two cats, two snakes and a collection of tropical fish. He is the author of the Keiko novels, sci-fi adventures that follow the escapades of those crewing the spaceship of the same name; Dark Run, the first book in the series, is now available in the US.When not writing, Brooks works for a homelessness charity, plays guitar and sings in a punk band, watches football (soccer), MMA and nature/science documentaries, goes walking in the Peak District or other areas of splendid scenery, and DJs wherever anyone will tolerate him.
Brooks applied the Page 69 Test to Dark Run and reported the following:
I think it's safe to say that page 69 of Dark Run is not indicative of the rest of the novel in general.Visit the official Mike Brooks website.
Dark Run is an action-adventure set across the galaxy, from the subterranean warrens of Old New York on Old Earth to the crystalline metropolis of Glass City on Hroza Minor and the lawless corridors of the deep-space void stations. The crew of the Keiko are “persuaded” to take a smuggling job involving a mystery cargo and events unfold rapidly (and often violently) from there. Page 69, however, sees a sober and serious discussion of personal history between the ship's young technical genius Jenna McIlroy and their hulking Maori bruiser Apirana Wahawaha.
However, just because there's no intrigue or gunplay doesn't mean that I think the scene is at all superfluous. A story is only as interesting as the characters that take part in it: without investment in the characters, why should we invest in what happens to them and the consequences of their actions? So I hope that readers will appreciate the quieter moments too, when they get a chance to learn more about what drives the characters and why they've ended up where they are. It's these parts that give meaning and contrast to the white-knuckle action scene elsewhere, and which hopefully make the reader care about whether someone lives or dies.
My Book, The Movie: Dark Run.
--Marshal Zeringue
Posts
