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Books
Edited by Ben Franks & David Thomas
The Moment When She Smiles: Complete Collection is an anthology of poetry written by Ben Franks during 2010 and 2011. From "You" to "Impossibility" this anthology evokes emotive compassion in a celebration of love in words. The book is published by Pie Magazine UK through Lulu's self-publishing service. The book will shortly be available for purchase at Amazon.com, but UK customers should purchase direct from Lulu.com.
Publishing Editor’s Book of the Month
Matthew Reilly’s
Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves
David Thomas, March 2012
In the recent Trophy Annual 2012 I wrote about the most anticipated book of 2012 – and it came out earlier this month. And boy, it doesn’t disappoint!
Army of Thieves tells yet another high octane, action packed tale of saving the world against insurmountable odds by the greatest ever US marine: Shane “Scarecrow” Schofield. Not to mention it’s by the greatest ever action-thriller writer, Australian pace-magician Matthew Reilly.
Army of Thieves follows Schofield’s return to action in the service of his country after the harrowing and traumatic events of his last adventure in “Scarecrow”, where he lost his long-time love interest Libby “Fox” Gant. It’s easy to marvel at the tenacity of this character as he pulls himself back from the brink psychologically before being thrust into hell once more.
The army, a rag-tag bunch of mercenaries and anarchists, led by a deranged CIA killer, has taken over a top secret, ex-soviet testing station in the North Pole, code named Dragon Island. They’re promising to deliver complete and utter devastation to the world.
Arrayed against them is the Scarecrow and his small team of marines and civilians that are the only troops the US can get in there in time.
Oh and by the way, the French are still hacked off with him. They have issued a kill-on-sight warrant, and there are lots of French troops that want him dead. The Navy, for the destruction of a nuclear sub (In Ice Station) and the sinking of a nuclear powered aircraft carrier (In Scarecrow); the Air Force, for the destruction of several million-euro fighter jets (Scarecrow); and the Army. for the killing of an entire unit of their best troops.
If you thought the odds against the Scarecrow were bad before, they just got a whole lot worse. Add the Army of Thieves to the entire armed forces of a major European power and a strict deadline before total world destruction and you have one proper exciting book. And it definitely is.
For fans of Reilly, this book will be welcomed exactly the same as the rest; and for those who have never heard of him, read the series in order if you like action, pace, and enigmatic characters. This book is excellent.
Ashley Blackman's
BOOK OF THE MONTH
February 2012
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
Among all the ‘teenage diary’ that is realised today much of it appears farfetched compared to what really happens in our day to day life; the events during our upbringing. Most of them are aimed at the little problems, like how someone spoke about a person behind another’s back and silly arguments.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, which I am reviewing, is the most realistic ‘teenage diary’ I have had the pleasure to read. It targets real problems: parents splitting, first girlfriends and loosing loved ones.
When I first read this book around two years ago and since bought the sequels as I enjoyed the first so much. It was realistic, entertaining and, above all, helpful. The author, critically acclaimed Sue Townsend, really showed it can be hard ‘growing up’ but can also provide some of the answers.
I would give this book 4/5 Pies due to its realism and its parallel entertaining value. The only thing I would change is an encouragement of a little more detail – but hey, it’s a children’s book after all.
A copy of this book has been donated to Sarum Academy's library by Pie Magazine UK.
What I am Reading:
Hume & Patchett
David Thomas, 06/11/11 - 16:14 GMT
Small Gods
Terry Pratchett
As an avid Terry Pratchett fan, I am currently reading the 13th Discworld novel: Small Gods. The story follows the path of Brutha, a novice in the monstrous workings in the Church of Omnism. It also follows the path of Om, who due to the lack of real belief, has been turned into a tortoise only Brutha can hear. Pratchett in his familiar light and comedic style pens a funny tale that transports the reader into the world of beliefs, truths and the Exquisition (Like the Inquisition but more nasty) and the insane Vorbis who has taken Brutha’s place as the next prophet of the empire. To any fans of Pratchett this is well worth reading and to anyone new to Pratchett, whilst not the ideal starting point, Small Gods is in the same entertaining and humorous style that has been the trademark of one of the greatest British authors of all time.
