2024 is off to a pretty good start this year, this blog is back to fulfilling its original purpose: spreading the news of good reads still being produced, by authors you might not have ever discovered without Virtual Pulp.
For those who are late to the party, here’s some of the authors we’ve featured here so far just since New Year’s:
Adventure:
Fantasy:
Sci-Fi:
Sword & Sorcery:
It’s no coincidence that these are all indie authors, either. Tradpub fiction sucks, with few exceptions. Sure, there is a lot of indie fiction that stinks just as bad as tradpub. But thanks to Gio and me, it’s now easy for you to find the diamonds in the rough.
Have I missed anybody so far? Don’t worry–the Infamous Gio is a reviewing/interviewing machine, and he’s got a lot more lined up for you. In fact, this very week is already packed with reviews and an interview. (Steampunk fans should feel right at home.)
This is worth remembering:
First of all, nobody pays us to do this. We even buy the books/comics/whatever ourselves. We don’t owe anybody anything.
Secondly, we are honest. We want to find/read good books. We like giving indie authors a signal boost. When we enjoy something, we like sharing our experience, so others can enjoy it, too. But when we think a book is bad, we will let you know we think it’s bad. If it’s good, but misses the mark in one or more aspect, we will say so. It’s nothing personal against the author. We might even be fond of the author as a human being, but we are still going to be honest.
Speaking for myself, I’ve got empathy out the wazoo for my fellow indie authors. I know the odds stacked against them and the petty, unfair, and even diabolical crap most of them have to wade through just to make a sale. I’m very pleased when an indie has put together a masterpiece. But if it ain’t a masterpiece, I’m not gonna try to convince people it is.
At the same time, we won’t get butthurt if you disagree with us over the quality of a book. We’re not gonna unfriend you, block, mute, or cancel you because we have different opinions. (We might debate with you, because that can be healthy and stimulating.)
We’re not gonna engage in shady behavior to steal somebody’s traffic, or reduce their traffic–even though that has been done to us, by individuals supposedly on our side in the Culture War. We’re not jealous because other blogs also share quality content, or are reviewing indie work. I wish there were more indie reviewers out there working through their towering TBR piles like we are–especially if they’re honest.
How about drama?
I suspect there are some talented creatives out there who identify as #IronAge. From what I know, I fit under that umbrella, too.
I’m sure there are talented creatives associated with #Comicsgate, too.
Unfortunately, it appears there are overly sensitive (or perhaps just drama-addicted) folks on both sides locked in a pissing contest over some petty BS even they probably can’t explain the origin of. I’ve been honing my craft/plying my trade alone, and don’t know that many people from either side yet. IOW I have no dog in this fight. I also believe it’s a silly, counterproductive fight. Same with Eric July vs. Ethan Van Sciver. I’ve got more important items on my to-do list than to take part in all that drama. I’m also annoyed that I have to wade through all that silly drama to find anything that interests me as a reader, a novelist, and an aspiring graphic novelist.
Bottom line: I’m not gonna take anybody’s side in one of these squabbles based on what hashtag they’re associated with.
The Good News:
There’s a lot of quality entertainment being written in the indie-sphere, and we’re gonna help you find it. (And some of it is mine, so consider looking at my work, too.) We’re also hosting the Infamous Writing Contest, to discover and showcase even more talented writers, whose published work you may be unfamiliar with.
We put out consistent content here, so stop by on the regular and let us know what you think. Consider subscribing to the blog, so you’ll never miss a post. And tell others about us and what we’re doing. We’re trying to grow our Internet footprint, and you can help with that.