Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog Science fiction and fantasy author, and host of "The Labyrinth" podcast Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:48:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Labryinth 48 – Ken O’Neill http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2472 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2472#comments Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:44:37 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2472 ep48cover600x600Ken O’Neill has been a physical culturist since 1959. He is a journalist and also co-host of the Physical Culture 2.0 podcast. In this episode, Ken talked to me about his early experiences in high school with physical culture when he was on the swim team, and together we took a journey through aspects of bodybuilding and strength training culture in the 60’s 70’s, and beyond. Ken mentors clients in generative wellness for preventing, arresting, and reversing chronic degenerative diseases burdening health care systems of Western civilizatio through natural, genomic physical training.

 

 

 

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2472 0 Labyrinth 47 – Jacqui Cheng http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2457 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2457#comments Tue, 04 Jun 2013 00:26:36 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2457 ep47cover600x600Journalist and writer Jacqui Cheng is back in The Labyrinth, and she’s got new stories about changes her life since she was last here. We talk about Jacqui’s new journalism projects, life as an editor at large for Ars Technica, marriage and running in this episode. If you want to hear the first episode where she appeared, you’ll find it here, in episode 17.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subscribe and listen

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2457 0 Labyrinth 46 – Pam Grossman http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2431 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2431#comments Mon, 27 May 2013 17:10:30 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2431 ep46cover600x600Pam Grossman is a writer and curator based in New York City. She is the co-founder of the Brooklyn arts and culture space Observatory. In her work, Pam specializes in mysticism, the esoteric and fantastical. She also co-edits the Abraxas International Journal of Esoteric Studies. She writes the Phantasmaphile blog, which specializes in art and culture with a focus on the esoteric. We talked about art, nature, cities, and the concepts of witchcraft, both in ancient times, and in modern application.

 

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2431 1 Labyrinth 45 – Rob “Fortress” Fortney and Lonnie Lowery http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2422 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2422#comments Sun, 19 May 2013 17:21:30 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2422 ep45cover600x600Lonnie Lowery, Ph. D, is an exercise physiologist, professor and a bodybuilder. Rob “Fortress” Fortney has been an editor for magazines like Muscle Intenrational, Peak training, among others. Rob is a former competitive bodybuilder and currently competes in powerlifting. Lonnie and Rob are the co-hosts of Iron Radio, a podcast dedicated to strength sports. Both of them joined my in this conversation about their passion for strength sports, the role of science and practice in strength training, and what makes them such good friends. Join us as we break away from the interview format and create a conversation about life, iron and self mastery, both intellectual and physical.

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2422 0 Let’s hang out at Book Expo America http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2419 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2419#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 15:57:11 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2419 Hey hey hey.

If you’re in the book biz, I wanted to drop a notice her to let you know I’ll be attending Book Expo America 2013 in New York City (May 29 – June 1). It’s a great chance to meet some of you in person, as well as a way for me to meet new people. If you’re interested in meeting up, please drop me a line on my contact page on the site, tweet me or message me on Facebook.

 

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2419 0 Labyrinth 44 – Helene Wecker http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2414 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2414#comments Mon, 06 May 2013 18:40:35 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2414 ep44cover600x600Helene Wecker’s debut novel is “The Golem and the Jinni,” out now from Harper Collins. Helene talked to me about her evolution as a writer through her MFA work at Columbia University. The stories she constructed early on about immigrant families and characters stuck between two worlds transformed over seven years into the final published novel. This book pits two immigrants — a golem from eastern Europe and a jinni from the Middle East — as potential lovers in late 19th-century New York. We talk magic, love, and the strangest thing that ever happened to Helene.

Subscribe and listen

Links

 

 

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2414 0 Labyrinth 43 – Michael Largo http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2407 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2407#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:02:06 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2407 ep43cover600x600Michael Largo, author of the new book “The Big, Bad Book of Beasts” talked with me about his path to becoming a writer, mythology, nature and science, as well as the ways in which medieval bestiaries reflect the way certain cultures saw (or see) the world. Michael is also the author of several other encyclopedic non-fiction books, a poetry collection, and three novels.

