Wednesday, 19 February 2020

Feedback from Edith Speers...

Edith Speers is a Tasmanian poet and publisher (Esperance Press).  This is her feedback on my recent novel, "House of the Flight-helpers"...

Anyway, I'm finally 
reading House of the Flight Helpers - about 50 pages so far. Your 
writing is so wonderful, the descriptions so powerful - I'm getting 
depressed! What a miserable world is Incognita. I'm feeling like I 
wish the birds would totally invade the place and send everyone 
running. Well, the fact is, you are even more brilliant as a writer 
than I ever suspected, and I already thought you were the best... 
love, E.

Only stating the obvious! Your writing so deserves that gorgeous 
hard-back publication. Oh, and also, just as a reader with not a lot 
of time for reading, I so appreciate the beautifully short chapters. 
No matter how scary or gloomy the scenario, I can move on to the next 
bit. The last few books I've read, the chapters were sooooo long, and 
I read late at night, and get sleepy, and just groan sometimes. And 
sometimes don't even finish the chapter - heresy!

And I'm now at 
the part of Flight-Helpers where Honeysuckle Rose and Juana Jubilee 
get out of Incognita. Thank heavens!

Have to admit, I'm breathing easier now that those 
poor people have some fresh air and open sky...

Hi there, you amazing person. What a great ending! And the stories and 
sagas and travels and meetings that converge at the end - wonderful. 
And yes, I noticed that Bird Boy ended up with a crown of thorns, and 
I'm glad he didn't get the gruesome demise that goes with it. And I 
noticed the "Havnotz" bread, too; this was the grimmest ever society 
of haves and have-nots.... It's great how you snuck in the religious 
and the political elements with barely a blip on the radar. That's 
subversive! Whew - trouble is, great literature seeps into my brain 
and my brain feels saturated and next thing, thoughts will come oozing 
out of my ears. I better pick up a trashy crime novel real quick, as 
an antidote... Love ya!

Aha - and that wonderful revolution, not a 'call to arms' but a call 
to compassion, blankets for people who were cold. Brilliant!

I hope you realize you have totally subverted the whole male-dominated 
warrior / cowboy orientation of the SF genre. The annoying thing is 
that few people will buy a book of that price. Any hope of a 
paperback...?

Oh good! I was wondering it they'd put the book in contests. Well - 
win a prize and they might bring out a paperback!