artificelux
DARK SCIENCE FICTION / ABSTRACT GRAPHIC DESIGN
218 posts
Latest Posts by artificelux
Something super cool... Walked into a local bookstore a while back, and they had my hardcover displayed face-out right next to Jeff Vandermeer’s newest Southern Reach novel!
So amazing when a store sees the cryptic abstract cover and is like “this is cool” and puts it face-out. Plus Absolution has a similar chrome-foil element to my cover, so I thought they looked really nice together.
That’s all. Just a fun little something.
Book 2 is taking shape! Still in early stages, but I’m excited about where it’s going… looking forward to sharing more about it, hopefully sooner rather than later.
(Artwork glitches made by me in the moment, no scripts.)
I've said before that I always want Cyber Monday to be cooler than it is, to be neon-soaked and punky...
In short, Cyberpunk Monday.
Well, what's more punk than forgoing the big corpo sites and buying straight from creators and small businesses? Supporting art and artists directly, adding value to the ecosystem of unconventional stories that don't follow the traditional sales model.
So, I'm trying something different this year... I'm going to run a 20% off sale through noon on Dec. 3. It's an automatic discount site-wide on colorofamirror.net (including all versions of the novel, plus the vinyl soundtrack). The only exclusion is the already-better discount of 25% off for the Full Moon Bundle, which doesn't stack with this sale.
This will likely be the only sale I run during the year, so if you've been interested in picking up a copy of the book or you have someone in mind for a holiday gift, this is your chance.
A noir science fiction story, COLOR OF A MIRROR is written, designed, published, and sold by me (and can be found in a couple independent bookstores in the New England area). It has received "Editor's Pick" from BookLife Reviews and a "Get It" verdict from Kirkus Reviews. I don't sell on Amazon/Kindle or B&N, and the e-book is DRM-free so you can read on whatever device you choose, making this a perfect Cyberpunk Monday offering.
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This weekend, whether you're shopping local bookstores on Small Business Saturday or finally picking up that bespoke item from a favorite creator, let's support those that are making the art we love... not the big businesses trying to turn us into dollar signs.
Can’t think of a much better way to celebrate one year of this project, than by getting to see a review for COLOR OF A MIRROR in print for the first time! And in the indie section of Publishers Weekly no less!
Written, designed, published, and sold by me.
Thanks to BookLife for the review, and thank you always to the Kickstarter backers who helped make this possible (and to everyone who’s picked up the book since then).
colorofamirror.net
One year ago, I was at Dragonsteel 2023 launching my noir science fiction debut novel COLOR OF A MIRROR.
Such a fun time, and I met so many cool people there. Crazy to think it’s already been a year.
Thank you to everyone who’s purchased a copy of the book, listened to the soundtrack, or left a review or a kind word somewhere. The support has been felt and much appreciated, and I love seeing other people enjoying this unconventional story!
It’s been a great first year, and I’m going to keep pushing to try and get the book out there through the coming months.
Also Book 2 🤐 Still a ways off on that, but it’s cooking. Can’t wait to share more!
-Dan
Everyday Brutalism
(Photo by ArtificeLux)
There's Still Lettuce - A Short Story
Short fiction is something I don't play around with as often as the novel writing, but there are times when a phrase or story idea gets its hooks into me and demands expansion and exploration. The above flash fiction is one of those stories.
Been working to figure out how to format this kind of story for posting online, without it being a PDF download or anything. Pretty pleased with this final layout, as it breaks up the text a little while hearkening back to newspapers and print media publications. (And it translates well to reading on mobile, which is great!)
Hope you enjoy There's Still Lettuce, just a little something from beyond the universe of COLOR OF A MIRROR that shares a similar view of the shadows that lurk in the future.
So, I posted a version of this before, thinking it was as done as it could be. And then, as so often happens, I realized it could be a whole lot better. Haha.
This, however, is the final version of my Tonic promo (all kitted out in her glam punk concert attire). So stoked with this visualization of her.
In other fun news... I got another critic review, and this time the book received the distinction of Editor's Pick (!!) from BookLife Reviews (which is the indie-specific branch of Publisher's Weekly). It's a really lovely review, and as always, it's such a pleasure to have someone resonate with what I love about this story.
"...Sensory-rich prose vividly brings to life the sights, sounds, and emotions experienced through Tonic's visor." -BookLife Reviews
Thank you to BookLife for taking the time to review it!
