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...

Awesomeness is always looking for you. But are you looking for it? /  by J.C. Hutchins

In my house, it's usually bad news when the phone rings at 6 a.m. This morning, my cell rang at 6; the ringtone told me it was an unknown caller. By the time I'd stumbled out of bed, the ringing had stopped ... and a text message was waiting for me. The area code was from Michigan, which meant it was 5 a.m. in the caller's neck of the woods. I read the text message.

hey sorry, checked out site, did not know u wrote book. i hope 2 hear from u soon. i did wait 4 a few, did not c u leave. -- Miss Bliss

It's no secret that I've posted my cell number here on my site -- I want to be as accessible as possible to folks, especially for business opportunities. It appeared as if the mysterious Miss Bliss scored my digits here. But I know no "Miss Bliss," and certainly wasn't waiting for her, wherever she was.

(Interesting aside: My next podcast fiction project, The 33, features a main character named Bliss. How's that for coincidence?)

Now, there are two paths to take in "wrong number" situations like this. Ignore the caller (or in this case, texter) ... or be as helpful as you can. So I texted back:

Are you sure you have the right person? I don't think I know a Miss Bliss...

Michigan-based Bliss replied minutes later:

Nah, look like a lot of people. sing in this band and i thought ur name was jeff. his pic is on main page. long hair, sings 4 another band. does zeppelin, great range, a lot of Robert Plant? thought you were him, sorry

Swell. I was helpful. Mystery solved. I replied:

Sorry Bliss ... Wrong guy. Good luck tracking down Jeff.

Now here's where things get interesting and fun -- and it completely reinforces my philosophy that 99 percent of the population are cool, decent folk. Bliss texted:

Wont be 2 hard, lol! ... ur book sounds interesting! r u going 2 do film? I have done scifi before. independent is the best!

Sensing an opportunity to shamelessly promote my stuff -- as an indie artist, you're always looking for more fans / customers / connections ... and if you're not, you're doing it wrong -- I replied:

Thanks! Check out the free audiobook at 7thSonNovel.com! Hope you find Jeff!

Bliss soon replied, and if you u need a strong intimidating gal, and do a film, let me know. i am a pro model. acting is fun, keep in touch!

Come to find out, Miss Bliss is indeed a pro model, and this "wrong number" adventure has provided me a chance to meet someone spiffy -- and just as important, share her work with you. Artists helping artists, baby. This is what indie networking is all about.

Obviously, you can see what Miss Bliss looks like from the pic in this post -- a gallery is below -- and if you're based in Michigan and have a need for Miss Bliss' modeling or acting talents, you can find out how to contact her via her ModelMayhem webpage or at 248-979-3950.

In closing: Awesomeness is always looking for you. The question is, are you looking for it? Keep your eyes peeled, be open to serendipitous moments and opportunities ... and never be afraid to answer the phone at 6 a.m.

--J.C.

The most awesome Craigslist post ever. /  by J.C. Hutchins

My buddy Adam Rubenstein (who's also my boss at MotionPoint, the best website translation company on the planet) passed along this astoundingly funny Craigslist posting. Original link is here. Since the post isn't hosted on a Craigslist domain, I can't say with certainty that it's legit ... but damn, this ad for a used truck is too good not to share. For more Craiglist madness, check out this recent discovery I made. "He falls for the booty. He is killed by knife" still makes me laugh.

And now, I present Adam's find: The Ninja Hauler.

--J.C.

NINJA HAULER: 2005 Nissan Xterra - $12900 (Ronan / Lake County)

Date: 2008-11-19, 10:04PM MST

OK, let me start off by saying this Xterra is only available for purchase by the manliest of men (or women). My friend, if it was possible for a vehicle to sprout chest hair and a five o'clock shadow, this Nissan would look like Tom Selleck. It is just that manly.

