My appearance on the Catholic Geek Radio podcast

On this sombre day, I will briefly mention my appearance on the Catholic Geek Radio podcast, where we briefly discuss this sad anniversary before moving on to lighter topics, such as superversive fiction, my background as a writer and the hope and beauty I try to capture in my work. The interview was recorded three days ago and will be available to listen to at 7pm EST today. There was one subject in the interview that I glossed over, and subsequently realised was worth covering in some depth, so I will follow up with a blog post on that in the next few days.

Once it goes live, the interview will be available here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/webuiltthatnetwork/2016/09/11/the-catholic-geek-poetry-and-superversive-sf-with-ben-zwycky

 

Where does the wonder come from?

wedding2It is my fifteenth wedding anniversary today, here is this year’s poem:

Where does the wonder come from?

Where does the wonder come from
That fills me as I think of you?
The privilege I have to share your life,
And know you love to share mine, too?

What can I be, what can I see
And share with you to lift your soul?
What can I learn, how can I grow,
And through your pain with love console?

What does our Lord require of us,
We two upon a path for one?
To unify our hearts and toils;
To calmly rest, with glee to run,

With overflowing joy take flight
And soar up to the healing light
That guides us through the passing night
Aflame with glory, clothed in might.

In daily troubles, trials and tears
Through precious days, weeks, months and years,
Cling to Him and thus together
Bind by an unbreaking tether.

United we can go and face
All challenges along the race
To win the great eternal prize
That He has set before our eyes.

Dragon Award Winners!

The Dragon awards were handed out yesterday, with the following winners in each category:

Best Science Fiction Novel

Somewhither: A Tale of the Unwithering Realm by John C. Wright

 

Best Fantasy Novel

Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia

 

Best Young Adult/Middle Grade Novel

The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett

 

Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel

Hell’s Foundations Quiver by David Weber

 

Best Alternate History Novel

League of Dragons by Naomi Novak

 

Best Apocalyptic Novel

Ctrl Alt Revolt! by Nick Cole

 

Best Horror Novel

Souldancer by Brian Niemeier

 

Best Comic Book

Ms. Marvel

 

Best Graphic Novel

The Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman

 

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series

Game of Thrones – HBO

 

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie

The Martian

 

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC/Console Game

Fallout 4 by Bethesda Softworks

 

Best Science Fiction of Fantasy Mobile Game

Fallout Shelter by Bethesda Softworks

 

Best Science Fiction of Fantasy Board Game

Pandemic: Legacy by ZMan Games

 

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures/Collectible Card/Role Playing Game

Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game (7th edition) by Chaosium Inc.

 

I’m glad to see four of my six picks won (all of whom I have had the honour of either chatting with online or meeting in person this year) and my congratulations go out to all of the winners, well deserved and may you all get a substantial boost in sales as a result.

More Reviewer Praise for Beyond the Mist and Nobility Among Us!

Dragon-award-nominee Marina Fontaine, up high in the echelons of the Conservative Libertarian Fiction Alliance, had some very kind words to say about both of my novels, highly recommending both and mentioning them in the same breath as the works of the great masters C.S. Lewis and John C. Wright.

To say I am flattered to be mentioned in this way would be a great understatement, it was Lewis who first fired my literary imagination, whose works I have read more of than any other author, and it was his type of literature that I was consciously trying to hark back to when I wrote Nobility Among Us. John C. Wright is of course a major influence in Beyond the Mist, the plot being based on some of his philosophical essays, among other things.

You can read for yourself what she had to say over here:

http://marinafontaine.blogspot.cz/2016/08/book-review-two-for-one-ben-zwyckys.html

The 99 cent deal on both books (and on Selected Verse: Heroes and Wonders) is still running for another day and a half, so take the opportunity to take a look for yourself for less.

Matt_BTM_Who_Am_I_Poster

Beyond the Mistall cover_f1_v13_frontsmallSelected Verse - Heroes and Wonders

Selected Verse - Faith and Family

All My Books for $0.99 Each (again!)

Another multi-parallel kindle countdown deal means that all of my books are now available at amazon for only 99 cents each until the end of the month. Grab them while you can!

Beyond the Mistall cover_f1_v13_frontsmallSelected Verse - Heroes and Wonders

Selected Verse - Faith and Family

 

 

 

 

 

Go out into the webiverse and spread the word! I do not send you out on this great task unarmed, however. Here are a selection of mighty memetic weapons with quotes from my two novels to aid you in your quest. Behold their majesty and choose your rhetorical blades!
BTM_fallig_flying_meme BTM_importance_meme
NAU Commoner to King MemeNAU-janitor-general-memeNAU soldiers in hills meme

Fly, my pretties, spread widely and infect as many minds as possible with these noble thoughts, Muahahaha!

