I'm working on doing more selling zines direct to stores, and since I haven't been traveling around much lately, I need your help! Let me know if you know of any stores that carry zines! I already sell directly to some - like Woodenshoe, Red Emmas, City Lights, Powells, Bound Together, Needles and Pens, Downtown Books and News, Quimbys... but I know there are a lot more stores out there that I don't know about.
Thanks!!

New zines! at click here for distro

Filling the Void: interviews about quitting drinking and using
Super inspiring! A great resource for people trying to quit. Not spiritual or straight-edge. 8 interviews with people who have quit drinking and/or using. Frank discussions and stories about the positive and negative roles drinking/using had in their lives, why they decided to quit, what they struggled with and how they managed to do it.
interviewees include Erick Lyle (Scam zine), Artnoose (Ker-bloom zine), Cindy (Doris zine), and John Geek (The Fleshies). Interviews conducted by and edited by Cindy and Caty Crabb

Protective Playing Cards
the most beautiful, coolest work of art I have ever seen. A real deck of cards, each card has a different amazingly beautiful drawing of protection.
you can play cards with them, keep them by your bed and look at one a day, page through them whenever you need to remember that you are not alone.

When the Crash Meets Something Solid #003
vinettes about addiction, Goddard College, pills to heroin, being in an abusive master/slave relationship with the owner of the massage place she worked - and getting away.

We Shut the City Down: Six former Student Liberation Action Movement (SLAM) members reflect on the mass direct actions against the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia.
On August 1, 2000, thousands of activists from the global justice movement took the streets of Philadelphia for direct action against police brutality and the prison industrial complex during the Republican National Convention. Hundreds were arrested, and many were held for several weeks. While helping to plan the protests, members of the Student Liberation Action Movement (SLAM), a multiracial radical activist group based in the City University of New York (CUNY), argued for the focus on police and prisons, issues vital to communities of color in the U.S. The interviews in this zine, with 6 people of color who participated as SLAM members, were conducted in July 2010. They reflect a range of perspectives on direct action, strategy and tactics, racism in the movement, reaching beyond activist scenes, and direct democracy.

A number of people recently have talked to me about feeling like my (and previous) generation hasn’t passed down the lessons we’ve learned from our own experience and activism. Here are few books that are full of great essays.

That’s Revolting! : Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation, edited by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore

I’m reading this right now and it is so excellent! A really wide range of essays. Stories from the 60’s to today, all of them really relevant. This should be on everyone’s reading list. It’s a great introduction to radical queer politics, and a great reinvigorator for those of us who have gotten comfortable in our own lives and taken a break from dealing with the world. There’s so many great essays in here, it’s hard to pick out a few to highlight, but I did really appreciate the two on Gay Marriage, one by Carol Queen. “Certainly, oppression in any context is wrong. Naturally, queer folk are irritated when straight people get benefits denied to same-sex partners … pissed off queers making a point can cause the culture to shift.” She argues that instead of trying to “squeeze our asses onto the park bench of Normalcy” it would better serve the world and ourselves if we celebrated and fought for our wonderful diversity – for more choices rather than fewer.
Another great essay is a conversation between Marlon Bailey, Priya Kandaswamy, and Mattie Udora Richardson called Is Gay Marriage Racist. They discuss all kinds of questions people pose in support of gay marriage (questions I’ve had myself) and provide alternative ways of looking at these questions.
There are so many other topics covered in this book. Rural queer teens, activism from the 60’s and today. Performance Art, Protests, Pipe bombs, Sex, Films, Queer Radio, more and more and more.

Uses of a Whirlwind: Movements and Contemporary Radical Currents in the United States, edited by Team Colors Collective

I’ve heard the Team Colors has a pretty theoretical and hard to understand website, and this book does start out with a pretty inaccessible introduction and first essay, but after that, it is really useful. The essay A Look at Resistance to Interstate 69 by Earth First, discusses lessons learned about positive and problematic roles activists play when they come into a community they are not from to organize and do direct action – lessons I’ve seen activists have to learn over and over, so I’m grateful someone has written about it! Another essay I really liked was Harvesting Solidarity: Farmworkers, Allies and the Fight for Fair Food, which talks about a successful campaign for Florida tomato workers against Burger King and Taco Bell. It discusses tactics and how the coalition between farmworkers and students worked.
There’s an essay about queer activism (an autobiographical essay about why the Human Rights Campaign sucks and why pushing for hate crime legislation is not the answer), and an essay about current art activism. There’s a section on theoretical analysis. This book is a little disjointed and has more theory than I generally am drawn to, there are some essays that seemed like they were written for an audience that doesn't know much of anything about alternative culture, but I would hate to see it lost to the theory heads, because there is a lot of great info in here that I think would be particularly useful to younger or new activists. Also important for seasoned activists to get us thinking of how to think about and articulate our experiences and what can be learned from them.