 

 

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2407 0 Labyrinth 42 – Daniele Bolelli http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2400 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2400#comments Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:58:43 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2400 ep42cover600x600

I am so psyched to welcome back Daniele Bolelli to the Labyrinth. Daniele’s new book “Create Your Own Religion” is a romp through the fallacies, myths and history of some of the major world religions. Daniele suggests that people can find what works for them best and develope their own religion or philosophy, and he does this with humor, wit, and academic attention to detail. Time to roll up our sleeves and talk religion.

 

 

 

 

 

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2400 0 Labyrinth 41 – Guy Gavriel Kay http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2393 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2393#comments Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:09:17 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2393 ep41cover600x600Today I am honored to talk to one of the legends of fantasy, Guy Gavriel Kay. Guy is the author of “The Fionavar Tapestry,” “Under Heaven,” Ysabel,” and he is also a published poet. His new book, “River of Stars,” is an epic fantasy tale set in Kitai, which is inspired by Song Dynasty in 12th century China. Guy also worked with the Christopher Tolkien in his earlier years in compiling materials for “The Silmarillion,” and he talks to us about how that helped shape his future as a fantasist of his own.

 

 

 

Subscribe and listen

Links 

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2393 0 Labyrinth: I’m a few days behind, but I have a surprise for you! http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2388 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2388#comments Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:03:36 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2388 I have had a few days’ delay with the show, since I had a guest drop out!

However, I am excited to tell you that the fantasy legend Guy Gavriel Kay is our next guest! That show will be available later this week.

Guy is the best-selling author of several fantasy novels and poetry collections. I just interviewed him at Ars Technica regarding his new epic, “River of Stars”: What we’re reading: River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay.

Larger-cover_River_of_Stars

So, look for the new episode to hit your subscription, and sorry for the delay! I like to keep these coming on a weekly basis.

 

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2388 0 What to expect from Amazon’s acquisition of social book site Goodreads http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2377 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2377#comments Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:42:14 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2377 Amazon has acquired the book-recommendation social site Goodreads for $150 million. This is big news that affects not just book consumers, but also authors. Goodreads is a bit of a niche product: It has a devoted following and community of users who review books, but it’s not exactly the most popular book site in the American market. However, the fact that Amazon purchased means that it plays an important role in publishing and how people buy books. If Goodreads wasn’t on your radar in the past five years, well, today’s news should place it there.

logo-5aea6e61d29a47cb9ebfabec5d3aa1caToday the Atlantic provided analysis of the purchase, in which Jordan Weissman explained that Americans aren’t generally big readers (as suggested by survey data). However, they are powerful consumers, and Goodreads provides a platform for influential and voracious readers to promote books via social tools.

If you’ve never used Goodreads, I recommend it. It’s sort of like a Facebook for book nerds. You can show other people what’s happening to that stack of books on your nightstand: what you are reading, what you want to read, and what you are putting off (like “War and Peace”).

Goodreads

I think this particular acquisition is one that’s going to have a huge impact on how book reviews and recommendations propagate through the Internet. Yes, let’s face it. In our current ecosystem, the book recommendation is the bookworm’s meme, and these memes are some of the best ways to figure out what’s good, both at the popular level, but also in indie publishing. As Weissman points out, social media, author websites (such as this one, cough cough), and word of mouth continue to become popular ways for book aficionados to receive recommendations.

Gone are the days of thick Sunday edition book sections in city newspapers, where voracious readers read criticism and reviews to inform their future purchases (and borrows). Now it’s up to the masses to provide us with star ratings and reviews of varying degrees of quality.

I would still personally prefer that Amazon weren’t the single most populous place on the Internet to learn about, recommend, and purchase books. No matter what anyone tells you about independent bookstores, and competitors like Apple and Barnes and Noble, Amazon currently has the biggest amount of resources to market itself, and the Goodreads acquisition is bound to help it further in this goal.