*ahem*

Why yes, I was sleep-deprived while writing this, why do you ask?

*EDIT* I’ve replaced one of my paltry efforts with a much more awesome version produced by Matt Margolis.

 

Nobility Among Us in the August CLFA Book Bomb!

CLFA_BookBomb_graphic

The Conservative Libertarian Fiction Alliance is running another book bomb for twenty books today and tomorrow (22nd and 23rd July 2016). Nobility Among Us is on the list, as well as the second of L.J. Lamplighter’s excellent Rachel Griffin series.

A book bomb works by lots of people going on amazon and buying the same book on the same day, which boost’s the book’s rankings in amazon’s algorithms and makes it more visible to potential new readers. The author also gets paid for his work, as it should be. If you already have one of these books, please leave a review on Amazon (even if you don’t have much to say or someone else has already said similar things), as that also helps to boost that book’s visibility in amazon’s recommendations algorithm. If you’ve already done both of those, please tell your friends about this event in any way you can, on your blog, on twitter or facebook or any online community you are part of. (Please do that even if you haven’t bought it yet, spread the word as widely as possible!)

Let’s give these authors a boost! Click on the book picture to read more and buy:

  Freedom/Hate by Kyle Andrews
Everything they say on the news is a lie. To question that lie is a crime.

  A Pius Man: A Holy Thriller by Declan Finn
Sometimes, history can be murder.

  Reservations by Richard Paolinelli
Death stalks the Reservation.

   Farside by Patrick Chiles
A missing spacecraft, a cryptic message, and a fearsome secret hiding in plain sight.

  The Raven, the Elf, and Rachel (A Book of Unexpected Enlightenment 2) by L. Jagi Lamplighter
Before coming to Roanoke Academy, Rachel Griffin had been an obedient girl—but it’s hard to obey the rules when the world is in danger and no one will listen.

  American Warfighter: Brotherhood, Survival, and Uncommon Valor in Iraq, 2003-2011 by J. Pepper Bryars
The untold acts of valor by some of America’s most highly decorated combat veterans, the brotherhood they shared, and the fighting spirit that kept them alive through the war’s darkest hours.

  From Roundheel to Revolutionary by Jeff Daiell
Can Linda truly put aside her past? Or is she to be forever damned by it?

  Night Machines by Kia Heavey
It’s not really cheating if it’s only a fantasy … right?

  Decisively Engaged (Warp Marine Corps Book 1) by C.J. Carella
They picked a fight with the wrong species.

  Not by Sight by Ken Prescott
Cut off from his chain of command and hunted by a fanatical East German State Security officer with his own agenda, Sandoval must call on all of his skill and risk everything in order to survive and succeed.

  Operation Renfield by Steven G. Johnson
It’s the fourth year of World War II, and both sides are using every trick in the book, dirty, demonic and otherwise.

  Nobility Among Us by Bem Zwycky
A noble family’s quiet revolution against a crumbling hierarchy of tyrants.

  Cruncher and the Ghost by Robert Bruce O’Connor
A story so scary you’ll wet your pants laughing.

  Renegades: Origins by Kal Spriggs
A group of misfits, including aliens, psychics, mercenaries, and a rogue assassin, struggle to escape an alien prison where survival is measured in hours.

  Shut Up! The Bizarre War that One Public Library Waged Against the First Amendment by Megan Fox and Kevin DuJan
Non-fiction: An unlikely duo goes up against town hall and the ALA when they discover lewd goings-on in their local public library.

  The Hidden Truth: A Science Fiction Techno-Thriller by Hans G. Schantz
They subverted science, rewrote history, and corrupted society. Now he knows. And he’ll prove it, if they don’t kill him first.

  Levon’s Trade by Chuck Dixon
Levon’s trade is death.

  A Sea of Troubles by R. Dyne
A short science fiction story about growing up, guns, and the gravity of the situation.

  Hard Bite by Anonymous-9
A paraplegic serial killer whose daughter was killed in Los Angeles by a hit-and-run driver now targets the guilty for murder with the help of a pet monkey.

  On Different Strings: A Musical Romance by Nitay Arbel
Penniless Texan guitar goddess teaches British engineering professor. Hearts beat in harmony. The world has other ideas.

Dragon Award Nominees!