From Act Up to the WTO
I must have leant this out, because I can’t find it. I’ve leant it out so much and everyone loves it. It is a history of Queer activism from mainly the 80’s and 90’s. So much of our history, even our current history, gets disappeared, and this book helps

Doris 28 is finally out!!!!
you can order it though my website at doris distro
or by mail, 2.60 to
cindy crabb
pobox 29
Athens OH 45701

horray!!!

also, we're starting a Girls Rock Camp here in Ohio this summer!
check it out at
athensrockcamp

There's a ton of new zines in the distro! doris distro
Fifteen

if you want a story that will make you suspicious of every teenager you meet!" This is the best written zine I've read in awhile. It's Mia's first zine. She wrote it when she was 15. I'm not sure if it's truth or fiction, but it's really good, disturbing, bitter. sex, drugs, getting locked up, the hypocrisy and blindness of adults, and of herself. Not for the light-of-heart or the easily offended.

I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself:a series of rants

another great zine by Mia (of Fifteen zine). This one is about being mixed race. Articles about hair, and the lack of representation in the media, dealing with racism and stereotypes, and more. Really good!

Brainscan #26:so what's the deal with you and Microcosm

If you've been wondering what the problems with Microcosm Publishing are, this zine lays out Joe Beils abusive behaviors, failed attempts to hold him accountable, and what can be done about it.

Cometbus #54: in China with Green Day

Aaron goes on tour with Green Day to China! Epic. More than a travel zine. The part I liked best was talking about how selling out is judged, but people just giving up their creative lives and doing nothing really worthwhile is not judged.


Adorn #21

very intense and brave zine about rape, abusive relationships and drug abuse, and becoming sober. There are sweet lists of good things in her life between the painful recollections and despair.

No Better Than Apples #7

really pretty zine, beautiful drawings and layout. I've been missing this kind of zine. a fragmented journey into her life that leaves you wanting to know more. love and tour and unresolved family demons. The helpless feeling of trying to take care of a sick mother. I know this feeling, and how alone I felt in it, how much of a secret it seemed. There is a story in here about visiting one of my all time favorite authors, Kate Millett! There's just so much in this thick little zine.

All Things Ordinary #4

A sweet zine, mostly of letters to people in his family telling them how much they mean to him. It's so nice. I wish we all did this kind of thing more often.

The Apple Pickers Union #2: Tow Chain: A monologue about my Experiences at Camp Trans 2010

Pissed off, funny and intense zine written by Curious Jane, who was an organizer of Camp Trans (outside the Michigans Women's Fest, which is/was a "women born women" space - I think they might have a don't ask don't tell policy now, I can't remember for sure.)
This zine kicks ass! It is partially about a situation that happened at the camp, where a tow truck driver threatened the Camp Trans people with a Tow Chain. I mean scary threatening, and the security at Mich.Fest defended the Tow Truck dude. This zine is a scathing critique of Patriarchy, Second Wave Feminism, and "community".

Snarlas will be playing May 24 in Columbus at the 15th street house, and May 30 in Athens OH at the Smiling Skull. Also, there's a Girls Rock Camp benefit show May 27 at Subama Women's Land, near Athens. It's women only trans inclusive. We'll be in Chattanooga TN for Do You Hear We Fest, June 3-5!

More new zines in the distro doris distro

!!!!!!!!!!Featured Music of the Season!!!!!!!!!!
Wild Miners CDR
singer/songwriter, sultry, beautiful singing. She's in a band called Octopus and Owl now, which should be on tour this summer, so check it out. click here
listen to wild miners

Shotgun Seamstress #5
A zine by and for black punks, queers, feminists, artists, musicians. Articles about bands Death and ESG, interviews with DJ Soul Sister, Aye Naico and Kicktease. plus a critique of corporate sponsored Afro-punk

Rad Girlz: my struggles with sexism, racism and violence
looking personally and critically about how sexism and violence have shaped her life. what it means that all white people are racist, what it mean politically and in her life. She talks about being queer, trying to reclaim her sexuality, dealing with eating disorders and cutting.

