Hullo, my lambs! So one of the options I’m considering for Year Two here on the ol’ Substack is possibly serializing my novel STORYKILLER (or maybe a newly edited/extra content version of it? Or something?) and then — if that goes well and there seems to be demand — maybe serializing STORYKILLER 2 on here (which is partially written but far from finished).
Sep 16, 2022·edited Sep 16, 2022Liked by Kelly Thompson
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.
For me it encapsulates everything Neil tries to do with his stories and all of his themes, and its just such a well crafted book. I just never want to stop turning the pages.
It is also the book I read to my dad as he was in a coma -- it was on his list of books to get to (that he never got to finish.)
Look, the gorgeous artwork is a big help (and points for "triptych" which I couldn't spell without looking it up. You wrote a book, I want to read it. I am sent over the edge when you start Talking About Things using Capital Letters because I love that stuff.
I'm going to cheat for your favorite book question. There's a joke going around about a mother getting her 7-year-old vaccinated, and they ask what her religion is. Mom says she's seven, she doesn't have a religion. They say well, what is your religion? And she answers "Minecraft." (*chef's kiss*). I said my answer would be Marvel Comics, but after being reduced to a puddle by the last episode of Rings of Power, I would now say Tolkien. And as everybody knows, The Lord of the Rings is one book in three volumes. So I pick that one. I have read nothing better, nothing I want to read again more, and nothing else I would want to share.
I was a teenager home alone at night reading the Lincoln Tunnel scene. King captured the darkness and scariness of the tunnel wonderfully. I was so engrossed in the book I didn’t hear my parents come home so when they opened the front door I may have screamed.
BEST stand alone prose book? I don't know, there are so many things that make a book good that I'm not sure I could just pick one. But let's say Gnomon by Nick Harkaway. It's complicated and dense in a way that makes you think a lot, but it's also still a page turner.
First of all, yes to all the Storykiller you can give us and I so love all the art pieces!
Favorite stand alone book?! Oh this is tough! I'm suddenly realizing almost all my favorites have been part of a series somehow. LotR, Chronicles of Narnia, Wrinkle in Time, The Hunger Games, Red Rising ... I have a type and it's called epic adventures of scifi and/or fantasy and bonus points if they make you learn something about yourself or humanity in general and super bonus points for huge emotional moments.
So I'll offer a recent favorite book that really surprised me in how much I loved it within the last several years that I think is stand alone - Landline by Rainbow Rowell.
Why? I identitied super strongly to the main character as she finds herself in midlife and feeling torn between all these competing priorities and pressures (job, kids, family). She has kind of lost herself in it all (so relatable) and has a marriage on the brink of collapse. Without giving too much away, this character is able to reconnect with her past in a cool scifi way and that helps her address her present situation. I think when you've been in a relationship with the same person for a long time it's so easy to take that person for granted, let little frustrations build, and begin to deprioritize maintaining that relationship. It really spoke to me having been married to the same person for so long. And right up to the end, there is a building tension with an internal story clock counting down. So few books tell a story within the AFTER of the happily-ever-after and I just really loved that about it. Don't we all wish we could revisit moments from our past? Ask the questions we never thought to ask?
Orquidia Divinia I my current fave stand alone. None of the characters are flat or simple, everyone had to make hard choices and magic is there always but almost as it's own character, sometimes helping and sometimes dooming. I also love that it takes place in central America and the US and is FULL of authentic cultural environments.
OOF, as a librarian this question is incredibly rude :p One that emotionally destroyed me and stuck with me for days after, and one that I routinely recommend to library patrons, is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I thought it was beautiful. TJR has quickly become one of my all-time favorite authors.
Hard question! I love all Haruki Murakami because he takes his time with his words and everything feels just so. I particularly enjoyed IQ84, however, over time I have lost my patience for this. Something to do with getting old, having a small child, and no longer being able to spend whole entire days on the couch with a good book.
The last novel I got sucked into enough to neglect the child for a day was Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. I was a little concerned because I have enjoyed most, but not all his books. I love how no words are wasted, but he still manages to take his time with the story so you feel everything from the protagonist's point of view. Also, of course, the actual story line is intriguing and mysterious enough to force you to keep going so you know what the hell is going on.
Best standalone prose novel I’ve ever read is tough. I won’t be able to pick just one, so I’ll give you my top 5 and why.
1. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. This is the best book I’ve read in the last five years, by far and away. The way the author weaves seemingly insignificant details, incidents, and episodes into the plot is subtle and gorgeous, and the way the third act unfolds is heart-achingly beautiful. This is my Mom’s favorite book of all time, and she and I have very different tastes, but I totally get why it’s her favorite, and I will recommend it to everyone. If I had to pick one, this would be it.
2. The Old Man by Thomas Perry. Recently adapted into an FX series by the same name, the novel is “Man With A Past” done better than I’ve seen apart from John Wick and the Fuqua-Washington Equalizer. I’m a born again, dyed in the wool, flag waving sucker for Man With A Past, and I loved every second of Perry’s novel.
