Faithful listener Alain recently visited Bermuda, spotted this item, and had to snap a photo for fellow 7th Son fans. I'm telling ya, that Kilroy2.0 gets around! Alain, thanks for sharing the photo!
Gratitude
Can you find the Chris Alpha? /
Looks like I'm not the only person out there who wants to clone himself so's I can make the day job easier. Chris from the Answers for Freelancers podcast sent me this fantastic image. According to this org chart at ESPN, Chris is -- among other things -- the Multimedia Director, the Manager of Video Services, the Manager User Interface ... even a Flash Developer! Now that's what I call putting yourself to work. Thanks, Chris, for the image!
7th Son is #1! /
When I started podcasting 7th Son back in late February, I did so with more than a heaping tablespoon of anxiety. I bit my nails down to the quick. Would people like the story I was about to tell?
I've been amazed, honored and humbled by the positive reaction that 7th Son has garned since then. Today -- and perhaps it will be only today, or only for a few hours -- 7th Son has hit #1 on the Podcast Pickle favorites list. I owe that acheivement solely to the enthusiasm of 7th Son fans.
A storyteller is nothing without an audience, and I want to give my deepest gratitude to you for being there, and for enjoying my story. Thanks for all the encouragement and support you've given the novel. 7th Son fans ROCK!
With respect and admiration, --J.C. Hutchins
An AWESOME review of 7th Son! /
I always thought 7th Son was a spiffy story, but now I have proof! Australian listener Tim Byatt has critiqued 7S for his website/blog, Podcast Reviews ... and gave the podcast 8 out of 10 stars. You can't beat that with a stick! In his review, Tim complimented my reading and voice acting. (Oh, if only Tim -- and the rest of you -- could hear all my all-too-often flubs!) Most flattering, however, were his kind words about John and the other main characters:
"While the plot of the story is interesting and engaging, what makes this story for me is the character development within the story," Tim wrote. "The seven John Michael Smiths ... have all taken different paths in life and as such have quite distinct personalities. ... These characters and their development give rise to questions about nature versus nurture and the potential to mold people to a certain way of not just thinking, but actually being."
Wow! Thanks for the review, Tim! Everybody, be sure to check out Podcast Reviews for Tim's thoughts on other 'casts. Tim also has another website, Movie Reviews Plus, where he and a buddy review ... wait for it ... movies. Extremely cool stuff!
On tangibility, brilliant blogging, and Father Thomas' plight /
Despite the fact that 7th Son isn't a published novel in the conventional sense -- a thing that one can put on a bookshelf -- the feedback that I receive from listeners brings a sense of "real-ness," tangibility, to the work. The novel seems to be making an impact, moving people to mention it to friends ... and I think that's the highest compliment any artist can receive.
Take this masterfully-written blog post by listener Michael. Michael has been moved to comment about the plight of 7th Son's Father Thomas. As fans know, Thomas' spiritual world has been rocked since he has discovered that he's a clone. He fears that he is a soulless, "manufactured thing." Quite a dilemma for a Catholic priest to have.
Michael will be exploring Thomas' woes -- and his own take on the clone/soul issue -- in a multi-part commentary on his blog, "Brother Osric's Scriptorium." Michael is a very intelligent, very gifted writer, and I can't wait to see what he has to say on the subject. If the spiritual subtext of 7th Son intrigues you, I heartily recommend checking out his blog.
Michael, thanks for sharing your views with your readers ... and for making 7th Son that much more "real" and tangible for me!
I can die a happy man /
Being the curious geek that I am, I adore Wikipedia and its boundless supply of content. It's often my first stop when I'm jonesing to score a fix o' facts. Now, some people dream of fame and fortune. My dream? For my work to be worthy of a Wikipedia mention.
I'll be damned if dreams don't come true. Neither "J.C. Hutchins" nor "7th Son" has a wiki entry ... but that ubiquitous hacker we all know so well, Kilroy2.0, is mentioned in a wiki entry about Kilroy, the World War II myth:
It's a tiny mention, but I was tickled to see it there nonetheless. I don't know which 7th Son fan mentioned Kilroy2.0, but whoever you are, you rock!
7th Son goes Hollywood? (No, but almost as cool...) /
If you've listened to the most recent episode of 7th Son and heard the messages left on the Clone Line (206-984-2566), you might remember uber-fan Manata's voice mail. He was the guy who called in sick to work to listen to all 7th Son episodes in practically one sitting. As an author, I can tell you: I doesn't get much cooler than that. Or does it? Turns out Manata has a blog, and he's been praising 7th Son there. Better still, Manata let his imagination run wild, and did a virtual "casting call" of actors and actresses who'd appear in 7th Son, if it were made into a big-budget movie. Some highlights from Manata's who's who of actors include:
- Philip Baker Hall as A.U. Rookman, the corrupt oil tycoon seen in Chapter 17
- Clancy Brown or Colin McFarlane as Gen. Hill (I think Brown is a badass, but I prefer McFarlane, as Hill is African-American)
- Carrie-Ann Moss as John's girlfriend, Sarah
- And playing the Beta Clones (and John Alpha)? Either Thomas Arana or Mark Ruffalo
Awesome casting, Manata! Thanks for the inspired evangelism!
