Ask the Author: Chris Dietzel
Answered Questions (13)
Chris Dietzel
Hi Lucille, none of my three Great De-evolution novellas (The Last Teacher, Last Astronaut, and Last Voter) are available as a hard copy but now that you mention I might publish them as a collected paperback!
Chris Dietzel
Hi Hugo. Thanks for the question. That's a neat idea for sure but I have zero understanding of AI and quantum computing so I wouldn't know where to start. Maybe one day my Great De-evolution books will become mainstream and other authors will write their own stories set in mankind's slow demise. If that happens, maybe one such author will be a quantum computing genius and write that story. : )
Chris Dietzel
Of course I'll stop by. : ) Send me a private message with your FB account and I'll be there.
Thanks for the support. It is greatly appreciated. The only way that books like mine have a chance of succeeding is via word-of-mouth so I can't thank you enough.
Thanks for the support. It is greatly appreciated. The only way that books like mine have a chance of succeeding is via word-of-mouth so I can't thank you enough.
Chris Dietzel
Hi Rebecca, thanks for the question. Watch The World End Publications is the branding I give to my books. I like to think of it as my own imprint. I've had a friend recommend a book that they read to become a part of Watch The World End Publications but right now it's just the umbrella for all of my own books. Maybe one day it will grow into something else. : )
Chris Dietzel
Hi Michele, thanks for the question. I typically get a slightly higher royalty for ebooks than if someone buys a paperback. I also typically get a slightly higher royalty at Amazon and Smashwords than I do at iTunes and Barnes & Noble. That said, I don't have any preference at all where someone purchases one of my books; I'm just thankful each time a reader decides to spend time immersing themselves in one of my stories.
Chris Dietzel
Hi Jacquie, thanks for the question. You are correct that there is no correct order; they are grouped together simply because they take place in the same world and can be read in any sequence you like. The order most readers have read them, though, is to start with 'The Man Who Watched The World End', then move to 'A Different Alchemy,' and then finish with 'The Hauntings of Playing God.' From the readers I have spoken to on the topic, that is the order they would recommend to other readers as well. I hope you enjoy them!
Chris Dietzel
Hi Michele, thanks for the question. My books are available via three main channels: 1) Amazon; 2) Smashwords 3) Smashwords vendors (iBooks, B&N, etc.). For the first two, I get a 70% royalty on all ebook sales. For the third, I get a 60% royalty. Note that this is only for ebook sales. I receive a negligible royalty for paperback sales because I wanted the price as low as possible.
Chris Dietzel
Thanks for the question. The scenario presented in 'The Theta Prophecy' is about as far as you can get from the "Oswald acted alone" theory. If you read it, I'd love to hear what you think about that portion of the book.
Chris Dietzel
Hi Tracey, thanks for the question, and thanks for recommending my book to others. Two things inspired the world of the Great De-evolution. The first was constantly being flooded with apocalyptic stories where the few survivors ended up fighting each other or zombies instead of just doing their best to survive. I wanted an end of mankind that was quiet and reflective. The second influence was seeing stories on the news a couple nights in a row on the increase of autism rates. It got me to thinking what would happen if the rate kept increasing until it was 100% of all children born. The two ideas came together and the Great De-evolution was born.
Chris Dietzel
Hi Jay, if you like really bleak end of the world books like 'The Road', THE MAN WHO WATCHED THE WORLD END would probably be your best bet. If you like dystopian in the same vein as '1984', I'd recommend THE THETA TIMELINE. Whenever you get around to reading one, I'd love to hear what you think.
Chris Dietzel
Thanks for the question. When this was first asked the answer was 'No'. Since then, Podium Publishing has turned my Great De-evolution stories into a set of amazing audiobooks. I highly recommend them, not only because they are my own stories, but because the reader that Podium got did an absolutely amazing job nailing the tone of each book.
Chris Dietzel
I've always heard about authors looking back on their previous works and wishing they could change something here or there. I haven't experienced that (yet). I go through so many edits and rewrites that by the time I finish a book I'm 100% happy with every single aspect of it. By the time it's published, there is nothing I could imagine ever wanting to change about it.
Chris Dietzel
Thanks for the question!
5. Slaughterhouse-Five - Vonnegut's humor and cynicism are executed masterfully. I aim for the same blend of sci fi and literary in my writing.
4. The Catcher in the Rye - Love the casual voice and the feeling of the narrator against the world. I attempt to make my writing as accessible to readers.
3. Disgrace - Amazingly stripped down writing and a brutal story that is told so well you feel sick to your stomach. Coetzee taught me that a book doesn't have to be a certain length; it can be done when the story has been told.
2. The Road - I was blown away by McCarthy's vision of a bleak end for mankind. I love his 'less-is-more' approach to dialogue.
1. East of Eden - Just a perfect book in every way and my favorite book of all time. Steinbeck said it took all of his tools as a writer to produce this masterpiece and you can see that in the story. A great blend of morals, epic story-telling, and making the reader feel like they are learning about life as they read.
5. Slaughterhouse-Five - Vonnegut's humor and cynicism are executed masterfully. I aim for the same blend of sci fi and literary in my writing.
4. The Catcher in the Rye - Love the casual voice and the feeling of the narrator against the world. I attempt to make my writing as accessible to readers.
3. Disgrace - Amazingly stripped down writing and a brutal story that is told so well you feel sick to your stomach. Coetzee taught me that a book doesn't have to be a certain length; it can be done when the story has been told.
2. The Road - I was blown away by McCarthy's vision of a bleak end for mankind. I love his 'less-is-more' approach to dialogue.
1. East of Eden - Just a perfect book in every way and my favorite book of all time. Steinbeck said it took all of his tools as a writer to produce this masterpiece and you can see that in the story. A great blend of morals, epic story-telling, and making the reader feel like they are learning about life as they read.
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