It was never intended to drive to the mall so you can pick up that adorable shirt at Abercrombie & Fitch that you had your eye on. It wasn't meant to transport you to yoga class or Linens & Things. No, that's what your Prius is for. If that's the kind of car you're looking for, then just do us all a favor and stop reading right now. I mean it. Just stop.

This car was engineered by 3rd degree ninja super-warriors in the highest mountains of Japan to serve the needs of the man that cheats death on a daily basis. They didn't even consider superfluous nancy boy amenities like navigation systems (real men don't get lost), heated leather seats (a real man doesn't let anything warm his butt), or On Star (real men don't even know what the hell On Star is).

No, this brute comes with the things us testosterone-fueled super action junkies need. It has a 265 HP engine to outrun the cops. It's got special blood/gore resistant upholstery. It even has a first-aid kit in the back. You know what the first aid kit has in it? A pint of whiskey, a stitch-your-own-wound kit and a hunk of leather to bite down on when you're operating on yourself. The Xterra also has an automatic transmission so if you're being chased by Libyan terrorists, you'll still be able to shoot your machine gun out the window and drive at the same time. It's saved my bacon more than once.

It has room for you and the four hotties you picked up on the way to the gym to blast your pecs and hammer your glutes. There's a tow hitch to pull your 50 caliber anti-Taliban, self cooling machine gun. I also just put in a new windshield to replace the one that got shot out by The Man.

My price on this bad boy is an incredibly low $12,900, but I'll entertain reasonable offers. And by reasonable, I mean don't walk up and tell me you'll give me $5,000 for it. That's liable to earn you a Burmese-roundhouse-sphincter-kick with a follow up three fingered eye-jab. Would it hurt? Hell yeah. Let's just say you won't be the prettiest guy at the Coldplay concert anymore.

There's only 69,000 miles on this four-wheeled hellcat from Planet Kickass. Trust me, it will outlive you and the offspring that will carry your name. It will live on as a monument to your machismo.

Now, go look in the mirror and tell me what you see. If it's a rugged, no holds barred, super brute he-man macho Chuck Norris stunt double, then contact me. I might be out hang-gliding or BASE jumping or just chilling with my ladies, but I'll get back to you. And when I do, we'll talk about a price over a nice glass of Schmidt while we listen to Johnny Cash.

To sweeten the deal a little, I'm throwing in this pair of MC Hammer pants for the man with rippling quads that can't fit into regular pants. Yeah, you heard me. FREE MC Hammer pants.

Rock on.

The Periodic Table of Awesome /  by J.C. Hutchins

This bitchin' image has made the rounds on the World Wide Everywhere, and has already saturated many a geek's psyche. But I refuse to sit on the sidelines and not spread this brilliant meme. Behold, the Periodic Table of Awesoments, created by Dapperstache crew.

PS: I agree with every awesoment, save for one. Why are frickin' pirates listed here? I suggest we axe the scurvy-afflicted dweebs from the table and replace them with something more worthy. Like John Alpha.  :)

Another fan-submitted, Hutchins-inspired pic /  by J.C. Hutchins

There must be something in the water today: First, Lance emailed me a delightful 7th Son-related photo, and now superfan Wired Pig is getting in on the action! Take a gander at this photo, snapped by Wired Pig himself. I'm apparently selling appliances during this holiday season...

Who knew? I can only hope my appliances are packed with cliffhanging features such as "the ice maker that delivers a half-glass of ice, them makes you wait a week for the rest", etc.  :)

Thanks for thinking of me, Wired Pig!

--J.C.

"Geeks With Issues" to play 24 hours of "Oregon Trail" for charity /  by J.C. Hutchins

A press release from my buddy Matthew Tucker, executive producer of the awesome Geeks With Issues show:

Child's Play and Hillcrest Education Centers are working tirelessly to bring some holiday cheer to children in need this season, and the Geeks With Issues crew is reviving a classic edutainment game to lend them a hand.

