everything that the Surinas have laid out as the “path to Perfection”? Blind and deaf he may be — not sure I implied that he’d be “retarded” — but he’s also freed from the constraints of Time, freed from the constraints of Distance, freed from the constraints of Cause and Effect.
So is it a happy ending? Well, partially; it’s happy that Natch managed to find some way to achieve inner satisfaction in the end. But sad that he could not figure out how to do it within the bounds of society. Clearly the ending of Geosynchron isn’t meant to encourage everyone to toss away all their belongings, gouge out their eyes and trek out to the desert. But maybe it will help put our lives in perspective, just a little bit? I dunno, that’s up to you.
Okay, I’ve said enough, time to retreat back behind the curtain of mystification once more.
The post The Ending of “Geosynchron” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post “Geosynchron” Is Here. Officially. appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The wait is over. Geosynchron is here! Which means that the trilogy which began as a gleam in my bio/logically-enhanced eye way back in 1997 or 1998 is completely in print, and you can now judge the entire story on its merits. Or you can simply stare at the gorgeous Stephan Martiniere cover for hours on end and try to figure out who the heck that guy is sitting Indian style on the cover, which is what I do. (The answer? I really don’t know. I’m guessing it’s either High Executive Len Borda or it’s Ian Holm fresh off the set of The Fifth Element.)
Anyway… boy, am I gonna need your help on this one. This is the last launch of a Jump 225 book, which means it’s the last best time to spread the word about the trilogy. So please, forward to your friends and family members, post reviews online, write blog posts, tweet, spray paint Geosynchron-related graffiti on the front of government buildings! Just tell them that Neil Gaiman sent you.
Oh yeah, and why don’t you read the book too, and let me know how you liked it?
Glad you asked. Most writers (the smart ones, at least) will tell you to buy their books in whatever way makes the most sense to you. Amazon and Amazon UK are both selling it (both in paper and on the Kindle). If you’re not partial to Amazon, you can always order from Barnes & Noble or Books-a-Million. Want to support an indie bookstore? Try Borderlands Books, Mysterious Galaxy or Powell’s — or search for it at the independent bookstore nearest you on IndieBound.
If you really feel like going out of your way — and this is totally optional — probably the most helpful thing you could do is to walk into an actual Borders or Barnes & Noble store and ask for Geosynchron by name. If they’re not carrying it, express your shock and amazement loud enough for everyone in the store to hear you, and then special order it from the counter.
Man, the critics are saying all kinds of things that are making me blush from my bald head down to my hairy toes. This may be the best-reviewed book of mine to date. Here are the highlights since the last newsletter. And no, I haven’t slept with any of these people.
If reading the reviews isn’t enough for you to get your Geosynchron fix, then click on through to some of these interviews and guest blog posts:
GoodReads members can register to win (separately) a signed copy of Infoquake, MultiReal, and Geosynchron. All you have to do is sign up for, or already be a member of, GoodReads. Contest is scheduled to start today and end Friday, March 5. For more details:
Thanks for all the support over books 1, 2 and 3! Now go ye and spread the word about Geosynchron. Go thee thou and spreadest the word, I say.
The post “Geosynchron” Is Here. Officially. appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post Library Journal: “Geosynchron” “Takes Cyberpunk to the Next Level” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>Taking cyberpunk to the next level, this conclusion to Edelman’s trilogy (Infoquake, MultiReal) presents a drama of future technology that combines action with psychosocial intrigue. Tension comes as much from the clash of ideas as from physical confrontation. Highly recommended.
I suppose after Rob Sawyer had me resuscitating cyberpunk with defibrillator paddles in hand, it only made sense for me to take cyberpunk up to the next level. Perhaps next I’ll get to take cyberpunk to its room and hook it up to an IV.
The post Library Journal: “Geosynchron” “Takes Cyberpunk to the Next Level” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post The “Geosynchron” Website Is Live appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The website for Geosynchron is live at www.geosynchron.net. See screen capture here (and more below the cut).