When the Crash Meets Something Solid #6: organs of voice and respiration
deals with time spent in the sex industry, drug addiction and recovery and being a mother. Poems and stories and journal entries.

The "T" Word: pass the mission
a zine made by Tranzmission about all kinds of stuff - How to be a good ally, language definitions, poems, personal stories, flyers from events, questioning DIY ethics in the Trans Liberation Movement, transexual prisoners, and reading recommendations. Procededs go to Transmission Prison Books Project

When the Crash Meets Something Solid #007: Widowmaker
continuation of the story of sexindustry and addiction. This one has a section on an abusive relationship she got out of in 2009.

We'll be playing in Columbus May 24, with Pink Houses and Lose the Tude, at the Villa Villa Kula house.
then on may 30 in Athens OH with Street Legal at Smiling Skull
June 4, Chattanooga TN at the Do You Hear We fest!

I had to use PHPMyadmin a few days ago to delete old tables in my WordPress Database. They were created by a plugin that I tried but decided not to use. Normally when you uninstall a plugin the developer deletes the tables in your database that they create. In this case this author didn’t. It […]

I switched my theme to fix Google Search Console errors. It complained that I had pages and posts with breadcrumb issues, and switching the theme was the easiest way to fix it. You can understand the importance of Breadcrumbs in this article.  If you don’t fix these errors, then your site is less likely to […]

Believe it or not, social media is a valuable marketing tool for real estate businesses. Many landlords, property managers, and real estate agents use it for marketing their businesses and attracting more customers. If you haven’t been using social media to promote your rental properties, you’re likely missing out on a variety of benefits. Let’s take...

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No one is a stranger to financial challenges and problems. They tend to happen with people in different degrees and at separate points in time for that matter. We can unanimously agree that we need money to achieve many of our goals but also for financial independence at the same time.  When we refer to...

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Nearly two-thirds of the workforce is one paycheck away from poverty. If you think about it, those are unbelievable statistics. This number consists of those who make modest amounts of money and those who make exceptional amounts of money. What this reveals is that far too many people don’t understand how to manage money. Listed...

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This day and age, most people have more than one income source to afford the lifestyles they want (and to pay for things they need). Working a full-time job and supporting a family can take up a great deal of time and energy, which is why most opt to start a side hustle. From cutting...

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I’ve been nattering on about Robin Hood for over a year now, and I’m happy to say that it’s all been to good purpose: The Ghosts of Sherwood has a starred review in Publishers Weekly! Pull quote:  “Vaughn’s masterful worldbuilding and lovable cast promise more good things to come in future adventures.” This is a […]

The pandemic, when so many of us are getting self-taught crash courses in video production… Here’s a quick clip of me reading from THE GHOSTS OF SHERWOOD! This is due out in early June, and will be available in paperback, e-book, and audio! In other news… The weather is FINALLY warming up. Spring seems to […]

August 9th, 2019
Way Out West Festival in Sweden
Scheduled to play from 10 - midnight.

In the US that's a start time of 4 pm eastern, 3 pm central, 2 pm mountain, 1 pm pacific.

There will be a Livestream here, but you will need to use a VPN if outside of Sweden.

Setlist: Plainsong, Pictures of You, A Night Like This, Just One Kiss, Lovesong, Last Dance, Burn, Fascination Street, Never Enough, Push, In Between Days, Just Like Heaven, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Play For Today, A Forest, Shake Dog Shake, Disintegration

Encore: Lullaby, The Caterpillar, The Walk, Friday I'm in Love, Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You?, Boys Don't Cry.

August 11th, 2019
Flow Festival in Finland
Scheduled to start at 8:30 pm

In the US that's a start time of 1:30 pm eastern, 12:30 pm central, 11:30 am mountain, 10:30 am pacific.

There will be a livestream here and here, but you will probably need to use a VPN in most places.

