Photo courtesy of Amy Davis Roth

In a book industry largely comprised of paranormal thrillers, Scott Sigler’s books have earned a following through The New York Times best-selling novels such as Ancestor and Infected.

On Sunday, Scott Sigler visited the beloved Changing Hands Bookstore to sign books, answer questions from fans and introduce his latest novel, Nocturnal. Sigler spoke with The State Press on the phone to share his history as an author and talk about his presence in the literary world.

The State Press: What do you think will be the next big trend in the book industry?

Scott Sigler: The really big genre right now is the young-adult dystopian stories like The Hunger Games. It’s almost impossible to say.

Women make up the majority of book buyers and creators, so we’ve had a big wave of paranormal romance. Now, we’re having female-driven dystopian stories. It will probably be something in the romance area.

SP: What drew you to the sci-fi thriller genre?

SS: Using actual science as part of the story helps create plausible terror. Real science makes the scary parts. I can see this actually happening when I go to work. I think that resonates with the readers and lets them believe deeper in the story, which adds to the willing suspension of disbelief.

SP: Which book has been your favorite to write so far?

SS: It was probably Infected. I’ve been working on that for 10 years. I did probably 20 revisions. When I finally got the book out in hardcover, it was definitely an I-have-arrived-as-a-writer moment. It was fun.

SP: What made you decide to become a writer?

SS: I’ve always wanted to do this. I’ve known this since I was in third grade. It’s always been a calling for me. The biggest reason was when I saw the 1976 version of “King Kong” as a little child. I was crying and wanted to leave, but my dad forced me to stay. When we left, I asked him when we could see the movie again.

At that early age, I fell in love with the concept of a safe scare. I wanted to do that to other people.

SP: How do you combat writer’s block?

SS: I don’t really get writer’s block. I get an opposite problem: too many ideas at once. What helps me is carefully scheduling things so that I’m always trying to finish a project instead of starting 27 projects and finishing none of them.

SP: Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

SS: Find projects that you can actually finish and rewrite them, and then move onto your next project. You get a lot of experience by writing and editing a story. Don’t work on the same book for five years. You’ll get better at what you do as you go.

SP: What can fans expect from you next?

SS: The next book will be called Pandemic. It’s the final book in the trilogy, which includes Infected and Contagious. We continue to give away free audiobooks every Sunday at scottsigler.com.

Finally, we have a young-adult series that is called the Galactic Football League series. That will be in paperback in August. We’re looking forward to having that in stores and seeing how well that does.

Reach the reporter at lrogoff@asu.edu

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(Photo courtesy of iUniverse Publishing)

Pitchforks: 3/5

William Claypool’s new novel “Windfall Nights” takes the reader into the mind of an aspiring journalist named Julian. While the story offers relatable themes, it falls short of inducing sympathy for the protagonist and the characters he encounters.

While temporarily working as a hotel bellman, Julian meets the hotel’s handyman and distinguished piano player Thomas, which leads to a surprising connection and a lifelong friendship.

Julian takes an unexpected interest in Thomas’s rough past and later learns from his mother Margery that the man suffers from constant anxiety in addition to bipolar disorder.

Toward the end of the novel, Thomas is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, leaving Julian to wonder the fate of his unstable friend or if they will ever be able to reconnect.

Claypool initially piques the reader’s curiosity by giving various glimpses at the constantly changing behavior and mood swings of Thomas.

He also captures Julian’s confusion and awe as the two characters engage in a conversation where Thomas reveals another story about his childhood and fighting internal demons.

Margery’s phone calls with Julian about her concern for Thomas touches on the underlying sense of family protection and the inevitable anxiety a mother will have for her children.

Quite opposite to Julian, Thomas opens up quickly, which is surprising considering he is originally described as closed off and introverted.

Because Thomas shares details of his past so quickly, the initial fascination fades.

Although Julian’s interest in his friend is evident, he seems to lack sympathy and reacts to Thomas’ story in a robotic fashion. Only at the end does Julian demonstrate care, which makes him the sole character that develops in any way.

“Windfall Nights” is an easy-read book that entails cliché foreshadowing of whom the story will be focused on. The book lacks an interesting enough setting which makes it difficult to delve into the plot.

Though the book has its shortcomings, Claypool makes Thomas an easily relatable character. When he’s happy, nothing can bring him down. When he’s down, he might never recover.

This coming-of-age story teaches valuing what is good in life and not letting mistakes or misfortunes become setbacks.

However, “Windfall Nights” would be more captivating if the novel showed the struggles of each character rather than blatantly stating them.

