Announcements

Review: "Kronos" by Jeremy Robinson /  by J.C. Hutchins

Let me tell you something about author Jeremy Robinson. He's dangerously good at what he does. The man is also a generous and kind-hearted soul -- he recently read my manuscript for Personal Effects: Dark Art and called it "creepy as hell," which is a big win for a little guy like me -- but mostly, I think he was put on this planet to scare the hell out of you.

I had the great privilege to read Robinson's soon-to-be released seabound thriller, Kronos.  The book, which will be released next January by Variance Publishing (and is available for pre-order now, hint-hint), is an adrenaline-pumping descent into the dangerous waters of the Gulf of Maine. Here, Jeremy spins a blood-soaked story that's packed with more wily hand-to-hand combat, testosterone and gunplay than a Bruckheimer flick. Oh, and there's a sea monster, too.

Yep, an honest-to-goodness sea monster.

This is the kind of sea-dweller that makes Jaws look like a tadpole. The kind that might even make Meg turn her carcharodon megalodon tail and head for safer waters. Robinson's creature effing rocks.

The story: Former Navy SEAL Atticus Young and his teenage daughter Giona have been in an emotional rough patch since Atticus' wife died two years ago. He's been drifting; she's been rebelling. A new chapter awaits them across the country; they'll soon leave Maine. Father and daughter decide to take one last scuba diving trip in the Gulf ... and that's where things go horribly wrong.

Giona is swallowed whole by an unspeakably large, ancient and dangerous animal; the beast is the size of a jumbo jet. And as Atticus is consumed by revenge -- and quickly recruited by morally bankrupt billionaire Trevor Manfred to hunt the monster at sea -- he learns that the creature may be more intelligent than he'd ever imagined.

What is the beast Kronos? What does it want? And where did it come from?

The pursuit for those answers leads Atticus and his allies (and more than a few enemies) on a high-stakes adventure filled with betrayal, more than a few "gasp" plot twist moments, and an intriguing origin for Kronos that hints that it might not have been born ... it may have been made.

It's killer fiction, and well worth a read -- especially if you dig tales in the vein of Jaws, and Meg -- and it's a helluva follow-up to Robinson's thriller Antarktos Rising, which I also highly recommend. Book trailer is below.

What is Kronos? On Jan. 20, 2009, discover its secret ...

--J.C.

Review: "Metamediocrity" by Jay Lynn /  by J.C. Hutchins

I'm a sucker for a great superhero tale -- and therein lies the rub. I love the comic book medium with a passion, and am consistently amazed by the adventures found there ... tales that simply cannot be told in other media, because of the unique strengths of the graphic novel format. And I love superhero stories because I wish I could run really really fast, and because heroes, of course, represent the very best of what we humans can be, given the right circumstances.

But I mentioned I'm a sucker for a great superhero tale -- emphasis on the word great. Yarns about capes are a dime-a-dozen these days, which is why my standards are exacting and high. My favorite superhero stories must be engaging, deliver on some familiar tropes, and -- in the end -- give me something new and interesting to chew on.

I've found my next favorite superhero story. It can't be found in a comic book, and it might not even be about a hero. It's too early to tell where the story's going ... but I have a feeling it's going to be a fun ride.

Meet Cliff, a vanilla guy in a vanilla white-collar gig. He's the unlikely star in Jay Lynn's new "audio comic book" Metamediocrity. The podcast fiction project was recently updated with episode two; I've listened to episode one and enjoyed the hell out of it. Why? Because vanilla character Cliff doesn't stay vanilla for very long.

By the third paragraph in episode one of Metamediocrity, we learn that hapless Cliff recently scored some superpowers in the most unlikely of ways:

"Essentially, I was blanket rolled by  a couple of punk kids, out for a joy ride in a stolen space ship.  They had managed to strong-arm their way through several star systems, thieving whatever thy could get their hands on.  Unfortunately for me, they had also managed to put their hands on a piece of equipment called a biomutagenic reactor.  As you can guess, the words mutagenic and reactor do not imply safe and happy technology.  Not only are these things highly illegal, but also highly unstable.  They’re capable of rewriting your DNA from the ground up..."

The side-effects of Cliff's close encounter are masterfully delivered in episode one, and I dare not spoil it for you here. In addition to Cliff's appearance in the episode, the character's childhood buddy Adam -- a present-day IT guru and stoner -- plays heavily in the ep, and is a scene-stealer.

This is fun, imaginative, outside-the-longbox superhero storytelling ... and I can't wait to see what Jay Lynn is cooking up in future installments.

In the meantime, I suggest checking out Metamediocrity. If your standards for great superhero stories are like mine, you'll likely agree: if hapless Cliff can transcend his own mediocrity, he might be the next big thing.

--J.C.