Setlist: Shake Dog Shake, Burn, Fascination Street, Never Enough, Push, In Between Days, Just Like Heaven, Last Dance, Pictures of You, High, A Night Like This, Just One Kiss, Lovesong, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, A Strange Day, Play For Today, A Forest, Primary, 39, One Hundred Years

Encore: Lullaby, The Caterpillar, The Walk, Friday I'm in Love, Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You?, Boys Don't Cry.

August 16th, 2019
Summer Sessions in Scotland
Scheduled to start at 8:30 pm

In the US that's a start time of 3:30 pm eastern, 2:30 pm central, 1:30 pm mountain, 12:30 pm pacific.

Setlist: Plainsong, Pictures of You, High, A Night Like This, Just One Kiss, Lovesong, Last Dance, Burn, Fascination Street, Never Enough, Push, In Between Days, Just Like Heaven, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Play For Today, A Forest, Primary, Shake Dog Shake, 39, Disintegration

Encore: Lullaby, The Caterpillar, The Walk, Friday I'm in Love, Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You?, Boys Don't Cry.

STAGE TIMES → Check out the stage times for @thecure tomorrow (16th Aug) in Bellahouston Park. For full event details head to our website → https://t.co/3yHTcelJCy pic.twitter.com/TUFQIJbjya

— Summer Sessions (@SmmrSessions) August 15, 2019

THE CURE RETURN TO SCOTLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 27 YEARS TOMORROW TO HEADLINE @SMMRSESSIONS IN GLASGOW. THE SPECIALLY DESIGNED T-SHIRT & LITHO PRINT FOR THE SHOW IS AVAILABLE NOW AT https://t.co/XJrYnqlnGd pic.twitter.com/nvi7FsIhIu

— The Cure (@thecure) August 15, 2019

From a friend at the show, @joyformidable started right on time at 4:40. Robert, Andy and other Twilight Sads are watching their set. pic.twitter.com/1iqUDu0NWw

— Chain of Flowers (@CraigatCoF) August 16, 2019

Disintegration from Curaetion-25



Friday I'm in Love from Anniversary.

The Cure 40 Live: Curaetion-25 & Anniversary will be released on Oct. 18th in multiple formats. For more info and to pre-order, go here.

October 5th, 2019
Austin City Limits Festival in Austin, Texas
Cure are scheduled to play from 8 - 10 pm central.

Setlist: Plainsong, Pictures of You, A Night Like This, Just One Kiss, Lovesong, Last Dance, Burn, Fascination Street, Never Enough, Push, In Between Days, Just Like Heaven, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, Play For Today, A Forest, Shake Dog Shake, Disintegration

Encore: Lullaby, The Caterpillar, The Walk, Friday I'm in Love, Close to Me, Why Can't I Be You?, Boys Don't Cry.

Tweets by CraigatCoF 

Photo courtesy of Darvin H. Spotted in Dubai.  Arabic text says: “most purchased in the world”.

$100 Carraway sounded too good to be true… Photo courtesy of Courtney S. Bootleg golf bag likely from China. 

The post Review: Struman Optics Cinematic Lenses for Smartphones appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lee Herbet.

The argument of whether smartphones can take good photos or not has been settled – they can! In this article, we are going to have a look at a set of lenses for smartphones from an Australian company, Struman Optics. While there are many lenses for smartphones on the market, I found a manufacturer that […]

The post Review: Struman Optics Cinematic Lenses for Smartphones appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Lee Herbet.

The post How to Create a Pep Ventosa Inspired Still Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

Pep Ventosa is a Catalan artist who creates incredible images that explore the boundaries of photography. Made from multiple layers of similar photographs, they create an abstract and often surreal effect with a painterly feel. Ventosa usually creates pictures outside, but you can borrow his ideas to create a Pep Ventosa inspired still life. This […]

The post How to Create a Pep Ventosa Inspired Still Life appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Charlie Moss.

