Interview With R. Garland Gray, Author Of The DARKSCAPE Trilogy

One of my favorite perks when it comes to this blog is the chance to discover off-the-beaten-path books, not to mention meeting the authors who pen them.

While I’d known about R. Garland Gray’s DARKSCAPE trilogy for a while, it was a conversation with author Jennifer Leeland that made me realize I was overdue to read it. The funny thing was, days after learning about how much Ms. Leeland enjoyed DARKSCAPE: REDEMPTION, I was in my local library and while browsing the upper shelves of the romance section, a strong feeling—could have been The Force, you never know—directed my gaze downward at one point. Lo and behold, my line of vision connected directly with DARKSCAPE: REDEMPTION. I kid you not. It was quite surreal, because I don’t believe the library had had a copy previously, and I frequently do searches to see what kind of science fiction romances are available.

In my excitement, I checked the book out and read it, forgetting that it was the second in the trilogy—oopsie! REDEMPTION works as a standalone, but it does contain spoilers for the first book.

The trilogy begins with THE REBEL LORD and continues with REDEMPTION. The third in the trilogy, FIRST HEIR, will be released in December 2010 (Medallion Press). According to the author’s Web site, “Set in a distant and grim future, the Darkscape books depict the heirs of the Scottish clan of Douglas.” Clan Douglas is a real one, by the way. I did not know that!

Based on my reading of REDEMPTION, this trilogy should appeal to romance readers—especially pre-Culloden Scotland historical romance fans—who have yet to try a science fiction romance, or have dabbled infrequently in the subgenre. My take is that REDEMPTION, at least, contains many traditional romance elements and accessible science fictional concepts that would ease the learning curve for readers new to the subgenre. Also, if you prefer a gentler SFR, or need a break from edgier fare, the DARKSCAPE trilogy might be up your alley.

You can read the author’s bio here, and learn more about the books themselves (as well as excerpts) here.

Now for my interview with R. Garland Gray—an interview that also includes an exclusive excerpt of DARKSCAPE: FIRST HEIR!

The Galaxy Express: What was the inspiration for the Darkscape series?

R. Garland Gray: That is an easy answer for me: Star Wars, the original 1977 release. Even as a young girl, I recognized that George Lucas’s space opera was amazingly unique. His fictional universe depicted a grimy and sort of lived in life compared to the pristine science fiction films I had seen before. It also contained many elements of the fantasy genre, like a princess in peril and a hero on a quest. Material like that has always captured my attention. I am a hopeless romantic, I suppose.

TGE: The Rebel Lord and Redemption were previously released by another publisher “who went out of business,” according to your web site. Please describe the challenges you faced while striving to bring this trilogy to readers. What was your path to publication like?

RGG: My path to the publication of my Darkscape books has included many potholes, holes that I tumbled into and had to climb out of. LOL

I penned Darkscape: The Rebel Lord on paper during my college days. Yes, this author did say paper. I sat at my small metal desk in the late evening with my tabby cat purring by my elbow and batting away at my pen. Tigger was a bit of a brat. After I graduated college, I went to work for an educational software company. From time to time, I would pull the book out of my desk in the evenings and work on it. Eventually, I entered it onto a computer. For years it remained on a disk until the software that I had used was no longer available. By this time, I had married my tall, engineer husband. He found out about my story and encouraged me to try and get it published. He wrote a software program that translated the code of the book from the old desktop software to MSWord so I would not have to retype the book yet again.

Over the next year or so, I polished the story, learned about the writing business, joined a couple of writing clubs, made some wonderful writing friends, and began to send out query letters to publishers. Queries are one page introduction letters where you tell a little about yourself and your book to a prospective editor.

A Canadian publisher responded to one of my queries and asked to see the manuscript. To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement. I sent the book to them and waited. And waited. And waited some more. A year went by and nothing. I know the publishing industry moves slowly, but a year? I decided to write to them.

Immediately, I received a flurry of emails. The acquisition editor wanted the book but had lost my contact information. They wanted the book? Well, sort of wanted it. They did not like my ending. They wanted me to change the ending and listed their reasons why. I went from being thrilled to being depressed. My husband suggested I take a few days and think about what they were asking. Would the change make it a better book? I decided to give it a try. I rewrote the ending. When I finished, I sat back and grinned. The editor had been right. The book rocked with the new ending.

