The Latest in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Just in time to surf the wake of the latest Star Wars film comes GALACTIC EMPIRES (Night Shade, paper, $17.99), a collection of compact space epics anthologized by Neil Clarke and written by some of the biggest stars and up-and-comers in the genre. The 22 stories featured are all stand-alone, though several are set in pre-existing fictional universes: Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch is here, as is Neal Asher’s Polity. All of the stories range widely in theme and style, sharing only the experience of sudden, sometimes jolting immersion into complex societies and exotic circumstances in the far future.

There’s an unavoidable tension in these mini-sagas between the need to quickly introduce readers to a bizarre setting and the need for an engaging narrative arc — but nearly all of them pull it off. The newer writers tend to take more risks and feature more engaging characters. Gwendolyn Clare’s “All the Painted Stars,” for example, veers away from the usual human protagonist, taking readers instead into the mind of a tentacled alien cop who must cooperate with humans to solve the mystery of a lost civilization. Aliette de Bodard’s “The Waiting Stars” offers a painfully contemporary tale of young Vietnamese women taken from their own “savage” people and forcibly re-educated to serve a society of cold artificial intelligences. By contrast, the established writers tend to focus on ideas and settings more than characters and to follow well-traveled storytelling paths. These can be fun too; one notable example is Brandon Sanderson’s “Firstborn,” the overlong but otherwise delightful tale of a born loser slouching along in the shadow of his military-genius older brother.

One or two of the stories devolve into a travelogue, with characters and plot merely painted on for flavor, but overall this anthology is mostly hits, remarkably few misses. Highly recommended.

Adapting any prose novel to the graphic format is an audacious undertaking at the best of times, but translating Octavia E. Butler’s fearsomely powerful work in particular must surely have been a herculean task. Yet Damian Duffy and John Jennings have managed it with their version of KINDRED (Abrams ComicArts, $24.95), giving her most accessible novel — as noted in an introduction by the acclaimed science fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor — fresh life.

The story itself is the same one that’s been studied in countless university courses on race, gender and literature since its publication in 1979. Dana, a young black woman living in modern-day California, suddenly begins traveling backward in time to the early 1800s, where she is compelled again and again to save the life of Rufus, the scion of a Maryland plantation owner. The mechanism of her movement through time and space is never explained and is ultimately irrelevant. What matters is that Dana must cope with the realistically depicted, gruesome horrors of slavery — which Butler in fact “cleaned up,” according to a well-known 1991 interview in the journal Callaloo. Perhaps more horrifically, Dana must struggle with a fuller understanding of the damage slavery inflicted on everyone it touched, free and slave, then and now — not just violence and family disruption, but an ugly mix of societally reinforced Stockholm syndrome, toxic codependency, and dehumanization.

Duffy and Jennings’s adaptation retains the spare, almost baroque feel of Butler’s narrative, down to its ominous chapter headings (e.g., “The River,” “The Fall”), rendered in all-caps on a black background. This is a story heavy in dialogue and internal narration, although some of the interiority is necessarily lost to the visual format. The art here, which is angular and line-heavy and somehow apocalyptic, fits the weight of the material perfectly. This helps to make up for narrative lost, through stark renderings of blood or vomit or the ashen skin of a hanged woman. The adaptation does not flinch from the ugliest parts of Butler’s text. (Parents hoping that the graphical format may work better for teenagers, take warning.)

A worthy and powerful supplement to a classic.

In a strangely small galaxy, the civilized peoples of the nine inhabited planets live in constant fear of the Shotet, a tribe of fierce multiracial scavengers. After the Shotet kidnap a boy named Akos and his brother for mysterious reasons, Akos has no choice but to go native, learning how to fight and earn armor to survive. Akos has a few advantages, however, including genetically imbued language skills and, more important, a special “currentgift,” or unique magical ability, which is capable of shutting down others’ currentgifts. This naturally makes him useful to Cyra, sister of the tyrannical Shotet leader; Cyra’s own currentgift grants her the ability to project, and experience, constant agony. Akos alone can ease her pain. That they end up a couple is hardly a spoiler.

So things go in CARVE THE MARK (Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins, $22.99), the latest outing from Veronica Roth. Roth is the author of the best-selling Divergent series, and like those books, this one seems destined — designed, even — for a film adaptation. The story focuses less on Cyra than on Akos, who is by turns vulnerable, tough and talented at combat. The plot is also familiar: A young woman trapped in a brutal system must fight to win freedom for herself and her male companion, eventually fomenting a rebellion against her oppressors. The whole thing turns out to be a power struggle between roughly four factions — special families, that is, whose members are bestowed with predestined fates. There’s some jumbled, vaguely science fictional worldbuilding involving spaceships and people from planets of darkness or planets of heat, but frankly, Roth could’ve set the whole thing on a single planet and cut down on the potential special effects budget.

