Review and Giveaway: The Darwin Elevator

First in the Dire Earth trilogy
By Jason M. Hough
Available now from Del Rey (Penguin Random House)
Review copy
Read a free prequel, "Wave of Infection"

Del Rey is so excited about this debut sci-fi trilogy that they're publishing all three books back to back, July-August-September.  That makes me happy, because I am not one for waiting.  Also, the end of THE DARWIN ELEVATOR left me wanting more.  Jason M. Hough already knows how to end a novel with a bit of intrigue.

I was attracted by the premise of THE DARWIN ELEVATOR, which is basically space SF meets zombies.  A mysterious alien race, called Builders, sent an elevator to Earth that extends from Darwin, Australia into space.  It exudes an Aura and is the only place where humans are safe from a strange plague that was also sent by the aliens.  Then there's Skyler Lukien and his crew of scavengers, all immunes.  Their ability to explore might be the only way to save the humans if the aliens return.  Well, their abilities and scientist Tania Sharma's brain.

There's liberal use of villain POV, which made me grit my teeth.  So many greedy, self-satisfied, leering thoughts.  And he's not a particularly interesting villain.  There are people who look like they may be the villain of the piece, but who turn out more ambiguous.  But no, the main villain is a standard no-plan-beyond-power-for-himself, wants-to-rape-the-heroine villain.  It was a real bum note in an exciting, fun novel and THE DARWIN ELEVATOR just kept going back to him.

When it comes to power struggles, actually, the book itself tended to struggle.  So much of the book could be solved if people talked to each other instead of keeping secrets for no particular.  I preferred when people were actually doing things.  Tania and her assistant sciencing, Skylar trying desperately to be a leader, scavenging and fighting off hordes of subhumans.  My two favorite characters, Kelly and Sam, did not get near enough screen-time.  Now there's two women who get things done.

THE DARWIN ELEVATOR is a fun dystopian zombie novel with nifty ideas and a number of interesting characters.  It's got aliens, saboteurs, and approximately one big secret per character.  I think I would've absolutely loved this one if the villain didn't grate on my nerves so much.  But after all, I'm not supposed to like him.

Thanks to Del Rey and TLC Book Tours, I have one copy to give away.  US/Canada only.
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Review: This Is Not a Test

By Courtney Summers
Available now from St. Martin's Griffin
Review copy

Courtney Summers has earned awards and critical acclaim, but her books haven't quite made it to the bestseller lists.  She's the kind of writer who gets full artistic and technical marks, but I've never fallen in love with her work.  It's easy to love her writing, but her main characters like to keep the world at arm's distance, including the reader.  However, I fell in love with THIS IS NOT A TEST and I think it is the book that could make Summers a bestseller.

What makes THIS IS NOT A TEST so different?  Zombies.

(Don't even pretend you don't like zombies.)

The greatest strength of THIS IS NOT A TEST is the characterization.  Sloane, the narrator, and five other teenagers are holed up in their high school during the zombie apocalypse.  It took the group one week and two deaths to make it from the beginning of the apocalypse to the school.  Those two deaths were Grace and Trace's parents.  They blame Cary Chen,  the leader of the group and strongest survivor.  Rhys Moreno is sticking by Cary.  Harrison, the freshman no one knows, isn't much good for anything but crying.  The older kids treat him like a pawn.  But Sloane remains apart from the in-fighting.  Sloane Price, our heroine, was rather inconveniently interrupted by the zombie apocalypse, you see.  She planned to commit suicide.

Sloane is ready to clock out.  Ironically, it makes her an almost perfect survivor (aside from that pesky death wish).  She takes the crazy things happening inside and doesn't freak out when things go wrong.  And things go wrong, indeed.  Six people who don't trust each other trapped in one building?

THIS IS NOT A TEST is a harrowing, yet fast read.  I couldn't put it down.  I think it took me an hour, maybe an hour and a half total, because I could not wait to know what happened next.  I wanted Sloane and the others to somehow find a way to overcome.  This is not a story where the humans are indistinguishable from the zombies.  The teens have a better nature and they often appeal to it.  (Not that their baser natures don't get in some hits.)  There are reasons to like and dislike all six, but I personally didn't want any of them to die.  (Note to soft-hearted readers: this is a zombie book.)

I couldn't not love THIS IS NOT A TEST.  It's the perfect blend of literary and genre fiction.  One moment the characters are running for their lives; the next they're talking about their feelings.  It's a meditation on guilt and responsibility and truth and being horny.  If you like books with intense, creepy atmosphere and a slightly crazy, suicidal narrator then this is the book for you.

