Waterstone Media

Adventure Stories

Why The Avengers doesn’t work

by Leave a Comment

I’ve written recently about the fact that I’ve been getting more into comics this past year. While there are certainly great comics and bad ones, overall I’ve been really impressed. I had so many misconceptions about comic books that I’m glad have been laid to rest.

One fact that I’ve realized is that for me, the Avengers comics don’t generally work very well, and I think I know why.

First, a caveat: This thought is based off of reading about 60 Avengers comics and watching two big-budget movies, which I realize is a very small subset of the entire run. I may very well be proven wrong later, and I would be excited if that was the case.

When it comes to world-ending or universe-ending calamities, few stories go as big as Avengers, and if that’s your thing, I can see how they have grown so much in popularity. For me, though, I’m not as interested in the disaster facing the Avengers. I’m interested in the characters themselves, and that’s where Avengers generally fall short.

The whole principle of the Avengers is that many superheroes need to band together to fight evil. Although there is always some small drama happening in the background, it’s entirely consumed by the foe the Avengers face. I want to see how characters react to the chaos of their time, how it changes them.

The single-character comics are much better at this. The focus is tighter and the stories have more emotional impact.

I think we see this in the movies as well. In the first Avengers, there were only a handful of characters, and I think Joss Whedon did an amazing job of balancing character development with Loki’s plans. By the second movie, the universe had grown too much in scope, and the demands on the movie were too great for a single film. My fear, as the universe has grown even more, is that this problem is only going to get worse.

I have no doubt Infinity War will be a visual spectacle, and probably enjoyable, given Marvel’s track record. But I have a hard time believing it will be anything more than an enjoyable popcorn movie without much depth.

I’m curious what others think. Do you feel the same way about the Marvel franchise, or do you have a different opinion?

Leviathan Wakes

by Leave a Comment

I don’t know if you ever have the sensation where you finish a book or a movie, and you leave it, utterly silent, thinking only to yourself, That was really good.

That’s how I felt when I finished Leviathan Wakes, the first book in The Expanse series. For those who don’t know, it’s the book that the sci-fi channel’s hit new show is based on. I’ve written about the show here, and am really excited to see the second season once it hits DVD.

So, I came into this book with pretty high expectations already, which is usually a recipe for disaster. Not this time, though. The book held up with flying colors.

Leviathan Wakes is a hard book to pin down at times. It’s sci-fi throughout, but borrows liberally from horror, political thrillers, mysteries, military fiction, and even noir. I think that’s one of the reasons I love it so much.

The two main characters, Holden and Miller, are wonderfully fleshed out. Holden is a noble fool, almost naive in his innocence. Miller feels like he could have stepped right out of a classic noir film, divorced wife in tow. The way the story brings them together and forces them to interact is beautifully done.

It’s not a flawless book. Particularly near the end, there were some moments where I thought to myself I don’t think that would work. . . But I’m okay with it for the sake of the story.

What I love most about it is that it is a story about humans. The ideas within are cool, but unlike a Neal Stephenson novel, ideas take a back seat to the people who are trying to work their way through the story.

I certainly realize that it’s early in the year, but so far, Leviathan Wakes is my favorite sci-fi of 2017!

Thanksgiving

by 3 Comments

The post this week is short and simple.
Here in the U.S., Thursday is Thanksgiving.
The holiday has a less-than-illustrious past, but I do very much love the idea of setting aside time in our lives for giving thanks. It’s something I try to do personally every day, but it’s good to put out in public, too.
So this week, I just want to take a moment to say “Thank you” to everyone. Being able to tell stories for a living is an incredible gift, and I’m forever grateful for the opportunity. I treasure every email, every tweet, and every facebook post.
My only goal moving forward is to continue being worthy of your time, money and attention. They are all valuable, and I appreciate you all taking the risk on a new author.
So in short, thanks to all of you for all the support.

With gratitude,

Ryan

Release of Primal Dawn

by Leave a Comment

Top of the morning, everybody!

I know this has already gone out on all the channels, but I wanted to make sure it could be seen here, too. I’m really excited to announce the official release of my newest story, Primal Dawn.

Primal Dawn is a new endeavor for me, a short sci-fi story about first contact. It’s an idea I’ve had bouncing around in my head for quite a while, and after finishing the Nightblade trilogy, was looking for a bit of a change of pace.

The story comes in at about fifty thousand words, so a little less than half of a full Nightblade novel. This was a lot of fun to write, and I hope you all enjoy as well. If you’re interested in learning more, the link is below:

Primal Dawn

Take care all!

Ryan

The Importance of a Mentor

by Leave a Comment

Hello everyone, this is Bryce, and I will be writing the post for today. Ryan is keeping busy, but he will return soon!

I recently finished the first draft of a fiction novel I’ve been working on for seven months.

There were many reasons why I succeeded this time. I have a child. I’m more mature. I have a supportive network of friends and family. I really wanted to create something that would inspire and entertain others. I was willing to put in the work… no matter what.

I also had Ryan as a mentor.

Would I have finished without him? Maybe. The world will never know. However, I am certain that the end product with be much better off because of him.

I’ve attempted many things, and all the great successes can be traced back to great instructors. When I earned by black belt in Shotokan Karate, I had some of the best instructors in the world.  I landed an interview with a particularly awesome company, so I turned to someone with great, proven interview skills. On a side not, I got the job and it sucked, but that is a story for a different day.

The point of this post is to stress the importance of finding a mentor. With any endeavor you might take, find someone with proven experience in the field. Be it business, fitness, finance, relationships, or anything, don’t go in alone.

Good luck,

Bryce