Month: May 2020

The World According to Charlton Heston

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I watched Soylent Green the other day, thinking it was appropriate to watch a movie about 2022, where climate change destroyed the world and people were fighting for food, water, medicine, a place to sleep and ate a cracker made from dead humans. Wow, how appropriate, right?

But it got me thinking about the world according to Charlton Heston. As an actor, Heston (1923-2008) was well known for his roles in Biblical movies: The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, etc. He was quite the versatile actor, starring in disaster flicks, westerns, and war movies. I remember him mostly for the post-apocalyptic, dystopian future movies. These sci-fi classics resonate with anyone who grew up in the 70’s.

I doubt there isn’t a person born before 1970 who doesn’t go to the zoo and look at the apes and chimpanzees and think, “Get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!” It’s a classic line that makes us all think of Armageddon, the State of Liberty and a world of talking apes. But it also reflected a lot on the time period. In the 70’s and into the 80’s, everyone was worried about destroying the planet, whether through nuclear war, a killer virus, or environmental catastrophe. Now, fast forward to 2020.

When we look out at the world today, these movies seem almost prophetic. It’s funny how movies of the past looked ahead to the future and, some got it wrong, but others… well? I mean think about it. Were in a pandemic that’s cutting off food supply (Soylent Green) and, if left untreated, could very well lead to a zombie apocalypse (Omega Man or I am Legend for the remake) and then, potentially, lead to nuclear war with China and, voila, talking apes (The Planet of the Apes movies).

I know that’s a bit of a stretch, and a bad one at that, but that’s what makes these movies so good. Since Jules Verne first put pen to paper, science fiction and fantasy writers have looked into the future to see potential, both good and bad. It was here that the stories of travelling to the stars, nuclear power, devastating weapons of war, genetically-modified diseases, etc. It’s the essence of these classic movies, and movies like this need a charismatic actor to carry them. That’s where Heston comes in.

These movies all had other memorable moments, actors, cinematography, and special effects, but what stood out the most was Heston. He led these movies all the way, from the pestilence of New York to the deserted sprawl of Los Angeles, to the futuristic Ape City. He commanded the screen and told the story, making it so real for all of us. 

That’s why the “World According to Charlton Heston” is a much darker, twisted view of the future, almost like the mainstream media wants us to believe we’re in right now.  But I have seen the dark future, through these movies, and this isn’t it. We have better technology, science, and fortitude behind us. We have a better chance of surviving this than the movies would have us believe. After all, it’s all “Hollywood” magic, right?

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SKU-000941753

Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse Publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available from Austin Macauley Publishing.

Writers beware! Social media will not let you write!

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It’s safe to say that, in this world of perpetual quarantine, we have become a society “social media” parasites. We are living vicariously through our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. Twitch, Zoom, and more. It is the only way we are communicating, coming together, and sharing ideas.

For writers, especially independent authors like me, social media is our bread and butter when it comes to marketing. I work at least 20 hours a week on social media, between designing posts and imagery to scheduling them, responding to queries, etc. When you’re working a full time job, that doesn’t leave a lot of time for eating, sleeping, or writing for that matter.

Plus, there is the draw, the allure, of social media. Between crazy cat videos, cute puppy videos, TikTok girls, creative artwork, and inspirational quotes, there is a constant draw into the world of social media. It’s part of the constant distraction of the internet, the kryptonite of authors. We want to sit and write, but the flow is interrupted. 

“If your content isn’t driving conversation, you’re doing it wrong.” –Dan Roth, LinkedIn’s executive editor

Social media is a necessary tool for today’s authors. Through it, you can collaborate with other authors, find new readers, and promote your latest novel. It’s how we “IndieAuthors” find our niche in the book world. It’s the cheapest form of marketing an author can do. I can design a post and then use that same post for Facebook or Instagram as an ad. It’s an easy way to carry over from one form of advertising to another.  I can spend $100 a month in Facebook and Instagram ads that reaches nearly 30,000 people. That’s money well spent, but only if it turns into books purchased or downloaded.

“Nobody reads ads. People read what interests them. Sometimes, it’s an ad.” – Howard Gossage, real-life MadMen inspiration

The other problem is that there are so many “one-off” author support sites for independent authors like me. I belong to a couple of different sites, allauthor.com and bookbrush.com, that I pay an annual fee for tools in designing ads and social media posts, direct posts to other authors and readers, and a support network of other independent authors. They have been a great asset for me, but there are some out there that are scams who want money to send out tweets about your book to imaginary lists of people. So, beware before you buy into it.

Lastly, don’t be a social media butterfly or wallflower. You need to be aggressive in everything you do. If you aren’t paying attention, responding to comments or retweets, you might lose your audience. Don’t hesitate and be assertive, but always remember. Being a writer is the most important aspect of your job, so don’t stop writing for the sake of social media. You have to write, blog, and post, all at the same time. Multi-tasking is a bitch, but a necessary one. Remember that!

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse Publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available from Austin Macauley Publishing.

Star Wars novels are better than the movies (except the original trilogy)

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Star Wars – The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide: Ruin Cover by Tsuyoshi Nagano.

This being International Star Wars Day (#Maythe4thbewithYou), I thought it best to reflect on one of the best epics in science fiction. The problem is, the books are better than some of the movies, video games, and television series out there.

How many of us wanted to see movies made from Timothy Zahn’s “Heir to the Empire” trilogy? Or salivating at seeing the Yuuzhan Vong and their bio-engineered weapons on the screen. These stories are some of the best out there, but not all are canon. This makes them just a memory, not part of the mythos that is Star Wars.

The first Star Wars book I ever read was “Splinter of the Mind’s Eye” and it was a gem. After seeing the original, I wanted more and couldn’t wait for more. This book have us fans more insight into the workings of the force, before we heard about midi-chlorians. It was also the first time we heard about a kaiburr crystals, which is weird because it’s not related to kyber crystals (i.e. lightsabers) but it’s close.

I am a huge fan of the man series, from the New Jedi Order through Fate of the Jedi. I mean, in this series we had the death of Chewbacca, Anakin Solo and the journey of Jacen Solo from Jedi to Sith. It was an amazing series and, to be honest, it brought me closer to the Star Wars universe.

Novels expanded our knowledge, from characters, planets and races to the new insights into characters we barely knew anything about. The best example of that is Boba Fett. We barely knew anything about him after The Empire Strikes Back, and now we have the entire legacy of the Mandalorians to go with his legend. And it’s all from the books.

The Star Wars universe may have started as movies, but its canon… It’s TRUE canon is written by the authors who have taken us to “a galaxy far, far away” and beyond! It’s one of those many reasons why I became a writer.

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SKU-000941753

Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse Publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is available from Austin Macauley Publishing.