Conversation with Case Man: A Silver Case update /  by J.C. Hutchins

Today, I received an email from Jeff Watson, a young fellow who's been following my videos and updates about the recent F.E.A.R. 2 "Silver Case" mystery. Here's the full text of the email:

Hi JC,

Ever since those weird cases started showing up my friend and I have been following the whole Armacham/F.E.A.R. 2 drama and we know you have been too. We think we actually tracked the Caseman down! Here is a clip of our "interview" with him, he was super freaked out. To be honest I'm getting a little jumpy myself when I think about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dok2qRrNELE

If Quan and I come up with anything more I'll forward it to ya.

Jeff

I don't know Jeff, and -- according to my email archives -- I've never corresponded with him until today. However, I've reviewed Jeff and Quan's video (seen below), and it is indeed possible that the duo discovered the mysterious "Case Man" -- aka R., aka Richard Findes.

The voice of the man in this video sounds similar to the voice we heard in past personal videos to me. (In those older videos, Case Man's voice has been modulated to protect his identity ... but there are some tonal and enunication similarities between those vids and this one.) It appears Richard Findes is close to a "breakthrough" in his attempts to expose Armacham's secrets.

This likely means we'll learn more from him soon. In the meantime, here's the video Jeff sent me:

Is it legit? A fan-created hoax? Something else? It's hard to say. Jeff Watson's YouTube account indicates that he has only two videos uploaded there. Both are related to the F.E.A.R. 2/Armacham mystery, uploaded mere days ago. His YouTube account was created in October. Interestingly, his profile says he's 35 years old.

This is a head-scratcher, since the video's off-screen Jeff sounds far younger than that.

Either Jeff is shooting straight, and he's discovered Richard Findes' location ... or something else is afoot here. A misinformation scheme, perhaps? We'll only know when more info becomes available. I'll keep you posted.

My video take on Jeff's email and video (created for my podcast audience; it contains much of the information found in this post) is below.

--J.C.

PS: I've replied to Jeff's email, providing him a link to this blog post and asking him about his age, and geographic location. Where was this filmed? If I learn more, I'll let you know...

The Dossier: A Silver Case update /  by J.C. Hutchins

Yesterday, I concluded my Silver Case video series. Today, I received an email from the mystery man "R." The plot thickens... Silver Casers will recall that "R" is the man who sent me the silver briefcase, and appeared in two videos -- one on a DVD I received in the mail; the other, on the case's USB drive. "R" has provided information about Armacham's alleged genetic testing, and its supposed nefarious plot to recruit people (including me) to participate in its research.

Now, "R" has contacted me via email:

JC,

Please help me.

As you know Armacham has corrupted the FEAR 2 game module but it seems they are still determined to unveil LEVEL 3 of their testing whatever the consequences. Despite disastrous results in the initial testing they are currently looking for 13 candidates to test the module in a device called the FEAR LAB in New York City.

I fear for the safety of anyone who becomes involved in this test and I'm determined to stop it all costs.

I've hidden additional evidence at http://www.armacham.com/rf3437 which I've had to encode for my safety. Once you unlock the files you will see what I'm talking about.

I'll be in touch

R

I visited the URL "R" provided, and sure enough, there was content to behold. You'll note that the directory in which this content is stored is labeled "RF" (which I bolded above), further implying that this data is hailing from Richard Findes, the disillusioned Armacham employee whose email we hacked in a past Silver Case episode. (Is there significance to the numeral 3437, as well?)

Two PDF documents were available via the link: "Dossier.pdf" and "Armacham Form 25C_supplemental.pdf". I've extracted the pages from the PDFs and posted them below. You can also download a PDF with both assets combined by clicking here.

Silver Casers will note that most of these pages appeared in the dossier I personally received from Armacham, with one exception: the final image. This must be the encoded data to which "R" refers in his email.

What does it mean? Can the cipher -- and R's message -- be found using these materials? I bet it can ... and I bet you can help decrypt it. So let's get crackin'! Sound off in the comments if you make any progress.

Finally, I should note that the envelope I received from Armacham in late November was marked with a "LEVEL 2 CLASSIFICATION" stamp. But in this recent email, "R" refers to an apparent upgrade of the testing: Level 3.

Astute visitors to Armacham.com will note that Richard Findes' email draft features three Armacham Technology Corporation employee profiles. Of the three, only Dutch employee Joris N. Ulbricht appears to have a Level III security clearance. Is he part of Armacham's inner circle?

So. Help me crack the code to determine if Armacham is indeed conspiring to perform unsafe genetic tests on people (including me) ... or if the mysterious Case Man -- aka "R" -- is simply on a mission to spread misinformation.

--J.C.

PS: I've replied to R's email, saying his "message was received," and providing him the URL to this page. If he responds, I'll let you know...

POSTER: Scott Sigler's CONTAGIOUS -- The Spanky Spoon /  by J.C. Hutchins

Can an ordinary wooden spoon become an instrument of terror? If it's in the hands of horror/thriller novelist Scott Sigler, bet the farm on it. Behold THE SPANKY SPOON, one of 12 collectible online-exclusive posters celebrating the Dec. 30 release of Sigler's latest hardcover horror thriller, CONTAGIOUS. (Click the image to download the high-resolution PDF.)