Personally, I'd love to see Ryan Reynolds in the role of the Betas. Since he's best known for his comedic roles, Reynolds may not be an obvious choice. But the man does have experience in a fat suit (perfect for Kilroy2.0), he's lean, and has that ripped muscle mojo going on (perfect for Michael the Marine).
I first thought of Reynolds when I watched Blade: Trinity. He was the best thing about the that flick. And if there's any doubt that Reynolds isn't one bad mamma-jamma, I present this production still from Trinity:
Evangelism, from podosphere to blogosphere /
Folks are talking about 7th Son outside of the podcasting community. In the past week, a few bloggers have written about 7th Son on their sites -- which means that the message is probably reaching people who are have never listened to podcasts, or podiobooks. If these blog readers tune in, everybody wins: Podcasters get new listeners, and the listeners receive some nifty (and free!) entertainment.
Rick Jones said this about 7th Son in a recent entry on his LiveJournal:
"I am totally loving this book. ... It's a techno-thriller that's quite the ride and yet also does the wonderful thing that science fiction can do: make you do some hard 'what if' thinking while you're enjoying the roller coaster."
And SuperMoonMan posted this at his blog, Let's Move To the Moon:
"After listening to the first episode [of 7S]-->I am definitely going to listen to more. This is my first experience with a podiobook and I definitely enjoyed it."
Awesome. If you're a 7th Son listener who's also a blogger, I'd appreciate it if you mentioned 7S -- and any other podcasts you're enjoying -- in a future blog post. It's a great way to bring new listeners to podcasts, and it helps get the word out about 7th Son!
J.C. Hutchins on small WORLD podcast /
Whoo-hoo! I was recently interviewed by Joseph of the small WORLD podcast, and that chat is now out in the wild, available for download! The small WORLD is one of my very favorite podcasts, because Joseph interviews such eclectic, eccentric and intelligent people. (We'll consider my appearance on the show a fluke.) I always feel a little smarter after tuning in to one of his 'casts. It's a "must subscribe" podcast, no doubt.
So check out the interview here, or directly download the file here. Thanks to Joseph for the interview!
Monkey at The Table /
I'm a little late posting this news, but I made a recent "guest host" appearance on The Round Table podcast, a show that explores concepts of mythology in all forms of storytelling -- movies, books, role-playing games, the works. The show is a part of the very cool Harping Monkey community. The conversation's topic was "Myth in Storycrafting," and I chatted about how I had applied mythological themes to characters and storylines while writing 7th Son. It was A BLAST to appear on the show, and I want to thank Mick and the gang for inviting me on the program.
So if you're interested in hearing little ole me pontificate on writing, plot and character, check out Episode 24 of The Round Table here.
If you like what you hear -- and are fascinated by mythology and storytelling -- be sure to subscribe to the 'cast!
Hot damn! /
Now I can't believe this shit. Too. Cool. For. School.
7th Son has finally "made it," as far as I'm concerned -- the podcast was selected today as Podcast Pickle's "Podcast of the Day!" Thanks to to Gary and the good folks at the Pickle for their support ... and uber-thanks to Keeme, who blessed 7th Son with this honor. I'm humbled and flattered at all the encouragement and support.
So bee-bop over to my Pickle Page and make yourself a fan of the show! And be sure to check out the other exceptional features at the Pickle, including the forums, comments posting for individual episodes and much more!
Another review of 7th Son! /
Taylor, "The Snarky Avenger", recently reviewed 7th Son on his podcast, Snark Infested Waters. Thankfully, the novel came out of the experience snark-free. In fact, Taylor's review of 7th Son (and other podiobooks, Infection and Singularity) was glowing. Thanks, Taylor, for the positive review! And everybody: Be sure to check out the episode here.
And fret not, 7th Son fans ... Chapter 8 is on schedule to go live on Tuesday!
The first-ever 7th Son fanfic! /
7th Son fans are the coolest people in the world. Just check out this flash fanfic sent to me by WarHamster40k, a listener with a wicked sense of humor. Consider this a "deleted scene" from Chapter 6, when the clones stared out at the mammoth MemR/I Array hypercomputer system.... Kilroy 2.0 gazed at the gargantuan holder of zeroes and ones that housed the first 14 years of his life, of their lives. He turned to Dr. Kleinman and asked: "Please tell me this doesn't run Windows."
The doctor stopped, wondering if he heard what he thought he did. "Of course not," Kleinman immediately replied. It was too soon for them contemplate the concept of having a folder marked 'Solitaire' buried in their subconscious.
"One day at a time," Kleinman thought, as they moved on.
Hah! Brilliant! Thanks so much, WarHamster40k, for the support ... and for this wily fanfic!