Hark! There is a book you must buy. Marcus Sakey, my media mogul brother, Jaime Lannister to my Tyrion, Alan Wake to my Barry, has gone and written another novel. Brilliance, it is called, and it is available on this day for buying with your monies and reading with your eyes. Click upon this link to buy it.
Why that link in particular? Tell you what: first, click and buy, then come back and read this, then go read the book.
SO! Why that link (or this one!) in particular? Because if you use that link (or this one!) your money will go, partly, into Marcus’s coffers… but also into Tap-Repeatedly’s. And those coffers are more important than his. Marcus actually has coffers. Tap-Repeatedly has no coffers. We’re going to have to get some coffers to HOLD THIS MONEY.
Marcus has been doing the novel thing for a while now. Six books! By all accounts he’s managed well, having won like forty prestigious awards and sold… I don’t know, a squidillion copies. His novels have been translated into languages by professionals who do not use Google Translate, and sold in places where they speak those languages.
All of his books have been optioned as movies. One of them just wrapped principal photography in London. Good People will soon be a Major Motion Picture directed by Henrik Ruben Genz and starring Actual Famous People James Franco, Kate Hudson, Omar Sy, and Tom Wilkinson. The rights to this latest one, Brilliance, were picked up by Legendary Pictures. Marcus did a show called Hidden City for the Travel Channel, and has another show in the works. Yes indeed, by all accounts he’s been successful in his chosen profession.
In that time he hasn’t given me one single shiny nickel.
Normally I wouldn’t really expect him to, but when his first novel – The Blade Itself – was published way back in 2006, I said to him, “When you’re rich and famous, you’ll give me money, right?”
“Absolutely.”
So he lied.
As a novelist he lies for a living, but he shouldn’t lie to me; I am his brother.
Do you think Hieronymous Franco does not receive regular checks from his brother James? You would be wrong. He does. You believe Matilda Hudson, younger sister to Kate, is not enjoying luxury’s lap? She is. George RR Martin’s junior siblings, fraternal twins Jim and Ozark RR Martin, are actually in total control of their brother’s fortune. Because fraternal means “brother,” and George RR Martin understands his responsibility to family.
Don’t mistake Marcus’s book The Blade Itself for the identically-titled novel by Joe Abercrombie; not only are they very different, but Joe’s brother Mo Abercrombie is, let’s just say, not hurting for cash.
(Abercrombie’s book is also way better. Probably because he supports his family with riches earned from his writing. Plus the phrase “the blade itself” actually has some meaning in the context of his novel. Marcus just threw three darts at a board to pick random words. That’s also how his books read. Just a string of characters, randomly strewn across a page).
Since I can’t get him to give me any money, I’ve set up a front organization in the form of Tap-Repeatedly. Marc plays a lot of video games – if he played fewer he’d probably publish books more quickly – and I’ve been working hard to convince him that he should invest a good chunk of cash into the site, to ensure continued quality coverage of the medium he loves. If I can’t get money from Marcus, at least we can. Though I guess technically it’ll be your money, since he doesn’t need to buy his own book using the above link (or this one!). He gets free copies.
Brilliance is a bit of a departure from the usual Marcus fare. In general he’s getting a reputation for stories that put normal people into terrifying circumstances, like Stephen King’s trademark is creating unspeakable horrors in small-town white-fence America. Brilliance is a little the same, a little different – a story about very abnormal people whose existence is a very terrifying circumstance. And as usual it’s a cool thriller on one level, and a complex social commentary on another. He’s good at that.
He is not good at keeping promises to his only brother, a fine lad who has eschewed the fast, exciting life of a world-renowned novelist in favor of a simple existence, caring for the poor and feeding orphaned kittens.
Marcus is a bad person, but his books are good, and year after year I dutifully advertise them, singing his few praises and extolling his limited virtues, suppressing his faults, which are many, in hope that one day he might remember the little people.
The little people are me.
Get your own copy of Brilliance in electronic or paper form by clicking this picture of it:
Commiserate with the un-enriched author of this post at steerpike@tap-repeatedly.com.
I have purchased this novel from the provided link. My generosity to Clan Sakey knows no bounds.
I know you go without food to keep your feral cat colony alive, Matt, so I, poverty stricken author I am, have too purchased this book object via your link. Let your coffers fill.
What if I look for it in a brick and mortar store of books? Will I burn for eternity?
On another note, I really dig the cover. Very eye-catching.
You are a good brother, Matt.
Marcus, by contrast, is a bad brother.
That is all.
@xtal: aside from the whole “not going into Tap’s coffers” issue, you should be able to find his book at finer retailers around the world. Even Sweden! (I know this because he was emailing with his Swedish translator a while ago)
Sean: thank you very much. That you recognize this means a lot to me… and to you, because since you’re aware of it, your guard is always up when you’re around him. He’s trouble, man. Trouble.
You are a good brother, Matt and a good son. And, in addition to taking care of the poor and of abandoned kittens, you also take care of your elderly and debilitated parents, who I might add, are on a fixed income and sadly in need of a 3bedroom condo in Florida. In spite of that, when you get a coffer, we will happily donate to it because we love Tap Repeatedly and think it is the finest game review site on the internets.
Brilliant and hilarious.
I have been enjoying Marcus’s escapist tosh since you first became his agent on this site, and I have just bought this as a Kindle download.
Extra kudos to him for being a cat person (if he really is).
Thanks for the heads up.
Thank you all, thank you. Well, he thanks you. Apparently Marcus had a nice little book launch party on Thursday at the usual book-launch-party-location – I missed it this year because I had other stuff on the calendar that day, plus it’s been a million degrees and I don’t do well in the heat. But I guess it was a success – toasts were made, stalkers were met (he has a few, they are hilarious), etc etc etc.
@Lex: He’s a cat person. I think he’s okay with dogs too, but he finds cats more novelist-friendly – they lay there in the sun and watch you write, rarely ask for anything, never need to be walked and almost never entertained. I’m right there with him. My cat probably wouldn’t notice if I disappeared off the face of the earth, while a dog would cry and carry on for ages. It’s nice to be valued, but cats really are ideal pets when it comes to self-sufficiency.
That’s pretty impressive that all of his books have had the rights purchased to possibly make a movie! Both of you have a way with words, must run in your DNA.
this was a very labyrinthine post. but I appreciate the surrealness you’ve added to my day.
You’re a good person, Matt. And because I want to be good like you, I purchased through the provided link for the Kindle version. I admit, I was sorely tempted by the “borrow on your Kindle” option but then Tap wouldn’t have gotten that penny added to its coffers, so I bought it.
You’re welcome.
No nook version? Of course I sought out Marcus’ book in the flesh for my “ha he used to be my DM the bastard” collection but seriously. Nook. Don’t be haters.
Irony! It’s been forever!
I didn’t think of this, but Marcus’s new publisher is Thomas & Mercer, which is Amazon’s professional imprint. So no, probably no Nook version. Alas!
I won’t let brand warfare keep me from Marc’s book! But I will complain about it because it’s free to type.
Hugs, my brother!
Wait, wait. Are YOU the one who cares for and feeds orphaned kittens, Steerpike? Because that part sounded insincere.
Yes! That’s me! I feed the crap out of those kittens.
This (e)book finally made it to the top of the pile and it is a really interesting read: I had not realised it is science fiction (and none the worse for that). I can see gaming potential in the storyline.
One of our cats gives product endorsement by trying to sit on the Kindle as I read, although she seems to do this regardless of the quality of the text.