Dragon_Logo_no_backgroundSmallThe final list of nominees for the Dragon Awards has been announced. I did not have any works that were eligible for an award (Nobility Among Us was published too early, Beyond the Mist was published 4 days too late for this year’s Hugo Awards, and was too short for the Dragon Awards, but will be eligible for next year’s Hugo Awards, for whatever that’s worth). Several of my friends, fellow SuperversiveSF contributors and one of our guests have been nominated, so my congratulations go out to them and all other nominees. Registration to vote is free and open to all, so this is truly an award for fans by fans, go over to http://awards.dragoncon.org/ to register and have your voice heard!

The full list of nominees is as follows:

  1. Best Science Fiction Novel

The Life Engineered by J-F Dubeau
Somewhither: A Tale of the Unwitheriing Realm by John C. Wright
Raising Caine by Charles E. Gannon
Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson
Agent of the Imperium by Marc Miller
Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie

  1. Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)

Grave Measures by R.R. Virdi
Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Blood Hound by James Osiris Baldwin
Changeling’s Island by Dave Freer
The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher
Asteroid Made of Dragons by G. Derek Adams

 

  1. Best Young Adult / Middle Grade Novel

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Updraft by Fran Wilde
The Shepherd’s Crown by Terry Pratchett
Changeling’s Island by Dave Freer
Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley
Trix and the Faerie Queen by Alethea Kontis
Calamity by Brandon Sanderson

 

  1. Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel

Blood in the Water by Taylor Anderson
The Price of Valor by Django Wexler
The End of All Things by John Scalzi
Wrath of an Angry God: A Military Space Opera by Gibson Michaels
Hell’s Foundations Quiver by David Weber
Allies and Enemies: Fallen by Amy J. Murphy
Chains of Command by Marko Kloos

 

  1. Best Alternate History Novel

Germanica by Robert Conroy
Deadlands: Ghostwalkers by Jonathan Maberry
Bombs Away: The Hot War by Harry Turtledove
1636: The Cardinal Virtues by Eric Flint & Walter H. Hunt
League of Dragons by Naomi Novik
1635: A Parcel of Rogues by Eric Flint & Andrew Dennis

 

  1. Best Apocalyptic Novel

Chasing Freedom by Marina Fontaine
The Desert and the Blade by S.M. Stirling
Ctrl Alt Revolt! by Nick Cole
Dark Age by Felix O. Hartmann
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
A Time to Die by Mark Wandrey

 

  1. Best Horror Novel

Souldancer by Brian Niemeier
An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel
Alice by Christina Henry
Chapelwood by Cherie Priest
Honor at Stake by Declan Finn
Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay

 

  1. Best Comic Book

Civil War II
Providence
DC Universe: Rebirth
Daredevil
Ms. Marvel
Saga
Astro City

 

  1. Best Graphic Novel

The Sandman: Overture by Neil Gaiman
Chicago by Glenn Head
Sacred Heart by Liz Suburbia
March: Book Two by John Lewis & Andrew Aydin
Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine
Virgil by Steve Orlando

 

  1. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series

Daredevil – Netflix
Doctor Who – BBC
Game of Thrones – HBO
Outlander – Starz
The Flash – CW
Jessica Jones – Netflix
The Expanse – Syfy

  1. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie

Ant-Man
Captain America: Civil War
Crimson Peak
The Martian
Deadpool
Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens

 

  1. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game

Overwatch by Blizzard Entertainment
Darkest Dungeon by Red Hook Studios
Metal Gear Solid V by Konami Digital Entertainment
Fallout 4 by Bethesda Softworks
XCOM 2 by 2k Games
Undertale by Toby Fox

 

  1. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game

Hyper Burner by Patrick Cook
Fallout Shelter by Bethesda Softworks
PewDiePie: Legend of the Brofist by Outerminds Inc.
Quaser One by Emre Taskin
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes by Electronic Arts

 

  1. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game

Codenames by Vlaada Chvatil
Blood Rage by Cool Mini or Not
Monopoly: CTHULHU by USAopoly
Star Wars: Rebellion by Fantasy Flight Games
Pandemic: Legacy by ZMan Games
Talon by GMT Games

 

  1. Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / Role-Playing Game

Magic the Gathering: Shadows over Innistrad by Wizards of the Coast
Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls by Flying Buffalo
Call of Cthulhu Roleplaying Game (7th Edition) by Chaosium Inc.
Star Wars: Armada by Fantasy Flight Games
Magic the Gathering: Battle of Zendikar by Wizards of the Coast
Mousguard 2nd Edition by David Petersen & Luke Crane

 

My personal picks are

Somewhither by John C. Wright for best science fiction novel,

Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia for best fantasy novel

Ctrl Alt Revolt! by Nick Cole for best apocalyptic novel

Souldancer by Brian Niemeier for best horror novel

Daredevil – Netflix for best science fiction or fantasy TV series

and Captain America: Civil War for best science fiction or fantasy movie

(those are the categories in which I was able to make an informed choice, and are just my opinions, feel free to vote otherwise)

 

 

 

Upcoming SuperversiveSF Livestream and Other News

After a long break, there is going to be a SuperversiveSF Livestream tomorrow starting at 12 noon EST, on the subject of comic books.