But oh, I think I hate Summers a little for the ending.  That's what happens when you give someone your heart.

Interview with S.G. Browne

S.G. Browne is the author of the new release BREATHERS, which I first heard about from Amanda Ashby. I recommend checking out the excerpt on his website because the framing story begins with quite a scene. I've enjoyed what I've read of the book so far. It's gory, socially aware, and romantic. You can also check out Scott's MySpace or el jay.

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1. Your novel BREATHERS is a zombie romantic comedy. What caused you to write a zom-rom-com?

Well, I always thought romance and zombies was a natural fit. The rotting of flesh, the smell of hydrogen sulfide, sheets of skin peeling off. Why should vampires have all the fun? Plus I wanted to explore the age-old question: Is it necrophilia if you’re both dead?

2. Which are you more afraid of: the zombie apocalypse or the beespider apocalypse? (It would fly and have eight legs - legitimately scary.)

The beespider apocalypse. I love bees. But spiders creep me out. So do snakes, needles, close-talkers, children with runny noses, paraplegic mannequins, and the woman wearing the cosmetic tool belt at Macy’s.

3. What is it like to write the in-character blog Andy's Diary?

Blogging as Andy is a bit of a challenge. When I wrote BREATHERS I channeled Andy’s character, so it’s kind of tough to channel him a couple of times a week when I’m working on something else and inhabiting another character’s skin. Or when I’m distracted by ice cream. This happens frequently.



4. I really like the BREATHERS cover - it reminds me of silver screen romance. Do you like it? What did you think when you first saw it? Was the title your suggestion or your editor's?
I came up with the title while on vacation in Kauai in 2003, though my editor suggested a reading line to clarify it was about zombies. We ended up using the title of the original short story, which I’d written in 2001. So it was very cosmically circular. When I first saw the cover, there weren’t any skulls and the inside of the heart was pink and the title was a florid, looping, cream-colored script. Not exactly what I’d envisioned for a dark comedy. But the creative team at Broadway Books is great and they listened to my suggestions and came up with this. Everyone was happier. I love the cover.

5. What are some novels you're looking forward too? What are some of your favorite books and movies?

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk. He’s my favorite author, along with Christopher Moore. And I have The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy on my TBR list. Favorite books include Lullaby by Palahniuk, Lamb by Christopher Moore, and STIFF: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach. I could throw in Lord of the Flies and The Great Gatsby to add some literary depth, but I wrote a book about zombies. Movies? Fight Club, Being John Malkovich, and I Heart Huckabees. Really, anything by Charlie Kaufman, Wes Anderson, the Coen Brothers, and David Fincher.

6. A friend has been bitten by a zombie. Do you give them the benefit of a doubt or shoot first and ask questions later? Did you check that the gun was loaded?

No benefit of the doubt. I’ve seen enough Hollywood propaganda to know that it’s only a matter of time before my friend starts drooling and I’m on the menu. But since I’ve never fired a gun or even held a real one in my hands, I probably wouldn’t remember to check if it was loaded. So I’ve been practicing my screams for when I get eaten alive.

7. What is your weirdest hobby? Strangest skill that could be considered practical?

Weirdest hobby? I put movie quotes on my iTunes shuffle. Gene Wilder just turned down Cloris Leachman for some warm milk and Ovaltine in Young Frankenstein before kicking in to “Play That Funky Music” by Wild Cherry. My strangest practical skill? Like most men, I can recite movie lines to cover up for the fact that I don’t know what I’m talking about. Or when I want to avoid emotional intimacy.

8. So, you write. But what else do you do? What don't you do that you'd really like to do?

I golf. I bike. I do tai chi, which is actually a martial art, in spite of the fact that most people think it’s just a bunch of elderly Asian people in the park doing synchronized calisthenics in slow motion. But what I’d really like to do is learn how to play a musical instrument. It’s the exhibitionist in me.

9. What is the greatest snack food? Why?

White cheddar Cheez-Its. They’re the crack of snack foods. Does that count as “Why?”

10. How would you convince people to read BREATHERS, without referencing the blurb?

It’s Fight Club meets Shaun of the Dead, only with the zombies as the good guys. Oh, and the necrophilia thing.

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Remember the rules? If you don't, you'll want to refresh yourself on them. I'm giving away two copies of BREATHERS, courtesy of Random House. The book is seriously cool, so you'll want to give it a chance.

Also, Scott clearly has good taste in books and movies. Isn't that reason enough to give his book a try?