Author: Richard Parry

Another Sample: Tyche’s Lost

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I’m pushing 45,000 words on Tyche’s Lost. It’s shaping up! To see how we’re getting along, I thought I’d introduce you to Forrest Blake. He’s a … survivor on Viukde Gamma, raised in a cultish society. It should come as no surprise the Ezeroc are behind it, which makes it a rough ride for our heroes, Chad and Saveria. Usual caveats. First draft. No grammar checking. Confusion reigns! I hope you dig it anyway. Inside the Altar, Forrest found undergrowth making its home. The space was blessedly free of vermin, but that was expected of a holy site. Gods wouldn’t allow their temple to be desecrated. He didn’t know which way to go. The air felt cool, the night following on his heels. Ahead, Gravedigger awaited. She was planning to kill his gods. He wound through the starship, finding a Read More …

Thin Air: Not Quite Cyberpunk, But All The Way Awesome

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I’ve said before, Richard K. Morgan is the author I most want to be like when I grow up. I discovered him through his Takeshi Kovacs novels, and gobbled his backlist. I’ve loved his take on fantasy, and think his Black Widow comic story is the best in print. The video games are excellent; his story-based work gets the nothing-but-net 5/5 from distinguished critics like Giant Bomb. I say this to help you understand my excitement on the release of Thin Air. Let’s get into it. Our story starts with protagonist (…not quite a hero) Hakan Veil, financially marooned on Mars. He busts up a nightclub, murders a few people who need killing, and winds up in jail for his trouble. Veil’s not your usual down-and-out. He’s ‘retired’ from some pretty epic special forces. He’s competent, but not in the Read More …

Meet L.A. Frederick

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I’ve been wanting to do this interview for a while. It’s old-skool text, not the hip new YouTubes, because LA Frederick is based in England, and while they do have the electric on, they don’t have a very compatible time zone with New Zealand. It’s not us, it’s them. Anyway, I got an opportunity to interview a kindred spirit: find out how we view things from writing practice through to stress management. Please to enjoy this latest author interview. Intro: tell me who you are, what you write, and why. L.A. Frederick here, a sci-fi & fantasy writer who started scribbling down ideas in 2012 and from then on out the bug to write wouldn’t leave. I write because I have a hundred different story ideas in my head bursting to get out – across all manner of genres under Read More …

Where I Talk About the Reader Survey: 2018 Edition

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Like I did last year, I did a reader survey for 2018, and because I lack originality, I’m sharing the responses again. It’s worth rehashing the same warning label: Self-reported results are troublesome, my sample size is small, and my unconscious bias flavors my results more than most people spice a good curry. Despite all that, let’s see what the people want, shall we? Feeding the Beast First on deck is what people want me to write next. Heavily implied within this is what people might pay for, and daddy needs to make rent. Lo! The responses are below, with a surprising twist: It’s not surprising people want more Ezeroc Wars. This is my most popular series by far, despite Night’s Champion getting more reviews (I dunno, are supernatural suspense fans more likely to leave a review?). The surprises come Read More …

Well, this is awkward 😕

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This is one of my world-famous emails, originally sent Friday, 1st February 2019. Get on the list here. Talk about conflicted. This week, I’m going to do something weird (…weirder). I’m going to ask you to not buy my books. Yet. What’s on deck? What you want next (early results from the reader survey); The Empire’s Rogues, and Not buying books. Let’s get in there. Next project: Tyche’s Lost Most of you seemed to enjoy Tyche Forever. I’m now working on Tyche’s Lost, which follows right after Forever. It features Saveria Complex and Chad Forradel, the heroes of Tyche’s Gravedigger. Spoilers, but the end of Tyche’s Angels sees our heroes pretty banged up. Tyche’s Lost is about their vacation*. They’ll holiday on a jungle world, rich with native flora and fauna. The story is mildly influenced by Beauty and the Read More …

A Sample of Tyche’s Lost

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I started the latest Tyche story today. If you want a totally unedited, rough-enough-to-sand-with sample, here you go. Saveria woke to the gentle hum of the escape pod. Light dappled the interior of the cabin. She lay on her acceleration couch, facing up. Her view of the outside world was limited to the aperture provided by the pod’s eight top windows. Half were behind her, but the other half showed green leaves, dappled with starlight. It’s called daylight. Her fingers found the clasps holding her in place. She freed them with a snap and clatter of fabric and metal. Her arm knocked against the acceleration couch beside her. Laying on the couch was a man. Lean, fit-looking, but he wasn’t familiar to her. Should she know him? They must have spoken to each other before getting in the escape pod. Read More …

Did you download Tyche Forever? 📚

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This is one of my world-famous emails, originally sent Friday, 25 January 2019. Get on the list here. It will mean the download links will work, unlike in this post where they’ve been excised, because treats like Tyche Forever are for my internet homies on said list. Two shinies for you. We’re almost at the end of January, which means we can stop talking about Christmas like it’s a race-memory of the apocalypse. We survived, people. We’re good. This week: Comparison of covers, old vs. stylish; A new wallpaper for you; and Your final reminder about Tyche Forever*. * The download code turns into a pumpkin next week. Let’s rock. More of my mistakes Back in November I showed you the cover evolution for my Night’s Champion books. I thought it’d be fun to do the same with Chromed: Upgrade. Read More …

Red Sister: The Book That Got Me Back Into Fantasy

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For the longest time, fantasy (epic, dark, whatever) hasn’t spun me up. I’ve spent a lot of time wondering if it’s me or them, right? If you’re going on a lot of dates but not connecting with anyone, it’s probably not the people you’re seeing. It’s you! You’re the selfish troll with halitosis. Then I found Red Sister. Before we get too far, I need to say two things: Fantasy genre: all is forgiven! It really is them, not me. I’m validated by my one successful genre date. Red Sister is set in the Convent of Sweet Mercy. Wait! Don’t go. This isn’t the convent where women are trained to be nicer nuns. Sweet Mercy trains women to be sorceresses and murderers. It’s like a ninja academy with better uniforms. The story revolves around Nona, a girl who’s been sold Read More …

Into Twilight: Cyberpunk Noir Meets The Cold War

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Spoilers: PR Adams’ Into Twilight is good. It’s one of the rare few that made me impulse-buy the sequel without checking blurbs or reviews. The story follows Stefan Mendoza, a sometime soldier, full-time gangster assassin. The opening sequence sees Mendoza sanded down by road rash in a brutal combat scene. What follows is a redemption story, embedded within an overt plot of “assassinating a US Sentator.” It reads like a spy thriller, with intricate shadow-behind-the-throne subplots. What’s more interesting is it’s set within a cyberpunk enclosure; most of today’s cyberpunk is rank-and-file filler, without the genius that went into genre leaders like Neuromancer or Altered Carbon. Into Twilight has the necessary depth to shine; this isn’t indie dumpster-diving, but well-tailored storytelling. The story reminded me of Lee Child’s novels. Mendoza is a futuristic Jack Reacher, getting the job done despite Read More …