Hollywood Franchises Are Dead And That’s A Good Thing—Because Better Tales Await
Paul Hair
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Star Wars is dead. The M-She-U and DCEU are gone too. Same goes for Indiana Jones, Star Trek, Doctor Who, James Bond, and on, and on, and on. And Hollywood laughs when fans complain about the destruction. After all, they hate their customers. But in the end, it’s a good thing. It gives people a chance to discover new tales—like the ones featured in the Big BasedCon Based Book Sale, which is going on now through September 12 just in time for BasedCon 2023.
‘The Hidden Truth’ (2016), by Hans G. Schantz.
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Author Hans Schantz is one of the guests at BasedCon but he also found time to put together a book sale with dozens of novels and other stories.
This sale features returning titles, including one by the author of this post, but also introduces plenty of new ones. Here’s a look at just a few of the fresh titles, each with blurbs taken in part or in whole from the respective books.
‘Aye, Robot’ (2017), by Robert Kroese.
Aye, Robot – by Robert Kroese (BasedCon 2023 organizer)
Looking for sci-fi? Or maybe humor? You can get them both in Aye, Robot. “Rex Nihilo, interstellar con man… and space pirate? When space grifter Rex Nihilo hijacks a cargo freighter on a whim, he decides that he and his long-suffering robot sidekick Sasha have found their calling as space pirates.”
“But when the ship’s cargo turns out to be a cryogenically frozen religious fanatic who holds the secret to a vast galactic conspiracy, Rex and Sasha find themselves on the run from *real* pirates–as well as agents of the oppressive Malarchy, crazy space cultists and the trigger-happy goons of the Ursa Minor mafia. If Rex is going to get out of this jam alive, he might just have to save the galaxy… again.”
‘Sleeper Agent’ (2017), by M. Anthony Harris.
Sleeper Agent – by M. Anthony Harris
It’s a little bit of espionage and a little bit of sci-fi in Sleeper Agent. “Stephen Matthews is the perfect spy. He just doesn’t know it. Stephen always thought that his dreams were just that, only dreams. What he hasn’t yet realized is that when he sleeps, he has the ability to see through the eyes of others around him. Soon Stephen is approached by a mysterious research center that wishes to unlock the limits of human potential by harnessing the powers of lucid dreaming.”
“What Stephen doesn’t know though, is that there’s hidden depths to their research. He’s being bred to be the perfect spy. A true sleeper agent. Now thrust into a world of violence and terrorism, Stephen must quickly learn to harness his power if he wishes to save his own life and stop an attack that threatens to tear apart America’s information infrastructure.”
‘Westward, Tally Ho!’ (2016), by Milo James Fowler.
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Westward, Tally Ho! – by Milo James Fowler
The wild west doesn’t have to be all serious business and it certainly isn’t in Westward, Tally Ho! “How are your survival skills? It’s the late 19th century, and you’re a young English aristocrat lost in the American Southwest. A lynch mob is after you for horse theft. Irritable natives are on your trail. And the woman with you is not the type you’d bring home to your mother. Would you survive long enough to find safety? Or would you curl into a fetal position and cry?”
“This is where Clarence Oliver Edwards finds himself in Westward, Tally Ho! Bored with his privileged life in England and weary of the relatives who share his family estate, Clarence follows his recently dismissed butler, Guthrie, on a non-stop adventure from the busy streets of Boston to the dusty trails of Santa Fe. What begins as Guthrie’s search for his long-lost daughter becomes a shocking introduction to the American West for Clarence. . . .”
“Through it all, Clarence realizes the value of loyalty and the cost of redemption. But most importantly, he discovers a degree of inner strength he never knew he possessed. . . .”
‘The Dream God’ (2021), by Brendan M.P. Heard.
The Dream God – by Brendan M.P. Heard
The cover of The Dream God immediately brings to mind sci-fi tales from the 1970s—and so does the setup. “Classical Rome never ended, but expanded into a solar Empire. This pagan commonwealth rules from Mercury to Pluto, and each planet’s orbit is now a classical kingdom – under the federation of Caesar Automedon.”
“A new metaphysical innovation is discovered by the ruler of Neptune: the Godstream. But does this innovation bring humanity closer to the divine? Or does it manufacture new, stranger gods from men?”
‘Citadel of Seven Swords’ (2023), by Eric Waag.
Citadel of Seven Swords – by Erik Waag
One look at the cover and readers will know exactly what they’re getting with Citadel of Seven Swords. “Skarde desires only to be free, yet his mighty sword arm, quick thinking, and daring seem only to keep him one step ahead… of the grave! Trapped on a savage volcanic island, Skarde clashes with an antediluvian wizard, an army of warrior-cultists, and a hidden monstrosity just to live another day. Along the way he finds unexpected friends, mysteries, a curse, and enemies both bold and shadowy.”
“Skarde, brash mercenary from the far North, travels the boundless world to sate his wanderlust and his desire for coin. Discover the unknown, the dangerous and the wondrous in this first volume of Skarde’s adventures.”
‘Swords and Maidens: Eleven Tales of Chivalry and Valor’ (2023), an anthology.
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Swords and Maidens: Eleven Tales of Chivalry and Valor – Anthology
Is chivalry dead? Not in the anthology Swords and Maidens. “From magic battlefields where horses fear to tread, to flying fortresses, fantastical otherworlds, a planet infested with eldritch abominations, and lands ruled by fear, heroes will fight for what is worth fighting for. Knights in gleaming armor, soldiers, Middle Earth’s most deadly Elvish assassin, hunters, and kings. All will risk their lives to defend the defenseless, to destroy monsters, to preserve the lives and honor of fair maidens.”
“See a soldier fight to rescue a besieged princess from marauding, magitech barbarians, an immortal knight fight for a farmstead, a husband and wife fight for the honor of a fallen comrade against a deadly dragon, a hunter seek to recover a maiden’s stolen soul, an elf defend a woman from assassins, a deposed king fight for his kingdom, and more!”
‘Battle for the Wastelands’ (2019), by Matthew W. Quinn.
Battle for the Wastelands: A Steampunk Military Fantasy – by Matthew W. Quinn
It’s steampunk and war in Battle for the Wastelands. “In a desolate world where dirigibles rule the skies and blood soaks the dry earth, a young man joins the fight against a tyrant who has problems of his own. Andrew Sutter returns home from a hunting expedition to find drought-wracked Carroll Town under the thumb of a tax collector from the cannibalistic Flesh-Eating Legion. A riot becomes a battle that leaves Carroll Town in ruins and Andrew alone in the merciless Iron Desert. Saved from certain death by the riders of rebel chieftain Alonzo Merrill, Andrew finds himself fighting for their doomed cause.
“Meanwhile, Grendel, first lord of the Northlands and the Flesh-Eaters’ ultimate master, finds his peace of conquest disintegrating as the warlords under his thumb begin battling one another. He plots a new war to reunite them as the starving Merrills launch their last, desperate offensive. And Andrew may be the one holding the key to victory…”
Stories featured in the Sep. 2023 Big BasedCon Based Book Sale.
Check out all the titles at the Big BasedCon Based Book Sale, and don’t forget to follow BasedCon 2023 to see how it goes and to find out details on BasedCon 2024 when they become available.
NEXT: ‘Ma’am I Am!’ Sure To Delight—Or Enrage—Readers With Its Outrageously Forbidden Tale (EXCLUSIVE)
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