Reach the reporter at mkthomp5@asu.edu

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(Image courtesy of Little, Brown and Company)

When it is excruciatingly difficult to get hired for the most basic of jobs, how will college graduates and qualified unemployed citizens distinguish themselves in the work force?

Author William Poundstone offers intelligent insight to this worrisome question in his new book, “Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?”

In this detailed collection of examples, anecdotes and solutions, Poundstone provides the unemployed everywhere with an answer key for the professional world.

“Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?” contains ten chapters devoted to true accounts of high-pressure situations along with detailed descriptions for how to respond to some of the most terrifyingly bizarre questions ever asked by companies.

In one section titled “Salvaging a Doomed Interview,” the author provides honest advice about what to do when it all goes wrong.

“I’m not saying you can fake your way through these kinds of interview questions,” Poundstone writes. “I am saying it’s better interview etiquette to keep trying to answer the question until the interviewer cuts you off.”

Even the smallest features deserve to be carefully noted. Details as simple as what color some companies expect their potential workers to wear are included in this comprehensive guide. Companies do not miss specifics, and neither should interviewees.

The author includes bullet points of exact criteria that stores such as Nordstrom expect their potential workers to be wearing on interview day. Such nitpicky guidelines found in this book are unique and can offer readers an advantage during their encounters with potential employers.

Toward the end of the book, Poundstone provides tough riddles and complex algorithmic word problems to encourage out-of-the-box thinking. Decoding a brainteaser does not guarantee an automatic hire with a company, but employers want to see a worker’s innovation and creativity during the interview process.

Regardless of the job at stake, the behind-the-scenes advice, etiquette reminders and secret tricks for a successful interview found in this book should not be overlooked at such a crucial time.

As the competition becomes more and more intensive in the job market, college students and graduates have a lot to gain from applying the insight of “Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?”

Reach the reporter at ejnicho1@asu.edu

Co-authored by Mark Greaney, the book begins with the capture of the world’s most wanted terrorist, The Emir. This causes followers to form their own group with the intention of global destruction.
This spurs the five active members of The Campus to counter the group by conducting a series of missions all over the world. The covert operation must also evade the suspicions of the government.

Meanwhile, Jack Ryan Sr. runs the campaign of his life to re-enter the oval office.

The elder Jack’s opponent, current President Edward Kealty, turns to blackmail and deceit in an effort to win re-election. He also targets one of Jack’s colleagues and confidantes, former CIA agent John Clark, by accusing him of illegally capturing The Emir.

With John Clark on the run from a Kealty-lead FBI investigation, the members of The Campus are left to anticipate a possible terrorist attack led by Russian radical, General Riaz Rehan.
Jack Jr. also engages in a more personal mission: capturing the heart of Melanie Kraft, a brilliant analyst for the National Counterterrorism Center.

Tom Clancy succeeds in writing his usual style of thrill and suspense throughout the novel. From the first pages describing the imprisonment of a potential leader for the Dagestani Islamic revolution to the ultimate mission of preventing Russian and Dagestani nuclear war, Clancy provides the perspective of both the enemy and the ally in each mission.

The novel distinguishes itself by being able to appeal to the reader’s emotional sympathy for the enemies. This extra insight leads the reader to flinch at their imminent destruction.

Additionally, the book includes maps for several of the novel’s locations to help the reader identify and follow Jack Jr.’s team all around the world.

Chapters of added details give the audience insight to the history of The Emir and the experience of each Campus member – there is even an entire section dedicated to describing the weapons used for every attack.
The lengthy 850-page novel provides a constant sense of anticipation that causes the reader to wonder if the characters can remain indestructible after taking on their most dangerous mission to date.

Reach the reporter at mkthomp5@asu.edu

2.5/5 Pitchforks

Meant to be a modern and magical twist on love stories, “The Night Circus” attempts to depict a dark and dazzling circus world of illusionists, magicians, contortionists, complications and love. Writer and multimedia artist Erin Morgenstern describes her newest novel and work in general as “fairytales in one way or another.” Unfortunately, though the intention of the novel seems to be to create a world of unbearable beauty, it only becomes unbearable at parts.

Set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the novel follows performers involved with Le Cirque des Reves, a mysterious and entertaining performance troupe that does actual magic instead of tricks. Part of the circus is Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair who, from a young age, have been put into a competition against each other, unbeknownst to them.

Though they are aware of the competition, they do not know whom they are against, nor is what they need to do to win explained. Though their overbearing trainers will not clarify the rules of the daunting game they are in, they devote their young lives to perfecting their craft. In the process, the magical beings fall into a passionate love that defies their fate.