When I think back about that time, I know that was a defining moment for me. If I had not swallowed my pride and made the decision to rewrite that ending, my writing career would probably have ended there. Thank goodness for calm and supportive husbands. I resubmitted the book to the acquisition editor who loved what I had done and forwarded it to the main editor. I received a contract soon after.

The Canadian publisher was a small house and they spent a lot of time with their authors. I will always be grateful to them for guiding me through the art of writing and the business of publishing. When Darkscape: The Rebel Lord was released, it soared to a slot in their top five best seller list. My editor requested a second book. They were interested in the hero’s cynical brother. I wrote Darkscape: Redemption in a matter of months and submitted it. I received a contract and when the book released it too hit their top five seller list as well.

What I did not recognize at the time were the warning signs of a publisher in trouble. Not soon after Redemption came out, the Canadian publisher closed their doors. Although my two Darkscape books were in their top five best seller list, it was the top list of a very small distribution, and the books never made it to the books shelves in the United States. A few days later, the publisher contacted their authors and returned our rights with wishes for success.

It was an uncertain time for me. Was my writing career over? I was glad I had my rights back, but what now? I was in the middle of writing another book, so I took The Rebel Lord and Redemption and placed them in the desk drawer along with my outline for the third book in the trilogy. As luck would have it, I finished that other book (Predestined,) and sold it very quickly. It was one of those rare instances, where an author sends a book out and receives an offer a couple of weeks later. Typically, it takes a lot longer for a response, as I had already experienced. Medallion Press, my new publisher, was very supportive. After Predestined came out, my editor requested a second book and then a third. My Darkscape books fell into the background as I focused on crafting the Faery Faith series.

When I handed in Fey Born and White Fells to my editor, I had some free time to myself. I did a little bit of soul searching and decided to look over my Darkscape books. I reread The Rebel Lord and Redemption. I remember feeling that I could improve the books and that I had grown as a writer. I faced two choices. Forget about the books and move on, or go through a major rewrite. I chose the major rewrite, knowing full well that publishers shy away from previously released books, no matter their history.

It was challenging, and at times I thought I must be insane for doing this. I had to research and update all the resident technology and revisit my interweaving plots and character studies. But then it became a kind of catharsis for me. I rewrote The Rebel Lord and Redemption for myself because I wanted to give the best that I am capable of.
When I finished, I rested for a month before sending a query letter to my editor explaining the history of the books. I asked if they would be interested in looking at them. They said, yes. I took a deep breath and sent The Rebel Lord and Redemption out. Rather than wait and worry, I focused on First Heir, the third book in the trilogy. The story about the twin symbiotic male heirs of Clan Douglas had been dancing around in my brain cells for years. A few months later, my publisher made an offer for the two books and I gave them a promise for the third book.

My Darkscape trilogy was given a second chance. I was ecstatic. Upon The Rebel Lord’s release, my publisher featured it in Book Expo of America in Los Angeles, a pretty amazing new start for a trilogy that almost did not make it. Medallion Press created a wonderful banner of the cover that hung in the expo center hallway. Here is a picture of it below:



Darkscape: Redemption’s release has done well also.

And a few months ago, I handed in the manuscript for Darkscape: First Heir. This one, I am especially looking forward to seeing in the bookstores because it lived inside me for so long.

TGE: What kind of research did you do for the Darkscape trilogy? What was the most fascinating discovery you made, even if the information didn’t end up in the book?

RGG: Most of my readers know that I am a “researcholic.” I enjoy delving into different times and places and flavoring my stories. For Darkscape, I got hold of the special issue of Astronomy magazine, which featured a wonderful beginner’s guide where I learned about the realm of the stars and galaxies. In fact, I still have the magazine. I also read some of my husband’s engineering books and trade magazines to become familiar with different technologies. And of course, I spent time learning about the history of Clan Douglas, one of the most powerful ancestral families of Scotland. I started with library books and graduated to Internet research. Clan Douglas has many websites dedicated to it.

The most fascinating discovery that I came across was the concept of Hydropathy, healing through water therapy. When an injured person becomes immersed in water, there is a calming which indirectly can help with their healing. I decided to take it several light years further and created the emulsion healing tank for all injuries.

Here is an old illustration of Hydropathy, or the cold-water cure as it was sometimes referred to (1842).