The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Everyday Objects appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

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The post Weekly Photography Challenge – Everyday Objects appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

The post How to Setup For Doing Live Streaming and YouTube Videos at Home appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

Since many of us are spending most of our time at home at the moment, I thought I’d share this great video from the dPS founder, Darren Rowse, on how to do live streaming and YouTube videos from your own home as a way to reach your audience and promote your photography. He shares his […]

The post How to Setup For Doing Live Streaming and YouTube Videos at Home appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

いつも加藤和樹へのあたたかい応援ありがとうございます。
この度、デビュー10周年を迎え、新しい試みとしてVOICE会員限定のトークショー『KATALK‘n  SHOW』を東京のみですが開催する事になりました。
このイベントでは入場時にチェキ撮影、日頃ツイッターにあげている“加藤和樹飯”をカフェの方にお願いして加藤和樹監修の元、レシピ再現したものを食していただいたのち、トーク・皆様の質問にお答えするという2時間前後のイベントにしたいと思います。
会員1名様1回のみ（応募者多数の場合は抽選）ではありますが、ご都合があいましたら是非、足を運んでいただけたらと思います。
※会員期限2017．2まで会員様に同様のはがきを送っております。

【イベント日程】　※会場は池袋の東京芸術劇場付近のカフェになります。

①2017年4月12日（水）　17時40分～開場　　　

②2017年4月23日（日）　17時40分～開場
③2017年4月26日（水）　17時40分～開場　　　

④2017年4月30日（日）　11時40分～開場
⑤2017年4月30日（日）　15時15分～開場
　　　
※入場時、加藤和樹・ウェルカムチェキ撮影は入場をスムーズに進めるため皆様の事前準備ご協力お願いします。
※お席は事前にこちらにて決めさせていただきますので選べません。
※着席後、予め決めていただいた再現メニューをお楽しみください。（本人の登場はありません）
※トークショー開始は開場から45分後位を予定しております。
【再現レシピ】　
※ＡまたはＢをご指定下さい。

お申込みされたメニューは変更できませんのでご注意ください。

Ａ：加藤家の名古屋風ナポリタン＆タンドリーチキン（1ドリンク付、デザート付）
Ｂ：和樹さん宅のオムライス＆タンドリーチキン（1ドリンク付、デザート付）

【料　金】　８，０００円（食事・チェキ・おみやげ付）

【お申し込み方法】
タイトル「トークショー申込み」・希望日・会員番号・氏名・電話番号を記載の上、メールにてお申し込みください。

応募メール　　enta@assist2014.co.jp
　

 

※4月イベント当日に会員証の確認をいたしますので継続手続きお済の方が対象になりますので、まだお済でない方は申込期間中に継続手続きをお済ませください
※会員1名様1回のみの参加となります。応募者多数の場合は抽選となりますので予めご了承ください。希望日は第一希望から第三希望までご記入ください。
※抽選後、いかなる場合も希望日は変更できませんので間違えないようにお願いします。
※日程により定員に達しない場合、複数参加希望者をご案内しますので希望される方は「複数回参加希望」とご記入ください。
※メールは1件のみ送ってください。複数送られてきた場合は無効となります。

【お申込み締切日】
3月10日メールまで有効。　
参加される方へはＶＯＩＣＥよりメールか電話にて3月20日までに必ずお知らせいたします。
ご連絡がなかった方はご参加できません。こちらへのお電話やメールなどでのお問い合わせはご遠慮ください。

※メール@assist2014.co.jpのドメインが受けられるように、または留守番電話がつながるように設置の確認をお願いします。
※ご連絡が行った方はご入金をしていただく際にメニューを決めていただきます。

いつも応援ありがとうございます。

いよいよ２月９日よりKATALK'n SHOW in Valentine -35歳になっちゃった！-が開催されます。

司会を入れての大規模なトークショーの開催は初めてになります。

幼少期の話から現在の話、皆様の質問に答えるなど考えておりますので楽しみにしていてください。

特典のおみやげは終演後退場時にお渡しいたします。

 

下記、注意事項や物販情報などをご確認ください。
 

◇KATALK'n SHOW in Valentine -35歳になっちゃった！-Ｑ＆Ａ◇

 

Q:イベント時間はどのくらいですか？
A:公演は150分を予定しております。

Q.イベントは着席ですか？
A.イベントはすべて着席になります。

 

Q:何か販売物はありますか？
A:FCイベントですので特別FCイベントセールを開催いたします。

この機会にまだ揃えていない商品を是非お買い求めください。

商品はなくなり次第終了となります。

※但し、会場にて売切れでも、倉庫に在庫がある商品は後日発送を対応いたしますのでスタッフにお声掛けください。

 

物販販売時間　１１：３０～

 

Q.販売される商品は
A.グッズは下記になります。

 

 

Q:物販は開場中、終演後でも購入できますか？
A:購入できるようにしております。

 