3. So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Lief Enger. It’s a wonderfully told yarn about a West that’s no longer Wild and a journey for reunion that becomes a quest for redemption.
4. A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth. Adapted into the 2010 film The American starring George Clooney and Violante Placido, A Very Private Gentleman is..an odd novel. There are no chapter or section breaks; it simply proceeds, page after page, event after event. The story is fairly simple: a hitman and criminal gunsmith narrates his experiences hiding in a small Italian mountain village and slowly becomes more and more convinced that someone is hunting him. But Booth’s skill is in having the unnamed narrator diverge into lectures on history, culture, politics, religion, and literature. It’s a classic confessional novel, but the narrator never expresses remorse for what he does and has done; on the contrary, he believes that people who kill to change the world for the better are necessary.
5. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. What is there to say that hasn’t been said? It’s simply the greatest adventure story ever written with the possible exception of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Honourable Mentions:
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - The Official Novelization by Matthew Stover
I’m going to stop there before I think of any more.
Yes to STORYKILLER and yes to STORYKILLER 2!!! Serialization is so retro and I am very in to that. I would love to have the story continue and would support it in any way I can.
First, there are so many excellent Storykiller pieces, it feels wrong somehow to single out any in particular but I want to heap praise on the one that spoke to me the most as I scrolled through. Sophie Cambell's image of a battle-scarred Tessa looking over her shoulder... OOF.
Now to the impossible question of what's the best stand-alone prose novel I've read. I really fretted over this one. And my answer could change the next time I'm faced with this question. But, this minute, I'm gonna say The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. Initially, I was interested in this book because of it's fictionalized connections to early comic book creators (like Jack Kirby and Stan Lee) but I very quickly just fell in love with Chabon's narrative voice. What a freaking well-written book this is... OOF.
I think it's a split between 11/22/63 by Stephen King and Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (something by a Stephen is my genre of choice, apparently).
11/22/63 is a time-travel love story that is "about the assassination of JFK" but it's really about finding your person despite all odds and also despite where you both started on the timeline.
Perks is a book i read in high school and I like it because i think it's amazing insight into what it's like to be new in school and specifically to be taken under the wing of older kids who seem to be so together and then slowly realizing that no one has it all together. Plus the power of music and sharing culture with others
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.
For me it encapsulates everything Neil tries to do with his stories and all of his themes, and its just such a well crafted book. I just never want to stop turning the pages.
It is also the book I read to my dad as he was in a coma -- it was on his list of books to get to (that he never got to finish.)
--edit "to finish."
Look, the gorgeous artwork is a big help (and points for "triptych" which I couldn't spell without looking it up. You wrote a book, I want to read it. I am sent over the edge when you start Talking About Things using Capital Letters because I love that stuff.
I'm going to cheat for your favorite book question. There's a joke going around about a mother getting her 7-year-old vaccinated, and they ask what her religion is. Mom says she's seven, she doesn't have a religion. They say well, what is your religion? And she answers "Minecraft." (*chef's kiss*). I said my answer would be Marvel Comics, but after being reduced to a puddle by the last episode of Rings of Power, I would now say Tolkien. And as everybody knows, The Lord of the Rings is one book in three volumes. So I pick that one. I have read nothing better, nothing I want to read again more, and nothing else I would want to share.
Favorite Prose novel: The Stand by Stephen King
I was a teenager home alone at night reading the Lincoln Tunnel scene. King captured the darkness and scariness of the tunnel wonderfully. I was so engrossed in the book I didn’t hear my parents come home so when they opened the front door I may have screamed.
You mean THIS Storykiller...? ;)
shorturl.lol/eugH
Very excited at the prospect of serialization and support it wholeheartedly, particularly the sequel.
Hmmm maybe recency bias but I really enjoyed F. C. Yee’s “Rise of Kyoshi” book that was based in the Avatar universe. Does that count??
BEST stand alone prose book? I don't know, there are so many things that make a book good that I'm not sure I could just pick one. But let's say Gnomon by Nick Harkaway. It's complicated and dense in a way that makes you think a lot, but it's also still a page turner.
First of all, yes to all the Storykiller you can give us and I so love all the art pieces!
Favorite stand alone book?! Oh this is tough! I'm suddenly realizing almost all my favorites have been part of a series somehow. LotR, Chronicles of Narnia, Wrinkle in Time, The Hunger Games, Red Rising ... I have a type and it's called epic adventures of scifi and/or fantasy and bonus points if they make you learn something about yourself or humanity in general and super bonus points for huge emotional moments.
So I'll offer a recent favorite book that really surprised me in how much I loved it within the last several years that I think is stand alone - Landline by Rainbow Rowell.
