Michael G. Munz

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

Murdering Zeus for Fun and Prophet to be published!

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(Note: Murdering Zeus for Fun and Prophet was the working title. The book will be published under the name Zeus is Dead: A Monstrously Inconvenient Adventure.)

So it’s happened.

Big news.

Epic, one might even say.

That’s right, the Seahawks actually won the Superbowl! Er, wait, that’s not it. (I mean, they DID win, but that’s not the news.) Sorry, it’s early Saturday and I haven’t yet finished my coffee. One sec.

*gulps*

Okay! So, the actual news: Seattle publisher Booktrope will be publishing my comedic fantasy novel, currently titled Murdering Zeus for Fun and Prophet!!!!

It would be accurate to say that I’m a wee bit excited about this. Yes, I do have two sci-fi novels out there right now as ebooks, but Murdering Zeus will be my first non-self published novel and will be published in both paper and electronic formats. Don’t get me wrong, self-publishing can be a great way to go–there are a great many fantastic self-published authors out there–but it’s long been a goal of mine to get a publisher interested enough in a novel I’ve written to say, “Hey, this is great! Let us put it out there!” If you’ll permit me a little pride, it’s an incredible feeling.

“That’s great, Mike, really. But quit blubbering and tell us what the novel’s about, huh?”

Impatient folk, aren’t you?

Murdering Zeus for Fun and Prophet is a comedic contemporary fantasy set in a version of our world where reality TV heroes slay actual monsters and the Greek gods have their own casinos, media empires, and Twitter feeds.

Yet the gods have only recently returned to our world. You see, Zeus (king of the Greek/Olympian gods, for those not in the know) ordered the Olympian gods to go into hiding 3,000 years ago. Everyone knows that you don’t argue with Zeus unless you want a lightning bolt where the sun don’t shine. Yet it seems that wasn’t enough to stop someone from assassinating him nine months ago, and with Zeus dead, his order fell by the wayside. The Olympians are back! (Except, obviously, for Zeus.) And if you thought mortal celebrities had big egos, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

This is not to say that killing an immortal is commonplace in this story; it’s got the entire pantheon quite consternated. Someone out there can KILL them? As in dead? Forever? Heck, even the Titans only got locked up in Tartarus after the Olympian gods overthrew them, and those bastards were dangerous! It’s got them so disturbed that they’ve all decided en masse to just, well, kind of ignore the question of exactly who ganked him. Why poke about in matters that might get them killed, too? Besides, now they can strut their stuff openly among the mortals again, and who doesn’t love attention?

I won’t go into too many details about the actual plot just yet, but I will say that I had a blast writing this book. I got to throw the full force of my sense of humor into the voice (my sci-fi novels are obviously more serious), and I’ve always been fascinated with Greek mythology. I can’t wait to share this book with all of you.

I don’t yet know quite when it will come out, but sometime in 2014, certainly. Booktrope is a new publisher (but so far quite successful–they’ve been written up in Forbes), working on a different publishing model to adapt to the evolution of the publishing industry. That means a shorter time to publication than the year or more that older publishers can take. But we’ve still got to do some editing, cover design, layout, etc. I’m excited to get going on it all, and I look forward to being able to show you the cover once it’s available.

In the meantime, why not follow one of the book’s characters on Twitter? Thalia is one of the nine Muses, and responsible for musing comedy, poems about farming, and science fiction. Yes, science fiction. What, did you think the Muses just ignored the modern genres?

I leave you now with a quote from Thalia, who tends to babble. A lot:

“I’m not Artemis here, you know! I can only talk to animals, I don’t have some special stupid slavery-power over them! You think training a cat is bad, try getting a bird to do what you want it to do! There’s a reason ‘flighty’ means what it means! And for that matter, we’re dealing with jewelry here! Birds do not like carrying jewelry for anyone! Tolkien understood that; why can’t you? Stay here!”

Keep an eye out on this blog, my Twitter feed, or my Facebook page for more info on Murdering Zeus for Fun and Prophet! Further bulletins as events warrant. (3/13/14 edit: Like this one and this one about the origins and writing of the book…)

A Memory in the Black coming to B&N, Kobi, and iTunes…

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Well, A Memory in the Black was released on Amazon in late August, and ever since I’ve had people asking when it’s going to be available elsewhere. The wait is nearly over. Beginning February 17th you’ll be able to get copies of A Memory in the Black from non-Amazon retailers including Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Smashwords!

Expect to see it appear on Smashwords first (in fact, there’s already a pre-order option). It should trickle into other retailers soon afterward. In the meantime, of course, it’s still there at Amazon!

Oh, and I’ll have some even more excellent news on the writing front coming very, very soon… Epic things are afoot, people…

Excerpt: A Dragon at the Gate

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Happy New Year! New Year’s Day finds me working on A Dragon at the Gate (Book Three of the New Aeneid Cycle, if you’re new around here). Unfortunately, it finds me just a little sluggish with the whole stringing words together part, so while I wait to regain my writer’s perspicacity, I’ve decided to give a little glimpse into some of what’s written so far.

