Month: July 2023

Featured

Library Musings

/ J. Paul Cooper / Leave a comment

I suspect that many of the people who follow my blog face the same dilemma that I do; you’d love to buy every book you read, but because you’re constantly reading, it’s just too expensive. Here are some suggestions to consider.

The next time you visit a bookstore, take note of the books you’d like to read. Check your local library’s website to see if they have copies; if not, you can suggest they order the book(s.) When I do buy books, it’s because I really want to read them, and I’m not prepared to wait for a library copy.

Depending on how long it is and how fast you read, the library’s lending period may not be long enough for you to finish reading a book. Since I’m a consistent reader, but not a fast reader, I put a hold on both print and eBook editions of longer books. I’ve finished several longer books starting with the eBook and finishing the last chapters with a print edition and visa versa.

Even if you find the subject fascinating, and you’re sure you’d like the content of an audiobook, don’t buy (or borrow) a copy until you’ve listened to a sample. I learned that lesson borrowing audiobooks from the library, only to discover that the voices of some narrators are extremely irritating. One of the reasons I don’t make videos for my website, is because I have a very nasal voice.

Although I believe it’s important to support local authors, I don’t buy a book unless I’m sure I’ll actually read it. I ease my conscience by suggesting the library buy a copy. When filling out the online form, I enter “Local Author” in the section concerning why the library should purchase a copy. Libraries are proud of the fact they support local authors, so you’re helping the library staff by bringing it to their attention.

If you’re a Blogger, the local library is an amazing resource; you can borrow a book or movie and then write a review at no cost. Don’t worry about when it was published or produced, because it’s more about helping your readers decide whether to read the book or watch the movie, then about the year it was released.

One of reasons I’m glad I self-published my last two eBooks through Draft2Digital, is because they are available through so many library distributors. If you’re curious about my eBooks, you can ask your library to buy copies, and all it will cost you is a few minutes filling out an online form.

Copyright © 2023 by J. Paul Cooper

P.S. I just noticed today that many legitimate comments have been moved to SPAM.

Book Review: Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini

/ J. Paul Cooper / Leave a comment

Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini is an excellent science fiction novel. The hard cover is 286 pages long, so unlike his previous sci fi novel, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, it was easy to read within my local library’s twenty-one day borrowing limit.

Fractal Noise is the story of a four person team sent to investigate a giant hole on the planet Talos VII. The anomaly sends out a pulse about every ten seconds, and as the team approaches the hole, it increases in intensity as tension grows among the team members.

Alex, the main character is tormented by the death of his partner, Layla. When she died, she left him with a video record of all her memories. Throughout the unfolding drama, he often looks back at them, knowing he pain it’s going to arouse, but unable to overcome the addiction

What makes Paolini’s novel compelling, is how he reminds us that we’re vulnerable, despite technical advancements. Sand turns self-propelled sleds into burdens to be dragged. And human nature doesn’t change, as the hatred between the team leader Talia and geologist Puskin intensifies.

The rock-like entities on the planet, which Alex refers to as “Turtles,” are a constant presence. Since surface scans didn’t show any military threat, the only weapon they have is a bolt-gun used to drive in tent pegs for their shelter, and the pegs just bounce off the “Turtles.”

As the story unfolds, the team moves across the surface of Talos VII, sustaining injuries, pulling their supply sleds, while constantly struggling against sand blown by gale-force winds. The never-ending “Thud” of the pulse grates on their nerves, prevents sleep, and exhausts their energy, growing stronger, the closer they get to the hole. The pulse interferes with communication, leaving the team without any outside help or guidance.

Great fiction makes you wonder what you would do if you were in the same situation as those in the story. And that’s exactly what Christopher Paolini does in Fractal Noise, by creating characters we can relate to. You feel their fear, desperation, and ultimately, hope.

Copyright © 2023 by J. Paul Cooper

Featured

Loyalty: The Heart of Drama

/ J. Paul Cooper / Leave a comment

            It’s a classic pro-wrestling trope; one member of a tag-team is taking a beating, until with a sudden burst of energy, he manages to knock his opponent off his feet. Slowly, both wrestlers crawl towards their partners. Thousands of fans are on their feet, screaming as tensions mount, because everyone knows that whoever tags his partner first, will probably determine the outcome of the match. Having survived a vicious beating, refusing to give up, their hero finally reaches the corner.

            And then it happens…as he reaches up for the tag, his partner drops down from the side of the ring and walks away leaving him at the mercy of the other wrestler’s partner.  That’s what keeps fans taking out their credit cards to buy tickets for live events and watch then on pay-per-view: drama is fueled by loyalty.

            In Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) Anakin Skywalker is torn between his loyalty to the Jedi Knights and what they stand for, and his wife Padme, who he believes will become mortally ill. He is convinced by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine that the only way to save Padme is to pledge his allegiance to the Supreme Chancellor and learn the dark arts. The agonizing decision about where to place his loyalty is emotionally draining, both for the character on the screen and the audience sitting in theatres around the globe.

            Just as switching loyalties can create intense emotions, a character maintaining his or her loyalty can also pull at the heart strings, if there is a price to pay for that loyalty. As the story unfolds in Saving Private Ryan (1998) we learn that Tom Hank’s character is married and was a teacher before the war started.  We admire his dedication to duty and willingness to risk his life for his country, because he has so much to lose.   

            Drama is also created when a character finds that her loyalty was misplaced, and she feels that years of her life have been wasted. It might the end of a friendship, or the end of a marriage. Although it could involve personal relations, she might just as likely feel betrayed by a political party, a religious denomination, or a company. Perhaps she’s worked for the same corporation for a decade, even though she had other opportunities, and now she’s escorted out the front door by security guards during a round of lay offs. There she stands on the steps of an office tower, discarded by the company she trusted, with empty company slogans echoing in her mind.

            Since our lives revolve around loyalties, there are endless possibilities for the characters in your stories:  The married pastor of the church he attends, who he trusts for moral guidance, has been having an affair with the youth leader’s wife. Your character, who owns a small business discovers that her accountant has been stealing money from the company to pay gambling debts, and now the company is bankrupt. It’s discovered that the leader of the political party your character has been donating money to for decades, has been syphoning funds to offshore accounts.     

            Just as you ask what a character’s goals are, you can also ask where his loyalties lie. The higher the cost of loyalty, the greater the potential for drama.

Copyright © 2023 by J. Paul Cooper