Michael G. Munz

The official website of Seattle sci-fi/fantasy author and geek Michael G. Munz

Archives for 2014

Harrison Ford and the Temple of Photoshop

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And now, for a change, some news NOT related to Zeus Is Dead!

As you’ve probably heard by now, Harrison Ford injured his ankle on the set of Star Wars VII. Apparently a Millennium Falcon door took a swing at him. (My guess is the ship is still sore at him for passing her off to Lando and nearly getting her killed.) Fortunately, indications are that he’s in good spirits and recovering well.

Therefore, why not have a little Photoshop-related fun as a get-well exercise? (Or, alternately, to have some good-natured fun at his expense?) I spotted this image online (someone had Photoshopped a different message) and decided to run with it.

So, without further ado…

Ford1 [Read more…]

Movie Review: Edge of Tomorrow

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Starcraft meets Groundhog Day
(Or maybe that should be Mass Effect meets Groundhog Day. Or possibly both. Just so long as Groundhog Day is in there somewhere.)
"We're Commander Shepard, and this is our favorite movie on the Citadel!"

“We’re Commander Shepard, and this is our favorite movie on the Citadel!”

Edge of Tomorrow is, hands down, THE best video game movie ever. And just to be clear that I don’t mean to damn it with faint praise, it’s also one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. Possibly even this decade. It’s excellent science fiction.

No, it’s not actually an adaptation of any video game franchise, but Tom Cruise’s William Cage is, in at least the metaphorical sense (and maybe more), living a video game, save-scumming his way to victory: Try something, get killed, play again and learn from your mistakes to get a little further. Make no mistake, this isn’t some simple, novice-level, 2-hour single-player campaign from next fall. Cage has found himself locked into a “Nintendo-hard” level repeated ass-kicking with only a single save point: The very beginning.

Except now that I think about it, this is actually from the pre-Savegame Era. Cage is working through the original Super Mario Brothers here. Except with high-powered explosive weaponry. And aliens. [Read more…]

Wanted: Zeus Is Dead Launch Team Members!

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Zeus Is Dead cover

Help me get the word out and get to read the book before anyone else (except for, ya know, my publisher, and the editor, and my parents, sister, a few trusted friends)!

NOTE: The Launch Team is now full and closed. Thanks to everyone who responded!
You can still read Chapter One online, and get access to Chapter Two by subscribing to the mailing list!

As I’m sure many of you already know (and, really, how is it you could be on my blog and NOT know?), my upcoming novel — a comedic contemporary fantasy titled Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure — will be released on July 21st. I am looking for people who are interested in being a part of an exclusive social marketing team dedicated to providing feedback and helping spread the word about Zeus Is Dead.  Your feedback is invaluable and I’m hoping you’re interested in joining the team.

“A hilarious mythological tale of god-like proportions. Munz has crafted a tale of bizarro comic fantasy that sits comfortably among the ilk of Gaiman and Pratchett.” —Andrew Buckley, author of Death, the Devil, and the Goldfish

[Read more…]

Early Praise for Zeus Is Dead!

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Warning: This post may contain bragging and/or excitement and/or near-insufferable pride.

The advance reviews are in! Have a look at what these published authors have to say about Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure!

“Zeus Is Dead is full of laugh-out-loud moments, lashings of sly wit, moan-worthy puns, and a complex, fast-paced storyline. There aren’t very many humorous fantasy murder mysteries out there, especially not as intricately constructed as this one. Michael G. Munz takes a ’What if,’ and runs with it like a toddler with Mom’s smart phone. He evokes a pantheon of characters including, well, the actual Pantheon, plus modern characters who will ring the bell of familiarity without being trite or clichéd. Munz knows his craft as well as his Greek mythology, pop culture, and dysfunctional family dynamics. The guffaw-worthy throwaway bits (stay tuned for the battle sundae) will remind you of Douglas Adams. A very enjoyable read.”

—Jody Lynn Nye, author of View from the Imperium and co-author of the Myth Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve

[Read more…]

Presenting Chapter One of Zeus Is Dead!

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Presenting Chapter One of Zeus Is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure!

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zues_cv_sm

Grab it now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and elsewhere!

“The question of who killed Zeus is unimportant. Trouble neither us nor yourselves further with this. It is only for you to know that the gods of Olympus have returned.”

“’Cept I’d also add that it was me. Next question?”
                      —Hera and Ares (live press conference, June 18, 2009)

“Though none of them ever went into details publicly, it seems clear that the Olympian gods’ return was sparked by whatever happened to Zeus.”
                      —excerpt from The Gods Are Back and How It Affects Your 401(k)

Zeus watched his child stumble through a rain-drenched wilderness, the victim of a mudslide that had lamed an ankle and snatched a pack containing food, water, and a spectacularly nifty smartphone. The child winced with every step back to the trail, but did not stop. The king of the gods swelled with pride at his offspring’s courage even as his immortal heart broke: no aid could he ever give.

Long ago, it would have been simple for him to help. He could have stopped the rain, ordered Artemis to lead the child to safety, or even dispatched a full squadron of rescue helicopters. (Okay, so helicopters weren’t an option 3,000 years ago—save once, and that was a very special case—but he had used the other options a dozen times over.) Now, he could not risk even dropping a granola bar into the child’s pocket as encouragement. [Read more…]