This story is simpler than it sounds, and even more clichéd than this synopsis suggests. It will doubtless make money hand over fist.

Another work that seems designed for the big screen — or more likely the small screen, given that it’s organized into episodes and seasons — is BOOKBURNERS: SEASON 1 (Saga, paper, $21.99), a collaborative effort by Max Gladstone, Margaret Dunlap, Mur Lafferty and Brian Francis Slattery. Originally produced by Serial Box as an intriguing experiment in serial fiction for mobile devices, the 16 episodes that first appeared in 2015 have now been compiled into a single volume by Saga Press.

The story is fast-paced and pulpish. The police detective Sally Brooks is interrupted one night by her hapless brother, who’s carrying a mysterious ancient book and is terrified he’s been followed to her apartment. He’s afraid of the Bookburners, a shadowy “men in black” type of organization said to hunt down rare-book thieves. After she sees her brother open the book only to become instantly possessed by an ancient malevolent entity, Sal finds herself embroiled in a whirlwind caper, occasionally terrifying, to try to save him. Naturally, she joins forces with the Bookburners, who turn out to be a special division of the Vatican Library employed to hunt down dangerous artifacts for capture and safe storage in the Black Archives. Think hackers and traveling exorcists, but for books. Turns out they could also use a good cop.

If that sounds like lighthearted, slightly silly fun, it is. Each “episode” of the serial is noticeably picaresque in style — lots of action sequences, horror visuals, and witty banter, but not many moments of narrative pause or introspection. As a result, the characters aren’t especially complex or deeply rendered; it’s an ensemble cast, though Sal remains the main character throughout. And the peril rarely feels genuinely perilous. This seems intentional, too, however — rather like watching a TV show with episodes that can be skipped or watched out of order, and characters who remain comfortably predictable throughout. Maybe this isn’t the kind of show that’s going to win a lot of Emmys; it’s more the type that could win a devoted audience and keep going for season after season. Probably ideal for commuters looking for pleasant popcorn reading to start or end the day.

THE ULTIMATE STEPHEN KING READING GUIDE (FROM A CONSTANT READER)

I’ve been reading Stephen King for AWHILE. I started reading King when I was 11-ish and I still read his work today, even though I have honestly tried to break up with him a few times. Being a longtime fan (a Constant Reader, as he refers to us out there reading his work), I think I’m in a pretty good spot to write this reading guide.

I’ve tried to split it into genre (though this is difficult, they overlap), and then separate into the best books and the pretty okay books, in case you’re not a completist.

“Hey, where’s ____________ ? Why isn’t it on this list?” If I’ve left out a book, it will probably have been 100% on purpose as I don’t recommend every single book he’s ever written (and neither does he). Or I might leave a book off of one list because it fits better in another. As always, these are studied opinions, not absolute decrees. Please discuss your disagreements in the comments.

Just the Best (Well, the Best As Far As I’m Concerned)

Maybe you don’t care about genre and you just want to read his best work. Totally fair. So I’ll list out my top picks first, and then break it down by genre. (Yes, fellow Constant Readers, you’re going to want to yell at me for leaving out books. My body is ready.)

Carrie, 1974. Carrie was the first book that Stephen King published, and in this case, starting from the beginning is a great thing. It’s a tight, solid story that shows King’s ability to paint vivid characters and his deftness with psychological horror.

Dolores Claiborne, 1993. A woman living on a small Maine island is accused of murder twice in her life. The first one, she didn’t so much mind, but she’s determined to clear herself of the second–which means laying out all of her secrets, even the most painful.

Different Seasons, 1982. Even if you haven’t read this collection, you’re probably familiar with two of its stories: Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption and The Body, the latter of which was adapted into the film Stand By Me. I’m not wild about the second novella, Apt Pupil, but the rest of the book more than makes up for it.

The Shining, 1977. I think this novel is King at his best. It’s a masterful suspense horror novel that mixes psychological horror and supernatural horror. (If you like this one, go ahead and read the sequel, Doctor Sleep, because it’s also very good.)

On Writing: A Memoir Of the Craft, 2000. Not just a how-to book on writing, this book delves into King’s life and inspirations. It’s a pretty good primer to understanding his point of view as a writer, which is typically very strong.

Full Dark, No Stars, 2010. A collection of four novellas that I thought were just excellent.

The Stand, 1978/1990. Re-released as an uncut edition in 1990, The Stand is a post-apocalyptic novel. Perennial fan fave with great character-building. Not without plot issues but overall a good read.

