Friday, May 20, 2016

Joe Hill Celebrates Release of Latest Book at Strand Bookstore [Videos]

the fireman
Image courtesy of  bryan's Flickr page - the fireman: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unconstructive_bry/1493640984/in/photolist-3gZiqL-jtatCY-4Jf9R6-enwz7w-68ubqY-8CxCJa-7f7waS-7f6MZ4-gwsgdN-aELXrc-7GBeEj-6meTqN-nvGUc-8DJKh4-jihguK-dTHU4X-9mXDQm-e9qxkZ-4yWZod-paqQMd-4s5hiJ-aNcNnx-fSi4-9sKk1v-9sNkeA-8FKgee-pEf5V5-ed6VWV-hmpzXP-qBeJxn-GKpM6H-dTHS6C-7yarsp-prDy66-qGJT8c-teuSK-6yw4Sq-92FJFw-4JC7pA-prU5LC-spL43R-paryos-pGWSw2-r18b9V-oWnNav-4MELmh-6EWeSL-4JC7JY-5FRppG-9HHhrR
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/



Firefighter at Dusk
Image courtesy of Heather Paul's Flickr page - Firefighter at Dusk: https://www.flickr.com/photos/warriorwoman531/8327741521/in/photolist-aRnUQe-enxeK1-3RPKsz-6y55vR-suFERA-e9nx89-enwoqL-dFTRqn-enw5L5-eibiph-9fbgRj-eibijd-a7xGMS-enwLf9-qG6fcJ-4QaZV-wUP4g-eibiw9-5vNsyC-n82PgB-6Usepf-J7bix-enwCvj-isakJW-enwFV1-enxjkU-8za5VC-egxpVf-enwr6Q-ssDHuM-pMErBR-4QaNZ-4QaSA-enxmU7-enwtxJ-eibiQY-cfFBDo-qvu6fk-ei5yKv-enxxjj-enwRxf-ah1GhB-8jPtv8-fCb62m-2YzyN6-92uKPk-jzN2v-bQrYFH-4wgUtE-ays9wz
Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/




I wrote and finished this article the night of the event, hours after attending it. Submitted it by the next morning, around 6:30am. It was reviewed last evening, with corrections needing to be made, particularly with the size of the Youtube videos that were attached.

This morning, I woke up and saw that some corrections were needed, and did what was asked. Still, it only got published minutes ago, fairly late on Friday evening (eastern time).

Still, better late than never, right?

I had attended a Joe Hill booksigning in November, although I do not remember if I wrote a blog entry about that or not. That one was not exclusively him, although I did manage to get some copies of his books signed. This time around, I was more prepared, with several hardcover books, including the most recent one, "The Fireman."

Hill is quite a colorful personality. Despite enjoying some considerable success already in his writing career, he seems legitimately down to earth, and really kept the whole event fun.

Indeed, this was a night of good humor, and it was a good introduction to the book. Certainly, it made me want to read it, although it already looked enticing well before I ever attended this particular event. Going to New York City itself can be fun, so long as I do not overdo it. When I was younger, it seemed exciting, and for a while, I would make a habit of going literally every weekend.

These days, these trips are much more rare, although I know this was an event that would likely be worth attending.



Joe Hill Celebrates Release of Latest Book at Strand Bookstore [Videos] By Charles Bordeau on May 20, 2016:

http://guardianlv.com/2016/05/joe-hill-celebrates-release-of-latest-book-at-strand-bookstore-videos/

Joe Hill celebrated the release of his latest book, "The Fireman," which just came out days ago, by coming to Strand Bookstore in New York City on Wednesday, May 18th. It is his biggest book yet in terms of length, which possibly makes it Hill's most ambitious writing project to date in his writing career. On Wednesday evening, the day after the book hit bookstores across the country, the horror author, who happens to be the son of horror icon Stephen King, came to Strand Bookstore in New York City to do a reading and to have a talk. Also, just to have some fun.  

This is a strange plague, known as Dragonscale. It is a mystery on many levels, as the debate of it's origins is never answered. Victims find their bodies covered with strange black and gold marks which can cause them to spontaneously combust. As a result, out of control fires are spreading throughout the world, as well.

Harper Grayson, a nurse who has seen firsthand exactly what this plague is capable of, finds herself mysteriously infected with this plague that is feeding off her body. She gets it just after finding out that she is pregnant, and she finds a renewed determination to survive long enough to give birth and give her baby a chance in this new, post-apocalyptic world. On top of having to cope with the challenges of a world being torn apart and literally catching fire, she has to deal with a marriage that is also completely falling apart, as her husband who blames her for getting this disease. He is filled with a rage that burns within that threatens to spontaneously combust, and bring Harper down with him.  

However, Harper holds out hope for someone who seems to have figured out a way to quelch the potential fire. He is a mysterious fireman with a British accent, and it strikes her that he might possess a certain knowledge and ability to keep the contagion in check. The question, then, is whether or not he can find him on time to save not only her own life, but that of the baby growing inside of her, even as physical evidence of the Dragonscale virus grows on the outside of her body.  

Despite the length of the book, at over 700 pages, Hill successfully manages to keep the tension rising as the books goes on. While the story of the spreading of a plague that threatens to end life on the planet as we know it would surely be enough to entice many readers, Hill's main strength as a writer is actually in the building of his characters.  

In his reading, which was taken from the middle of his latest released book, "The Fireman," for his Strand audience, Joe Hill describes a difficult predicament for Harper, the main character. She finds herself at a makeshift camp for survivors of this relatively mysterious epidemic, which infects more and more people over time. She is attacked and humiliated, and warned to take sides.   

After delivering his reading, Hill added a humorous musical interlude, getting three volunteers to play Hey Jude on the kazoo, while the rest of the audience sang his alternative lyrics that had a theme of "The Fireman." Then, he took questions from the audience, and engaged in general discussion, often revealing his strong sense of humor. He mentioned that the title of this book was actually taken from a short story by noted author Ray Bradbury, which was published in a magazine under the title "The Fireman." This story ultimately became the first chapter of Bradbury's iconic work, "Fahrenheit 451."

At Strand Bookstore, Joe Hill's celebrated the release of his latest book,  "The Fireman."  This book should help to further cement his already strong and growing reputation as an emerging giant in horror fiction. The friendliness and humor that the author displayed during this appearance also helped to cement his status as an accessible and very friendly public figure. 


Here is some recent video of Hill discussing his latest book, "The Fireman:"





The National Post: Joe Hill’s The Fireman pushes its characters and readers to the breaking point with the plague to end all plagues by Robert J. Wiersema, May 18, 2016:


Wired: Joe Hill's The Fireman is about the apocalypse. Naturally, it's optimistic by LEXI PANDELL. LEXI PANDELL, 05.17.16.: 



‘The Fireman’ author Joe Hill heats up with new novel by Scott A. Rosenberg, May 17, 2016

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