As always, if you're interested in this noir science fiction story and its accompanying dark ambient soundtrack, you can check it out here.
TONIC (n.) - Badass, cybernetically-enhanced, industro-punk star of the dark future.
A WIP of my previous line-drawing post, this is my newest artwork for Color of a Mirror, featuring my main character!
Really trying to stick to my love of minimal, restricted color palettes (plus leaving it mostly black-and-white fits the noir feel of the book). A lot of work for me to figure out the lighting and materials--and then leaving her cybernetic arm disconnected was a late decision; I really like the asymmetry it provides, but I also love how it fits with her character arc.
This armor she's wearing is part of her concert attire, a reclaimed outer-space exosuit painted in a red-glow-in-the-dark finish. It's a piece of her character that I've always had an idea in my head of what it would look like, and to be able to finally visualize it like this is so much fun.
More progress to come on this.
(Painted entirely in Photoshop, with some 3D lighting reference work in Daz3D.)
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If you want to see Tonic's vibe from a music perspective, I have an ever-evolving playlist on Spotify. Periodically, if I hear something new that feels like her, I'll add it in, but overall I try to keep the flow nice.
And if you haven't had chance to read the book, there are still physical copies of the first printing or e-book, both available through my website.
Been noodling away at this glam-rock visualization for Tonic (the main character from Color of a Mirror). Very graphic/black and white work so far, which from a design standpoint is probably my comfort zone. Now it's time to see how far I can push this in terms of materials/colors/rendering.
COLOR OF A MIRROR
About a year ago now is when Josh McCausland and I first wrapped production of the Color of a Mirror soundtrack, and sent it off for pressing! (The above photo is an abstract shot of the first test pressing sleeve.)
After the post the other day about the Full Moon Bundle (containing the limited vinyl release) I wanted to take a moment of special mention for this soundtrack and what it means to me.
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One of my biggest loves (and frustrations) of a show or video game is the music. When it’s done right, it’s one of those things that gives you chills, and you can’t wait to return to that universe, can’t wait to hear that title card music at the start of the next episode. (Like launching the original Mass Effect and hearing that menu music.) On the flip side, it can derail the whole experience for me… or at least make it far less memorable, because music often sets the scene for me.
This extends to when I’m writing, as well. Depending on the mood or the emotion, I’ll find different songs that fit that character or scene. And then lots of times, I’ll have that selection on repeat for a few days. Haha.
So being able to collaborate with a composer on the sound of this dark cyberpunk universe I’d been writing for a handful of years, trying to pull on all those ambient/sci-fi/industrial influences but also create something that felt new, something that could be listened to while you’re reading or on its own… it was really an amazing experience, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we came up with!
It all started with just two images that I sent to Josh; I said, “This is the vibe.” (He hadn’t read the book at that point, and I was thinking he was just going to make a single promo song for me.) When he came back to me with about ten different options, making it super difficult to choose, I knew the project had to be a full album. Iterating back and forth with him and seeing his process, taking some of those initial hooks and tying them together… so much fun!
The title track “Color of a Mirror” was one of those original concepts that I just couldn’t get enough of. The sound for the rest of the album was really born there, I think.
All in all, it’s such an honor to see my vision of this novel through someone else’s skill and expertise in an entirely different discipline. Such a pleasure, and I cannot wait to work on Vol. 2 together!
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Check out the soundtrack on Bandcamp to give Josh some love:
(Also available on major streaming platforms.)
And if you want to check out the book as well, head over to my website.
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Thanks for reading!
-Daniel
Full moon today... looking up at a full moon is always one of those times when I feel the scale of the solar system and planets more acutely, and naturally it gets me thinking about science fiction and outer space. For those in the northern hemisphere, we're also a month into very warm summer, which has me dreaming of somewhere dark and cold more often than not.
Put these two things together, and we have the first ever sale bundle for my debut novel Color of a Mirror and its accompanying soundtrack! Set on the moon in a subterranean cyberpunk city, it's the perfect antidote to too much heat and not enough jacket weather. Add in the dark ambient soundtrack, and it's as close as you can get to actually being there.
And so... The Full Moon Bundle.
If you purchase the Hardcover Novel, the Vinyl Soundtrack, and the E-book all together, you automatically get 25% off all three! No sign-ups or anything necessary; just go to the purchase page for any of those three items, and you'll find an option to purchase the bundle.