Pet Sematary, 1983. Just the classic story of a man and his cat. Okay, maybe a little more complicated than that, but not very–yet, even in the simplicity of the story, it’s one of the few that truly creeped me out.

Misery, 1987. One of his most famous novels for a good reason: it’s a tight psychological horror novel with a beautifully drawn villain. A must-read once you start getting into King.

The Long Walk, 1979. Stephen King first published this (and four other books) under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. The horror in his Bachman persona is different from his regular work, which flirts with camp and frequently goes to bed with gore, but it’s still very much horror.

Joyland, 2013. A crime novel meets ghost story, Joyland takes place in an amusement park where a girl had been murdered.

Roadwork, 1981. Another Bachman book, Roadwork is about a man whose home is about to be bulldozed to make way for a highway extension. He, however, is not going to let that happen. King has stated that Roadwork is a favorite of his among the early books.

The Dark Tower Series. See the SF/F list for more information here, because you will probably end up reading the whole list if you like this series.

The Straight-Up Horror List

King’s work has spanned multiple genres over the decades, but at its core has been his horror work. If you’re in it for the chills, these are your books.

Note: Some of his novels that are great but not actually horror are listed further down.

The Best Horror Books, IMO:

Books from previous sections that belong here: Carrie; The Shining; Full Dark, No Stars; Misery; The Long Walk; Pet Sematary; The Stand; and Doctor Sleep.

‘Salem’s Lot, 1975. Stephen King meets vampire novel; can you dig it?

Night Shift, 1978. A collection of short works, including “Children of the Corn”, “The Lawnmower Man”, and “Sometimes They Come Back”.

Lisey’s Story, 2006. For me personally? This book isn’t ranked on my list of faves, though I didn’t dislike it; however, King told Rolling Stone that he thought it was his best book (as of 2014). I think, then, anybody new to King might do well to pick it up earlier than I did.

The Pretty Good Horror Books:

Cell, 2006. Zombies meet technology in a more recent novel by King.

Skeleton Crew, 1985. “The Mist,” a famous work by King that has been adapted into a film, is in this collection, along with gems like “Mrs. Todd’s Shortcut” and “The Ballad Of the Flexible Bullet”.

Firestarter, 1980. A pyrokinetic little girl and her dad are on the run from the government, who wants to weaponize her.

The Dead Zone, 1979. I have to admit, this is one book I missed reading when I was younger. It gets glowing reviews, though.

Under the Dome, 2009. Something encapsulates a town in a seemingly impenetrable dome and shit goes very, very awry when they have to fend for themselves. People love or hate this one–I thought it was pretty solid.

Desperation, 1996. This book is part of a set of two books that are linked; I think Desperation is the better of the two. It’s very much a “good vs. evil” kind of story that shows off King’s world-building abilities. The other book is The Regulators, which he published as Richard Bachman.

Everything’s Eventual, 2002. Another collection–his short fiction is really just very good–with the story “1408,” which was scary AF and also was made into a film.

Nightmares and Dreamscapes, 1993. Another collection of stories, the first one of his I ever read.

Thinner, 1984. The last book to be written by “Richard Bachman,” Thinner smacked too much of King-style horror to keep up the ruse (King was outed as Bachman when someone got wise to his style leaking over). In Thinner, an overweight lawyer is cursed to become thinner to the point of death when he’s let off the hook for manslaughter.

Insomnia, 1994. I don’t know if it’s one of his most popular books but I actually like this book quite a lot, though part of that has to do with its connection to a larger work in the Stephen King Universe. An older man gets insomnia and starts seeing things. A younger man, normally well-liked and well-behaved, becomes abusive and terrifying. These things are not unrelated.

Just After Sunset, 2008. Short horror fiction collection.

Danse Macabre, 1981. This is a work of nonfiction that would mainly appeal to people as geeked out about horror as Stephen King is. It spans movies, books, and television.

The Pretty Okay Horror Books:

Christine, 1983. A dude gets a jealous car and she wants him all to herself.

IT, 1986. I know if you’re a King fan, you’re probably mad that I haven’t featured this tome about a murderous clown yet. There are parts of that novel that are pants-shittingly terrifying, but there are also parts that are kind of not as good as they could be and there’s also [spoilers redacted] at the end, which is kinda fucked up, so. I don’t usually recommend it to people, but it’s a Big Deal in his oeuvre so I’m including it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Revival, 2014. A book that nods to Shelley and Lovecraft, Revival has a gothic, slightly sci-fi bent to it.

Cujo, 1981. A novel about a rabid dog that still gives me the willies to think about.

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams, 2015. A recent collection of short works. Great cover art.

