This year we’re fully clued in on what Black Friday is and we’re completely prepared…
No, that’s a lie. We still have no clue what that is. Something about Thanksgiving? We give no thanks around here, so, insert shrug.
But, we know you like deals around this time of year, and who are we to judge?
We’ve discounted titles across the board on all retailers, not just Amazon, so feel free to browse around and see what you like.
Some short stories are free for a limited time (on non-Amazon stores), and the longer works are either 0.99 or 2.99 on all stores. Deals run from Nov 20th to 27th.
Watcher’s Web is an exciting survival story set in an alien wilderness.
She is lost on an alien planet. He said he’d help her get home. He lied.
Jessica’s plane develops engine trouble over the dry Australian inland—and crashes in thick, unfamiliar rainforest.
A group she thinks is a search party shows up, but it consists of large-eyed not-quite people who kill all survivors except Jessica and a long-haired hippie named Brian.
No one is going to come to rescue her. In fact, they’re not even on Earth.
While the pair wrestle their way through the forest in search for help, Jessica becomes ever more suspicious of Brian. Why does he know so much about the world where they have ended up? Why is he so insistent on helping her?
Jessica has always been able to use her mind to tell animals what to do and now she’s hearing voices in her head. Another man is pleading her not to listen to Brian. Except this man can kill someone with a single look, and he uses his mental powers to order people around.
In this utterly strange and dangerous world where people seem to want something from her, who can she trust?
A gritty survival story in the vein of The Hunger Games, set in a Star Wars locality.
The rich and powerful tapestry of world building captures the imagination and just doesn’t let go. The characters are full of life and complexity. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is easy to identify with the peoples and through suspension of disbelief, this world was very real, as are the struggles being faced. Love books that make me think about what I would or wouldn’t do in that situation. Great strong female lead.
Hollywood, are you listening? This story should be made into a movie! Avatar, move over. There’s a new kid on the block! This story is well written and the characters have plenty of depth. The story flows from one page to the next, from one chapter to the next. It keeps you on the edge of your seat from page one til the end.
We are sometimes taken aback by people’s reaction to fiction. A fanbase reaction to a shift in their favourite series, a fan boycott of a new version they don’t approve.
The Greek word for entertainment is psychagogia, which is different from the word for plain “fun.” Psychagogia means leading the soul. The ancient Greeks meant “the mind” when talking about the soul. So simply put, food for the mind.
Just like people have the right to object to a restaurant when their food is trash, they have the same right to demand good entertainment, food for their mind.
When you think of it like that, it’s easy to see why people get so upset about their favourite fiction. Comic book fans (it’s not canon!), book fans (they ruined it!), movie fans (he can’t top Tobey Maquire for Spiderman!) have sometimes insane reactions to changes. I have found myself saying “It’s just a movie, chill out,” and I think we all have at some point. But then we all see something rebooted and regritted and we say, “No! Ghostbusters can’t be women! They’ve ruined it now.”
But we are wrong. And we are right as well.
Sure, over-the-top fans should sometimes get a life. And book fans can go shut their eyes and ears and go “Lalala” to avoid the movie version. The rest are simply voicing their opinion, and they have a right to an opinion about the mind-food they consume.
The kind of fiction we consume changes a bit about ourselves. Yes, you can scoff at someone if he enjoys something you don’t approve of, but only in relation to you. You can’t say, “he’s stupid for liking that action movie,” but you can say, “if all that he likes are dumb action movies then no, I can’t hang around with that person anymore.”
There’s a difference, and keep an open mind for guilty pleasures. There are women who like testosterone-filled chauvinistic action hero flicks and men who enjoy a deep emotional movie every now and then.
When I talk to people about movies, I tell them something that I thought was an unpopular opinion. I say, “I don’t enjoy those car chases, they are boring. I even skip ahead when I’m on the computer.” And to my surprise, they usually reply with, “Yes! I hate them too.”
Now, if people are really saying the truth about that, then what are the car-chase scenes for? For what audience? Hollywood throws millions and millions in dangerous and expensive car chases, but for whom? I’m not talking about the Fast and the Furious franchise, that was their whole point. But the rest, I believe, have them just because someone thinks they sell better.
They simply want you, me, us, to go and spend our money on that movie.