If you want a psychological noir sci-fi mystery that Kirkus Reviews called "intricate, next-generation cyberpunk, with a head-spinning finale," check out the link below! There's never been a better time to wander into The Dive.
It’s always nerve-wracking submitting writing for review, especially with the understanding that not every book is for everyone. Not to mention, some of my favorite books I didn’t finish the first time I picked them up. So yeah, reviews are very subjective.
So when I got my first critic review last week for Color of a Mirror from Kirkus Reviews, I was prepared for it to be some mixture of bad and good—and hoping for more of the latter. I’m so stoked to say that their final verdict was “Get It,” even going to on to call this unusual noir sci-fi story “Intricate, next-generation cyberpunk with a head-spinning finale.”
Just wow. Talk about head-spinning.
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A little about the book for those of you who may be new to this project: it centers around a cybernetically-enhanced musician who just wants to be a rockstar—which is apparently too much to ask. When one of her songs is used as the soundtrack to a viral homicide, she’s catapulted into the spotlight, only not like she’d imagined. Instead of following an action-heavy plot, the story is more focused on the interior dilemmas and relationships of the characters, as they strive to make it in a world that will crush them without a second thought.
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Check out the full Kirkus Review for a really good, spoiler-free write-up.
Sample the original soundtrack on Spotify and other major platforms.
And if all this makes you think you’d like to read the book, drop by my site here.
Still one of my favorite images of the surface of the moon. The contrast, the austerity… it speaks so strongly to my minimalist self.
This image features on the custom endsheets of the COLOR OF A MIRROR limited edition hardcover, providing a really cool shift from the black of the cover to the white of the pages.
Only 100 hardcover copies printed. Find it here:
colorofamirror.net
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Image credit: NASA & Project Apollo Archive
Custom Edits/Formatting: Me/ArtificeLux
Unconventional literary science fiction? ☑️
Dark cyberpunk setting that oozes from each page? ☑️
Badass female main character? ☑️
Available in e-book so you don’t have to deal with international shipping? ☑️☑️☑️
Buy COLOR OF A MIRROR direct from the author (AKA: me). No bullshit. No subscriptions. No gatekeeping.
Welcome to the Dive.
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colorofamirror.net
“Many say the moon is closer to the dead.”
This is COLOR OF A MIRROR, my debut novel with an original, dark ambient soundtrack by composer Josh McCausland to go along with it.
Written, designed, and published by me, it’s the culmination of years of work, and it’s exactly the story I wanted to tell. It’s not loud or bombastic, but rather a cerebral, slow-burn cyberpunk narrative lingering on themes of fame, paranoia, religion, and technology. If you’re a fan of the brooding futures of William Gibson, Blade Runner, or anything with a mood like the movie Drive, I think you’ll find something to love here.
Available exclusively on my website, it comes in limited edition deluxe-hardcover, softcover, and e-book. (And if you’re a vinyl lover, the soundtrack is pressed in 180g Moondust White; also available on my site.)
Welcome to the Dive. Hope to see you around.
-Dan
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colorofamirror.net
(Book photos by Josh McCausland.)
Yesterday, I took delivery of the first printing of my novel, COLOR OF A MIRROR. It’s hard to believe that I wrote a book, that it’s finally a real thing… even more surreal that people are beginning to read this story in so many different places.
Books are in stock now on my website, including the brutalist “ArtificeLux Edition” deluxe hardcover (shown below). Be sure to check it out if you want an unconventional, dark cyberpunk novel to keep you company this winter!
(And listen to the dark ambient soundtrack while you read! Available on Spotify and other streaming services, or on vinyl in limited quantities on my site.)
Physical 3D artwork for Kickstarter rewards. Made entirely of paper. And glue.
(The little corner dots were late additions and really brought this design together.)
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Check out colorofamirror.net to buy the book that was funded by these amazing backers!
colorofamirror.net
Color of a Mirror is my cyberpunk novel centered around a musician who wants to be a rockstar. Written, designed, and published by me, it’s not bombastic or action-heavy, but rather is driven by character and personal, human issues. It gets into ideas of the subconscious and the lies we tell ourselves. If you like the dark futures of William Gibson, I think you’ll find something to like in this book.
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I love different forms of communication, anything really that codes words behind beautiful design rather than actual letters. The above design motif is on the cover of the forthcoming deluxe hardcover novel, and is a stylized version of the American braille for “Color of a Mirror” (beginning at bottom left).
