Fiction Vortex - February 2014 Read online

  Simply put, comedic titles are fitting for comedies, mysterious titles for mysteries, etc. Breaking away from this formula might be an effective way to gain attention, but maybe not the type of attention desired.

  4.Make it original, but not gimmicky or cliché.

  Titles need to be catchy. They need to have a bit of pizzazz. Something that stands out. However, this can be taken too far. Way too far.

  Using metaphors and abstract ideas in a title to represent elements of a work is an effective way to build intrigue. Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is much better than, let’s say, The Small Guy and His Big Dumb Friend. A good metaphorical title will add depth to a story. Just remember Tip 2 and don’t make the metaphor too deep.

  An aspect of this tip, that blends with Tip 1, is to avoid pompous, complex titles designed to impress readers (which is more a statement of an author’s ego than of their work). The title of this article was almost "Titular Conundrums," but that would have been hypocritical. We’ll use another classic to make this point. The Scarlet Letter is a simple title that builds interest. Hawthorne could have instead used a title like Puritanical Alphabetic Punishments And A Put-Out Preacher and his career would have been over. Instead, Hawthorne chose a simple obscure title, yet one that carries symbolism (the book of Psalms in the Bible associates the color scarlet with sin), and uses it to set the tone for the whole book — obscurity and sin.

  And finally, let’s make this clear: rarely are puns and/or plays on existing titles taken seriously. In fact, they usually just annoy editors. If your story is a satire or other form of comedy, then puns and other comedic devices in a title could be true to the story (see Tip 3) and could be appropriate — with a heavy emphasis on ‘could’. If you are going to take the chance with a ‘clever’ or ‘cheeky’ title, you better be damn sure that you aren’t the only one that thinks it is funny. Which leads to Tip 5.

  5.Be confident, but stay flexible.

  Don’t be cheap with the titling process. Think your title through. But keep in mind that the title might be changed by an editor or a publisher. Don’t be offended.

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  Book Reviews

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  Book Review: Moon Hoax, by Paul Gillebaard

  Review by Jon Clapier; published February 6, 2014

  MOON HOAX by Paul Gillebaard is a novel that explores the unique idea of China trying to discredit the American moon landings by bringing forth ‘proof’ that they never really happened. I was skeptical, at first, that Mr. Gillebaard would be able to do so in a way that would be believable. To my pleasant surprise he did, coming up with a fairly plausible plot that incorporated the hints of old urban legends with new Chinese subterfuge. Despite my preconceptions, I began to sink into the story. And then things started going wrong.

  The main character was a little too perfect, his only flaws being his too good looks and his multitudes of associations with beautiful women.

  The writing style, or voice, of the book is good for a new author but not what I would expect from a more experienced word-smith. Most of the characters are two-dimensional and clichéd. They don’t have the kind of depth that makes them real. They felt like characters in a book, and my favorite stories are the ones where I forget I’m reading fiction.

  When action was needed, it moved along well, and the overall subject material was well researched, but I got the distinct impression that the book needed another edit, not just for typos (I found a couple of those), but more so for content.

  Towards the end of the book Mr. Gillebaard had me turning pages quickly as he built some excellent suspense but then, he inexplicably gave away far too much information and the thrill that should have accompanied the situation that he had skillfully built fell apart. It was almost as bad as watching the Sixth Sense with an annoying nephew who says, "The Dr. is a ghost!" halfway through the movie. But enough of my reminiscing.

  In my opinion Moon Hoax is a decent read, but not as good as it should, or could, have been. Mr. Gillebaard has the ability to make a story move forward and to captivate interest. When he learns to extract all of the potential suspense from the circumstances that he engineers, I’d be willing to bet that people will be waiting in line for that book. And I would be one of them.

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  Book Review: The Colony: Genesis, by Michaelbrent Collings

  Review by Jon Clapier; published February 20, 2014

  THE COLONY: GENESIS, by Michaelbrent Collings, is another zombie end-of-the-world-apocalypse. Need I say more? Yes, I do, even at the risk of sounding slightly psychotic by answering my own apparently rhetorical question.