Today, all 12 PDF posters will be released, each on a different blog -- and like THE SPANKY SPOON, each foreshadows a key plot element of Scott's novel. The author is raising the cool factor, too: If you find all 12, print them out and assemble them in the right pattern, you'll score a final clue about the book's big finish.

I've read CONTAGIOUS. I loved it. It's an awesome, unholy genre-blur -- equal parts horror, hard science, action, thriller and psychological terror. Booklist's starred review says, "Many veteran horror writers will be grinding their teeth in envy. A definite must-read."

To give you a further free taste of the book's brilliance, Scott is giving away the entire novel as a serialized, unabridged podcast and a serialized PDF. This content posts every Sunday. The first two episodes are available at ScottSigler.com. The book is also available for pre-order.

The other 11 collectible CONTAGIOUS posters are available at these fine online purveyors:

ABOUT THE NOVEL: Across America, a mysterious pathogen transforms ordinary people into raging killers, psychopaths driven by a terrifying, alien agenda. The human race fights back, yet after every battle the disease responds, adapts, using sophisticated strategies and brilliant ruses to fool its pursuers. The only possible explanation: the epidemic is driven not by evolution but by some malevolent intelligence....

Even more brainmeltingly cool (and free!) Scott Sigler content awaits the brave:

  • Subscribe to the free CONTAGIOUS audiobook podcast: Click here.
  • Subscribe to the free CONTAGIOUS serialized PDF series: Click here.
  • View the eerie-as-hell CONTAGIOUS book trailer: Click here.
  • Even more free audiobooks and short fiction by Scott Sigler: Click here.

So. Your mission: Download all 12 posters ... buy CONTAGIOUS ... and sleep with the lights on for the next month ...

--J.C.

VIDEO: The Silver Case, Part Five /  by J.C. Hutchins

It's the final episode in the Silver Case video series. Here, I share some parting thoughts about the mysterious case and its contents, and encourage viewers to further explore the Armacham.com website, and visit the sites of other Silver Case recipients. Newcomers: Here are links to Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four of this video series.

I also suggest you learn more about the Armacham mystery by reading ARGNet's coverage of the Armacham.com site debut, and the comprehensive (and very cool!) thread cooking over at Unfiction.com.

From the Unfiction forums, here is the list of other Silver Case recipients (and links to their posts about their involvement):

  • M. Fahey -- Mike Fahey at Kotaku (post)
  • A Birch -- Anthony Burch at Destructoid (post)
  • J. Ransom-Wiley -- James Ransom-Wiley at Joystiq (no post?)
  • S Sigler -- Scott Sigler (SciFi / Horror Podcaster, former True Blood recipient) -- post
  • JC Hutchins at jchutchins.net (Personal Effects author, SciFi Podcaster, former True Blood Recipient) -- (post)
  • P. DeFranco -- Philip DeFranco (YouTube phenomenon, worked on "Hooking Up" w/ Jessica Rose from lg15) -- post
  • Z. Diaz -- Zadi Diaz -- Epic Fu (post)
  • S. Caramouch -- unidentified, but if real, his/her parents must have had a quirky sense of humor considering the definition of "scaramouch".

Enjoy the rest of the mystery, and kindly keep me in the loop if you discover something awesome!

--J.C.

VIDEO: The Silver Case, Part Four /  by J.C. Hutchins

Part One chronicled my acquisition of the mysterious Siver Case. Part Two revealed its contents.

Part Three unearthed a mysterious video, and illuminated a package sent to me from the Armacham corporation.

What we know so far:

  • The Armacham Technology Corporation is working with the creators of the video game F.E.A.R. 2.
  • Armacham has recruited me and others to participate in a special "test" that will analyze my psychic abilities.
  • This test / study will be held in mid-January 2009, in New York City.
  • According to a mystery man -- aka "Case Man," aka "R" -- who represents an anti-Armacham faction, this test is very dangerous.
  • "R" alleges that Armacham is using the release of F.E.A.R. 2 as a smokescreen to perform these nefarious studies.
  • Video provided by "R," which appears to be footage recorded by Armacham, shows young people from different decades using telekinetic powers.
  • These powers may hail from an Armacham-created liquid nicknamed "frog juice."
  • This information was obtained by a leak in Armacham's corporate intranet, "R" said.
  • I and others have been targeted by Armacham, the mysterious Case Man said ... and we're not safe.

Torn by my desire to steer clear of the Armacham corporation and yet learn more about its experiments, I realized my next step was clear. I needed to learn more about Armacham. And so begins Part Four...

--J.C.

P.S.: You simply must experience this for yourself. I've laid some groundwork, but I'm certain I've only scraped the surface...