The characters are weaved together in an interesting and creative style and the leisurely but persistent suspense gives a compelling charm and intrigue into the world of performance. However, these aspects cannot be appreciated because of the over-the-top decadent writing style.

Every scene is described with such magic and grace, but the book as a whole lacks magic. The hyper-elegant displays of beauty fall flat because there is rarely a contrast. Every scene is described with such enchanting detail that even a character’s sipping on apple cider sounds as if it is an incomparable experience. This level of enchanting narrative is more distracting than captivating.

Because the characters in the circus are continuously described as embodying utmost magical perfection, the drama is never as heightened as it could be. The storyline is written to beguile and surprise, but the imminent danger never seems that dangerous because there is so much faith in the characters’ powers. Even when blood is shed and places are burned, the lovers remain curiously unscathed. The story lacks the necessary gritty moment that would serve as a catalyst for change and revelation because, of course, the characters are beautiful, stoic and untouchable.

If Morgenstern had spent less effort describing elaborate special effects, she could have focused more on the haunting, underlying question of whether people who were never loved before can love each other. Though the author might believe that delving into psychological weaknesses and emotional trauma is not as aesthetically spectacular, it is a topic in her story that would have gripped readers’ hearts and minds.

Reach the reporter at mgrichar@asu.edu

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(Image courtesy of Doubleday)

‘Damned’

Chuck Palahniuk

2/5 Pitchforks

“Damned” brings a whole new meaning to hellish adolescent existence. However, Chuck Palahniuk’s new book tries the patience of his most avid fans as the “Fight Club” author falls into a horrible state of repetition due to the unsustainably thin plot.

The story takes a first-person perspective through the eyes of caustic 13-year-old Madison, who is raised by a Hollywood-famed mother and father with show business values to match. The spiritual ideology that her parents taught her is that she can find her true self through drug use, recycling, an organic diet and nudism as a form of religious practice. She has also been told that there is no such thing as right or wrong; however, if there is a Devil, it may be either Ann Coulter or Big Tobacco.

When Madison’s parents abandon her at Swiss boarding school over winter break so they can flaunt their recent projects and newly-adopted orphans, Madison overdoses on marijuana and finds herself in Hell. In the novel, she travels the depths of the Underworld with a classically diverse crew: a cheerleader, a nerd, a jock and a rebel. Towards the end, Madison hysterically transforms into a pathological egotist and she is introduced to history’s worst tormentors.

Palahniuk exploits much of popular culture to craft the storyline. In a satirical spin on Judy Blume’s novel “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” every chapter of “Damned” begins “Are you there, Satan? It’s me, Madison.” It is easy to recognize that the teenagers in the Underworld detention center hearken back to “The Breakfast Club.”

Palaniuk’s strength is his ability to call upon the great visual potential of his topic. He is unrestrained in his descriptions of the nastiest people and places imaginable. Some of the noxious places he describes in abhorrent detail are the Great Ocean of Wasted Sperm, Sh– Lake, Sea of Insects and “the roiling, surging oceans of scalding-hot barf.” While he deftly describes the locations — likely to many people’s chagrin — they do not culminate to a larger meaning for the story.

Palahniuk plays up the great visual potential of hell, which is well-suited to his hyper-detailed, entertaining style. However, his imagery does not make up for the empty plot. Antagonistic tangents are sprinkled throughout, but become dull and redundant quickly. Instead of trying to capture the voice of a 13-year-old girl, the “Fight Club” author tries to adapt the girl to fit the voice of a pessimistic middle-aged man.

Reach the reporter at mgrichar@asu.edu

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Courtesy of TOMS

With the recent publication of “Start Something That Matters,” Blake Mycoskie, the philanthropic founder of TOMS shoes and evolving entrepreneur, can include published author on his list of accomplishments. In the book, Mycoskie tells the story of TOMS, currently one of the fastest-growing shoe companies, and the lessons he has learned from other innovative organizations, such as method, charity: water, FEED Projects and TerraCycle.

Without a background in fashion design or retail, Mycoskie created one of the most iconic shoe companies using the popular alpargata in Argentina as the basic design for his shoes.

TOMS is based on the revolutionary business model of One for One, which matches good morals with good sales. For every pair of shoes the company sells, TOMS (short for “Tomorrow’s Shoes”) donates a pair to a child in need. With the help of charities and other groups, the company reported last year that its donations exceeded one million.

“Start Something That Matters” traces the evolution of a company that started out in a poverty-stricken pocket in Argentina, moved to a modest Los Angeles apartment and continued on to become a retail movement.