On December 20th, the cast  and crew of the Pittsfield Community Television program will play the vintage MECC game Oregon Trail for 24 continuous hours to help raise money for the two charitable organizations.  The "Geeks" will webcast every second of the action on the event's website, www.GeeksWithIssues.com/Charity.

This webcast will include the discussions, special guests and antics characteristic of the Geeks With Issues program. They're calling the event "The Battle Against Dysentery!", a tongue-in-cheek name based on a malady commonly suffered by characters in the Oregon Trail game.

Child’s Play is a charitable organization founded by the authors of the popular computer and video game-based webcomic Penny Arcade that organizes worldwide toy drives to children's hospitals. Since 2003, the charity has sent more than $3 million in toys, games and books to children's hospitals all over the world.

Hillcrest Educational Centers is a interdisciplinary educational center for children in need of integrated therapeutic, educational and residential programming.  Hillcrest's goal is to facilitate the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth of their students so that they will be able to benefit from, and do well in, less restrictive settings and eventually return to the community.

"We took great care in selecting the charities for this event," said Matthew "Tuck" Tucker, the executive producer of Geeks With Issues. "We wanted to make 'The Battle Against Dysentery' both a local and a global sort of event, since the spirit of Geeks With Issues is both global and local.  Choosing Child’s Play and Hillcrest Educational Centers allowed us to play off of those two differing but complementary aspects of our show."

Added show director Chris Chamberland: "It’s always exciting to put on a live performance. In this case, we’ll be taking it a step further by not just cablecasting on PCTV, but putting on a show for a full 24 hours on our webcast, as well. That will add to the challenge, and hopefully the fun."

Tucker explained the idea behind the marathon play of Oregon Trail:"These groups work every day to improve the lives of so many children.  The least we can do is endure 24 hours of digital broken legs, bad water, and of course, dysentery, for the same cause."

Learn more about The Battle Against Dysentery at www.GeeksWithIssues.com/Charity, and provide a generous donation if you can.

--J.C.

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.

Writers for Relief Vol. 2 now available /  by J.C. Hutchins

Today, the Writers for Relief Vol. 2 short story anthology is now available for sale, profits of which will benefit the New Orleans-based Bay Area Food Bank. The organization is a food bank that assists the Gulf Region and is still helping feed Hurricane Katrina survivors, as well as the homeless, other survivors of natural disasters, and those in need.

The Writers for Relief anthologies feature collections of short fiction by top talents in the realms of fantasy and science fiction writing. The first and second volumes have brought help to Hurricane Katrina survivors through the Red Cross and the Bay Area Food Bank, respectively. The second volume, published by Dragon Moon Press, features some of today's best known speculative fiction authors:

  • Todd McCaffrey
  • Eugie Foster
  • A.C. Crispin and Christie Golden
  • Glenda Finkelstein
  • David Drake
  • Mur Lafferty
  • Elizabeth Blue
  • Tony Ruggiero
  • Christiana Ellis
  • James Marrow
  • Valerie Griswold-Ford
  • Stuart Jaffe
  • Michael Swanwick
  • D.K. Thompson
  • Davey Beauchamp

Thanks for the heads-up, Davey. Folks, pick up a copy or two to help those in need. It's the perfect time of the year to purchase this (it makes a holiday gift), and you'll be helping some people who need it the most.

--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.

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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.

Special Halloween episode: "Stranded" by Phil Rossi /  by J.C. Hutchins

Horror novelist Phil Rossi recently cooked up a terrific tale for Halloween, and asked J.C. to share it with 7th Son fans here in the podcast feed. A huge fan of Phil's work, J.C. was honored by the offer, and is thrilled to present Stranded, a spooky tale that'll make you chilled to the marrow. "Chilling" doesn't describe just the mood -- it describes the tale itself. In Stranded, a blizzard shuts down an isolated stretch of Route 15 ... and the people left there learn discover that there is more to fear than freezing to death ...

Like what you hear? Learn more about Phil at his website, or subscribe to Rossi's Notes from the Vault.