Dark Science Fiction - Blog Posts
Something super cool... Walked into a local bookstore a while back, and they had my hardcover displayed face-out right next to Jeff Vandermeer’s newest Southern Reach novel!
So amazing when a store sees the cryptic abstract cover and is like “this is cool” and puts it face-out. Plus Absolution has a similar chrome-foil element to my cover, so I thought they looked really nice together.
That’s all. Just a fun little something.
Book 2 is taking shape! Still in early stages, but I’m excited about where it’s going… looking forward to sharing more about it, hopefully sooner rather than later.
(Artwork glitches made by me in the moment, no scripts.)
Can’t think of a much better way to celebrate one year of this project, than by getting to see a review for COLOR OF A MIRROR in print for the first time! And in the indie section of Publishers Weekly no less!
Written, designed, published, and sold by me.
Thanks to BookLife for the review, and thank you always to the Kickstarter backers who helped make this possible (and to everyone who’s picked up the book since then).
colorofamirror.net
There's Still Lettuce - A Short Story
Short fiction is something I don't play around with as often as the novel writing, but there are times when a phrase or story idea gets its hooks into me and demands expansion and exploration. The above flash fiction is one of those stories.
Been working to figure out how to format this kind of story for posting online, without it being a PDF download or anything. Pretty pleased with this final layout, as it breaks up the text a little while hearkening back to newspapers and print media publications. (And it translates well to reading on mobile, which is great!)
Hope you enjoy There's Still Lettuce, just a little something from beyond the universe of COLOR OF A MIRROR that shares a similar view of the shadows that lurk in the future.
It’s always nerve-wracking submitting writing for review, especially with the understanding that not every book is for everyone. Not to mention, some of my favorite books I didn’t finish the first time I picked them up. So yeah, reviews are very subjective.
So when I got my first critic review last week for Color of a Mirror from Kirkus Reviews, I was prepared for it to be some mixture of bad and good—and hoping for more of the latter. I’m so stoked to say that their final verdict was “Get It,” even going to on to call this unusual noir sci-fi story “Intricate, next-generation cyberpunk with a head-spinning finale.”
Just wow. Talk about head-spinning.
•
A little about the book for those of you who may be new to this project: it centers around a cybernetically-enhanced musician who just wants to be a rockstar—which is apparently too much to ask. When one of her songs is used as the soundtrack to a viral homicide, she’s catapulted into the spotlight, only not like she’d imagined. Instead of following an action-heavy plot, the story is more focused on the interior dilemmas and relationships of the characters, as they strive to make it in a world that will crush them without a second thought.
•
Check out the full Kirkus Review for a really good, spoiler-free write-up.
Sample the original soundtrack on Spotify and other major platforms.
And if all this makes you think you’d like to read the book, drop by my site here.
Unconventional literary science fiction? ☑️
Dark cyberpunk setting that oozes from each page? ☑️
Badass female main character? ☑️
Available in e-book so you don’t have to deal with international shipping? ☑️☑️☑️
Buy COLOR OF A MIRROR direct from the author (AKA: me). No bullshit. No subscriptions. No gatekeeping.
Welcome to the Dive.
•
colorofamirror.net
“Many say the moon is closer to the dead.”
This is COLOR OF A MIRROR, my debut novel with an original, dark ambient soundtrack by composer Josh McCausland to go along with it.
Written, designed, and published by me, it’s the culmination of years of work, and it’s exactly the story I wanted to tell. It’s not loud or bombastic, but rather a cerebral, slow-burn cyberpunk narrative lingering on themes of fame, paranoia, religion, and technology. If you’re a fan of the brooding futures of William Gibson, Blade Runner, or anything with a mood like the movie Drive, I think you’ll find something to love here.
Available exclusively on my website, it comes in limited edition deluxe-hardcover, softcover, and e-book. (And if you’re a vinyl lover, the soundtrack is pressed in 180g Moondust White; also available on my site.)
Welcome to the Dive. Hope to see you around.
-Dan
•
colorofamirror.net
(Book photos by Josh McCausland.)