What's The Blog About, Alfie?

We are avid fans of literature, good literature. We prefer great writing, we'll settle for very good work, but we cannot abide anything less. We will stop reading a book if the author demonstrates mediocrity, writes incompetently, or, worse yet, simply loses our interest. That said, we will always give you our honest opinions about the books we've listened to on Podiobooks.com. We'll tell you why the great ones are great, and why the forgettable ones should be avoided.

We hope, when we've reviewed enough, you will come to this blog to see if a particular book is worthy of your time. We plan to be frank. You have come here to elicit our opinion and we shall not disappoint. Additionally, we hope this blog becomes a resource for PB.com authors to read honest and objective reviews of their efforts; no smoke blown-up the butt at any time. We have observed over time that reviews left on an author's site or iTunes are basically of two types. The first is the pie-eyed-hyperbolic-praise version of a review by a real fan. While excellent for the ego of said author, this form of assessment aids neither the potential listener nor the writer's development. The second type is the snarky-hit-and-run-slap-in-the-face negative review which may contain the kernel of an insight, but is actually significantly less valuable than the first type. Ours will be decidedly neither polar extreme. We will be as fair and complete as possible. An unavoidable off-shoot, indeed a desirable off-shoot, the clever reader will quickly appreciate is that we will undoubtably be squewering a few sacred-cows. If that happens, please keep in mind the fable of The Emporer's New Clothes and the fact that we would not review them in a less-than-stellar manner if they did not deserve it.

Our reviews are not placed on PB.com, iTunes, or any other public site. We do not wish to embarrass or ridicule any particular authors. Many of the authors are our friends, or at least were up till they read our review. We dearly appreciate that each PB.com author has poured their creative guts out for all to see with very little chance of monetary reward. This is not easy. We will not generally say anything but positives on public sites as we, in our alter ego, want the authors, even the poor ones, to have their moment in the bright-shiny sun. At the very least we want them to be happy little fish in their little ponds.

Finally a term defined, a dreaded term, one you wish never to see, one which strikes despair in the heart of any author - WSRH. This is short for "We Stopped Reading Here". Background. Our less than sainted father was a college English professor. When grading essays and term papers, especially freshman courses, we observed him many a cruel time to slash across the page with his red pen. Just below the horrific line, he would write, "I stopped reading here... F." Clearly, papa was a professor, not an editor, so he was an I while we are, well, a we. Hence, ISRH transforms into WSRH. However you begin it, it is not a good thing. Avoid writing something which earns WSRH, you will not be happy with yourself.

Your comments on our comments are most welcome. You may be as frank as we are. Contrary opinions, supported by rational argument not finger-wagging, will help the prospective PB.com readers find the books which are right for them. Bottom line: our comments plus your comments, along with author rebuttals, will in the end benefit us all, and help PB.com listeners choose wisely.

Based on the success of this blog, we have started a Forum where you can share your insights and reviews. The more information and discussion, the better informed we will all be.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Heaven Field Books I and II - Shear Heaven

 


As our first formal Podiobook.com [PB.com] review, as mentioned earlier, we will pick a giant, a wondrous work, to set some standards and to highlight lesser known gems on PB.com. The logical start is with these two, and soon to be four, treasures. We will eventually review the established stars, Chasing the Bard, Billibub Baddings, those type, but they are already PB.com legends.

Author's teaser for THF I: ...The world has changed forever; we have opened the door to something which we don’t understand, and that door cannot be closed. I only hope we can change with the world.” The man had a fevered stare, and Thomas found himself mesmerised by his words, obscure as they were.
The man suddenly stiffened, as if hearing a distant noise, then leaned close to Thomas once more.
“They’re coming,” he whispered.

When Grace Palmer and her team of research scientists discover a way into a mysterious world they name the HeavenField, they trigger a devastating chain of events. Bizarre, unexplained murders and attacks on the Project leave scientists trapped in the Field with no way to return. As their air supplies run low and their equipment begins to fail, their nightmares begin to play out before them...

The author's teaser for THF II: The Second installment of The HeavenField novel - a fast-paced science-fiction thriller set within a British experimental Scientific Research Facility.