Why? I identitied super strongly to the main character as she finds herself in midlife and feeling torn between all these competing priorities and pressures (job, kids, family). She has kind of lost herself in it all (so relatable) and has a marriage on the brink of collapse. Without giving too much away, this character is able to reconnect with her past in a cool scifi way and that helps her address her present situation. I think when you've been in a relationship with the same person for a long time it's so easy to take that person for granted, let little frustrations build, and begin to deprioritize maintaining that relationship. It really spoke to me having been married to the same person for so long. And right up to the end, there is a building tension with an internal story clock counting down. So few books tell a story within the AFTER of the happily-ever-after and I just really loved that about it. Don't we all wish we could revisit moments from our past? Ask the questions we never thought to ask?
This looks so cool! I need to check it out.
Also, maybe a surprise fanart will be in order
Random question as I'm also doing illustrated editions of my books: how long did it take you to get all of that amazing artwork commissioned?
Orquidia Divinia I my current fave stand alone. None of the characters are flat or simple, everyone had to make hard choices and magic is there always but almost as it's own character, sometimes helping and sometimes dooming. I also love that it takes place in central America and the US and is FULL of authentic cultural environments.
OOF, as a librarian this question is incredibly rude :p One that emotionally destroyed me and stuck with me for days after, and one that I routinely recommend to library patrons, is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I thought it was beautiful. TJR has quickly become one of my all-time favorite authors.
Hard question! I love all Haruki Murakami because he takes his time with his words and everything feels just so. I particularly enjoyed IQ84, however, over time I have lost my patience for this. Something to do with getting old, having a small child, and no longer being able to spend whole entire days on the couch with a good book.
The last novel I got sucked into enough to neglect the child for a day was Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. I was a little concerned because I have enjoyed most, but not all his books. I love how no words are wasted, but he still manages to take his time with the story so you feel everything from the protagonist's point of view. Also, of course, the actual story line is intriguing and mysterious enough to force you to keep going so you know what the hell is going on.
Best standalone prose novel I’ve ever read is tough. I won’t be able to pick just one, so I’ll give you my top 5 and why.
1. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. This is the best book I’ve read in the last five years, by far and away. The way the author weaves seemingly insignificant details, incidents, and episodes into the plot is subtle and gorgeous, and the way the third act unfolds is heart-achingly beautiful. This is my Mom’s favorite book of all time, and she and I have very different tastes, but I totally get why it’s her favorite, and I will recommend it to everyone. If I had to pick one, this would be it.
2. The Old Man by Thomas Perry. Recently adapted into an FX series by the same name, the novel is “Man With A Past” done better than I’ve seen apart from John Wick and the Fuqua-Washington Equalizer. I’m a born again, dyed in the wool, flag waving sucker for Man With A Past, and I loved every second of Perry’s novel.
3. So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Lief Enger. It’s a wonderfully told yarn about a West that’s no longer Wild and a journey for reunion that becomes a quest for redemption.
4. A Very Private Gentleman by Martin Booth. Adapted into the 2010 film The American starring George Clooney and Violante Placido, A Very Private Gentleman is..an odd novel. There are no chapter or section breaks; it simply proceeds, page after page, event after event. The story is fairly simple: a hitman and criminal gunsmith narrates his experiences hiding in a small Italian mountain village and slowly becomes more and more convinced that someone is hunting him. But Booth’s skill is in having the unnamed narrator diverge into lectures on history, culture, politics, religion, and literature. It’s a classic confessional novel, but the narrator never expresses remorse for what he does and has done; on the contrary, he believes that people who kill to change the world for the better are necessary.
5. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. What is there to say that hasn’t been said? It’s simply the greatest adventure story ever written with the possible exception of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Honourable Mentions:
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - The Official Novelization by Matthew Stover
I’m going to stop there before I think of any more.
Yes to STORYKILLER and yes to STORYKILLER 2!!! Serialization is so retro and I am very in to that. I would love to have the story continue and would support it in any way I can.
First, there are so many excellent Storykiller pieces, it feels wrong somehow to single out any in particular but I want to heap praise on the one that spoke to me the most as I scrolled through. Sophie Cambell's image of a battle-scarred Tessa looking over her shoulder... OOF.
Now to the impossible question of what's the best stand-alone prose novel I've read. I really fretted over this one. And my answer could change the next time I'm faced with this question. But, this minute, I'm gonna say The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. Initially, I was interested in this book because of it's fictionalized connections to early comic book creators (like Jack Kirby and Stan Lee) but I very quickly just fell in love with Chabon's narrative voice. What a freaking well-written book this is... OOF.
I think it's a split between 11/22/63 by Stephen King and Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (something by a Stephen is my genre of choice, apparently).
11/22/63 is a time-travel love story that is "about the assassination of JFK" but it's really about finding your person despite all odds and also despite where you both started on the timeline.
Perks is a book i read in high school and I like it because i think it's amazing insight into what it's like to be new in school and specifically to be taken under the wing of older kids who seem to be so together and then slowly realizing that no one has it all together. Plus the power of music and sharing culture with others