Archive of entries posted on 18th February 2015

Wisdom of the Day: Hat Neighbor Horror Items Waffles

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Superego FAQ

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My first novel, Superego, is out! This is a big deal; I wanted to be novelist well before I even started blogging. And this should be the first novel of many more.

Anyway, it’s published by Liberty Island and is available in ebook, of course, but also paperback if you’re a Luddite. There’s and even a very well done audio version by Audible Studios, so “I’m illiterate!” is not an excuse not to experience the great story I wrote.

Anyway, I figured you all would have some questions, so I wrote an FAQ on my novel.

SUPEREGO FAQ

Q. What is Superego about?
A. It’s a heartwarming story about a genetically engineered, psychotic hitman, Rico, who is completely incapable of feeling guilt or remorse for his actions — killing someone means nothing more to him than tying his shoe. On a new job, he accidentally ends up a hero while pretending to be a police officer and then finds himself falling for a female detective. And as things don’t go as planned with the job, Rico begins to reexamine his life. And he has lots of wacky misadventures, as a psychotic hitman is wont to do.

Q. Is it a comedy?
A. It’s not a comedy. Though people say there’s a lot of humor in it. Rico is a fun guy, despite his anti-social nature.

Q. How did you write it?
A. With a keyboard. You hit a letter on it, and then the corresponding letter appears on the computer screen. The internals of it all is a bit more complicated than that. If you’re curious to learn more, look up ASCII characters.

Q. What inspired you to write this?
A. People keep saying science fiction needs to be more inclusive, and I guess I got tired of all the portrayals of the psychotic hitman as a villain.

Q. So what are the themes in this book?
A. Probably the main one is morality. I take a look at morality by constructing a character who has no practical use for it. He feels no guilt for his actions, and because he works for a criminal syndicate larger than most governments, he also usually faces no legal retribution. Some other themes that are explored is there is a little bit on religion, government, the concept of civility, redemption, and what makes someone a human being.

Q. This sounds heavy.
A. It’s not. There’s just a bit of philosophical backdrop to glue together action scenes and all the twists and turns. I have a very short attention span; I’d put myself to sleep if I tried to be preachy. What I want is a book where stuff is constantly happening and the reader is unsure what’s going to happen next.

Q. Does this book pass the Bechdel Test?
A. It’s first person perspective from a male character, but there are a number of named female characters and they do converse with each other. And I think at least part of those conversations aren’t about Rico or another male character, so it might pass. So, yes, it’s a very feminist book.

Q. I want to know what cool stuff is in this book. Are there explosions?
A. Yes.

Q. Gun fights?
A. Yes.

Q. Ninjas?
A. No.

Q. Dual .45s?
A. Yes.

Q. Katanas?
A. No.

Q. What happens if I don’t enjoy this book?
A. Seek a mental health care professional. There is something wrong with you.

Q. Are there plans for a sequel?
A. Yes. I already have a bunch of ideas for a sequel or two, including plenty of new twists.

Q. Are you ever going to blog more?
A. Hey, if you want me to write more, you need to support my paid writing.

Q. I really enjoyed Superego. What should I do now?
A. Tell all your friends about it. And write a review on Amazon and similar sites. If you do that, I will be your best friend.

Q. Will we hang out all the time?
A. I didn’t say I’d be the friend you’d hang out with the most. I said I’d be your best friend. That means if you were to rank your friends by quality, I would be number one. How could I not be?

Q. One last time, why should I buy your novel?
A. It’s a fun, fast-paced action adventure, and it’s written by me. Aren’t you even curious what a whole novel written by me would be like. How could that not be mind-blowing?

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If you have any questions not covered here, put them in the comments and I will answer them. Unless there are spoilers. Spoiler are bad. Except on cars. They make cars look like they’re fast.

And buy Superego now!

Random Thoughts: SNL, Record Players, and ISIS

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Is anyone going to arrest George W. Bush soon? The statute of limitations is running out on illegal wars.

Ever notice how Alabama kinda sounds like it’s the Islamic version of Obama?

Happy Presidents Day! Be thankful for presidents. Without them, bureaucrats would go feral and attack us.

So was it 40 years from when SNL started, or 40 years from when it was last funny? Bazinga!

Apple is making a car. They’re also making a gun called Apple Payback.

For people who want to humanize terrorists, it would be nice if ISIS would throw them a bone or two.

Hadn’t checked out a book from library in over a decade, and now there is new feeling: guilt. Author doesn’t get royalties for this.

Kids these days get a lot more Mickey Mouse than we used to. When I was young, I remember a new thing with Mickey in it being pretty rare.

Just for reference, I’m “I remember having a record player when I was four” old.

I remember marveling at a CD player like it was scifi. My kids will probably regard a DVD player the way I do a record player.

Some people don’t have Netflix?

How much student debt does ISIS have? Could that be the cause?

“For the Poltergeist remake, how should we update the script?”
“Make the TV the little girl presses against 16:9.”
“Alright. Ready to film.”