TGE: Tongue-in-cheek question alert: “Darkscape” – any relation to “Farscape?”

RGG: Good question, Heather. Darkscape: The Rebel Lord originally had a different title. When my editor asked me to change the book’s title and make it sound more like a dark science fiction romance, I decided to sleep on it and see what I could come up with. When I awoke the next morning “Darkscape: The Rebel Lord” popped into my head. As a viewer of Farscape, I knew there had been a “cross-over event” in my brain (LOL). Thereafter, the other two books in the trilogy featured the “Darkscape” title as well.

TGE: What’s unique about hero Declan de Douglas and heroine Princess Fallon MacKendrick?

RGG: I think an author’s interpretation of a story and the characters of the hero and heroine is what makes a book unique. In Darkscape: Redemption, Declan is a charismatic and bitter hero who buries his emotions deep, protecting himself. Even though he has suffered, his appreciation of life and his ability to be surprised by it make him unique among most dark heroes.

A princess born to privilege, Fallon is used to doing what she wants and getting what she wants. Coming from that kind of advantageous background, you might think her intolerant or prejudiced, but she is not. She sheds that perception soon after the readers meet her. Fallon accepts the world without judgment; she only needs the guidance of one who knows to show her the way. I think that makes her unique.

TGE: Please describe a few of your favorite science fiction romance books, films, and/or television shows.

RGG: Let me think …. Okay, here are just a few that come to mind:

My favorite books: Justine Davis’s Lord of the Storm and The Skypirate

My favorite TV series: The original Star Trek and Babylon Five

My favorite films: Forbidden Planet, Star Wars (all of them), Star Trek Classic films, and Avatar

TGE: Please tell us about DARKSCAPE: FIRST HEIR. Can you give us a sneak peek?

RGG: Darkscape: First Heir is the story of the symbiotic male twins of Lachlan and Kimberly, my hero and heroine in Darkscape: The Rebel Lord. The war years are over, but the distrust among the clans remains. When a bridal offer arrives, their world abruptly changes.

Here is the exclusive sneak peek:

He enjoyed the quiet of a day’s ending and had a soft spot for the tiny animals known as wee-gadhars, or poodleflys, as they were sometimes called. At mealtimes, he preferred a plate of chocolate ice cream to any other dessert, except for ones of the female flavor.

He was noted as having a strong chin and hair the color of rich dark coffee. His eyes were considered uncommon, the color of cobalt blue with a bevy of metallic flakes slicing the inner edge of the irises. When he looked at you, an alien ancestry watched. It was a silent and elemental regard, having been described by more than one frightened young woman as the piercing gaze of crystallized light.

Since Drumlanrig knew what other people saw, he no longer cared to hide the strangeness resident inside him.

****************

TGE: Is there anything else about the Darkscape series you’d like to share? What else do you have in store for readers?

RGG: My Darkscape books took nearly 25 years to make it to your bookstores. If this author has learned anything about the journey of life, it is to persevere and never give up on your dreams.

What comes next you ask? Hmmm, I am of a mind to wait and see where my lady muse takes me. She can be fickle at times so I try not to answer for her. However, every month on my website www.rgarlandgray.com I share my thoughts and your readers can find news and updates about my books there.

Thank you for having me, Heather. And a special thank you to your readers. I had a wonderful time sharing my Darkscape trilogy with you, and with them.

With Kind Regards,

Garland

Ms. Garland, thanks for your time, and for your art!

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Click to read the full post...

Double Exclusive: Galley Contest & Excerpt from Jess Granger’s BEYOND THE SHADOWS!

BEYOND THE SHADOWS, book two of Jess Granger’s Realms Beyond series, will hit shelves May 4, 2010—only 49 days away!

And as if another science fiction romance release isn’t squeealicious enough, I’m excited to announce that Jess Granger has donated a galley of BEYOND THE SHADOWS. She’ll be giving it away to one lucky Galaxy Express passenger.

That’s right—an exclusive galley the winner will be able to read weeks ahead of the official release!

Not only that, but a second winner will be chosen for a signed copy of her first science fiction romance, BEYOND THE RAIN!

Aaaaand, following this announcement is another exclusive—a peek at the first two pages from chapter two of BEYOND THE SHADOWS. This excerpt is only available here at The Galaxy Express. (I’d like to thank Jess Granger for her generosity and time. Thank you!)