On the other hand, the acquisition will probably help the people who love reading books. Being able to compare Amazon reviews to Goodreads reviews (which tend to be more thoughtful and less….wacky), is a good thing. Will that funnel of reviews from Goodreads into Amazon’s mega-shopping experience unfairly drive people to purchase the books from Amazon instead of competitors? Yes, probably so. But we should remember we all get to choose where to buy our books. If there are alternative platforms, or DRM-free publishers (such as Tor, for example) that you support, give them your money. You can simply read the reviews, come to your own decision about the book, and make your purchase wherever you want.

What readers should expect

Amazon will now own two databases of book reviews and recommendations.  Amazon.com‘s massive database of purchase history and patterns, reviews and other metadata may improve, if Amazon decides to import or aggregate quality reviews from Goodreads. We’ll have to wait and see if they actually do this.  Then there is the  Goodreads database, which I think may flourish even more, thanks to the purchase. If Amazon continues to support the Goodreads development team, we may see better features and improvements to the site. However, Goodreads users could find some of their best reviews showcased on Amazon, so keep your eyes open for a change in terms of service. If you want to protect your privacy and don’t like your reviews ported over to Amazon.com, you should make sure you keep up with changes at Goodreads as the platform makes changes using Amazon’s money.

Can you expect better reviews? Not any more than are already out there. I don’t think we’re going to see more mega-readers to be borne from this purchase. I think what you can expect will be an easier way to get to the well-written reviews by people in the Goodreads and Amazon communities who have a good standing and don’t downvote books for silly or esoteric reasons.

What authors should expect

I think authors can expect to put in a little more time into promoting their books into both Amazon and Goodreads, but I think the results will be better. The Goodreads community is a more welcoming place, since it’s it’s less anonymous than Amazon’s, and that means that authors will have better interactions with their readers.

In short, if you are an author and haven’t joined Goodreads to interact with readers of your books, you should do so already. I joined the site in 2007, and I can definitely recommend it. My friends on Goodreads mirror many of my relationships in real life, and that means I get really great book recommendations from the people I know (and some who I discover when I browse for new books). Feel free to friend me on Goodreads, or also on Facebook, where I also post my Goodreads activity to my feed.

By the way, if you’re an author who feels exhausted by having to promote your book in yet another social site, you may want to sit back and do some deep breathing. What I’m going to say next isn’t easy to hear. Social sites are here to stay (at least for a long while), and putting in the work to talk to your readers on a site like Goodreads is a great thing. If you balk at doing this type of work, you need to reconsider your goals in actually building your platform and career. Writing published works has never simply consisted of just writing. There is a role that the author plays in connecting with readers, and you need to decide what that role is for yourself. I think success is partially hidden in this decision.

If you want to find my Goodreads profile and learn more about my books, here is a link to my profile. It also imports my blog posts, so if you want to read my stuff in one single place in Goodreads, now you know how.

What changes do you think will come from Amazon’s purchase of Goodreads? Leave me a note in the comments.

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2377 1 Labyrinth 40 – Peter Larson http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2369 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2369#comments Fri, 29 Mar 2013 21:08:41 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2369 ep40cover600x600Peter Larson, Ph. D, is the author of the running book “Tread Lightly” and the creator of the running site Runblogger. Pete’s interest in the anatomy of the human foot and the evolutionary aspects of running led him to create his blog, which has been so successful that he will take a leave of absence from his current teaching position at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. Though we talk about barefooting for a bit, this show goes deep into all aspects of running and running shoes, and while we’re at it, we tap into the sources of inspiration that prompted Peter to pursue his passion.

NOTE: As some of you may have noticed, I made a mistake with the numbering of this episode. Episode 39 is actually James Clear, and Peter Larson takes the 40th spot. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Subscribe and listen

Links

 

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2369 0 Labyrinth 39 – James Clear http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2364 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2364#comments Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:36:42 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2364 ep40cover600x600James Clear is a writer, weightlifter, photographer and entrepreneur. He talked about some of his latest insights in nutrition and diet, and also what inspires him. If you liked previous episodes with people like Vanessa Runs, Matthew Fizgerald or Abel James, you’re gonna dig on James.