Prophecy: Clash of Kings
M. K. Hume
A thrilling novel, inspired by the mythical figure of Merlin. M. K. Hume pens an exciting tale of Merlin, how his birth was damned, his education as a healer in post-roman Britain, to his forced service as a medic in the army of the man who would become his mortal enemy; King Vortigern. Hume’s depiction of post-roman Britain is so vivid and he writes so colourful and well-rounded characters that it is easy to become deeply absorbed in the novel. It is the first book of a new series focussing on the healer’s life, as Hume interprets the figure. The second book is called “Death of an Empire” and the third will be called “Hunting with Gods”. Other works by Hume include an Arthurian trilogy. the first book of which is called “Dragon’s Child” focussing on the life and adventures of Artorex --- The King Arthur
The Moment Where She Smiles, Volume I, is the first short anthology of poems written by Ben Franks. It consists of three love poems written in 2010 and a further six written in 2011. It has received a good reception. (Book is produced & co-published by Pie Magazine UK and co-published by Lulu.com, it is a product of ePie International)
Tolkien's The Hobbit
4/5 PIES
Review by Ben Shipway, 30/9/11 – 10:40 GMT
For those of you who don’t know, soon my most anticipated film of the last 8 years will finally be released 6 years late. To coincide with this epic film I have decided to review the novel – and hope director Peter Jackson does as stunning a job on the Hobbit as he did on his ground breaking trilogy The Lord of the Rings.
We start the novel with Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit living a perfect hobbit-life; smoking a pipe, eating regular meals and NEVER having any adventures. At this point Gandalf pops along and manages to convince Bilbo to come on an adventure with him and 13 other dwarfs. The style at this point and in fact for most of the story is very simple and Tolkien often rushes details about places and history. This is particularly noticeable compared to The Lord of the Rings books which often go into great detail. This is not always a bad thing because, with some who are not fond of reading, the style of writing makes it more accessible – but this compromise means those readers who are experienced do feel a bit patronised on occasion.
Despite this, the novel gives a wonderful introduction to Tolkien’s world and its customs, culture and races. You will see everything from elves and dwarfs quarrelling to a full-scale battle involving five armies; Tolkien varied the characters and situations so well that it is impossible to get bored. Unfortunately the excitement does compromise the pace and it seems as though Tolkien rushes through most of the situations and descriptions very quickly – constantly reminding me that this is a children’s book.
But overall it is an enjoyable read that will suck any reader into Tolkien’s exciting world of fantasy, and will hopefully inspire them, if they haven’t done so already, to read other pieces of Tolkien’s works.
Our Publishing Editor Recommends...
Hello,
I am David Thomas and I have, sadly, been neglecting my duties at Pie for several months. However after looking at some of the recommended reads posted by my Editor Ben Franks, I have decided to contribute rather quickly to suggest some reads that are enjoyable and non-English-Literature related.
Seven Ancient Wonders by Matthew Reilly:
The first in a trilogy by Matthew Reilly – the Australian fast-pace fiction magician
Centred on a team of Special-Forces turned treasure hunters, this novel is a rip-roaring race against evil forces from the USA and EU to a prize that could change, or destroy, the world. This is a must-read for anyone who enjoys adventure, action and a brilliant page turner. Personally, I love the entire series (followed by Six Sacred Stones and Five Greatest Warriors) and I read the first book for the first time in two days. Two Days! That should hopefully give some indication to how gripping this book is.
Jingo by Terry Pratchett:
Jingo is the 21st novel in the amazing Discworld series of books from the creative genius that is Terry Pratchett. It deals with tricky issues arising from war: discrimination, racial stereotyping and one policeman’s determination to do his job. Coated in Pratchett’s genius imagination and constant wit, Sam Vimes is on a quest to restore the peace between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch even if that means arresting the entire armies of both sides! For any existing Pratchett fan, or for those who have never picked one up, Jingo encapsulates Pratchett’s wit, inventiveness and sense of fun; a true joy to read.