Now, before we proceed with the contest and exclusive excerpt, all this talk of shadows and realms got my synapses firing. What, exactly, does Jess Granger mean by shadows and realms? There must be something...waiting. Something...lurking in the ethereal penumbra. Something she expects readers to discover. Something that demands to be seen...consumed. Is it a sharp-toothed Snagglepuss? A bird with crystal plumage? A rosy-cheeked clown doing a dissertation on THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE while hopping on one foot...?

Really, it could be anything.

Therefore, in order to enter this contest you must answer the following question:

*Cue Twilight Zone music*

What lies…beyond the shadows?

When answering, be creative. Be daring. Above all, be outrageous. The most outrageous comment will win a virtual blue ribbon—replete with stickers of unicorns and the Millennium Falcon.

Please note: If you’ve already read BEYOND THE RAIN, indicate your preference for BEYOND THE SHADOWS after your answer. The deadline to enter is 9 p.m. EST on Friday, March 19, 2010. Contest limited to U.S. residents.

Never fear if you don’t win this round—Jess Granger will be giving away two additional galleys of BEYOND THE SHADOWS at her site this Saturday (3/20/10). More details here. And if you elect to follow her on Twitter, you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of the book—however she needs 200 followers before she can choose a winner, so please help spread the word.

Now to unveil the exclusive excerpt from BEYOND THE SHADOWS, which includes chapter one and the first two pages of chapter two in PDF. Simply click your mouse (and your heels) right here.

Joyfully yours,

Heather


Click to read the full post...

I’m As Mad As Hell About Double Standards In Science Fiction Romance, And I’m Not Going To Take It Anymore!

In response to my post on Taming The Cyborg, author Katherine Allred (CLOSE CONTACT) asked, “Is it okay to have badass/flawed heroes but not badass/flawed heroines, and why?...Why can't the heroines have the flawed badass roles for a change?”

Ms. Allred’s question arose because I had expressed the suspicion that regardless of genre many romance editors seem to only want stories wherein the hero possesses the flaws/badass nature/paranormal or scientific ability. In other words, the hero gets all the fun, all the good roles, all the cool clothes, and all the good dialogue. To echo Ms. Allred’s question, why is that okay?

Well, it’s not, and that goes double (heh!) for science fiction romance.

I’ve been pondering the double standard issue for some time. The issue was first brought into sharp focus for me in March 2009 upon reading a comment by blogger Lisa Paitz Spindler in response to the Dear Author post My Paranormal Malaise:

“Why is it the paranormal character is so often the hero and not the heroine?”

Ms. Spindler’s comment encapsulates the double standard issue with the eye-catching glow of a bright yellow neon sign. I subsequently wrote about this topic for my LoveLetter column in which I noted, "Because the focus of these [science fiction romance] stories is partly on the scientific elements, there is no inherent reason for the hero to be the predominant 'exotic' character." Science fiction romance offers the creative possibilities to consistently avoid the double standard noted above, but has not yet reached its potential in that regard.

Therefore, I feel a discussion is warranted, and sorely past due.

While I’ve encountered a few truly badass/flawed SFR heroines, they are rare. Often, authors just flirt with the idea, which renders the heroines with a second-class citizen badass role. I’ve no doubt some of them would use them more often if it weren’t for the Powers That Dictate A Fantasy Hero Lover For Heterosexual Female Readers Only.

I’ve always wondered if one aspect of this particular double standard has roots in the fantasy lover aspect of romance. Many books offer a badass hero because it taps into the fantasies of those who like to imagine themselves in the arms of a badass, tortured, and handsome hero who is also a great lover. One the heroine reader can tame. All well and good except when this route translates to a failed heroine.

Badass/flawed heroes are given a wide latitude in terms of being able to fight, incur injuries, display arrogance, act ferociously, and even take lives if necessary (especially if it involves saving the heroine). They get to brood and have that safe-yet-dangerous personality that readers seem to find so attractive. Personally, I find these traits entertaining no matter who has them, as long as the character arc is compelling. But it seems that relative to badass/flawed heroes, the badass/flawed heroine is perceived as inherently bad, as though her very soul is flawed rather than just her behavior. Heroes are allowed to cross a line forbidden to heroines—why is that?