  I have spent plenty of time in the slush pile of Fiction Vortex, occasionally finding myself agonizing over some wonderful ideas presented within the hundreds of stories that I have read, but often those excellent ideas were written without the skill to project them in a manner pleasing to the eye and mind.Most of these are rejected outright simply because the authors haven’t yet become practiced at their craft. Many others are returned to their authors with editorial suggestions. I also find some very well-written stories that seem to go nowhere or suffer from a basic premise that is flawed. These too can sometimes be salvaged with editing and rewriting but usually they are also rejected.

  It has become apparent to me that in most cases a good author can take a bad idea and write a good story, but a bad author will rarely make a good idea into a successful story. (No jokes about Meyer!)

  Mr. Collings has taken a general idea that has been done by others and given us his own interpretation of it, and it is good. So, whether you like zombie novels or not, I think you will find The Colony: Genesis is definitely well-written, fast-paced, and it moves forward without bogging down, much more so than most novels. He will have you turning pages quickly, (or clicking the page down button!) The action is intense, gory, and abundant. There were times when I was reading it that I felt real concern for the characters because the threat of peril is so constant and horrific. Much like the old adage of ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire,’ but here Collings adds for his characters, ‘and then into the river of lava.’

  The basic zombie premise was presented with a new twist and it lent enough mystery to keep my attention from wandering while I read. In fact, I was drawn into the book well enough to not note the passage of time or how many pages were flying by, which is one of the greatest compliments I can give for any book.

  I will point out that, just because I personally liked it, I am not under the opinion that it is perfect. The character development seemed to me to be a little bit cliché — especially for supporting characters — and the situations didn’t give me the same chills that I have gotten from some of my favorite Stephen King novels. But I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoys the genre, or even one close to it.

  If you are squeamish at the sight of blood, either real or in print, then this may not be the book for you. But, if you want a straightforward horrific adventure with a taste of mystery, then you should definitely enjoy The Colony: Genesis. My only real complaint was: It was too short.

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  About Fiction Vortex

  Fiction Vortex, let’s see …

  A fiction vortex is a tornado of stories that pick you up and hurl you through a barn to find enlightenment on the other side. It’s a whirlpool of fascinating tales so compelling that they suck you in, drag you down to the bottom of your mind, and drown you with incessant waves of glorious imagery and believable characters.

  Nope.

  A fiction vortex is an online speculative fiction magazine focused on publishing great science fiction and fantasy, and is run by incredibly attractive and intelligent people with great taste in literature and formidable writing prowess.

  Not that either. But we’re getting closer.

  Founded in the 277th year of the Takolatchni Dynasty, Fiction Vortex set out to encourage people to wri
te and publish great speculative fiction. It sprang fully formed from the elbow of TWOS, retaining none of TWOS’s form but most of its spirit. And the patron god of writers, the insecure, the depressed, and the mentally ill regarded Fiction Vortex in his magic mirror of self-loathing and declared it good, insofar as something that gives writer’s undue hope can be declared good. Thereafter, he charged the Rear Admiral of the Galactic 5th Fleet to defend Fiction Vortex down to the last robot warrior.

  Now we’re talking.

  Take your pick. We don’t care how you characterize us or the site.

  Fiction Vortex focuses on publishing speculative fiction. That means science fiction and fantasy (with a light smattering of horror and a few other subgenres), be it light, heavy, deep, flighty, spaceflighty, cerebral, visceral, epic, or mundane. But mundane in a my-local-gas-station-has-elf-mechanics-but-it’s-not-really-a-big-deal-around-here kind of way. Got it?

  Basically, we want imaginative stories that are well written, but not full of supercilious floridity.

  There’s a long-standing belief that science fiction and fantasy stories aren’t as good as purely literary fare. We want you to prove that mindset wrong (not just wrong, but a steaming pile of griffin dung wrong) with every story we publish. It’s almost like we’re saying, "I do not bite my thumb at you, literary snobs, but I do bite my thumb," but in a completely polite and non-confrontational way.

  We've got more great stories online, with a new story twice a week. Visit our website FictionVortex.com, follow us on Twitter: @FictionVortex, and like us on Facebook: FictionVortex.

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