The Dark Half, 1990. A writer decides to “kill off” his pseudonym and concentrate on writing books under his own name. His pseudonym does not agree with this plan of action and lets the writer know. Violently.

From A Buick 8, 2002. A group of state troopers in Pennsylvania have a dark secret hanging out back in Shed B, where they keep the Buick Roadmaster. Yep, this is not one but two books about scary cars. There’s also a scary car short story in Just After Sunset.

Needful Things, 1991. A man with a shop of desirable curiosities opens up in Castle Rock; soon, the town is in chaos.

Duma Key, 2008. I wouldn’t say this is overall King’s best book, but there was a part that definitely creeped me out and stayed with me for a long time, and that’s not easy for an author to do for me.

The Suspense, Crime, and Thriller List

Even though it’s natural to want to peg King’s work as horror across the board, many of his works aren’t true horror–which, if you’re not into horror, might be more your speed.

The Best Suspense/Crime/Thriller Works:

Books from previous sections that belong here: Dolores Claiborne, Different Seasons, Joyland.

Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, and End of Watch, 2014-2016. This is a trilogy of crime novels featuring an ex-cop turned detective and his friends. It starts with a gruesome crime and gets really weird, really fast.

Rage, 1977. Rage is out of print, which is both understandable given its subject matter and also a damn shame, since it’s a good book. It’s about a boy who takes a gun to school, having broken under the immense pressures in his life, and what happens between him and the class he holds hostage. If you can find an older copy of The Bachman Books, it will be collected in there.

The Green Mile, 1996. First released in six volumes (and I was buying those individually in the mid-90s–memories!), The Green Mile is a crime novel with a hefty dose of magical realism.

Rose Madder, 1995. Rose Daniels decides one day that she has to escape her husband–her very abusive husband, who is a cop and who comes looking for her with a skill for tracking people down. He doesn’t know that she has a lot of help on her side, though.

The Pretty Good Suspense/Crime/Thriller Works:

The Colorado Kid, 2005. A mystery novel that takes on unexplained mysteries, and what might cause them.

Blaze, 2007. Another Richard Bachman work (he uses the moniker these days to denote books written in the style of Bachman), Blaze is another crime-novel-meets-ghost-story about a kidnapping.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, 1999. This one is billed by some as horror but, despite having some supernatural elements, it doesn’t fit that bill very cleanly when you read it. A young girl is lost in the woods during a family hiking trip, and she has to survive–even though something is out to get her.

Bag of Bones, 1998. This book displays King’s love of Gothic fiction, loosely aligning itself with the story of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. A man moves out to his vacation house following his wife’s death because he’s having nightmares about the place. Those nightmares might have had something to them, as it turns out.

Hearts in Atlantis, 1999. A collection of fiction centered around the Baby Boomer generation, also with ties to The Dark Tower series.

Gerald’s Game, 1992. Not my fave, but it has a lot of fans. A woman’s husband dies in front of her while she’s handcuffed to the headboard, which puts her in a very not-good situation. Even worse, she feels something watching her–is this her panicked imagination or certain doom?

The Science Fiction/Fantasy List

King clearly has a lot of SF/F influences, and they show through in many of his works.

The SF/F Works:

Books from previous sections that belong here: The Stand

The Dark Tower Series I – VIII (Plus The Wind Through The Keyhole). The Dark Tower is one of my most favorite series in the history of ever–so much so that I stopped re-reading it to preserve the memory of how much I love it. (It’s problematic in places. I admit that freely.) It’s the epic journey of Roland and his eventual companions in another world that runs parallel (?) to our own. It’s a mix of fantasy, western, sci-fi, and horror that has ties to King’s whole body of work; you’ll spend hours poring over the connections once you get into it. (A lot of people hate the first book. In my opinion, you can skip it if you hate it that much.)

The Eyes of the Dragon, 1987. A pure fantasy tome about a murdered king, a framed prince locked in the tower, and an evil magician purring into the ear of the new king.

The Running Man, 1982. This is one of my favorites, a sci-fi dystopian work where people can go on TV and earn money on awful reality shows. Because his child needs medicine, Ben Richards decides to try out for the shows and ends up on the big one–the one where the network hunts humans for sport.

The Talisman (With Peter Straub), 1984. A young boy sets off on a journey to save his dying mother and finds an alternate America, full of twins to people in his America. This book is beloved by many long-time King fans and has a sequel, Black House.

The Eyes of the Dragon – Review

J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography – Review

SANCTUM Release Date – Fri, Dec. 2

Kyle West

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Beren and Lúthien: New Tolkien book in 2017!

A Tolkienist's Perspective

Great news to all Tolkien fans!