Connected to this, there was a recent call for artists over here for a project that the SuperversiveSF team is working on together with others. I am one of the writers with a comic story in the pipeline, I will give more details on that once the project is nearing release, though there might be some discussion of the subject during tomorrow’s Livestream.

In other news, The Beast from Selected Verse: Heroes and Wonders has been accepted for publication in an anthology of Arthurian stories and poems, though I don’t yet know its release date. I will be sure to announce that once more details are available.

Conservative Libertarian Fiction Alliance Book Bomb!

CLFA_BookBomb_graphic

The Conservative Libertarian Fiction Alliance is running a book bomb for twenty books today and tomorrow (18th and 19th Jul7 2016). Beyond the Mist is one, and two other members of the Superversive Literary movement also feature. A book bomb works by lots of people going on amazon and buying the same book on the same day, which boost’s the book’s rankings in amazon’s algorithms and makes it more visible to potential new readers. The author also gets paid for his work, as it should be. If you already have one of these books, please leave a review on Amazon (even if you don’t have much to say or someone else has already said similar things), as that also helps to boost that book’s visibility in amazon’s recommendations algorithm. If you’ve already done both of those, please tell your friends about this event in any way you can, on your blog, on twitter or facebook or any online community you are part of. (Please do that even if you haven’t bought it yet, spread the word as widely as possible!)

Let’s give these authors a boost! Click on the book picture to read more and buy:

  The Notice (Storms of Transformation series book 2)* by Daniella Bova
A young Catholic couple’s family is ripped apart as their unborn child becomes a target in transformed America.

  Honor at Stake (Love at First Bite book 1)* by Declan Finn
One’s a bloodthirsty monster, the other is a vampire.
Welcome to New York City, where Vampires Burn.

  Chasing Freedom by Marina Fontaine
Geeks and outcasts fight an oppressive regime in near-future America.

  Iron Chamber of Memory by John C. Wright
On an island time has forgotten, a man remembers a lost love, a lost soul, and an eternal evil.

  The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin by L. Jagi Lamplighter Wright
Fringe meets Narnia at Hogwarts.

  Her Brother’s Keeper* by Mike Kupari
Military Scifi

 By the Hands of Men, Book One: The Old World by Roy M. Griffis
The first book in the “By the Hands of Men” historical fiction series, an epic globe-spanning saga of love, honor, and redemption.

  The Gods Defense (Laws of Magic book 1) by Amie Gibbons
In a world where the gods and magic have returned, enforcing justice just got a lot more hazardous!

  Portals of Infinity: Kaiju by John Van Stry
Fantasy–Myths & Legends

  Beyond the Mist (The Chara Series book 1) by Ben Zwycky
A man with nothing – no memories, resources, or even solid ground to stand on – rediscovers life, civilization, and himself (with a foreword by John C. Wright).

  Echo of the High Kings (The Eoriel Saga book 1) by Kal Spriggs
In a world of vengeful spirits and dark gods, a handful stand against the darkness.

  On Different Strings: A Musical Romance by Nitay Arbel
Penniless Texan guitar goddess teaches British engineering professor. Hearts beat in harmony. The world has other ideas.

  Fight for Liberty: Book Three in the Liberty Trilogy by Theresa Linden
YA Dystopia

  Van Ripplewink: You Can’t Go Home Again by Paul Clayton
Literary YA mashup

  Amy Lynn: The Lady of Castle Dunn (Amy Lynn book 3)* by Jack July
Americana action thriller

  The Worst President in History: The Legacy of Barack Obama by Matt Margolis and Mark Noonan
Non fiction: politics

  The Devil’s Dictum* by Frederick Heimbach
Alternate history satire

  The Good Fight by Justin Robinson
Toronto is a crowded place. Plenty of eyes and ears all around. Plenty of chances to be overheard. Be careful what you say…

  The Violet Crow: A Bruno X. Psychic Detective Mystery* by Michael Sheldon
Psychic detective Bruno X fights crime in the Philly suburbs using kabbalah and recycled borsht belt routines.