VIDEO: The Silver Case, Part Three /  by J.C. Hutchins

What is inside the Silver Case? As this video series has progressed, you witnessed the opening of the Silver Case, and saw and nearly all of its contents revealed. But what of the case's shiny USB thumb drive ... and what of the mysterious second envelope I received?

Part One in this video series chronicled my journey to acquire the silver case. Part Two showcased what was inside. At the conclusion of Part Two, two mysteries remained: the USB drive, and the package from the Armacham corporation.

Here, I document my discoveries. Have the questions been answered ... or have more mysteries been exposed?

--J.C.

VIDEO: The Silver Case, Part Two /  by J.C. Hutchins

What is inside the Silver Case? In Part One of "The Silver Case" video series, I explained how I'd received two strange envelopes in the mail. One featured a hand-written address and USPS "delivery confirmation." The other was from a company called Armacham. (Yes, yes, I know the company is fictional. Suspend your disbelief, for criminy's sake.)

Forsaking the Armacham letter for the time being, I tore open the hand-lettered envelope. Inside was a DVD and a note. Mysterious footage on the DVD informed me that I had been targeted by the Armacham corporation, a weapons manufacturer known for its "genetic testing." Eager to expose this conspiracy, the DVD footage instructed me to obtain a locked case from a nearby locale.

As Part One revealed, I did just that, and brought you along for the ride. I successfully obtained the case, visited a website (as instructed), and unearthed its combination. And as I opened the case ... the screen faded to black.

Here's Part Two of The Silver Case, in which I reveal nearly all of its contents. Below this video are high-resolution scans of the documents I found in the case, courtesy of PhillyD.tv. (Made-of-awesome vlogger Philip DeFranco was one of several fellow Silver Case recipients. His vlog is a must-see ... the dude's brilliant, and brilliantly funny.)

PhillyD's case apparently did not include a "military" photo, which I received. This photo can be seen in the video. However, I did not receive a copy of the "name list" document, which is included below, scanned by Phil. Click "Full Size" in the gallery to view the images as full resolution.

There's still more to uncover, including additional data, and the Armacham letter. And, of course, the question: What does it all mean? Stay tuned.

VIDEO: The Silver Case, Part One /  by J.C. Hutchins

What is the Silver Case? What is inside the Silver Case? On a day in late November, I received two letters in the mail. One featured my name and address written on it, with USPS delivery confirmation. The second was from a company called Armacham. Neither had a return address.

Intrigued by the hand-written letter, I opened it first. Inside was a hand-written note and a DVD. The disc had no label. The note instructed me to visit a nearby locale, and to watch the DVD. I did. I learned about the Silver Case. I followed the instructions to obtain it.

It was a Rabbit Hole.

Here is Part One of what happened.

--J.C.

J.C. interviewed for Asimov's Science Fiction magazine /  by J.C. Hutchins

ASF_interiorcover.jpg

In May, I had the great fortune to meet James Patrick Kelly at Balticon 42. Jim is one of the finest science-fiction writers living today. He is a master narrative craftsman; his work transcends the noisy, predictable trappings of most SF, and is fueled by excellent characterizations -- something I pine for in my own writing. His tales also sport a literary vibe that's not usually seen in sci-fi today, which makes them a delight to read.

Perhaps the only Balticon 42 moment more memorable that speaking on a panel with the man (and later chatting with him at the con's hotel bar) was being interviewed by him. Jim writes a monthly column for Asimov's Science Fiction magazine called "On the Net." A podcaster himself, Jim spent more than a half-hour chatting with me and other podcast novelists about this crazy newfangled "New Media" thing we do, and how it's positively impacting our careers.

The most recent issue of Asimov's features the first of Jim's two-part series on podcast fiction, and I'm honored to have been quoted in the column. This month's article does an elegant job of explaining the appeal of New Media for creators like me, and shares some insights from myself, Mur Lafferty and Tee Morris regarding its potential.

During our interview, we discussed what businessfolk like to call "first mover status" -- specifically, early podfiction adopters such as Mur, Tee, I and a few others, and our prominence in the community. Is it possible for newcomers to make a splash and compete with us podcasting oldtimers?

"When I hear the word 'competition,' I immediately think of buying things," I told Jim. "But podcasting isn't a bookstore. I think of it as a library. It's all free; you're just competing for time. That book will always be there on the (digital) shelf, so you can always come back to it. Is this space saturated? Well, it is. Is this space saturated with killer content? No."

Translation: If you produce excellent work -- and there indeed is excellent new work to be found in the podfic space -- you'll rise to the top. According to Jim's column, the second part of his series will explore this, as well as short-form podcast fiction, and other topics.

I can't wait to read it, and I'm honored to have contributed to his story.

--J.C.

