David Scott Moyer's Blog

Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Wow. What a book. I'm reading along, enjoying Bacigalupi's rich descriptions and interesting characters. A well written coming of age story, I think, with well placed plot twists and surprises. Then, 75% in, he punches me in the face. Whatever you do, don't ruin this book by looking ahead or reading reviews with spoilers. The first part of the book was good, but the last quarter is, frankly, brilliant. He mentions in the acknowledgements that this was a years long, secret project. All I can say is that all those years and drafts were worth it. Kudos to an already great writer on this tour de force.



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My first novel, Atmosphere, is very cis, as is to be expected, since I am. There are gay characters in both Atmosphere, and the followup, Ocean, but, even though the aliens in my world are intersex, I didn't explore gender in depth. One minor character towards the end of Ocean uses they/them pronouns, but that's about it. With my new book, Moon, third in the series, I'm diving in. The challenge, as a cis man, is to write evocatively and approach issues I have no first-hand knowledge of without presuming to speak for trans and queer people today. I'm doing this by having the experience of the character, born intersex, distinct from the experience of present day queer and trans people, but at the same time, identifiable. This is my goal, anyway. here is a brief excerpt from anearly chapter:

Sonu bounded from the skiff as soon as it touched the shore, turning to catch Ryne as xe followed. They spun around in one another's arms. "We did it!" Sonu cried. "We are free!"

"Free from what?"

The voice froze them mid-spin. Sonu's exuberance deflated, xe knew that voice. Sure enough, there was xir brother Bren standing at the edge of the woods, a flight suit folded under his arm.

"Free from a family who love you? Free from people who have cared for you and taught you for your entire life? Free from resp..."

"No!" Sonu interrupted furiously. "Free from having to become half a person, like you!"

Bren flushed, but said nothing. "Thank you, Lander," he said, handing the boatman some money. "We will be going back now."

"No, Bren, you don't get to decide for me." Sonu backed away, holding Ryne's hand tightly. "Nobody does. That is why I left. Why we left. Everyone wants me to become someone I'm not. I'm not male, I'm not female. I'm me. I'm Sonu, and I don't want to change!"

My first novel, Atmosphere, is very cis, as is to be expected, since I am. There are gay characters in both Atmosphere, and the followup, Ocean, but, even though the aliens in my world are intersex, I didn't explore gender in depth. One minor character towards the end of Ocean uses they/them pronouns, but that's about it. With my new book, Moon, third in the series, I'm diving in. The challenge, as a cis man, is to write evocatively and approach issues I have no first-hand knowledge of without presuming to speak for trans and queer people today. I'm doing this by having the experience of the character, born intersex, distinct from the experience of present day queer and trans people, but at the same time, identifiable. This is my goal, anyway. here is a brief excerpt from anearly chapter:

Sonu bounded from the skiff as soon as it touched the shore, turning to catch Ryne as xe followed. They spun around in one another's arms. "We did it!" Sonu cried. "We are free!"

"Free from what?"

The voice froze them mid-spin. Sonu's exuberance deflated, xe knew that voice. Sure enough, there was xir brother Bren standing at the edge of the woods, a flight suit folded under his arm.

"Free from a family who love you? Free from people who have cared for you and taught you for your entire life? Free from resp..."

"No!" Sonu interrupted furiously. "Free from having to become half a person, like you!"

Bren flushed, but said nothing. "Thank you, Lander," he said, handing the boatman some money. "We will be going back now."

"No, Bren, you don't get to decide for me." Sonu backed away, holding Ryne's hand tightly. "Nobody does. That is why I left. Why we left. Everyone wants me to become someone I'm not. I'm not male, I'm not female. I'm me. I'm Sonu, and I don't want to change!"

I have roughed out the first chapter, and edged into the second and third. Each begins a separate story line/character arc. They may or may not intersect later. There will be at least one more. Got some excellent diversity/sensitivity advice which also validated my approach to the character Sonu. I am thinking more than writing at the moment, but once I kick into gear, it's going to be a wild ride!

On track to crush my goal of 50 for the year, but in all fairness, I have to acknowledge that several of them were shorter books. Still, feeling accomplished.

I'm going to cut my goal to 30 next year, because I have a bunch of non-fiction reading to do. Let's be honest. Escaping is a lot easier than diving right in.

Ocean, the sequel to Atmosphere, is now available in Kindle and paperback. The story picks up ten years after the events of the first book, and follows a new mission secretly landing in the ocean of Chara IV as well as the remainder of the first mission still living there. I'm proud of this book. I think it is a step up from the first, which I am also proud of. Give it a read and tell me what you think.

I write to find out what happens next. Unlike many authors, I do very little outlining when I begin a book. I start with an idea and go from there, seeing where the plot and characters take me. Much of the story which happens in my head never makes it to the page. I like to leave space for the reader to imagine and fill in the blanks. As an avid reader myself, I hate being spoon-fed every detail. Part of the joy of reading is creating the world in your mind. I began this career late in life, after pursuing visual arts for four decades. I have to say, I am loving it. I hope you enjoy reading my work as much as I enjoy writing it. Remember, we are all aliens!

Eversion by Alastair Reynolds

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Whatever you do, don't read anything about this book before you read it. It will ruin the experience. Just read the book. Now. Before someone spoils it.



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Ocean of Stars by John Dodd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Pirates in space. Pirates in space on a freaking galleon. Pirates in space on a freaking galleon and fighting with swords. Pirates in space on a freaking galleon and fighting with swords, but also time travel and plausible technology.

All of that and almost every single character is a woman.

This was an incredibly fun read. Highly recommend.



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