As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, the second of the Tolkien’s “Great Tales” will find itself on shelves as a standalone publication in May 2017, HarperCollins announced.

The book, which will compile together all known versions of the story, will be edited by Christopher Tolkien and illustrated by Alan Lee. Its publication will coincide with the 10th anniversary since the publication of The Children of Húrin.

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The Wind Through the Keyhole

Shannon Lynn Fox - Author

By Stephen King

In The Wind Through the Keyhole, Stephen King returns to the rich landscape of Mid-World, the spectacular territory of the Dark Tower fantasy saga that stands as his most beguiling achievement.

Roland Deschain and his ka-tet–Jake, Susannah, Eddie, and Oy, the billy-bumbler–encounter a ferocious storm just after crossing the River Whye on their way to the Outer Baronies. As they shelter from the howling gale, Roland tells his friends not just one strange story but two . . . and in so doing, casts new light on his own troubled past.

In his early days as a gunslinger, in the guilt-ridden year following his mother’s death, Roland is sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape-shifter, a “skin-man” preying upon the population around Debaria. Roland takes charge of Bill Streeter, the brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast’s…

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Scary Books To Read This #Horrortober

Hunter Shea

It’s getting chilly outside and I see a smattering of brown crunchy leaves on the ground. That means it’s time to dive headfirst into the pile of books I curate just for the Halloween season, or as I call it, Horrortober. This year’s list may be a bit ambitious, but I think I can do it. That’s along with watching 1 horror movie a day and other decadent things. So, if you’re looking for a hot read when the nights are dark and our spirits colder, pluck one of these off the shelf…

THE NIGHT PARADE BY RON MALFI

First the birds disappeared.
Then the insects took over.
Then the madness began . . .

They call it Wanderer’s Folly–a disease of delusions, of daydreams and nightmares. A plague threatening to wipe out the human race.

After two years of creeping decay, David Arlen woke up one morning thinking that…

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Getting personal With Mark Tufo

INTERVIEW WITH TOM ABRAHAMS

Welcome to a Tattered Remains Interview

Tom has traveled places most people would avoid.

He’s braved the stinging winds of a category four hurricane as it pounded The Gulf of Mexico, living and working without power for days.

He’s picked his way through the Amazon jungle, trekked across the irradiated exclusion zone of Chernobyl, Ukraine, and climbed the crumbling, high-altitude stone steps leading from the barrio Tacubaya, Miguel Hildalgo, in Mexico City.

He’s been evacuated in an ambulance from the barren Badlands of western Canada.

Tom is a veteran television journalist and author who’s spent the last 20-plus years telling the biggest stories of our time.

He’s reported from the East Room of White House and Capitol Hill, interviewed Presidents and presidential candidates, and was at the Pentagon while smoke still rose in the hours after 9/11.

He’s writes post-apocalyptic thrillers, action adventure, and political conspiracies.

Tom lives in the Houston suburbs with his wife, Courtney, and their two children.

Enjoy the interview… 

****

Why did you choose to write in the post-apocalyptic genre when you wrote “The Traveler Series”? 

A:  A couple of years ago I was approached about writing in Steven Konkoly’s Perseid Collapse Kindle World.  Kindle Worlds is a place on Amazon for licensed fan fiction.  Steve is a friend of mine and asked me to write a story for his “world” launch.    I’d never written post-apocalyptic fiction before, so to stand out from the other more established authors in the genre, I wrote three stories.  They sold pretty well and Steve suggested I try writing my own story.  That was the genesis of The Traveler Series.  I’m glad I gave it a shot.

What were your goals and intentions for “The Traveler Series”, and how well do you feel you achieved them?  

A:  I wanted to dip my toes into an ever-popular genre and test the waters.  I was hoping to sell a few copies a day, maybe a couple dozen if I was lucky.  I never expected HOME, the first of the three books, to explode the way it did.  Its success pushed me to write the next two installments more quickly than I’d planned.  I increased my daily word count by 2-3 times.  Also, I learned a lot about what readers want to see (and what they don’t).  I think my next series will reflect those wants.  So, all in all, mission accomplished.

What are some of the references that you used while researching the series? 

A: I created a hand drawn map of the protagonist’s compound for easy reference.  That was a big help.  Also, I’ve been to many of the places mentioned in the books, so I’m drawing on memory and personal experience.  The best location research tool is Google Maps.  And then I use search engines for a lot of stuff.  I also have, as a result of people reading HOME, a newly formed team of outstanding experts who answer questions as I write and then make corrections to the early drafts.  One is a gun and radio guy, another has military experience, a third is an emergency room physician.

