INCREDIBLURB (OT)

You probably recognize the name John Camp—a regular around here, as commenter and occasional post-writer. Just a month ago, the 25th book in John's "Prey" series starring Lucas Davenport, Gathering Prey, debuted at #1 on three New York Times fiction bestseller lists (hardcover fiction, eBook fiction, and the combined list). (He writes under the nom de plume John Sandford.)

And you probably also know Ctein, who wrote 300+ weekly columns for this site among many other contributions. Most lately he's handling the administrative details of Kate's print sale and doing printing duties.

Well, together they've written Saturn Run, a science fiction thriller set 50 years in the future. They sold the book to G.P. Putnam's Sons for a sum of money that's meaningless to me because it's larger than my small brain can comprehend, and it's coming out in October. (It's available for pre-order, and you really should buy it here, since the two of them met via TOP. Also, that way I will earn 19¢ a copy and be as rich as Ctein and John within several million years.)

As if that weren't enough
Then Ctein called the other day with some more news. Pretty exciting news. Okay very exciting news. Books require blurbs...those little endorsements printed on the jacket telling you how wonderful the books are. It's important to early sales to get blurbs a) from people whose endorsement means something, and b) that communicate real enthusiasm for the book. Which many of them don't. Blurbs are tough; it's not always easy to get good ones.

So how's this:

John Sandford is an amazing, protean writer, and Saturn Run is a terrific story of alien first contact. It's a book Michael Crichton would have enjoyed, but never could have written; he didn't have Sandford's gift of good humor and his uncanny ear for dialogue. With the able partnership of Ctein, it's fast, scientifically believable, and peopled by characters who become good friends. Fans of Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers will eat this up. I read the last hundred pages in a single sitting, and was sorry to see it end."

—Stephen King

That said Stephen King. And no, not some 90-year-old former janitor from Iowa with the same name...the Stephen King. Isn't that nice? And to think, I was already jealous before this latest news about the incredible blurb. Wow.

Anyway, congratulations to friend John (whose ears must be burning, as my grandmother would have said) and first-time novelist Ctein. Nice going, guys!

Mike

Original contents copyright 2015 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

TOP's links!

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

John Camp: "Mike, thanks for the the blurb. I will print it out and rub it on my naked body tonight. And to pass a blurb along, I just got the Street Photography: The Art of Capturing the Candid Moment book by your friend Gordon Lewis, who is also a commentator here. I had ordered it from Amazon some time ago, but just got it yesterday, and I read it last night. All of it. It's a valuable book. I actually got two copies—I don't know why—but that's okay, because I'll probably wear one of them out.

"He mentions you and TOP a couple times in the book; so now you're famous; and also blurbed. Yes, it's a virtual blurb-o-rama."

Stephen Gilbert: "Who's doing the author photos?"

Stephen King (IOWA): "I'm Stephen King from IOWA. I've seen sh*t that none of you will experience."

Mike replies: No sh*t?

John replies: I'm also from Iowa (Cedar Rapids) and I've seen that same sh*t. And you're right. They never will experience it. —John Sandford

joan v hall: "Not a fan of science fiction or Stephen King. But do want to say I get a great kick out of Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. Thank you John Sandford."

Comments

[Ed Kirkpatrick]

Done! Can't wait... Thanks!

[David Evans]

I'm hoping to read that ASAP. However I'm in the UK. Can I order it from amazon.uk through you?

[Christopher Lane]

Hoooooray! I am so in on this. Met Ctein. John? I live in the Twin Cities and I bet you saw the Rolling Stones. Your wife, Michele, went to Farmington HS with my wife Maradee. I met Michelle once at, of all places, a Rolling Stones concert (where I sat behind future Guv'ner Jessie Ventura).

[joan v hall]

not a fun of science fiction or stephen king But do want to say I geat a great kick out of
Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers.
thank you John Sanford

[Brian Reitenauer]

I was just reading an interview with Stephen King in the NY Times. The article is called Stephen King: By The Book. They asked him what genres he enjoys reading. He said he enjoys many and is likely to go from the latest John Sandford to...