Recently, another blogger examined some of the craft-related flaws in heroines over the years in Why Strong Female Characters Are Bad For Women (via SFSignal). Mlawski weighed in on how some filmmakers missed the boat when it came to portraying strong heroines in movies:

Yeah, the trouble is, although these characters were marginally better than the original Damsels in Distress, they still ended up having to be saved in the final act by the male hero. There would usually be a scene (or three) where the “Strong Female Character” would be trapped by the villain and put into sexy clothing, I guess as a punishment of some sort. And even when she was being strong, she was always doing it in the sexiest way possible. She’d never, say, get a black eye or a broken nose in a fight. Her ability to fix cars (a powerful, masculine trait) would basically allow her to get sexy grease all over her slippery body. Her ability to shoot a gun was so the film’s advertisers could put her on a poster wearing a skimpy outfit with a big gun between her legs. All in all, the “strength” of her character was just to make her a better prize for the hero at the end – and for the horny male audience throughout.

Mlawski also points out that the bottomline is that all we’re asking for is good, strong, flawed characters, ones who also happen to be female.

Frankly, I expect more progressive characters in science fiction romance and flawed and/or badass heroines are one way to accomplish this goal. They don’t have to always be of the kick-ass variety, either (e.g., a heroine scientist who is morally compromised at the story’s beginning would make for an interesting character). Point is, the romance is about a relationship and the heroines deserve a chance at being flawed/badass just as much as the heroes. If readers aren’t demanding that kind of equality, I have to wonder why.

I’m not going to take double standards in science fiction romance anymore. Are you?

Joyfully yours,

Heather


Click to read the full post...

Attention, please! This is your heroine speaking!

Hello there, writer types.

This is your heroine speaking and I have a few things I’d like to say to you. First of all – thanks! I would not be alive without you and please don’t think that I don’t appreciate it. Despite all the pain and angst and danger you put me through, it’s still better than never having lived at all.

And I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but there are one or two (OK, five!) things I have a little, itty-bitty problem with. Please bear with me and let me get this off my chest, then I’ll willingly go back to doing whatever you want me to do.

1. Please don’t name me Cat! Do you know how many other heroines there are named Cat? (answer is 772). And while we’re on the subject, please don’t name me Catherine, Cathy, Katy, Kat, Katya, Caitlyn, Kathleen or ANY OTHER NAME THAT WILL INEVITABLY BE SHORTENED TO CAT! Also, please don’t name me Lilith.

2. While we’re on the name thing, please don’t name me Al’Bsi’Ryzh, or if you simply HAVE to name me something that requires numerous apostrophes, could you at least name me something that can be shortened into a cute little nickname that most definitely is not Cat?

3. If you’re gonna make me a kick ass heroine with awesome skills with guns/lasers/swords/martial arts/etc., could you please give me a little on-page training session? While you’re taking your post-writing-frenzy nap, guess what I’m doing? That’s right. I’m working my booty off, perfecting those kick ass skills. Hey, heroines need to sleep sometimes, too, ya know. If you want me to destroy the villain in hand-to-hand combat, please give me a little credit and show off to the reader how damn hard I have to work to stay totally kick ass.

4. If you absolutely have to make me a virgin heroine, please do me a favor, do a little research, and then tell the damn truth. My hymen is not a rampart to be stormed. Neither is it located halfway to kingdom come up the birth canal of love. Don’t get your facts about basic female anatomy from romance novels. Biology texts are much better.

5. One last thing – if you make me fall in love with a guy who treats me like shit for most of the story (e.g. is convinced I’m evil/I’m an enemy spy/I’m a whore/I killed his mother/etc.) then make sure he gives me a damn good grovel at the end. The worse he’s treated me, the better the grovel has to be. I mean it! If I don’t get promised the moon and the stars and the universe, never-ending happiness, and a lifetime supply of foot rubs, I’ll be off with the nearest space geek in town, just as soon as you have written ‘The End.’ I really know how to scupper a happy ever after if I don’t get my grovel!

Hey, thanks for listening. I really don’t mean to sound ungrateful, and I’m sure YOU would never commit any of the above-mentioned deadly sins. (Though I have it on excellent information that Agent Z. has committed at least three.)

Be seeing ya!

Your Heroine




Click to read the full post...