 Is the character Marcus Battle complete fiction or he is a reflection of another real person?
A:  He’s complete fiction.

 How did you come up with the titles for your books (Home, Canyon and Wall)?

A:  I wanted the books to have a western feel.  Originally, I’d named the first book Homestead.  My wife, who is brilliant, suggested a shorter title would look better on the cover.  So I shortened it to Home.  The first book is about leaving Home.  The second book is about the destination (Canyon) and the third is about hope (Wall).  I like one-word titles.

 What did you enjoy most about writing this series?

A:  I love the creative process.  It’s cathartic.  I also enjoy sharing what I’ve created, for better or worse.  Some people have really loved it.  That’s gratifying.  Others haven’t enjoyed it.  That’s okay too.  Art is subjective. I learn from the critics too.

 How long have you been writing?

 A:  I’ve been writing since I was a kid.  As far as long-form writing, I completed my first novel sixteen years ago.  I’ll never publish it.  It was my practice novel.  I dabbled with other plots and stories for almost a decade before I decided to write Sedition.  It’s a political conspiracy novel.  I self-published it in September 2012.  A year later, traditional publisher Post Hill Press bought the rights.  They published Sedition and all three of my action-adventure novels (Allegiance, Allegiance Burned, Hidden Allegiance).  I bought back Sedition from them this year, reworked it, gave it a new cover, and published the sequel Intention.

 Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?

 A:  I’ve always loved reading.  My parents fostered that love.  I might not get a toy at the store, but they’d always buy me a book.  I think one has to be a good reader to be a good writer.  I got into journalism, my day job, solely because I loved writing.  It’s very different from fiction, but it keeps me sharp.

How do you feel about eBooks vs. print books and alternative vs. conventional publishing?

A: I think eBooks are fantastic.  They broaden the audience and are the bulk of my sales.  I will, however, always have a soft spot for physical books.  There’s nothing like holding it in my hands, cracking the spine, turning the pages.  As for publishing, there’s a place for both.  Traditional publishing opens doors that are much more difficult to open as a self-publisher.  That said, I like having control over my work.  So it’s great to be a hybrid author, where I get to experience both worlds.

Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work?  What impact have they had on your writing?

 A: Michael Crichton was a master of taking plausible science fiction and turning it into a fantastic thriller.  Sphere is one of my favorite books.  George Orwell’s Animal Farm is one I could read again and again.  The subtlety of his writing is genius.  I read both of them and think, “How did they think of this?  Why did they choose that word?”

Are you a full-time or part-time writer?  How does that affect your writing?

A:  Yes. 🙂   I have a day job as a television news reporter and anchor.  That takes up most of my time.  I’m also a husband and father of two.  They’re my world.  So writing gets what’s left.  I do find myself, however, squeezing the other two in favor of banging out another 500 words here or there.  My family is very understanding and supportive.

How do you find or make time to write?

A:  I try to write in the mornings.  When I’m close to a deadline, I’ll write after work too.  Those days are tough.
Do you write more by logic or intuition, or some combination of the two?  Summarize your writing process.

 A: I’m what they call a “panster”.  That means I fly by the seat of my pants.  I have a general idea of what I want the story to be, I have a vague outline, and then I fill in the gaps as the story goes.  It’s really more intuition than logic.  And sometimes, as crazy as it sounds, the characters tell me what to write.

What are some ways in which you promote your work?  Do you find that these add to or detract from your writing time?

A: I have a couple of FB accounts.  I have a web page.  I have an email newsletter.  I like using all of them to communicate with fellow authors and fans.  They do take away from writing time, but that’s part of the deal.  I’m not just a writer.  I’m a writer, a marketer, an accountant, and a publisher.  It’s what modern day authors need to do to be successful.

What do you like to read in your free time?

A:  I don’t have any free time.  I like to read authors I know personally.  There are too many to list.  Mostly, though, for my day job I’m reading periodicals.

 
What projects are you working on at the present?

A:  I have two projects right now.  One of them is for the upcoming Nicholas Sansbury Smith Extinction Cycle Kindle Worlds.  It’ll be a novel-length story set in his best-selling universe.  It drops in October.  I’m also working on The SpaceMan Chronicles.  Book one is SpaceMan.  It’s in edit right now and will be available November 22.  Book two is Descent.  I haven’t started writing it yet, but I have the general outline and I’ll get to it as soon as I finish the KW book.  I’m incredibly excited about SpaceMan.  It’s a really fresh take on the Post-Apocalyptic genre and I think readers will love its authenticity.  I’m getting help from friends at NASA to make it as realistic as possible.

 Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

A:   I do.  99% say really nice, humbling things.  The other 1% offer advice or constructive criticism.  It’s always gratifying to know someone read something I wrote and then took the time to let me know what they thought.

What question do you wish that someone would ask about your books, but nobody has?

 A:  Could we buy these and make movies out them?

Aside from writing, what are your hobbies?

A: Hanging with my family.  Playing golf with my son.  Talking politics with my daughter.  Napping with my wife.

 What does your family think of your writing?

A:  They love it.  They’re my biggest fans and best agents.  I couldn’t do any of it without their support.

 

Author Biography

 

Tom is a 2016 inductee of the International Thriller Writer’s Association.

He is a hybrid author (traditionally and self-published) who writes post-apocalyptic thrillers, action adventure, and political conspiracies.

His action-adventure ALLEGIANCE series is published by traditional publisher POST HILL PRESS.

He self-published the Amazon best selling post-apocalyptic Traveler Series (HOME, CANYON, WALL). HOME, debuted in December 2015 and held the #1 spot in Amazon’s Post Apocalyptic category for more than a month. Book 2, CANYON, reached #1 in 24 hours after it’s launch in March 2016. Book 3, WALL, debuted in June 2016.

In 2017, respected thriller publisher LUZIFER VERLAG will release a translation of HOME in German.

Tom’s next novel is SPACEMAN. It is available for pre-order and is due for release in November 2016.

The sequel to Tom’s debut political conspiracy novel, SEDITION, will release July 31, 2016. It a complex, timely novel called INTENTION.

Tom lives in the Houston suburbs with his wife, Courtney, and their two children.

Read more about Tom’s work and join his Preferred Readers Club at tomabrahamsbooks.com

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THE TRAVELER SERIES (3 BOOK SERIES)

Five years after a pneumonic plague killed two-thirds of the world’s population, army veteran Marcus Battle is isolated. He’s alone with his guns, his food, and the graves of his wife and child.

Unaware of the chaos that’s befallen everything outside of his central Texas ranch land, Marcus lives a Spartan life. If anyone steps onto his property he shoots first and never ask questions.

But when a woman in distress, chased by marauders, seeks asylum, Marcus has a decision to make.

Does he throw her to the wolves to protect himself or does he help her and leave the shelter and protection of home?

MAD MAX meets THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UGLY
One of “Twelve Books You Should Read If You Love The Walking Dead.” —Bookbub
“Tom Abrahams’ HOME introduces us to a prepper nightmare.” –BoingBoing

*****A KINDLE *ALL-STAR* SELECTION ***** ***AS SEEN IN SCI-FI MAGAZINE***

HE THOUGHT HE WAS PREPARED. HE THOUGHT HIS FAMILY WAS SAFE. HE WAS WRONG.

 

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THE PILGRIMAGE SERIES (3 BOOK SERIES)

BOOK 1

CROSSING is a post-apocalyptic disaster story of survival. James Rockwell is vacationing in Maine with his family when an earth-changing explosion sends them on a race for their lives.  Their first step is escaping an island in the midst of a tsunami, and it only gets more dangerous from there.  Can they find their way home as civilization crumbles around them?
Set in the post-apocalyptic world of Steven Konkoly’s best-selling Perseid Collapse series, CROSSING follows the same timeline of cataclysmic events from one family’s perspective.
It’s a bullet-train of a thriller riding on the edge of the rails to the last page.
CROSSING is a novella and is part one of The Pilgrimage Series.

_____________________________________________________________________

BOOK 2

What happens when a safe harbor isn’t so safe?
The Rockwells have survived the first leg of the journey home against the wake of a reality-bending disaster, but patriarch James is dying.  His wife somehow finds help in a detour to rural Pennsylvania. While James recovers in a seemingly secure compound, the outside world is plotting violently against them and the well-prepared survivalists who’ve given them refuge.
Set in the post-apocalyptic world of Steven Konkoly’s best-selling Perseid Collapse series, REFUGE follows the same timeline of cataclysmic events from the perspective of new, meticulously hewn characters who fit seamlessly into Konkoly’s work.
It’s a page-turning tumble into a dangerous rabbit hole, where survival comes at a cost.
REFUGE is a novella and is part two of The Pilgrimage Series.

_______________________________________________

BOOK 3 

You can never go home again.
The Rockwells have survived the perils of a slow, dangerous trek along the eastern seaboard and arrived in their small, idyllic Maryland neighborhood anxious to begin their new lives.
But others are living in their home, taking it as their own in the Rockwell’s absence. And they aren’t leaving without a fight.
Set in the post-apocalyptic world of Steven Konkoly’s best-selling Perseid Collapse series, ADVENT follows the same timeline of cataclysmic events from the perspective of original characters who blend perfectly into Konkoly’s work. It’s a heart-pounding conclusion to The Pilgrimage Series, with a satisfying but haunting end to the Rockwell’s journey.
ADVENT is a novella and is part three of The Pilgrimage Series

 

A POLITICAL CONSPIRACY (SERIES)

BOOK 1

The President of The United States is dead. There is no Vice President to take his place.