Welcome, OMMA Magazine readers! /  by J.C. Hutchins

If you're visiting JCHutchins.net today thanks to Christine Champagne's excellent OMMA article about Campfire's viral marketing campaign for the HBO series True Blood, welcome! OMMA is a fantastic publication, and I was thrilled to be interviewed by Christine. Further, I was honored to be a recipient of one of Campfire's "Red Seal" letters back in May -- the proverbial "rabbit hole" for the Alternate Reality Game component of the company's campaign. I was chosen as a recipient of a Red Seal letter for a few reasons, the first being the letter's mysterious "dead language" riddle, and the commonality it shared with the puzzles I create for my own fiction. I'm best known for a trilogy of thriller novels called 7th Son, which I released in an unusual way in 2006 and '07.

2512716386_8246f9704e_m.jpg

After receiving numerous rejections from literary agents, I chose to distribute my novels as free serialized audiobooks, which I personally recorded and released. Thanks to some savvy zero-budget marketing, online community building and fan evangelism (I'm a case study in bootstrap online media and marketing, I tell ya), the series has been enjoyed by nearly 50,000 people worldwide, and will be published by St. Martin's Press next year. 7th Son features several arcane puzzles, much like the one seen in the Red Seal letters.

The Advance Guard, one company behind the blogger outreach element of the True Blood campaign, was familiar with my work, knew my fanbase would delight at the Red Seal cryptic riddle, and sent me a letter, banking I'd blog about it. Which I did.

What The Advance Guard's C.C. Chapman (and other employees) didn't know at the time was that I was working on an ambitious supernatural thriller ARG-meets-novel project called Personal Effect: Dark Art (also due out next year from St. Martin's Press), which will use similar cross-media storytelling techniques to propel readers into an intriguing, beyond-the-book narrative. Thanks to my knowlege of the ARG space, I know a "rabbit hole" when I see one, and promptly spread the word. ARGs are a breed of meme, after all ... and memes must be shared, if they are to survive and thrive.

The folks behind the campaign's blogger outreach also knew about the remarkable relationship I have with my audience. While I'm no A-list blogger, I am an A-list "podcast novelist" -- and I have an engaged and enthusiastic fan base with whom I share more than just my fiction. I sometimes evangelize stuff I think is really cool, and reckon some of my listeners, who have similar interests as me, check out the "killer content" I talk about. In the case of my Red Seal blog/video post, this was especially true. At present, it has 130 user comments, the most a single post at my site has ever received.

I have a lot of admiration for Campfire and the other companies that contributed to the Red Seal ARG and campaign. Not only was the ARG particularly intriguing, the marketers shrewdly selected new media entertainers (and audiences) with whom the Red Seal letter would resonate. To them, audience size wasn't as important as content compatibility and engagement; a lesson more online marketers could stand to learn.

Now, if you've made it this far in the post, I know a few things about you: You're a patient reader, you've enjoyed this little story, and you're obviously interested in online media and marketing -- and are perhaps doubly so, regarding the red-hot combo of fiction and promotion.

That said, I'd be a fool not to suggest that if you're questing to get into this innovative breed of storytelling -- either for profit or promotion -- I'm an ideal resource to contact. Not only do I have the ability to tell a mean tale and create thriving online communities, but I have experience crafting narratives using ARG/transmedia elements.

Am I a shameless opportunist for shilling my skills to you, a stranger? Perhaps. But OMMA brought you here -- and I'm using online media and marketing to advertise my wares. We already have something in common. Hey, work with me here.

Regardless, I do earnestly appreciate your interest in my work, and my story. While you're here, free to learn more about what I do in the podcasting space, or send me an email. I'd love to hear from you.

Take care ... and may you find great joy heading down the next rabbit hole.

--J.C.

Join the J.C. Hutchins mailing list ... again! (blush) /  by J.C. Hutchins

Hey gang -- after spending $40 a month for six months for an email blast service I wasn't using, I'm giving ReverbNation a spin. Designed for independent musicians, the service seems very robust and flexible. Best of all, it's free. If you've emailed me, like, ever, chances are you're going to get an "opt-in" email from the ReverbNation folks. I'd appreciate it if you clicked through and signed up to receive email blasts from me in the future. If you've never emailed me -- and don't worry, I don't take it personally ... I'm a lurker myself -- but want to sign up, feel free to use the form below. (RSS readers click here.)

Thanks for your endless support, folks. I'm humbled to be in such awesome company.

--J.C

Information about "Personal Effects: Dark Art" /  by J.C. Hutchins

Summer 2009 will see the major release of J.C. Hutchins' new supernatural thriller, Personal Effects: Dark Art. Produced by entertainment company Smith & Tinker and published by St. Martin's Press, Dark Art combines the narrative experience of a traditional prose novel with an Alternate Reality Game. Clues in the novel -- and items that come with the novel, such as ID and business cards, faxes and photos -- will propel readers into an online experience where they become a "protagonist by proxy" and learn more about the novel's story/universe. Readers will also discover plot points online that the book's protagonists may never see.

