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The Vortex Winder
Rock musician Jimmy Brandt has quit music for a quiet life. But after a random act of kindness, he is rewarded with the ‘Vortex Winder,’ a device which grants him a new special power each week. Each power leads to unexpected results.
Driven by the Vortex Winder, Jimmy makes an amazing journey. From surprise You Tube fame, to a love affair in Germany and a nightmare stint in a foreign prison, the adventures of Jimmy Brandt lead him to an unplanned destiny.
At times comical, intriguing and frightening, The Vortex Winder is a cult classic.
Also featuring a rock soundtrack album by the band Lighthouse XIII - sold separately to kindle format.
‘From humble beginnings, the story builds and draws you ever deeper ... one of the most entertaining books of the 21st century.’
Jeremy Loughhead,
Trianza Review.
‘The Vortex Winder itself is a great concept – I want one! But after reading the tales of Jimmy Brandt I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse.’
Gabrielle Glover,
Cadenza House.
Reminded me at various times of John Christopher, Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman, Donna Tartt and Lionel Shriver - but ultimately Smith has a style all his own.
Eric Torday,
Readers Week
Driven by the Vortex Winder, Jimmy makes an amazing journey. From surprise You Tube fame, to a love affair in Germany and a nightmare stint in a foreign prison, the adventures of Jimmy Brandt lead him to an unplanned destiny.
At times comical, intriguing and frightening, The Vortex Winder is a cult classic.
Also featuring a rock soundtrack album by the band Lighthouse XIII - sold separately to kindle format.
‘From humble beginnings, the story builds and draws you ever deeper ... one of the most entertaining books of the 21st century.’
Jeremy Loughhead,
Trianza Review.
‘The Vortex Winder itself is a great concept – I want one! But after reading the tales of Jimmy Brandt I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse.’
Gabrielle Glover,
Cadenza House.
Reminded me at various times of John Christopher, Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman, Donna Tartt and Lionel Shriver - but ultimately Smith has a style all his own.
Eric Torday,
Readers Week
280 pages, Paperback
Published May 1, 2023
8 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Smith
7 books29 followersI write 'music novels' - books that have their own soundtrack albums. Here's how that began.
A few years ago I wrote a book called The Vortex Winder. Then my rock band, Lighthouse XIII, wrote an album of the same name, in which all the songs fitted into the story. It ended up like a film-musical, but with a book instead of a film.
This continued with the sequel, The Maelstrom Ascendant and the new book Cultown (unrelated to the others). I now have three novels, each with their own original rock soundtrack album.
As for literary genre, my novels have been linked to the following: psychological thriller, music, philosophical, adventure, and magic realism. My books don't fit neatly into one genre, and that's fine - it's more fun to mix things up.
The music for the books is recorded by my band, Lighthouse XIII. We have four albums, which are available as CDs and in digital form. The video on this page is for a song called 'Moonlight Tiger' which is a song off the 'Maelstrom Ascendant' album.
I live in Sydney and love music, books, and most types of popular culture. I try to make sense of the strangeness of life in my 'Sparks blog', which will have a new entry each week in 2017.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me through Goodreads, or through my own website www.vortexwinder,com
A few years ago I wrote a book called The Vortex Winder. Then my rock band, Lighthouse XIII, wrote an album of the same name, in which all the songs fitted into the story. It ended up like a film-musical, but with a book instead of a film.
This continued with the sequel, The Maelstrom Ascendant and the new book Cultown (unrelated to the others). I now have three novels, each with their own original rock soundtrack album.
As for literary genre, my novels have been linked to the following: psychological thriller, music, philosophical, adventure, and magic realism. My books don't fit neatly into one genre, and that's fine - it's more fun to mix things up.
The music for the books is recorded by my band, Lighthouse XIII. We have four albums, which are available as CDs and in digital form. The video on this page is for a song called 'Moonlight Tiger' which is a song off the 'Maelstrom Ascendant' album.
I live in Sydney and love music, books, and most types of popular culture. I try to make sense of the strangeness of life in my 'Sparks blog', which will have a new entry each week in 2017.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me through Goodreads, or through my own website www.vortexwinder,com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 5, 2016
I didn’t ‘get’ this at first. I expected fantasy, but it was much more real world than that. Also, the plot twists are a bit strange. In one chapter, Jimmy Brandt is an obsessed gambler, the next he’s in Germany, then he’s trying to escape from an Asian prison. But after a while the plot twists began to make sense, and I got used to the character’s strange fixations and occasional rants! The book crept up on me, a slow addiction not a sudden rush.
This book almost reads like a memoir in parts as if Jimmy was writing from direct experience, then the fantasy elements come in to confuse that impression. There are also quite a few references to the world of rock music, with which I’m not very familiar. A music fan would get an extra dimension of meaning out of this. Still, an amazing book - I can’t think of another one like it.
This book almost reads like a memoir in parts as if Jimmy was writing from direct experience, then the fantasy elements come in to confuse that impression. There are also quite a few references to the world of rock music, with which I’m not very familiar. A music fan would get an extra dimension of meaning out of this. Still, an amazing book - I can’t think of another one like it.
March 8, 2016
Good read. Funny, engaging and a concept that actually works.
I like the idea of a musical novel and the soundtrack from the band "LightHouse X111" is also worth listening to as it really captures the mood of the book and extends the reading journey and makes it a much more sensory experience.
I like the idea of a musical novel and the soundtrack from the band "LightHouse X111" is also worth listening to as it really captures the mood of the book and extends the reading journey and makes it a much more sensory experience.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews