Alayna Cole

Alayna Cole loves to write stories when she’s not studying for her Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Arts.

Shovel Ready – a thrilling novel by Adam Sternbergh – follows the story of a garbageman turned hitman who agrees to a new job and is met with an unexpected series of ethical dilemmas and more responsibilities than he bargained for.

The novel is set in dystopian New York after it was ravaged by a short series of events that ultimately led to its demise. The setting is artfully constructed, littered with symbolic subtleties and just enough realism for it to be frightening. Compared to the extreme weather events and natural disasters that are often to blame for comparable settings, the causes of this dystopia are strangely anti-climactic, but this is by no means a criticism. What happens to Times Square, and subsequently the rest of New York, is alarmingly plausible and the knowledge that humans are entirely capable of initiating a similar domino effect is enthralling.

While exploring these ideas of man-made dystopia through action sequences, Sternbergh also examines how dystopia can be forged by inaction. ‘Tapping in’ – the act of escaping to a dream world through the use of a ‘bed’ and the aid of modern technology – provides a perfect constructed life for any residents of New York who can afford the privilege. The addiction to technology that this propagates is depicted as inherently problematic and acts as a clever comment on the increasing reliance on other facets of technology, such as the internet and smart phones. This social commentary is reminiscent of how the popularisation of visual media, such as television, was criticised in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.

The protagonist and anti-hero of Shovel Ready – who is known only as Spademan – is remarkably multi-faceted. Sternbergh does an incredible job of constructing a character who is both likeable and unlikeable, and to whom readers can relate. Spademan may be a hitman, but he is not simply a weapon lacking dimension; as much as he enjoys claiming to be only a disinterested, amoral bullet, he is still characterised by a layered backstory that has notable impacts on his personality traits. Clever foreshadowing ensures that, as Spademan’s story is revealed, memories and flashbacks are simultaneously surprising and believable.

Sentences are sharp and punctuation is used sparingly, with quotation marks neglected altogether. The lack of attribution in scenes featuring heavy dialogue leads to occasional confusion as to who is speaking, but this deliberate stylistic choice is effective in making the prose appear as sparse as the setting. The minimalist writing style is symbolic of the luxuries the novel’s characters are unable to afford and resembles the narration of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, in which comparable stylistic choices achieve a similar effect.

The narrator’s unique voice is witty and punchy and gives even more life to Spademan’s fascinating character. This narrator evokes a range of emotions – from hilarity to melancholy, from rage to curiosity – with each turn of the page. This novel is engaging and the ideas continue to be captivating days after it ends.

Reviewed by Jamie Marriage

Prizefighting is easy when you have a few special talents up your sleeves. But when a stranger who knows more of his secrets than anybody should, knocks at his door, Alex Caine is both rightly suspicious of, and completely unprepared for, the chaos to be unleashed upon himself and possibly the world.

Bound is the first novel of the surreal and harsh Alex Caine series by Australian dark fantasy author, Alan Baxter: a novel that doesn’t relent in its vicious story-line and beautifully flawed characters.

Starting in the cage fighting realm of Sydney, Bound opens with Alex Caine fighting for his life and his career–trading blows with people far bigger than him, for the largest prizes. His only advantages are the discipline instilled in him from his martial arts handler and a strange gift for being able to see the intentions of others before they act. These attributes have made him a comfortable lifestyle and also turned him into a valuable commodity to those who would rather he fight for them.

When he refuses one big boss too many, Alex finds himself in a dangerous position–one that could leave him dead. His salvation arrives in the guise of a curious Englishman with deep pockets and answers to questions Alex never knew he had.

Swept off to England with the promise of money and sanctuary from the hostilities in Australia, Alex is exposed to the truth of his bizarre gift and the limitless possibilities of the magic he never believed in. But in a matter of days, he is also introduced to hostile creatures that appear bent on his destruction, and a strange book that seems to have a plan of its own for his life. His only way out may lay with a woman whose curiosity in Alex is matched only by her thirst for blood.

Bound is a fantastically gritty and modern view of dark fantasy, with twisted mythologies, sexual deviancy, and unapologetic characters. Most chapters have plenty of action, but not enough to hide the fact that there is a great story-line and dialogue going on from cover to cover. Greed, gluttony, wrath, and lust are all demonstrated in large portions throughout, and no character is without their vices and imperfections. It all comes together to create a book that’s difficult to put down and thoroughly worth re-reading. Baxter has proven he has real skill with this genre, and if this first novel is anything to go by, there are even greater things to come.

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As the PEACEMAKER blog tour winds down, I’ve been most fortunate to have been invited to speak on a number of podcasts, and just last night, a Google Hangout.

I’m sure you’re all sick to death of my opinion, but on the slim chance that you aren’t … you can catch up on my thoughts on these topics:   WORLDBUILDING with Sean Williams, Meg Mundell and John Birmingham along with Nalini from Dark Matter.

Genre blending and bending with Mike Underwood, Rod Duncan, and Emma Newman from Angry Robot.

The Queensland Writer’s Centre asked me to talk about Author Branding

And why authors should be online

And a long chat with Alex Pierce on the award winning Galactic Chat podcast about my body or work. Followed by an upcoming Peacemaker special with Dave Kearney from Scenes and Sequels.