Taming The Cyborg

Sometimes (or half of the time?) in romance, it’s all about the taming of the hero:

According to Berkley Books editor Cindy Hwang in We’re loving angels instead: Publishing craze goes celestial, "Angels appeal because they are larger than life, more beautiful, sexier and more sensual creations. Fallen angels have the same flaws that ordinary people have, which is attractive. If someone can tame such a powerful being and get them to fall in love with them, then that's very seductive." [Emphasis mine]

Upon reading that last sentence, I experienced a sinking feeling. Here’s why:

Is the lack of a “powerful being” holding SFR back from experiencing wider appeal? As a rule, and by its general nature, science fiction romance doesn’t have vampires, werewolves, angels, demons, or any other supernatural creature in need of a good taming by non-supernatural heroines. And “sensual” isn’t the first word that comes to mind regarding aliens. Especially if they have tentacles.

I’m assuming Ms. Hwang meant that a powerful being could refer to either a hero or a heroine. I certainly hope so, but I mostly get the feeling that she really prefers to consider stories in which the hero plays that juicy role.

And then it hit me—science fiction romance has exactly that type of powerful being who embodies that frequently sought after combination of vulnerability and danger in one sexy, sculpted package:

The cyborg hero.

Part man, part machine, a cyborg’s physical capabilities easily supersede those of ordinary men. Tinker with their brains in just the right way and you can have heroes with enhanced intelligence as well. Plus, manipulation of their bodies doesn’t come easily (or cheaply), and that’s a surefire recipe for brooding, tortured heroes. Cyborgs put the “flaw” in “flawed.”

They are quintessentially larger than life characters by nature of their superhuman abilities. Witness the popularity of Linnea Sinclair’s Admiral Branden Kel-Paten from her novel GAMES OF COMMAND. Kel-Paten is an example of a romance hero that’s familiar, yet also fresh and inventive. And check out this exchange between the cyborg hero and the heroine in Melisse Aires’ CYBOT AWAKENED:

Kaistril pushed inside, just a little way. “You know you’ve uncaged the beast, don’t you?” he groaned.

Sabralia clutched him tight to her with legs and arms, and he slid deeper into her. “Maybe I’ll tame him,” she whispered….” (p. 70)

Does that not encapsulate the scenario Cindy Hwang described? I’m not alone, either. In Owoooo! Werewolf of…Vulcan?, Donna S. Frelick writes:

Love transforms what has the potential to be a destructive force into a positive one. Because she loves him, the creature, be he werewolf or vampire or whatever, can reveal his true self. She will accept him and help him “control” the beast.

“Or whatever”—Cyborg, perhaps? Ms. Frelick notes that

So maybe we are starting to pick up on something that our sisters in the paranormal world figured out a while ago: It’s kinda fun to bring the big bad wolf to heel. (In a mutually respectful, free and equal relationship, of course.) We just need to convince a few more readers that the beasts they love to read about also roam among the stars.

Perhaps the cyborg angle is something to consider when attempting to widen the appeal of SFR among paranormal romance lovers who gravitate toward stories of ordinary heroines taming powerful beings. Goodness knows we can use more cyborgs in the subgenre! There can be all sorts of variations of origin stories, and cyborg heroes (and heroines, of course!) easily lend themselves to the creation of leagues or brotherhoods or brigades. Or wounded loners.

You name it, cyborgs can deliver it.

Joyfully yours,

Heather

Postus Scriptus: Although I had written this post prior to reading Donna S. Frelick’s piece, I have concluded that the fact that we came up with a similar idea unbeknownst to each other represents the awesome synchronicity of spirit that is science fiction romance.

Click to read the full post...

Steampunk Appreciation Week At The Book Smugglers

Come one, come all! It's Steampunk Appreciation Week at The Book Smugglers. The event kicked off yesterday with an introduction to the subgenre:

With several now classic, widely respected and heralded novels already published in the Steampunk sub-genre, and with many more in the works from various publishing houses and well-established authors from different background (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Romance, Adult, YA, Erotica, etc), it is impossible to deny Steampunk is a growing trend – and it is here to stay, at least in the foreseeable future.

In Bloggers Talk Steampunk, a variety of contributors attempt to define steampunk (this includes a post by me--third entry down; look for the image of STEAMBOY).

The Book Smugglers will feature all kinds of steampunk goodness this week including reviews, features on steampunk films, and steampunk art & design. Click here for the full calendar of events.

Have fun!

Joyfully yours,

Heather




Click to read the full post...

The $2.5 Billion (And Counting) AVATAR Question

Let’s talk AVATAR.