Obviously this is still a rough draft, but I figure it’s a good teaser. Obviously again, this has some spoilers. There’s nothing major, but it does at least tell you some of whom has survived the first two books, and a hint of something that’s going on in the early parts of book three. Continue at your own discretion… [Read more…]

December 20th Writing Update + Tip

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So I haven’t done any sort of post on writing lately. The good news is that this is mainly due to the fact that I’ve been too busy with actual writing. I’m seven chapters in to the rough draft of A Dragon at the Gate (possibly eight, depending on how I break it up). Things were moving along pretty well there for a while, but then I hit a snag. [Read more…]

Book Review: On the Matter of the Red Hand

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A few days ago I read a novella by J.M. Guillen called The Herald of Autumn. Below is the review I’ve posted on Amazon and Goodreads…

On the Matter of the Red Hand (Judicar's Oath)On the Matter of the Red Hand by J.M. Guillen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked up On the Matter of the Red Hand immediately (and I do mean immediately) after loving another novella by J.M. Guillen called The Herald of Autumn. I was not disappointed.

The novella, written in first person, is narrated by Thom, a detective known as a judicar. Guided by an alchemical serum that gives prophetic visions and waking nightmares, Thom must inject himself into the search for the sister of a dangerous guild master, knowing that he may not emerge alive.

The novella is as much about Thom’s investigation as it is about Thom himself. Time is taken to show the man behind the badge (or the stave, in his case); his thoughts, his means for dealing with the burdens of his position, and his inner conflict with the serum that both aids him and disturbs him. Guillen’s portrayal has a distinctive voice that I found very enjoyable.

The novella paints an intriguing pre-industrial setting filled with alchemy, guilds, and danger. One of the details I enjoyed most about this book was the concept of each judicar having as a partner a trained raven. Guillen hints at a richer background in his setting (such as a rare firearm that seems to be a product of the setting’s past). I wanted to know more.

In fact, wanting more is the main reason I nearly rated this book 4 stars instead of 5; the end left something unresolved that I wanted to know more of. I came to discover that the novella is intended to lead into a larger series, which I’m certainly looking forward to. My only complaint here would be that Thom himself seems to sense that it was time for the novella to end, as he finds a greater sense of closure in certain events than I would have in the same situation. If Goodreads allowed me to rate it 4.5 stars, I would, but as that’s not possible, I’m rounding up.

I look forward to more.

View all my reviews

Book Review: Floats the Dark Shadow

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I just finished reading Yves Fey’s historical mystery, Floats the Dark Shadow. Below is my review, a version of which I posted on both Amazon and Goodreads…

Floats the Dark Shadow by Yves Fey

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars (see below)

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit Paris twice in the last few years. Reading Yves Fey’s Floats the Dark Shadow made me feel as if I were visiting it a third time. Fey has a flair for description, painting such Parisian locales as Montmarte, Notre Dame, and the Paris Catacombs in such a way as to transport the reader.

Someone is stealing children from the Parisian streets. Most vanish entirely. Those few that are found are brutally mutilated. Are such horrifying acts the work of a lone killer? A Satanic cult? A demon from centuries past? Amid anarchist bombings and threats on his life, Inspecteur Michel Devaux struggles to learn the identity of the killer before another child is taken. The collection of Parisian artists known as The Revenants seem to be at the center of it all, and at their center is the American Theodora (“Theo”) Faraday. The book follows both Michel and Theo on their separate searches for the truth, often putting them at odds as Michael tries to prove guilty those Theo believes–or hopes–to be innocent.

I should say that Floats the Dark Shadow is not quite the genre I usually read, but I did enjoy it, and my 4-star rating is based on my belief that readers of historical fiction will find it well worth their time.* Fey is skilled with the setting and creates a truly dark (and–on occasion–graphic) mystery that I found reminiscent of Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Supernatural undertones keep the reader guessing: are they real, or just in the imaginations of the characters? Initially I found myself more interested in Michel’s character than Theo’s, primarily due to my dislike of some of the other Revenants (don’t get me wrong – they’re well-crafted characters, but were they real people I wouldn’t want to hang out with them), but as the book develops Theo pulled me in as well.

Floats the Dark Shadow does take a little while to get going. I felt that just a little too much time was taken to establish characters before things began to develop. But it’s worth the wait. The ending fit together perfectly.

*For my own tastes I would rate it 3 stars.

Interview with Self-Publisher’s Showcase

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Another interview! This time from Self-Publisher’s Showcase:

Self-Publisher’s Showcase: Today we are joined by award-winning speculative fiction author Michael G. Munz.Welcome to the Showcase Lounge, Michael. Do make yourself at home.

Michael G. Munz: Thanks! (Though do you really want me to leave unfolded laundry on the chairs and writing notes scattered about the lounge?)

[Read the full interview here.]