[Jim Metzger]

Enjoy Ctein and John here on the forum, Have Ctein's book on restoration and just finished 2 Virgil Flowers books.

John's great "dry" sense of humor, very hard to do in writing, and love of music in his books makes for a fine read. Whats not to like?

If you like Flowers I also recommend Ian Rankin's Inspector Rebus, the Scottish version of Flowers.

Thanks Mike for introducing two smart and fine writers to YOUR audience.

Jim

[Ken Tanaka]

Congrats on completing this project John and Ctein! Ordered! Can't wait to read it this fall.

[ctein]

Dear Stephen,

Kyle Cassidy did mine. It's fabulous. One of my favorite photos of me.

I look very respectable. Who says the camera doesn't lie?

pax / Ctein

[Dennis]

I've yet to read any of John's novels - I saw a bunch of them at a used bookstore and decided I wanted to research them to find out where to start (since they seem to use common characters). But now I know where I'll start ! (I don't read much fiction these days, but was always a fantasy & sci-fi fan). So I headed over to Amazon to read the synopsis ... space ship, alien contact, suspense, ok, seen this in movies before, but no, wait, governments are racing to get to it and bring home the technology first - brilliant ! Of course they are ! Aliens might be scary, but not as scary as letting the Chinese get hold of their technology ! Too bad it won't be out in time for summer vacations. (OK, maybe it won't be my first John Sandford novel after all).

[LStefan]

I'm interested (Kindle version). Thank You!

[James]

Hey Mike, talking of John Sandford, could Butters in "Sudden Prey" be the origin of your dog's name?

[No, my Butters was a runaway brought into the Humane Animal Welfare Society by the police, whose owner could not bail him out. He came with his name and the HAWS experts recommended we not change it. It's a good name for him, though. --Mike]

[ctein]

Dear Jim,

You can also thank Mike for effectively "introducing two smart and fine writers to" each other! John and I'd never have met if TOP hadn't thrown us together.

~~~~

Dear Joan,

Do not fear; it's not a Stephen King-type book. Stephen just really, really liked it. It's a Ctein & John Sandford type book. It really is a blending of both our styles.

Personally, I think it's a better book than either of us could have written alone. Better plot and better writing.

I'm entirely unbiased about this, you may be assured.

pax / Ctein

[Murray Lord]

Does it end with the bit about word salad and Macspeech still being in training?

[Paul Van]

So, when do TOP readers get a chance at a book sale, signed by both authors? :)

[Carsten W]

Did Stephen King (IOWA) and John grow up on farms or what?

[Pieter]

$20 on Amazon.com, yet £20 on Amazon.co.uk!? I'll wait for the Kindle version.

[Bob Cook]

I will probably (maybe) buy this one, although I'm not a fan of sic-fi. I do have all of Mr. Camp's Prey series, plus Virgil's stories. John - thanks for the tip on Ms. Fowler's We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves - bought it about a year ago but never got around to reading until I read the mention in Gathering Prey. It is very entertaining, and unusual.

[John Wintheiser]

Love Sandfords work.

[Roger Bradbury]

Sounds good to me! There's been slim pickings in the sort of scifi I like in recent years, so I'm glad to see something that is more to my taste.

[ctein]

Dear Murray,

Guffaw!

I'll give you this–– the last five words of the book are "we thought it was funny."

And, no, I will not give you context. Not even a hint! (mwahahahaha)

~~~~

Dear Paul,

Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say.

Not. [G]

pax \ Ctein
[ Please excuse any word-salad. MacSpeech in training! ]
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-- Ctein's Online Gallery http://ctein.com
-- Digital Restorations http://photo-repair.com
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[FrankB]

Gee Mike thanks to you now I know what famous authors do with those blurbs. But I am going to buy it anyway, I like Mystery and Science Fiction.

[marcin wuu]

I picked up the first one of Davenport's series, Rules of Prey, and a couple of pages in there's these two cops running surveilance with a Nikon F3 loaded with reversal film. Then, several pages later a woman brings a discriminating evidence into the police station, shot on a Kodachrome of all things.
You can tell the guy that wrote this knows his photography :)