This new book series is the brain-child of Jordan Weisman, one of the fathers of the Alternate Reality Game storytelling genre. In 2001, Jordan worked with Steven Spielberg to promote his film A.I. using this viral storytelling technique, and has since created many ARGs such as "I Love Bees" for the release of Halo 2, and more recently contributed to 42 Entertainment's (the company that he founded in 2003) ARGs for Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero and The Dark Knight film. Weisman is a living legend in the gaming community.

Some brilliant filmmakers and novelists have read the book, and have said some great things about it. Expect to hear more from them -- and read more about Personal Effects -- in the months ahead.

J.C. recently chatted with reporter Scott Roche about the novel. Here's an excerpt from that interview.

SR: Your next book, Personal Effects: Dark Art, is another instance where you're pushing boundaries and mixing things up. What can you tell me about that?

JCH: It's a story that combines the hard-nosed, rationally-based sensibilities of a TV program like CSI with the supernatural and conspiratorial elements seen in such shows as The X-Files. Set in a mental institution for hopeless dead-enders, Dark Art chronicles the life of Zach Taylor, a young and optimistic art therapist. Gifted at his job, he uses his patients' personal effects -- the personal items that were cataloged during their admission to the hospital -- to help decipher the secrets of their mental problems. But Zach gets far more than he bargained for when a new patient is admitted to the facility: a man who is a suspected serial killer.

While the novel’s plot is intriguing and scary, the presentation of this tale is positively game-changing. The universe of Personal Effects is the creation of Jordan Weisman, a brilliant game designer famous for creating the role-playing game company FASA in the 1980s, and the genius "HeroClix" collectible tabletop game in the '90s. However, he's best-known for being instrumental in the creation of "transmedia" storytelling experiences, commonly called Alternate Reality Games.

ARGs are immersive stories, told mostly online through various websites and services, that blur the lines between fiction and reality. People experiencing these stories become active participants, and in a way, protagonists: they solve riddles, they "hack" email accounts to obtain critical information to further propel the story, they IM chat with characters mentioned in the tale… they can even receive phone calls and faxes from these characters. The words "ambitious" and "jaw-droppingly cool" don’t even begin to describe this style of storytelling, which Jordan helped create.

When you purchase a copy of Dark Art next summer, you won't just receive a book. You'll receive an envelope of real, tangible "personal effects" -- the same patient personal effects that are mentioned in the book. Think business cards, documents, etc. These items serve more than just interesting trinkets or props, however: based on clues found in the text of the novel -- and in these items themselves -- readers can unearth an entire storyline on the Web that enhances the novel in ways the reader -- and even the characters in the book -- may never suspect. We've taken great care to create an experience that stands on its own within the pages of the book, but have included some incredible plot twists that can only be experienced beyond the book.

Like the ARGs Jordan is known for creating, Personal Effects is intended to make the reader an active participant in the story. It’s pretty frickin’ cool.

My involvement in Dark Art and the Personal Effects series has not only been creatively rewarding, but it's made me a true believer in the notion that a story need not be bound to one medium. Done right, a unified, satisfying narrative experience can transcend the pages of a book, or the screen of a television, or the audio of a podcast.

Like the innovative multi-media experience currently seen in OBSIDIAN, I think this kind of storytelling is the future, and I can't wait to further experiment with it in the months and years ahead.

--J.C.

It's official: Scott Sigler is an "Internet Superstar"... /  by J.C. Hutchins

...and God help us all, as his recent appearance on the awesome Revision3 show will likely inflate his (already swelled) ego to Godzilla-sized proportions. :)

In all seriousness, Scott's work is excellent, and he's a trailblazer in the podcasting and publishing spaces. The Internet Superstar interview with Martin Sargent is an excellent one -- Martin asks all the right questions about the podiobook phenomenon, building a community, and how those critical phenoms helped Scott him a major book deal with Crown Publishing.

It's another shining example of an author (and interviewer) who "gets it," and is using the Internet to rock the socks off the traditional publishing model. A must-watch.

--J.C.

PleaseDressMe: A cool search engine for T-shirt geeks /  by J.C. Hutchins

Reposted from MINE, my day gig blog, cuz I'm proud of it: What happens you get one of the world's savviest social media entrepreneurs behind an awesome online business idea? A hella cool -- and useful -- service.

Gary Vaynerchuk, the ultra-enthusiastic entrepreneur best known for his free Wine Library TV video blog, is currently talking up PleaseDressMe, a new business in which he's a partner. Created by Gary's brother AJ, PleaseDressMe is a killer idea for T-shirt geeks like us MINERS: The site is a search engine for shirt designs hailing from some of the best-known (and just plain best) online T-shirt retailers. Companies like Threadless and BustedTees are already on board.

MINE recently spoke with Gary about PleaseDressMe, how it works, and what the service may provide in the months to come.