Assassin’s Creed Renaissance by Oliver Bowden:
AC Renaissance is the story of the brilliant Assassin’s Creed 2 video game, introducing Ezio Auditore da Firenze and his family’s struggle against the Templar conspirators and the big bad guy known as “the Spaniard” (I won’t say the name for those who haven’t played the game). Exploring many of the places in the game but without the many optional side missions, the book focuses on the central storyline of the game. This is a must for gamers who read, readers who game and anyone who likes a historical conspiracy-action novel. After you have read it, play the game! See how accurate it is and how much more that the game has to offer. There are also now novels of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed The Secret Crusade, which explain AC Brotherhood and AC1 storylines. (Both also by Oliver Bowden)
Lord of the Rings by J R R Tolkien:
The LOTR trilogy is a collection of excellent books definitely on my recommended reads. The story of middle earth that spawned an entire world of movies, games, books and catapulted Tolkien to international fame, immortalised in spell-binding, original book form. Follow the stories of Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo, Legolas, Gimli as they travel across the expansive world of middle earth, described in stunning detail by Tolkein. For anyone who loved the movies, read the books and see how Tolkien originally wrote the stories. Enjoy.
EXCLUSIVE: Interview with Claude Bouchard
Claude Bouchard describes himself as "the next best-selling, crime-thriller novelist" - but what is it that truly propels this multi-published author?
Claude Bouchard resides in Canada with his cats and spouse, writing out thrillers spawned from his creative kick in 1995 when he published his first novel, Vigilante. The self, multi-published author has recently completed his latest work, ASYLUM. His works have been described as "so believable they could be non-fiction" and his twitter is topping Canada's novel-writer charts, where he boasts over 189,000 followers.
Ben Franks went to interview the writer on what gets his creative juices flowing.
Conducting a twitter interview is always an art when you're limited to around 140 characters. However, if there were ever a genius of it, it would seem Pie has stumbled upon that genius with Claude Bouchard. For it is the answers they give that craft a rather special interview and Bouchard manages to give us the insight, but also not give too much away. To begin, I think I spoke for all of our writers and readers when I asked the golden starter question, what is it that really gets you in the mood for writing?
"A story. If I don't have a story, I can't write," he tweets-back cooly. Although it is true, many writers would agree. In order to write, you must read, not exactly a secret of the creative writing community, but a discovery a lot of people make a little too late. So, if he needs a story, where does it come from? I asked him what kind of stories really take his fancy - is there a particular author or merely day to day inspiration?
Bouchard looks to himself, he says, tweeting that "My six novels to date were all based on a story in my head."
So, for thrillers which have been described on his personal site as "so believable they could be non-fiction", just how does Mr Bouchard turn the bubbling thoughts in his head into his craft? Bouchard, a master of the trade for fifteen years, puts it simply: "It all starts with a basic idea and then just flows through the keyboard." He adds to his tweet, "As long as it's entertaining and possible, it works."
So, he's a natural it seems. But do the ideas come naturally to him? And, all importantly, how does he overcome every writer's worst nightmare - block? Writer's block, after all, is a barrier many of us find it hard to cross. One which presents itself as a time to quit or persevere.
Bouchard, on the other hand, has probably found the simple key to coming over this all-too-familiar wall. "Writer's block is overcome by thinking," he says and turns to his current project, "I'm halfway through and just stepped back to think." Bouchard also mentions in his tweet that, for him, "Ideas come easily enough". There's a true sense Bouchard knows what he's doing, it's his craft and he's learnt through it, so we get a little more to the 'nitty-gritty' - a classic question of tea.
Many writers have something to accompany them when they write; for me, it's a good cup of tea. But does Bouchard need a habit to get his creative juices flowing? "Not really," he tweets, "When the story is ready to come out, it does so without any catalyst." Bouchard's passion here, it seems, is evident. Living and breathing an ability to write comes from the will power bonding the thoughts brewing around your head to the keyboard or pen in your finger tips. Bouchard seems to have this bond unquestionably.