Not only will you find a spiffy website design that matches those of the first two book sites, you’ll also find:
Keep your eye on this space for more stuff to come, including details about cons I’ll be attending, interviews I’ll be doing, and giveaways for the complete signed Jump 225 trilogy. Go thou and retweet, blog, spread the word.
Oh yeah, and why not preorder on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s or IndieBound?
The post The “Geosynchron” Website Is Live appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post The Final Cover for “Geosynchron” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>It’s worth reminding folks that the book comes out in late February, 2010 (but is already available for pre-order at all of your favorite book shopping venues).
The post The Final Cover for “Geosynchron” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post Publishers Weekly: “Geosynchron” Is “Gritty”, “Accessible and Satisfying” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>Edelman presents a gritty, tech-heavy thriller that builds on cyberpunk tropes in interesting and detailed new ways. The world developed in 2008’s MultiReal and 2009’s Infoquake has become inflamed with civil war and rebellion as MultiReal, a technology that mathematically projects possible futures to aid in decision making, suddenly becomes inaccessible. Into this chaos, MultiReal-D makes its first tentative appearance… Numerous characters seek their own goals in a labyrinthine plot, but Edelman does manage to bring his disparate threads together to create a coherent and even cohesive conclusion that’s most accessible and satisfying to those who have read the earlier books.
See? Pretty good review, though alas, not a coveted starred review. The spoiler isn’t too irksome, especially if you know that there are four or five other major surprises waiting in the book. PW also messed up the release date for Infoquake — which was the first book of the trilogy and released in 2006, not 2009. But hey, there really isn’t a bad word in there. I’ll take it!
(And hey, did I mention that Geosynchron is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound, among others?)
The post Publishers Weekly: “Geosynchron” Is “Gritty”, “Accessible and Satisfying” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post Capclave Schedule (Including the First Public Reading from “Geosynchron”) appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>Friday, October 16
A discussion about why books and authors go out-of-date and/or out-of-style.
Saturday, October 17
Sunday, October 18
Hope to see you there!
The post Capclave Schedule (Including the First Public Reading from “Geosynchron”) appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>The post A Preview of “Geosynchron” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>This trilogy that began with something I dashed off on a laptop back in 1997 or 1998 is now, more or less, finished. Complete. Finito. I have some line editing and a couple of appendices still to write (“On the Islanders” and “On the Pharisees,” if you must know). But it’s a complete story.
Here are some of the things you can expect from Geosynchron, the concluding volume of the Jump 225 trilogy, when it hits the stores in late February-ish of 2010. (Pre-order it on Amazon here.) I’m going to try to keep this light on the spoilers, so don’t worry that I’ll ruin something crucial. But if you’d rather go into the book completely blind, then, you know, stop reading. Duh.
Some of what you’ll see in Geosynchron:
A few interesting facts about Geosynchron:
After reading all this, you might be asking the question, Is he really going to tie up all of those loose ends in one book? This isn’t one o’ them Robert Jordan-type situations, is it? And my answers to these questions are Yes, for the most part and No.
Geosynchron will end the Jump 225 trilogy. Meaning, the three primary stories I’m trying to tell with this trilogy will conclude at the end of this book. (For the record, those stories are: 1. Natch’s attempts to break free from his utter self-absorption, 2. Jara’s attempts to find value in herself, 3. A world trying to cope with out-of-control technological change.) Does that mean you’re going to see a nice, tidy conclusion where I summarize what every character does for the rest of their lives, Animal House style? Nope. If you’re looking for neat, foursquare endings to all of the plotlines in the trilogy, you’ll be disappointed.
I’m not going to preclude writing more in this universe at some date in the future. But at present, I’ve said all that I’ve got to say in this universe. There are other milieus and other genres that I’d like to take a stab at. There’s this YA fantasy series I’ve been itching to write since the late ’90s about an English boy who attends a school for wizards. I’m not too late, am I?
(Oh yeah, and hopefully this means I’ll have a little bit of time to blog again. Hopefully.)
The post A Preview of “Geosynchron” appeared first on David Louis Edelman.
]]>