The philosophy fueling the site is simple, Gary said: to create an insanely elegant way to search for T-shirts sporting specific designs, colors or other attributes (found via keywords). Instead of visiting several individual T-shirt sites to quest for a particular shirt -- or particular topic, such as science-fiction or beer, etc. -- users simply visit PleaseDressMe, conduct a Google-like search, and view the results. These results are piped from the catalogs of companies PleaseDressMe is currently working with; collaborations with even more companies are in the works, Gary said.

Gary's younger brother AJ, who is a collector of clever T-shirts, recently conceived the idea, Gary explained. AJ is a Boston University senior who, according to the PleaseDressMe site, is "desperately awaiting the real world." If this is the first of many Big Ideas AJ's got, we can't blame him.

"My brother and I talk about business ideas 24/7," Gary told MINE. "It's fun, it's what we do. When he came to me and said, 'What about a T-shirt search engine?' it was the first idea I'd seen in years where there wasn't a hole to poke. It was airtight." Since AJ is in school and Gary is already a Tazmanian Devil of business movin' and shakin', it was critical that that PleaseDressMe's concept was solid, Gary said. "With (current circumstances), anything new we want to do needs to be sweet, effective and tight today. ... This totally made sense."

The service works in a few ways. Participating shirt retailers already have keyword "tags" assigned to their products (which are accessible via their respective sites' search), but the folks at PleaseDressMe are creating additional tags for those products, for even more refined -- or as Gary puts it, "crazy good" -- results. There are no advertisements at PleaseDressMe; the service generates revenue via affiliate revenue-sharing referral programs. And since there's no price markup for purchases hailing from PleaseDressMe search results, consumers won't pay extra to use the service.

For smaller shirt retailers who do not yet have affiliate programs, PleaseDressMe "is working out" a way for those companies to be accessible via the service's search, Gary said.

The Vaynerchuks are already hungry to improve and expand the service in the months ahead. According to Gary, there are plans to add promotions to the site -- with a possibility of insanely low-priced shirts ("three dollars, maybe," he said), promotions, prizes and even "parties." The goal: to provide an "outrageous value" and a better user experience for shoppers.

And while PleaseDressMe's concept started as a very "a scratch your own itch" operation -- after all, it was AJ's love for shirt shopping that helped spark the business -- "we're committed to the long term with this, and the long tail," Gary said. "This is not a flash in the pan kind of service, where there's a lot of publicity in the beginning and then it fades. We are very devoted to this."

Since Gary's Wine Library TV fans and allies in the blogosphere are devoted to him, the word's spreading fast. The site has been up for only four days and is already receiving more than 100,000 page views a day, Gary said. PleaseDressMe is personally vetting participating clothiers, so search results are a little skimpy at present ... but only the "really good" -- aka reputable -- T-shirt companies will be listed in search results. "There are a lot of dodgy T-shirt companies" out there, Gary said, but none of them will be accessible through the service.

And while Gary digs clever shirts -- "It's not the same love I have for the New York Jets," the superfan admits -- he's mostly in this for the experience, the consumers, and his co-founders AJ and Joe Stump (a lead architect at Digg.com).

"This is fun, a lot of fun, for me," he said.

Mined by: J.C. "Unapologetic T-Shirt Geek" Hutchins, facilitated by Adam Teece (Thanks, Adam!)

J.C.'s Dragon*Con schedule /  by J.C. Hutchins

From tomorrow until next Tuesday morning, I'll be hanging with 7th Son fans, knocking back booze with fellow podcasters, making new friends, and waiting patiently for elevators at Dragon*Con in Atlanta! This'll be my third year attending the convention. It's always a blast. Continuing my tradition of being overextended and running myself ragged at the con (I always vow to "dial back" my commitments, but it never seems to work out that way), I've got lots of adventures-in-the-making this year. If you're attending the con and want to meet me -- because I most certainly want to meet you -- here's a list of the scheduled events I'll definietly be attending.

Pimps and Hos Party II Last year, I co-hosted this event with Scott Sigler. It was a night of mayhem and hella good times. This year, I'm content to bow out on hosting duties, but will be in attendance. I promise no pimp threads, but I will cut a rug with ya, if you ask! Time: Friday night, in the Hyatt hotel (room TDB)

I Should Be Writing Episode 100 Celebration LIVE! Award winning author and podcaster Mur Lafferty brings her I Should be Writing show to Dragon*Con to celebrate its 100th episode. Mur recently told me she might ask authors to help with the show, so I'll be there to watch and assist, if needed. Time: Sat 10:00 am

The Third Annual Parsec Awards Join us for the Third Annual Parsec Awards hosted by some your favorite podcasters. The Parsec Award is available for Sci-fi & Fantasy Original Content, Speculative Fiction and a variety of other categories dealing with the new frontiers of Portable Media. My novel 7th Son, Book Three: Destruction has been nominated for a Parsec in the Long Form Fiction catergory. Time: Sat 7:00 pm

Books & Blackwell Party Meet authors Tee Morris and Pip Ballantine, and multi-talented artist J.R. Blackwell at this book launch, art show and costume party. Time: After the Parsecs, in the Hyatt (room TBD)

