Maer’s Bookshelf – “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick

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For my first 5 Star Review from my bookskelf, I’ve chosen “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip K. Dick. This is my all-time favorite short story and has been for over thirty years. I picked this as my inaugural review for that reason. And because there is an interesting backstory from when I first read it all those years ago.

I’ve always been a voracious reader, but more so when I was younger, devouring as many as five to seven books a week. Being on tour with the theatre company I belonged to, I had lots of time to read while we traveled. Of course, this sometimes resulted in my reading similar books and/or anthologies around the same time. That, in turn, led me to combine two or more stories into one, forget who wrote something, or some other odd twist my brain dreamed up.

200px-PhilipDickI met Philip K. Dick back in 1972 and we remained friends until his death in 1982. One day, in 1981, we sat in his condo chit-chatting away as we often did, when the subject of short stories came up. I was quite thrilled to tell him about my favorite story that I’d read somewhere, but didn’t remember the title or the author’s name. I only remembered that I loved it.

So, I proceeded to describe this story about a man who wanted to go on a trip to Mars, but couldn’t afford it. Instead the man goes to have a false memory implanted about an imaginary trip to Mars as a spy. But during the memory procedure, a complication arises.

Now, as I blithely described this story to Phil, his face got darker and darker and his frown deeper and deeper. Choosing to ignore the frowns, I sat beaming when I finished.

“Who did you say wrote that story?” he grumbled at me.

Well, I stuttered a bit because I had no clue, but finally I took a stab at a name I thought was on the book that I thought the story was in. Yep, I was doing a lot of thinking. All wrong, of course.

He glowered at me some more and left the room. A minute later he returned and tossed a book to me, telling me to look at “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.” I barely glanced at the cover, only noting it was a collection of his stories and dutifully turned to the Table of Contents, found the page for the story and began skimming.

I looked up in sheer delight, as he stood, arms folded, still glaring at me. “Oh, but you wrote this!” My surprise was at war with my confusion as to why I thought someone else had written it.

Needless to say, he wasn’t pleased with me not remembering that he was the author of my favorite short story. I, however, was thrilled because it was my favorite story. I told him he should be happy, too, because I hadn’t realized he’d written it and therefore my opinion was a completely unbiased and honest one. He grumbled some more, but I think he was secretly pleased that it really was my favorite story. Of course, he never admitted that to me.

So, what is it about this story that it remains my favorite to this day? First of all, the story itself captured me. The twists and turns and unexpected gems that I don’t want to give away enthralled me when I first read it. Even knowing what those twists are on subsequent re-reads, they still delight me.

I love the character of Douglas Quail, an Everyman who dreams of being more, and whose depths and layers reveal the man beneath. Phil draws  the supporting characters in broad strokes that might be a bit stereotypical, but it also serves to let us know exactly who they are, without using a lot of words on them. In this case, the stereotypes work.

And I simply adore Phil’s writing in this story. It’s elegant and crisp, drawing the reader in and painting vivid pictures that call his voice to my mind all these years later.

Having been published originally in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in April, 1966, the technology is dated. However, that doesn’t bother me. Perhaps it’s nostalgia, and I freely admit there’s a lot of that in this review. However, even dated technology gives this story a mid-twentieth-century sci fi feel that is appealing. And it makes me wish they would do a movie based on the story. Oh, not the Total Recall ones that borrow small bits and miss the whole point of the original work. But an honest-to-goodness film that would capture all the nuances of my favorite story.

You can purchase this story at Amazon in the collection, The Philip K. Dick Reader.

Happy Reading!

 

 

In the Spotlight – Janna Yeshanova

author picToday’s spotlight is on Russian author, Janna Yeshanova, with her new book, Love is Never Past Tense. Part memoir, part romance novel, her book gives us a unique perspective of her life. And in celebration of the release she is having a Giveaway, so be sure to read to the end!

About Janna Yeshanova

Originally from the former Soviet Union, Janna Yeshanova escaped to the United States when persecution became violent during the crumbling of the Soviet state. Arriving in the United States with her mother and daughter in tow, $126 in her pocket, and knowing not a soul, Janna’s talent and experiences have helped her become a high-end organizational training and development professional. Her exodus story is included in the book. Founder and principal of Life-Spark, LLC, Janna is a dynamic and powerful life coach, premier trainer and motivational speaker. She leverages her passion and engaging style to help others overcome adversity and spark the possibilities of their lives.

Read on for more about Janna and her new book!

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Book Blast: The Underlighters

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Michelle Browne’s new novel, The Underlighters will be released on August 30th, 2013. Here’s a little teaser about this thrilling new horror tale.

Nightmares are bleeding into her waking world. Children are going missing. To save them, she must overcome her wreck of a personal life and a closet full of skeletons. She doesn’t know if the horrors in the shadows are real…or if she is going mad.