In his memoir, Mycoskie shares his transformation from a “regular business guy” looking for profit into one of the “emerging leaders in Conscious Capitalism.” Though at times, the book describes gushy do-goodisms in a clichéd and somewhat hokey manner, the idea is inspiring and the message is endearing.

Told in a colloquial style, Mycoskie presents the six simple keys for transforming life and business. The means to success are familiar to any person who has glanced at other motivational business books, but Mycoskie identifies them as: finding your story, facing your fears, being resourceful without resources, keeping it simple, building trust and seeing that giving is good business.

In the book, Mycoskie also shows how he has applied his business philosophy to his personal life as well.  His belief in simplicity in message and design influenced his decision to streamline his property and personal belongings by moving into a 200-square-foot sailboat.

The idea of wealth and status equating to success has been dispelled before, but Mycoskie reminds readers of this forgotten fact. Even if he is not able to offer revelatory insight regarding business, he does provide a creative and openhearted business model for entrepreneurs, which for our times, is worth considering.

To further the concept of One for One, TOMS has recently launched eyewear. Additionally, with every copy of “Start Something That Matters” purchased, a new book will be provided to a child in need, keeping the TOMS philosophy that profit, passion and meaning do not have to be mutually exclusive.

Reach the reporter at mgrichar@asu.edu

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(Photo by Beth Easterbrook)

Ask any fashionista, fan of music or member of the media what the name Jay-Z means to them and you’re likely to field an array of responses. The short name can be said in an instant, yet merely hearing the genre-altering rapper’s moniker paints a vivid picture in the minds of many.

For as well as we know Jay-Z through his brilliant hooks, lyrical mastery and influence on the music industry as we know it, the man behind the albums has always remained a bit of a mystery.

The expanded edition of “Decoded,” the autobiography of Jay-Z that was originally released last year, is set to re-release into stores everywhere on Nov. 1. The new edition of the book contains 16 new pages and includes the decoding of three new songs.

The book reveals the life story of Shawn Carter as simply that of a man with a dream. In the memoir, the 41-year-old rapper is the teller of one of the greatest rags-to-riches tales ever heard. It is a glimpse into the masterful mind of Jay-Z, replete with stories of his turbulent youth, his rise to fame and “decodings” of some of his most iconic — and controversial — lyrics.

One of Jay-Z’s most recognizable songs is the immensely popular “99 Problems,” which features the line, “I don’t know what you take me as / Or understand the intelligence that Jay-Z has.”

If nothing else, “Decoded” is just that: a compelling look into the sheer brilliance of Shawn Carter.

Fortunately, the book is much more than that; it is part memoir, part commentary on both society and the world of hip-hop and part deconstruction of the true intent behind some of Jay-Z’s most influential songs. From a literary standpoint, it is one of the most entertaining reads to be had, whether you are a fan of rap music or not.

The content hits nearly every person on such a visceral level that it’s nearly impossible to ignore. The way Carter delves into the details of his harrowing days as a drug-dealing hustler is done with a realism that is impossible to fabricate.

“This is what the streets have done for us, for me,” he wrote. “They’ve given us our drive; they’ve made us stronger. Through hip-hop we found a way to redeem those lessons, and use them to change the world.”

“Decoded” hits on a variety of topics, covering everything from Jay-Z’s support of Barack Obama to his views on organized religion to the emotions of experiencing the murders of some of his closest friends. The stories told are recounted with great attention to detail and a very conversational tone; it’s almost as if you’re sitting in a room with Jay-Z, listening to an intimate description of the history of one of the world’s biggest stars.

While the book is indeed relevant for readers of any background, fans of hip-hop will not be disappointed. Jay-Z eloquently talks about rappers and artists that inspired him and describes how he went from being a hustler on the streets of Brooklyn to his place on top of the rap game.

“The beauty of hip-hop is that … it found its story in the story of the hustler,” Carter wrote. “But that’s not the only story. At this point, it’s a tool that can be used to find the truth in anything. I’m still rhyming — not about hustling in the same way I rhymed about it in my first album, but about the same underlying quest.”

As far as autobiographical works of musicians go, “Decoded” sets the new gold standard. It is a truly captivating story of a man that created a new life for himself while still embracing his core principles. The book is a detailed, 323-page account of the life of Shawn Carter with humanistic qualities behind every word penned that bring an inspirational air to the work.

“I never had to reject Shawn Carter to become Jay-Z,” he wrote. “Shawn Carter’s life lives in Jay’s rhymes —transformed, of course: Flesh and blood became words, ideas, metaphors, fantasies, and jokes. But those two characters come together through the rhymes, become whole again. The multitude is contained. It’s a powerful magic.”

Reach the reporter at tpaxton@asu.edu

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