So, after fifteen years of writing since Vigilante, how has this writer's life changed? Here, we uncover a little more about Bouchard's passion. In a couple of tweets, he tells us "I started (writing) while I was working full time, then picked it up a couple of years ago and now writing full time." He admits this is a change. So when I ask if it were for the better, writers-a-like, I am pleased to see the response. "I'm enjoying life and truly believe something great is on the verge with my writing, so, yes it's changed for the better."
'Something great is on the verge' captures me and I'm eager to find out what is exciting him. Bouchard tweets back some healthy news, "More books are selling, a film producer is considering my work and a French publisher is as well." So it's all looking up for Bouchard, especially with every writer's dream of an increasing readership. In that case, what are his aspirations for the future with all this increasing publicity?
Bouchard lets loose an emoticon-smile in his next tweet. He replies, "I hope my books become best-sellers and get the recognition they deserve. Much depends on people just trying them. :)" A hint to buy his books? Well, we can all check them out on Bouchard's personal site: http://www.claudebouchardbooks.com/
Considering Bouchard's success it seems only right to take a moment of reflection and admire the talents of this growing writer. Therefore, I ended on a question which stumps most writers of all-kinds and generally gets the same response. Which one of his works is he most proud of?
Unsurprisingly, he tweets back, "I'm proud of them all equally". However, just when we thought we'd gotten the classical PR-reply, he lets slip, "However, I'm most pleased with ASYLUM, which was different from my previous work."
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You can follow Claude Bouchard at: @ceebee308
The Raw Shark Texts
5/5 PIES
They’re gonna need a bigger boat...
Author: Steven Hall
Publisher: Cannongate Books
Review by Alex Bentley
 The study of communal ideas and concepts, shared thoughts and images is, known in the modern world as Memetics. Memes, ideas, stretch so much further than the common usage of the ‘internet meme’ we all know and love, everyday phrases, scenes which we conceive, carry the same weight globally. As The Raw Shark Texts states:
“Imagine you’re rowing a boat on a lake. It’s summer, early morning. That time when the sun hasn’t quite broken free of the landscape... A low clinging breeze comes and goes, racing ripples across the water... Here’s what’s obvious and wonderful and terrible all at the same time: the lake in my head, the lake I was imagining, has just become the lake in your head. It doesn’t matter if you never know me, or never know anything about me.”
Eric Sanderson wakes up, lying on the floor in a room, and realises he doesn’t remember anything about who he is, or where he is. After his initial terror, and a visit to a doctor, he discovers he suffers from a dissociative fugue, a recurring condition which tears away his memory time after time. The fugue was brought on by the death of his girlfriend, Clio Aames in a diving accident whilst on holiday three years ago on the Greek island of Naxos.
Soon a number of packages signed ‘The First Eric Sanderson’ arrive, containing ‘fragments’, encrypted diaries giving him a view into his previous life with Clio. The letters throw his world into a downwards spiral, also explaining the concept of streams of thought and shared ideas to him. Eventually this leads to an explanation of the conceptual fish. “They say given half a chance, or less, life will grow and exist and evolve anywhere, even in the most inhospitable of places”. And so it is that life evolved in the streams, rivers and oceans of human interaction, conceptual fish, feeding off the ideas.
Then there’s the Ludovician. A word shark. A solitary hunter which picks a target and, piece by piece, bites chunks out of their personality, their sense of self. Eric’s hunter, the cause of his memory loss. Soon he’s running for his life, protecting himself with a co-workers identity and carrying other people’s mail in his pockets to divert the streams of human interaction away from the concept of Eric Sanderson, away from his past self.
There are some incredibly touching scenes revolving around the relationship between Eric and Clio, surprisingly considering Eric has no memory of her whatsoever. The ‘fragments’ scattered throughout the book, decoded by Eric, tell the story of his holiday with Clio, sadly showing the energy in their relationship, the chemistry between Clio and the first Eric Sanderson, driving home the reality of their once-relationship, and Eric’s fugue state, his total lack of recollection of the person who was his entire life.
