Crime Fiction to Science Fiction

James O'Neal

Hey Guys,

This is a quick, more personal note to the loyal readers of Naked Authors. As most of you know I had a book come out this week. It’s The Human Disguise under the pen name of James O’Neal, which is my middle name.

It’s a crime story set twenty years in the future so I had to extrapolate police procedure and social issues that might arise in twenty years. When I see a crime fiction fan roll their eyes at the idea of a science fiction, it’s hard not to explain to them that most crime fiction that they read is more outlandish than science fiction. But they watch Law and order so they're freaking experts. Sorry, I digress.

Back to The Human Disguise.

Here’s a better summary of the plot than I could write. This is from Publisher’s Weekly:

(Starred Review) The Human Disguise James O'Neal. Tor, $15.95 (368p) ISBN 978-0-7653-2014-8
This near-future page-turner debut amalgamates apocalyptic science fiction, police procedural and thematic dashes of alien invasion and vampire mythos. Fighting wars in Syria, Iraq and the Balkans, the U.S. is on the precipice of anarchy. Manhattan is a radioactive wasteland, sprawling plague quarantine zones are commonplace and lawlessness is rampant. When Tom Wilner, a detective with Florida's underfunded Unified Police Force, witnesses a bloody shootout at a roadhouse, he becomes entangled in a vast conspiracy involving his estranged wife and her crime lord lover, a terrorist plot to detonate a dirty bomb in Florida and speculation about a race of godlike hominids and a looming alien invasion. O'Neal provides the postapocalyptic genre with few innovations, but his self-assured, hard-edged writing style, solid characters and wildly entertaining thriller plot will keep readers enthralled. (June)

I enjoyed writing the book and its sequel, The Double Human, and like the people at TOR very much. There is no downside. I’m getting paid to do something I love with people who a decent and fun.

My crime fiction buddy, Victor Gischler, talked to me one night about my interest in science fiction and suggested I follow my interest. He also ventured into the science fiction world this year with the outstanding Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse.

Now I’m trying to meet some of the science fiction people. The few I’ve met like Jeff and Ann VanderMeer, Ben Bova and Jay Lake have been top notch and extremely supportive. Now I’m hoping to meet more. I’m hoping this blog gets picked up by a science fiction site so they can see those of us over in the crime fiction arena have the same issues with publishers, distributors, critics and publicity as they do.

Feel free to drop me a line at Jamesonealbooks@comcast.net or visit my website, http://www.jamesonealbooks.com/ .

Finally, for the last of my self-involved, pointless post, take a look at a newscast from my area two days ago:





If that doesn't work use this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2Ay0f6_nbM

I sent it around to a few buddies last night and one wrote back that the bad news is that the camera adds twenty pounds to you. The worse news is that, No, it doesn't.


Thanks for reading. I know a few of you are hooked into the science fiction scene. I'd appreciate it if you passed this post onto any of the SF fans or sites you know.

Feel free to contact me through WWW.Jamesonealbooks.com or at my e-mail Jamesonealbooks@comcast.net.

I promise I'll go back to mindless dribble next week.

Jim