As the nation slips into a constitutional crisis, a small, secretive group conspires to violently seize power.

They have the will. They have someone on the inside. And they have the explosives.

Standing in their way is a woman who knows their intentions. Can she stop them in time? If she does, will it matter?
BOOK 2

Timely and powerfully thought-provoking, INTENTION finds best selling author Tom Abrahams (The Traveler Series) return to his roots with this breathtaking novel that brilliantly unpacks a vast, global conspiracy to alter the balance of power. Sedition was just the beginning… A hip-hop star is murdered. A notorious terrorist is freed from custody. An assassin weaves his way across Europe, setting the stage for a global catastrophe. All of them work in the shadows of an ancient organization bent on changing the course of history. Can a woman whose demons have consumed her, rid herself of the pain in time to stop them?

A JASON QUICK ADVENTURE (SERIES)

BOOK 1

Allegiance is the first novel in an exciting series of action adventures.  It combines a political thriller with espionage and science fiction in the explosive, fast-paced world of a reluctant hero…                                                                                                                                                                                             Beer, Redheads, And Politics… Jackson Quick Should Have Known Better.
First, He Trusted A Texas Politician.
Then He Fell For A Leggy Woman.
Worst Of All, He Drank A Beer That Tasted Funny.
Now He’s Running For His Life, Trying To Piece Together How He Fell Into A Battle Over Something So Small It Takes A High-Powered Microscope To See It.A sniper team takes aim at a gubernatorial candidate. A political aide is kidnapped and interrogated about the encrypted iPods he’s carried around the globe. A research scientist on the verge of an earth-shaking breakthrough disappears from his secretly funded university lab. All three are connected in a battle over something microscopic. As the pieces of a Texas-sized conspiracy collide, will the unwitting hero at the center of it succeed in saving his life and the Republic? Or will those trying to silence him prove too powerful in a world where there is no allegiance

BOOK 2

Allegiance Burned is the second novel in an exciting series of action adventures.  It combines political thriller with espionage and science fiction in the explosive, fast-paced world of a reluctant hero…

Guns.  An heiress.  Nuclear Fission.  Jackson Quick just couldn’t stay away.

 A scientist is murdered a mile beneath the earth, his secret laboratory exposed. A formula capable of shifting power among the world’s largest nations is missing and its rightful owner wants it back. After staying hidden for months, Quick is pulled back into the darkness he despises. Forced to face his demons and align himself with the very people who betrayed him, he agrees to hunt for the formula. Racing against time and an evil black-market czar, Quick crosses the globe in search of a mathematical equation so valuable that nations and terrorists will pay whatever the cost to control it. From the scientist’s lab in South Dakota to London, Chernobyl, Ukraine, and Heidelberg, Germany, Quick uses his guile and good luck to outwit the competition at every turn. Or so he thinks. In the end, is his freedom worth the price he’ll pay to earn it? Or is he better off letting the formula fall where it may.

BOOK 3

 Jackson Quick wants resolution. He’s tired of running from his past and his enemies. To end the chase, he embarks on one final mission–find the lone remaining copy of a powerful, earth-changing formula, and hand it over to the man he despises most.

The journey begins when Jackson and his girlfriend, discovered hiding in Northern California, escape and take their lives back into their own hands. With the help of a television reporter, they locate the formula while attempting to play two dangerous men against one another. Somehow they must find their way to the formula–and deliver it without losing control. But as Jackson learns along the way, he’s never been in control. His life, from the day he was born, was a conspiracy against him.

THE SPACEMAN CHRONICLES (AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER)

BOOK 1 

Clayton Shepard is 249 miles above Earth when the lights go out.He has no communication, limited power, and an unbreakable will to survive.

His one goal: find his way BACK to his family.

Shepard is an astronaut on his first mission to the International Space Station.

When a violent blast of solar magnetic radiation leaves him stranded in orbit, he’s forced to use his wit and guile to find a way home.

He has no idea what he’ll find when he gets there.

SPACEMAN is a post-apocalyptic/dystopian tale that tells the survival story of a man and the family he left behind. It’s written with the help of former astronauts, NASA team members, and well-respected astrophysicists that give SPACEMAN a unique sense of detail and desperation.

All of these novels that can be purchased from the Amazon page for Tom Abrahams

 

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