Subscribe and listen

Links

 

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2364 0 Labyrinth 38 – Nathaniel Wolfe and Pragmataoism http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2359 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2359#comments Thu, 21 Mar 2013 19:54:08 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2359 ep38cover600x600Nathaniel Wolfe is back. In this episode he illustrates Pragmataoism, a philosophy he’s implemented combining elements of pragmatism and Taoism. In this episode we talk about what Nathaniel used from both these philosophies, and how it interlocks with martial arts, sustainable farming, aquaponics, and chickens. Join us in a conversation about ethics and philosophy in this corridor of The Labyrinth.

 

 

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2359 0 Labyrinth 37 – C. Robert Cargill http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2352 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2352#comments Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:35:56 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2352 ep37cover600x600C. Robert Cargill is the author of the new fantasy novel “Dreams and Shadows,” and the screenwriter of the horror film “Sinister,” starring Ethan Hawke. Cargill talked to me about his evolution from movie-loving kid, to journalist, and now, novelist and screenwriter. We also find out exactly how it is that a genie can share a place at the bar with a fairy, and do a shot of whiskey together. In Austin, Texas.

 

 

 

 

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2352 0 Labyrinth 36 – Abel James http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2346 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2346#comments Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:08:14 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2346 ep36cover600x600Abel James found overnight fame with his podcast “Fat-Burning Man,” one of the most popular health podcasts out there. But Abel is not a man that consists just of Paleo lifestyle or primal living. He’s a musician, writer and life adventurer. In this episode we find out how Abel changed his dietary and lifestyle habits to fix his health problems, and how he lives today. We talk about the controversies of the Paleo movement, and how conventional advice from magazines sends out an opposite message about what we should eating and doing.

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2346 0 The Labyrinth 35 – Death, Writing and Living http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2339 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2339#comments Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:08:24 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2339 ep35cover600x600This week Robert Pobi returns to the show to talk about music and writing, as well as a tragic event that shook his life recently. We philosphize on life, the meaning of writing, and what it means to live. We talked about a ton of music on this show. As a companion piece, you can listen to all the bands we talked about. Use the Spotify player below. Robert Pobi is the author of the thrillers Bloodman and Mannheim Rex.

 

Subscribe and listen

Links

 

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2339 0 The Labyrinth 34 – Eyre Price http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2331 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2331#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:42:11 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2331 ep34cover600x600Eyre Price’s debut novel, “Blues Highway Blues” sends his main character Daniel Erickons on a gritty romp through American music history, its crime underbelly, and another, more mysterious place. Erye talked to me about how he became a novelist, the history of the blues and rock ‘n roll, and the strangest thing that happened to him while writing his book.

 

 

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2331 0 The Labyrinth 33 – Sergio Magaña http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2326 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2326#comments Thu, 14 Feb 2013 04:31:58 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2326 ep33cover600x600Sergio Magaña is the author of “Dawn of the Sixth Sun – The Path of Quetzalcoatl” He is a Toltec shaman. He lectures around the world on shamanistic and lucid dreaming practices. He spoke with me from his office in Mexico City.

 

 

 

 

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2326 0 The Labyrinth 32 – Matt Fitzgerald http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2316 http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2316#comments Sat, 09 Feb 2013 15:11:18 +0000 Cesar Torres http://cesartorres.net/blog/?p=2316 ep32cover600x600Matt Fitzgerald is the author of “The New Rules of Marathon and Half Marathon Nutrition,” as well as “Racing Weight,” and several other books and articles in the areas of sports, running and nutrition. Today on the podcast, Matt talks to me about his introduction to writing, how running became part of his life, and we talk about food. What’s good, what’s not, what is excellent for runners, and how to avoid gastrointestinal calamities when out on the road.

 

Subscribe and listen

Links

]]> http://cesartorres.net/blog/?feed=rss2&p=2316 0