“...The world has changed forever; we have opened the door to something which we don’t understand, and that door cannot be closed. I only hope we can change with the world.” The man had a fevered stare, and Thomas found himself mesmerised by his words, obscure as they were.
The man suddenly stiffened, as if hearing a distant noise, then leaned close to Thomas once more.
“They’re coming,” he whispered.

When Grace Palmer and her team of research scientists discover a way into a mysterious world they name the HeavenField, they trigger a devastating chain of events. Bizarre, unexplained murders and attacks on the Project leave scientists trapped in the Field with no way to return. As their air supplies run low and their equipment begins to fail, their nightmares begin to play out before them.

Now, as Grace Palmer tries to pick up the pieces of the shattered HeavenField Project, Alex finds himself travelling the wastes of the Field in an attempt to flee the mysterious Speers and Gutteridge.

Soon though, he is forced to make a decision which may lead him back to Maunsworth House, and to ultimately kill again...

So, on to The Heavenfield I & II. First, this is our review of each from PB.com and iTunes:

I:
Three cheers for Ian’s inaugural work, it is simply spectacular. The writing is journeyman, the characters are as real as your next door neighbor, and the plot absolutely transfixes the readers, leaving them plied in a heap in the corner delirious with anticipation for the next installment. Top that off with his haunting narration and unearthly art work, and you cannot leave without a smile. HeavenField is undeniably among the top ten Podiobooks ever produced and is not to be missed by any legitimate scifi/fantasy or horror fan.

II:
This stellar sequel to IG's brilliant first volume is welcome indeed. His imagination and completely innovative writing make this haunting tale as compelling as any scifi/fantasy classic, the ranks of which HeavenField will soon be acknowledged to have join. As if that were not enough, his empathic narration style and vivid art work make this a must read. In IG's early writings it is clear he is earmarked for great success and I count myself lucky to be along from the start as a fan. IG, make certain you construct a large band wagon, you'll need it soon!
In terms of our rating system, we would score it:

NARRATION: Clearly a 20. If you read the reviews Ian has received, you'll find they bunch into 2 groups regarding his voice. Either they love it or they hate it. We will not cast stones and say those who hate it are incorrect, we will only encourage them to listen again with an open mind, and see the brilliance. Who liked Picasso or van Gogh the first time they say them, or raw oysters or fried calamari? Stay open, learn, and you will grow minions. Trust us on this, that if Ian had a golden throat do this book, it would be great, but not perfect. His haunting, emotion ladenned breathy voice adds to the intense emotion and impact his word delineate. When he moans, "Oh Alexi", or paints a picture of the passed out drunk Grace Palmer, we are gifted with the richness of his voice. Plus, and a big plus, he effortlessly and convincingly depicts various character voices, distinguishing them well.

EDITING/TECHNICAL: Again, a 20. We really look to see if a podcast is up to snuff, appropriate for the content, and free of errors and glitches. The production qualities are good, nothing detracts from the overall product.

ORIGINALITY OF STORY: Unique, that's all we can say. There is no obvious storyline or drab tradition this draws upon. There is electricity charging the originality he forges, and a driving unearthly force behind his creativity. 20 points for sure!

QUALITY OF WRITING: Wonderful. As far as we know these are his first published works, and they are journeyman to be certain. Ian's prose is free of silly twists and rookie mistakes, being as descriptive as necessary while lean so as to be streamline. We would certainly love to own the paperback versions of his books. A full 20.

WOW FACTOR: And wow it is. If you don't feel my passion above, let us repeat, this is wonderful, fresh, creative, and bold. If the book fails to stagger you, we'll eat a bug! We give it our full 20 point endorsement.

EXTRA CREDIT: We use this category to award additional points, usually ensemble or sound effect. These books get the full 10 points based on Ian's brilliant, powerful, and soulful art work. Check out the gallery on his website for a real treat.

TOTAL: 110, no reservations or doubts on our part. Thanks for this jewel Old Boy.

You can find out more about Ian Hulme at : http://www.theheavenfield.com/

Addendum:  Book III and IV have since been released ad are equally brilliant!
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