HammerBlog

When is a book not just a book? When it becomes a cultural phenomenon.

Would it surprise you to know that The Da Vinci Code originally had a print run of only 50,000 copies? Or that the first Harry Potter novel was rejected multiple times before getting picked up by a small publisher of children’s books? The way these works have changed the world, it’s hard to imagine that their authors were once unknowns hustling for a sale–but there you have it.

Which only goes to prove: there’s no such thing as a sure-fire formula to predict success, because somebody would have patented it by now and retired to Tahiti. I think William Goldman put it best in Adventures in the Screen Trade when he said of Hollywood, “Nobody knows anything!” The same lesson applies to the book world, which explains the constant–and often futile–search for the Next Big Thing.

That being the case, you might ask what newbie authors like me feel about the Big Guys, now that I’m sharing shelf space with them. Since writers tend to be an insecure bunch, there are more than a few killjoys who grumble about how money is for sellouts and scoff at anything that’s popular (that’s right, you know who you are)–but you can take it on faith that these people would probably kill for that kind of success, unless it’s a literary critic whom they would gladly bump off for free.

As for me personally, I’m jazzed. People like Rowling, Brown, Clancy, Grisham and King fire people’s imaginations and get them reading. It also doesn’t hurt that they get those people’s butts into the bookstores, where they just might sample the works of a few new writers–including yours truly!

Aside from that “halo effect,” though, the stars also make it possible for new voices to be heard. Without the revenue they generate, publishers would be even more hard-pressed to give unpublished authors a chance. So the next time some hoity-toity highbrow sniffs at the latest Danielle Steel opus, you can tell ‘em to go stick it.

Now. . .where did I leave my copy of Da Vinci again?

Rick Kleffel of the Agony Column was kind enough to post this review of HAMMERJACK on his website today. His comments are pretty interesting, and not just because he liked my book (although that angle did cross my mind–we writers are a shameless breed). Calling my book a “post-911 cyberpunk novel,” Kleffel is the only reviewer thus far to draw parallels between events in the story and the current War On Terror.

Admittedly, the battle between my techno-terrorists and their corporate enemies can easily be taken as an allegory of the clash between civilizations that we now face. Substitute the Inru for al Qaeda and the Collective for the Coalition, the wars actually have a lot in common. On one side, a fanatical cult fights to topple the modern world and summon their own twisted vision of the future; on the other, progressive forces keep pushing mankind forward on the heels of unstoppable technology. Good vs. evil. East vs. West. Mac vs. PC. The truth inside the fiction, right?

Well, maybe. Although the events of 9/11 certainly had a profound impact on me personally, I drew up the story for HAMMERJACK during the summer of 2000–well over a year before the terrorist attacks on that fateful day. Still, those echoes probably infused themselves into the novel as I wrote it, even if I was unaware at the time. Most of the subtext that appears in my stuff tends to be accidental in any case. It’s only later, when I view the novel as a whole, that I slap my head and realize that something else found its way in there, like that special ingredient in McDonald’s secret sauce.

Anyway, take it for what it’s worth. As for Rick–the first round is on me, my friend! Drop me a line the next time you’re in Tampa.

Will wonders never cease? 970 WFLA, the local AM powerhouse here in Tampa Bay, will be having yours truly on their A.M. Tampa Bay show on Wednesday, June 29 at 6:25 in the morning. Man, this means I’ll have to roll out of bed early. But it’s all good. I’ve been listening to the show on my way to the office for years, so it’s a real thrill for me to go on and talk about HAMMERJACK.

Better put on a pot of coffee…

A few weeks ago, I took my first trip to Manhattan to tape an interview with Mike Straka, entertainment correspondent extraordinaire from the Fox News Channel. You know all the things you hear about New York City cab drivers? Well, they’re all true. It’s like being in some parallel universe where the laws of physics don’t apply. I still don’t know how my driver got me back to LaGuardia during rush hour in a mere 35 minutes (on a Friday, no less), but somehow he did it. Hands down, it was the best thrill ride I’ve ever been on.

The funny part was that I never felt like I was in danger of ending up trapped inside the twisted, hulking remains of a yellow cab wrapped around a UPS truck. In fact, as the ride progressed, I kind of got into it. I felt like one of those minicams on the hood of a NASCAR racer, watching the traffic weave in and out of our way, all while the cabbie layed on the horn and jabbered on his cell phone at the same time. I was, to say the least, impressed with his multitasking. I can’t wait to try it again.

And the interview? Well, you can watch part of it on Mike’s Real Deal webcast. Be forewarned: you’ll have to slog through Paris Hilton slinking around in that Carl’s Jr. ad first–so if soapsuds and all-beef patties aren’t your thing, you may want to go get a snack first (tofurkey, anyone?). My stuff appears in the second half of the segment.

In the world that is science-fiction radio programming, there are but two brave souls willing to give crazy authors a chance to yak about their books for more than five minutes. They’re the guys over at Dragon Page, Mike and Edo Mondo, and they were kind enough to invite me to appear on their Cover to Cover show recently. They were absolutely terrific, and really made this humble writer feel welcome.

Mike and Edo broadcast on XM Satellite Radio every Sunday night from 9 to 12 on channel 163. They also appear on several terrestrial radio stations throughout these here United States, so if you get a chance to listen make sure you check ‘em out. With all the loose sci-fi talk flying about, you never know what’s going to happen.

iPodders can also pick up the interview here. Strap on those white buds and let it rip–but you might want to skip all that silhouette dancing, just to be on the safe side.