18-year-old Janelle Cohen is an electrician in an underground city. The world above has been swallowed by mind-destroying Dust. Her small life changes forever when a dragon attacks her on the way home from work.

Her friends worry that she has the Fever, Dust-induced insanity. As more monsters strike down citizens, they change their minds. A terrifying trip to the surface of the world, the ancient and abandoned Up, deepens the nightmare. With no world left above, she and the other Crows cannot afford to fail…

Janelle’s world is about to get very, very dark. Are you ready? On August 30th, nightmares are going to become a little too real for comfort.

In honor of her new release, Michelle is holding a giveaway. Be sure to check it out!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Advance praise for The Underlighters

5 stars: “…You will be rewarded with a dive into the depths of imagination that may leave you questioning, breathless and inspired.” –www.TracingTheStars.com

5 stars: “… Engaging, ground breaking prose that is not afraid to test the reader’s boundaries. “—Sara Celi

5 stars: “…A wonderful read that is full of life, nightmares, fear, and dreams.” –Casey Peeler

Everville: City of Worms

Roy Huff has released the second book in the popular Everville series, Everville: City of Worms. And to celebrate, Roy has two awesome events going on. First up, Everville: The First Pillar will be free to download for your Kindle! Yep! From August 25 to August 29, you can get the first book for FREE. And he’s running a ten day sale  starting the same day – today! – You can get Everville: City of Worms for only 99 cents in honor of its debut launch.

Roy is also doing giveaways, which you can find out about here.

Let’s find out more about these awesome books!

Everville: The City of Worms

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College freshman Owen Sage has just started to understand the darkness that has tried to overtake Everville and the earthly realm. With the help of The Keeper and the Fron army, Owen has managed to buy some time, but new problems have already emerged, new secrets need to be revealed, and the race against time to stop Them from conquering both dimensions has only just begun. The Keeper, Owen Sage, and his friends at Easton Falls University must now battle threats from within. To do it, they must reunite with familiar creatures and join forces with new ones as they navigate their journey to the truth that awaits them in Everville.

You can buy the Kindle version of Everville: The City of Worms for $0.99 at Amazon.

 

 Everville: The First Pillar

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Owen Sage is the emblematic college freshman at Easton Falls University. With all the worries about his first year in college, he was not prepared for what would happen next. His way of life was flipped upside down when he mysteriously crossed into another dimension, into the beautiful land of Everville. His excitement was abruptly halted when he discovered that there was a darkness forged against both the natural world, which he knew well, and the new land which he discovered, Everville. He must devise a plan to save both worlds while joining forces with the race of Fron and The Keepers, whom both harbor hidden secrets he must learn in order to gain power over the evil that dwells in The Other In Between. With a race against time to save both worlds, his short time at Easton Falls did not quite prepare him for the evil, dark forces he must fight in order to conquer The Other In Between.

 

You can download Everville: The First Pillar for free from Amazon through August 29th, 2013.

Want to find out more about Roy? You can follow him and get all his news at his website.

In the Spotlight – Christopher Shields

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Today I’m joined by Christopher Shields, author of the Weald Fae Journal, a wonderful Young Adult Fantasy series. I recently finished The Steward, the first book of the series and loved it! I can’t wait to read the next book, The Changeling. I’m lucky to count Chris as a friend. I mean he has dogs, so what’s not to like, right? Let’s find out more about this talented writer.

 About Christopher Shields

Christopher Shields lives in Northwest Arkansas with his family and three dogs. Following what he considers to be his calling, he is a professor of criminal justice at the University of Arkansas, in Fayetteville. He loves working with students during the day and writing at night. Chris also enjoys spending time with his circle of close friends, playing his sax, and indulging his life-long passion for the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Read on for more about Chris and his series!

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Trade the Day Charity Blog-a-thon

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“24 hours, 23 guest authors, 1 book, 1 goal…a cure.”

The Trade the Day Charity Blog-a-thon Event is here! Gross profits of all sales of The Trade by Colby Marshall made in the 24 hours from 12 AM August 23, 2013 to 12 AM August 24, 2013 will go to benefit Team Alaina and the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.

Be sure to pick up your copy of The Trade and support this great cause.

I’ve donated a signed copy of Relics to be given away during this event. And there are many other prizes, so be sure to check out this fun and worthy event!

Please join the authors at Colby’s Website to win giveaways, read awesome guest posts and much more.

In the Spotlight – Ceri London

Ceri LondonI always love finding new authors in the sci fi/fantasy genre and I’m quite excited about Ceri London’s new book, Shimmer in the Dark: Rogue Genesis. I met Ceri through a writers’ group I belong to and I’m happy to spotlight her and her debut novel today.

About Ceri London

Ceri London is married, a mother to two daughters, and lives in Sussex, UK. A piano tutor following a career in IT project management, she loves writing in her spare time. Shimmer in the Dark: Rogue Genesis is her debut science-fiction/fantasy novel.

Read on for more about Ceri and her new novel!

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