Q:注意事項はありますか？
A:
・録音録画も禁止です。発見次第、ご退場いただきます。

・今回よりチケットに名前が記載されております。当日は会員証を必ずご持参いただき名前照合をいたします。名前が違う場合は入場できません。(会員期限切れている場合は再更新が必要となります）
・荷物の多い方は、予め駅のコインロッカーなどにお預けください。

・昨今のコロナウイルス、インフルエンザなどウイルス性の感染症が流行しております。入場前に手洗いなど行い、咳などが出る方は必ずマスクを着用してください。また、飴や水などご持参いただき、各自ご注意ください。また、感染拡大防止のため、スタッフがマスクを着用させていただく場合がございます。予めご了承ください。

・開場時に消毒スプレーをご用意しております。必ず消毒してからご入場ください。

・会員証紛失や忘れた方は必ず身分証明書をお持ちいただきスタッフに声をかけてください。身分証明書がない場合はご入場をお断りいたします。

 

Q:当日券はありますか？
A:当日券はございません。

Q:お花などを送りたいのですが。。。
A:会場の都合上、お断りさせていただきます。

 

Q:ＣＤ即売などはありますか
A:販売ございません。

 

Q:プレゼントを渡したいのですが。。。
A:申し訳ございませんが、今回のイベントはお手紙以外のプレゼントはお預かりできません。

プレゼントなどは事務所にお送りくださいますようお願いいたします。

 

 

楽しいトークイベントになりますように加藤和樹・スタッフ一同お待ち申し上げております。

Hi, LTNS. I’m still working for Pernod Ricard (Who make Jameson, Absolut, The Glenlivet, Jacob’s Creek and other alcohols you may be aware of) as lead DevOps for our public facing websites for European based-brands. Except the French ones. I’m…

This is not a comprehensive or legal guide, and some of the aspects of this are just generally not a good idea. This is how we did it, though: 1: Raising a Deposit or, Tragic Luck A couple of years…

Embed from Getty Images One long standing Christmas tradition at Fox news is perpetuating the mythological war on Christmas. While it is not a self-evident truth that Christmas is safe in the United States, the idea that there is such …

The best way I know to cook beans, and the one I always return to. A version of the much-loved Tuscan bean recipe - fagioli al fiasco. Traditionally, beans were baked overnight in a Chianti bottle placed near the embers of that night's fire. While not exactly authentic (no fire here), I do a riff on the general idea, using a low-temperature oven and enamel-lined pot.

Continue reading How to Cook Beans that are Tender, Creamy, and Nearly Perfect on 101 Cookbooks

A fun swirl cake made with a beautiful yellow olive oil cake paired with classic chocolate buttercream frosting that has been bolstered with an entire tablespoon of almond extract.

Continue reading Chocolate Almond Swirl Cake on 101 Cookbooks

In paperback:

Stephen King's The Outsider maintains its position at number 5 (trade paperback).

In hardcover:

Rae Carson's The Rise of Skywalker: Expanded Edition debuts at number 5.

Patricia Briggs' Smoke Bitten debuts at number 6.

In paperback:

Stephen King's The Outsider maintains its position at number 5 (trade paperback).

In hardcover:

N. K. Jemisin's The City We Became debuts at number 9.

In paperback:

Stephen King's The Outsider is up one position, ending the week at number 4 (trade paperback).

Labeled as a thoughtful work of sociological science fiction, Juliette Wade's debut novel scared me a little. Indeed, this is usually the sort of book that appeals to critics but puts the bulk of SFF fans to sleep. Advance blurbs mentioned that Mazes of Power featured phenomenal worldbuilding, so I finally decided to give it a shot.

And what a mistake it turned out to be. Mazes of Power is one of the most boring novels I have ever read. I wanted to quit early on, that goes without saying. But I had already announced that I was reading the book on Goodreads, so I elected to persevere, hoping that it would get better. Alas, it didn't. . .

Here's the blurb:

This debut work of sociological science fiction follows a deadly battle for succession, where brother is pitted against brother in a singular chance to win power and influence for their family.

The cavern city of Pelismara has stood for a thousand years. The Great Families of the nobility cling to the myths of their golden age while the city’s technology wanes.

When a fever strikes, and the Eminence dies, seventeen-year-old Tagaret is pushed to represent his Family in the competition for Heir to the Throne. To win would give him the power to rescue his mother from his abusive father, and marry the girl he loves.