Not the movie itself so much (that’s been discussed, both here and everywhere), but the film’s legacy and what that means to science fiction romance in general. It may not have won Best Picture, but it has undeniably made its pecuniary mark.



First, the obvious: The film made money—as in piles and piles of the stuff. To this date, it’s soared past $2.5 billion USD at the box office alone. And whether you loved—or even hated—the movie, you have to admit that this amount reflects mucho public interest in a science fiction movie with a very strong thread of romance running through it.

Ah, you say! But what does this have to do with books and SFR? A film is a totally different medium than books and never the twain shall meet, right? To which I respond: True to some point, but given AVATAR’s status as the Number One Movie Evah, it behooves us to question the assumption that such a high grossing film doesn’t have any bearing on its sisterly counterpart in books. Bear with me on this.

Horror film SAW performed well at the box office. For a film with a mere $1.2 million budget, it brought in slightly over $100 million worldwide. That’s a lotta hacksaws and guts, and the series as a whole is the most profitable horror franchise of all time (sorry, Jason and Freddy).

But despite this, I didn’t expect there to be a stampede of SAW “torture porn” type novels out there. This type of horror is much more reliant on its visuals and audio to assault the audience; that doesn’t translate equally into the printed medium, even when you consider envelope-obliterating ero guro manga in the mix as well. It’s still static and silent images.

The success of AVATAR transcends this, however.

While the SAW franchise is successful, it still attracts a certain demographic—predominately young and male. This isn’t exactly the crowd who immediately comes to mind when you think of the majority of book buyers, and certainly not those behind the publishing scene (agents, editors, etc.). At $2.5 billion though, AVATAR does represent nearly everyone—young and old; single and married; SF fan or not; romance fan or not. Not everybody on the planet has seen the movie, or would even care to, but it has effectively reached across nearly every demographic divide out there to make that kind of money.

So I ask, with this level of success so evident, isn’t it worth investing just 2% more on the part of the publishers to clearly market science fiction romance as…science fiction romance? They can even use the brazen line, “If you liked AVATAR, then you’ll love…< insert title here. >” For that, people have cash ready and waiting.

"But AVATAR wasn’t half SF and half romance," you say. "It’s not SFR." That depends on how you define it, I say. The movie is clearly SF, and it clearly has the strong romance in it. The couple doesn’t spend time watching the sun set while whispering lines like, “Your eyes are twin shimmering galaxies yet to be born” (otherwise you could have kissed that $2.5 billion goodbye), but the film couldn’t exist without its SF or romantic elements. Those are the plot's supporting pillars. The dragons could go, the romance couldn’t.

To me, that says science fiction romance.



Not that FOX would market it this way, of course. A nervous studio betting nearly $500 million on something that isn’t an established character (Batman) or a sequel to a hugely successful film (uh again, Batman), is going go with what they know works in marketing, namely, images of attractive people against stuff blowing up rrrreal good in the trailer. But other recent movies presented similar well-produced trailers (2012…even TRANSFORMERS & STAR TREK), and they didn’t earn anywhere near the amount of cash those blue aliens have brought into their village.

So is it the 3D alone? Let's slip on our glasses and see.

MY BLOODY VALENTINE 3-D, a fairly recent, um, 3D movie earned $100 million at the box office. CORALINE (ditto) brought in $122 million. Both did well and the Tim Burton 3D remake of ALICE IN WONDERLAND just brought in $210 million from the rabbit hole. For now, the public appears to like its third dimensional adventures.

But AVATAR connected with moviegoers in an emotional way that went beyond the 3D and excellent effects. And again, I point back to the SF action elements (for guys) and the romance with heart (for women). Many, many people saw these elements and liked them—to the tune of billions. Elements, I might add, that have existed in SFR for the past few decades. So no, the 3D helped, but that element alone did not earn the billions. Right, BEOWULF ($82 million domestically)?

So again I ask, even if you hated the movie, or even SF in general, the numbers don’t lie. And even if publishers captured only .001% of the film’s success, those are still pretty good odds. Now I’m not expecting a complete turnaround by the 3rd quarter of 2010 with 50 AVATAR knockoffs on the shelves, but isn’t this thread of SF action meets SF romance worth exploring? Aren't publishers leaving money on the table by ignoring this success?

Joyfully yours,

Heather


Click to read the full post...