As an exercise for the mind, The Raw Shark Texts is probably the most interesting novel you’ll read all year. The idea of oceans of human interaction is embellished through references to the film Jaws. Obviously there is the comparison of the Ludovician to the great white from Jaws, however, one extended scene in The Raw Shark Texts, plays out exactly the same as a scene in Jaws, with shocking accuracy, demonstrating the circularity of information, and the way everyone who has seen Jaws will view that situation.
On a similar note, the depiction of information and ideas in the novel is brought out of the book through ‘negative’ chapters, of which Steve Hall has announced there are 36. These negative chapters can be found cryptically in the book, online and in the real word. A number of these ‘negatives’ have been found and are readable online, which is fitting, given the communal nature of information as described in The Raw Shark Texts.
Hall also uses a clever technique in the encounters with the Ludovician and other conceptual fish. Calligrammes, images made of words, are used to portray the life forms inhabiting the streams of human interaction. The text these images are made from is often part of a conversation or unfinished thought entirely unrelated to the narrative, yet still maintaining the clear form of a shark or other life form. This technique is particularly effective at visually describing the concept of fish living in the streams of our interactions, carrying around the memories of where they have been which admittedly, isn’t the easiest idea to accept.
As a high concept, intelligent novel, The Raw Shark Texts fails to disappoint. Despite starting slow, and containing some difficult ideas to grasp, the moving scenes of Eric’s past, the way it connects to his future, and the ideas that drive the narrative make The Raw Shark Texts an unstoppable page turner, a wild ride into philosophy and abstract thought with a tenacious life of its own.
Introducing You to our New Book Section
Welcome to Pie's new "Books & Book Reviews" section. It is run by our new Publishing Editor, David Thomas. Here we will be giving you news on book fairs, book releases, book news, book awards, as well as numerous reviews of all the latest publications out there and all those fancy classics too. Coinciding with our Educational side of things, we'll also be giving you a few tips here and there to aid you with Literature! So, this is a haven of all things book-related.
The World of Self-Publishing
Ever written something, such as a collection of poems or a short story? Why not get them self-published for free? After browsing the web, I recently discovered two amazing sites that allow you to get your name out and about as an author of the 21st century. Those two sites are: www.lulu.com and www.blurb.com - on these you can upload word documents or pdf files of your work, design your covers and get them published for free, under the circumstances that you purchase one of your own books for a considerably fair price.
I recently used it to publish my poetry anthology entitled "The Moment Where She Smiles". This act of self-publication has been a good success so far. I only wanted to do it so I could have a hard-copy for myself, but I've already sold 13 without much marketting at all - which is great! It also becomes quite the motivator for doing more writing because I know, once I'm done, I can get another piece of my work published and build up a collection of my own work.
However, it is this world of self-publishing that is also the playing ground for offering our writers the chance to be published and distributed as we take the Pie Magazine Annual 2011 to the market through the self-publishing site of BLURB. In a short review, if you want value for money and cheapness, go for Lulu, if you want a quality finish but are willing to pay a little more for it, go for Blurb. I'd personally suggest your first self-publication be done with the former and then slowly move yourself toward the latter.
A Recommended Read...
To get us started in the Book Section, here's a few recommended reads:
JACK & JILL
James Patterson
This is a great crime thriller, keeping you engaged and tension ripe. You'll enjoy it if you like gritty, fairly violent reads that inject some adrenaline-pumping narratives of adult literature.
BIRDSONG
Sebastien Faulks
This is one of Faulks' greatest works, regarded as a master piece among literary critics. It plays with strong themes of war and love and engages an intriguing narrative of time and sequence, enticing readers throughout its subjective tragedies.
THE GREAT GATSBY
F. Scott Fitzgerald
This classic American modernist novel illustrating the falsity of the American Dream is an intriguing love-tragedy with a twist. It consists of subjective symbolism and enjoyable characterisation accompanied by a professionaly devised scenic narrative.
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