But the struggle for power distorts everything in this highly stratified society, and the fever is still loose among the inbred, susceptible nobles. Tagaret’s sociopathic younger brother, Nekantor, is obsessed with their family’s success. Nekantor is willing to exploit Tagaret, his mother, and her new servant Aloran to defeat their opponents.

Can he be stopped? Should he be stopped? And will they recognize themselves after the struggle has changed them?

When I think about complex and phenomenal worldbuilding, names of science fiction authors such as Peter F. Hamilton, N. K. Jemisin, James S. A. Corey, Kameron Hurley, and Alastair Reynolds come to mind. Understandably, given the advance praise, I was expecting something more than a society living underground with a technological level that often appears to be straight out of the 80s. In addition, nothing is truly elaborated on. Why are they living in cavern cities? Why is their society so highly stratified? Why is their technological level so low? Why is there such a weird battle for succession? Yada yada yada. This is not cool worldbuilding. This is not convoluted political intrigue. It's just an author offering basically no information to answer any of the questions raised by the concepts and ideas she came up with.

Another odd thing was the homosexual tendencies of a number of male characters. Nothing wrong with that, of course. I wondered if this was a world in which same-sex relationships were an accepted norm, only to find out that it's a big taboo. This left me quite confused at times, especially given the fact that the main protagonist is hopelessly in love with a girl. Once again, no light was shed by the author regarding this aspect of the tale. The emancipation of women in a decidedly patriarchal society appears to be one of the themes Juliette Wade wanted to explore in this series. And yet, for some reason, all the POV characters are male and we never get a female perspective.

There is no way to sugarcoat this, I'm afraid. The characterization is absolutely awful. The main protagonist, Tagaret, is thoroughly emo and extremely boring. To see events unfold through his eyes was pure torture at times. His younger brother, Nekantor, is the antagonist of the story. Ambitious and dealing with a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder, he's the opposite of his sibling. Not as well-drawn as Tagaret, it often feels as though he's a caricature of sorts. Along with his father, some kind of hybrid between a calculating politician, an alcoholic dad from the 60s, and a Neanderthal, both characters actually growl in pretty much all of their scenes. I kid you not. Aloran was probably the most interesting protagonist of the bunch. But like Tagaret, he was way too emo to be believable. I would have liked to discover more about the Imbati culture and why they accept their role as servants without rebelling. Tamelera, the boys' mother, had the makings of a compelling character, yet the author did not see fit to give her a point of view. In addition, I would have liked to learn more about Della and her family, what with the fact that she is Tagaret's love interest. But again, we are left with more questions and few answers.

Juliette Wade is evidently one of those writers who are loath to use profanities in their stories. Nothing wrong with that. But if you decide to replace common obscenities with made-up ones, you should at least endeavor to make them good. In Mazes of Power, Wade replaced the f-word with gnash. Gnash it. Gnash this. Gnash him. Gnash that. And so on and so forth. I mean, this is worse than Brandon Sanderson! Why the author didn't go for safe and acceptable oaths instead of making up such a lame one, I'll never know. But it made me grit my teeth every time someone swore in the novel.

The pace can be quite uneven. At times the rhythm is fluid, yet there are some portions in which the pacing was decidedly slow-moving. My main gripe is that very little actually happens throughout the book. There are a few interesting bits from time to time, but overall the plotlines and the characters totally failed to capture my imagination and pull me in. This is the first volume in The Broken Trust series, which means that there will be sequels. However, can't for the life of me see myself considering reading the next installment. Going through Mazes of Power was a chore from the very beginning and it took me about a month to finish. I'm not going through such an ordeal again.

It's obvious that Juliette Wade's sociological science fiction is not for me.

The final verdict: 3/10

For more info about this title, check out these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

In paperback:

Stephen King's The Outsider is down six positions, ending the week at number 10 (trade paperback).

Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale returns at number 14 (trade paperback).

In paperback:

Stephen King's The Outsider is down five positions, ending the week at number 15 (trade paperback).

In paperback:

Stephen King's The Outsider is up three positions, ending the week at number 12 (trade paperback).

In hardcover:

Stephen King's If It Bleeds debuts at number 1. For more info about this title, follow these Amazon Associate links: Canada, USA, Europe.

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