The Art of Writing for Audio Learn how to adapt your written work into a podcast or podiobook from the award winning folks who make it happen, and find out the special tricks of the trade podcasters use to make their podcast novel stand out. I'm a panelist. Time: Sun 10:00 am

Babbling Writers Come along and listen as writers discuss what it's like to podcast about the subject that is nearest and dearest to them -- fiction writing. They should be writing, but instead they're talking about it. I'm a babbling panelist. Time: Sun 7:00 pm

Podcast Peer Awards Ceremony The Second Annual Podcast Peer Awards Ceremony celebrating podcasters nominated by their bretheren, hosted by Dave Hitt, LIVE at Dragon*Con. I will be accepting my awards for Best Podcast Novel (for 7th Son, Book Three) and Best Arts/Entertainment Podcast (for UltraCreatives). Time: Sun 10:00 pm

Podcasting Into the Future Where is podcasting going, where is it taking us? A look at the possible future of podcasting and how we can make sure to not be left behind. Look at the new technology and upcoming innovations. I'm a panelist. Time: Mon 11:30 am

Talk Back to the Podcasters! Are you a rabid fan of podcasting or even a certain podcaster? Come go all "fan boy" on the podcasters.  No question is off limits. I'm a panelist. (And yes, there are mos def questions that are off-limits.) Time: Mon 1:00 pm

Can't wait to see you there!

--J.C.

FREE E-BOOK: "Playing For Keeps" + new short story /  by J.C. Hutchins

It doesn't get any cooler than this, folks. To celebrate the upcoming mainstream print release of her superhero novel Playing for Keeps on Aug. 25, author and podcaster Mur Lafferty has released the full text of the novel -- and a never-before-seen short story called Parasite Awakens -- as a free PDF download. The PDF also features original comic book cover-style artwork by Jared Axelrod, Natalie Metzger and me, and was assembled by Paul Fischer and Martha Holloway.

Podcast subscribers should automatically receive a dowload of this PDF to thier podcatchers. Folks can also manually download the file, below.

I've been promoting Mur's work here on the site and in the podcast feed for a week now, and there's a reason for that: it's worthy of all the attention. Playing For Keeps both celebrates and satirizes the superhero comics genre. Defying expectations, Mur's novel is an awesome exploration of heroism, the life of an underdog, and the corruption of power.

It's pretty damned funny, too.

Here's a synopsis of Playing For Keeps, from publisher Swarm Press:

The shining metropolis of Seventh City is the birthplace of super powers. The First Wave heroes are jerks, but they have the best gifts: flight, super strength, telepathy, genius, fire. The Third Wavers are stuck with the leftovers: the ability to instantly make someone sober, the power to smell the past, the grace to carry a tray and never drop its contents, the power to produce high-powered excrement blasts, absolute control. over elevators.

Bar owner Keepsie Branson is a Third Waver with a power that prevents anything in her possession from being stolen. Keepsie and her friends just aren't powerful enough to make a difference. at least that's what they've always been told.

But when the villain Doodad slips Keepsie a mysterious metal sphere, the Third Wavers become caught in the middle of a battle between the egotistical heroes and the manipulative villains. As Seventh City begins to melt down, it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad, and even harder to tell who may become the true heroes.

It's great stuff, so check out the free PDF, and please be sure to support Mur Lafferty's rush on the Amazon.com charts on Aug. 25 by purchasing a copy of Playing For Keeps!

--J.C.

A fellow Beta Clone needs your help! /  by J.C. Hutchins

Red alert, everybody! Carlos Weiser, a 7th Son superfan and brilliant cartoonist and artist, needs our help!

Longtime listeners of 7S might remember Carlos and his magnificent contributions to the 7th Son experience. Last year, he created amazing comic book-style portraits of the seven Beta Clones, and I was so astounded by their quality that I gave Carlos his own "gallery" here at JCHutchins.net. His renditions of the characters -- Kilroy2.0 in particular -- were terrific.

Now we all have a chance to thank Carlos for his efforts and talents. Carlos is currently a Top 10 finalist in Platinum Studios' The Comic Book Challenge. This annual competition brings the works of artists from around the U.S. (and possibly beyond) together, with one mission: to find the very best sequential storyteller of the bunch. Thousands enter. Carlos has made it into the Top 10.

With our combined generosity and voting, we can help Carlos realize his lifelong dream of having his comic art published. The Challenge's finalist receives his entry published as either a comic book miniseries or a graphic novel to debut at a 2009 comic book convention, a cool interactive Cintiq monitor-tablet display, tons of software for coloring and digital production, and more. Here's a thumbnail of his three-page entry for The Challenge:

Check out Carlos' page at The Comic Book Challenge and please vote for him! Here's an opportunity to not only showcase our combined Beta Clone power, but also give something back to a fellow fan. Thanks for your consideration, and please cast your vote for Carlos!

--J.C.