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Tomorrow is Cyber Monday. This is everything I’ve ever wanted a cerebral, cyberpunk novel to be, so what better day to check it out than tomorrow!
Available exclusively from my website, each copy will come signed by me, and will start shipping on or around Dec. 1.
(And if you want a taste of this world, check out the cinematic dark ambient soundtrack of the same name, now streaming on Spotify and other streaming platforms!)
COLOR OF A MIRROR
Back when the book was just press sheets.
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One thing I’m super excited about with this book is that instead of chapter titles, I created abstract ideograms that reflect the stage of the story/characters in that chapter. Hopefully as you’re reading, you feel how the chapter pairs with the image.
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Again, if you’re looking for something a little bit different or out of the ordinary this Black Friday/Cyber(punk) Monday weekend, the book is out now, and you can support independent publishing by ordering direct from my site!
colorofamirror.net
// Launch Day // Welcome to The Dive //
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A few days ago, I launched my debut novel COLOR OF A MIRROR. Written, designed, and published by me, it’s my vision of a dark, cyberpunk future. No galactic stakes, no one person saving the human race… it’s a cerebral story of very human characters trying to carve out an existence in a near future city that will crush them without a second thought. If you like Blade Runner or the writing of William Gibson, I think you’ll find something to love in this book.
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And I’m so excited to announce that the softcover novel is now available exclusively on my website! (Please note, I absolutely will ship internationally! If you’re having trouble with an order, just send me a message through the site and I’ll work to fix it.)
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So if you’re looking for something a little different this Black Friday/Cyber(punk) Monday, here’s the link again, in case you didn’t click the one above: colorofamirror.net and I hope to see you all in The Dive!
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(And be sure to check out the soundtrack for the book on Spotify and other streaming services.)
IT’S GONNA BE A REAL THING!
What a month. Ups and downs and everything in between. But yes, you read that right. The Kickstarter for my cyberpunk novel and dark ambient soundtrack is FULLY FUNDED!
I can’t wait to get the final stages of this project underway in the next months, and for everyone to get the chance to read this book!
For anyone who may still want to join in, there are still 30 hours left! And if you back now, it’s a sure thing—you’re getting this novel! And at the same time, supporting an independent publishing and music project that doesn’t fit in the normal bounds.
Check out the link below, and who knows, maybe if enough people jump on board, we’ll unlock the first of those stretch goals!
Prose + Soundtrack + Art = Color of a Mirror
^ this is what this project is all about ^
The newest in my motion design previews, incorporating one of my favorite descriptions in the book, a Vangelis-level soundtrack moment from Josh McCausland (song titled “The Taste Was Blue”), and some brutalist artwork (also by me)… multiple disciplines coming together into a single experience.
If this multi-sensory approach intrigues you or if you just want to support an independent publishing venture that strives to upend the norm and the status quo, I’d be thrilled if you’d check out the Kickstarter project link below.
Ends the day after Cyberpu… I mean, Cyber Monday.
Final Week!
The Kickstarter is winding down, and I’m full of gratitude for those who’ve backed my vision for this independent dark science fiction project. Of currently-active Fiction Publishing projects on Kickstarter, “Color of a Mirror” is the 9th most-funded. In the world. That’s absolutely incredible to me!
Why, then, is the project not yet funded?
Well, largely because I’m not content with producing a hardcover or softcover book as cheaply as possible. I want this book to be a work of art in and of itself, to feel like it came from a big-name publisher, despite me being just one person. I want to work with a printer that strives for that same type of quality in the options they offer, that gives me the ability to customize this book in a way that makes it sing.
Beyond that, however, I’m also trying to do a limited pressing of a vinyl for the soundtrack. All my metrics for how big a run to do of these various items to make them cost-effective, cross-referenced with a feasible amount of money to raise, has landed me on the $15,000 mark.
(I’m encouraged that there’s currently a novella project from an established, published author that had a goal of $10,000, making me feel like my higher goal was not so far off.)
This may be a bit of a ramble, but I hope it’s an honest look at how I’m thinking about this project, and what I’m trying to achieve.
There’s still time to back! No matter the tier you choose, every little bit helps. It’s going to take a mega-surge this final week to get to fully-funded, but I whole-heartedly believe we can get there.
Ends the day after Cyber Monday, in celebration of the cyberpunk story that it is.
Now, let’s go get higher on that most-funded list!
-Dan/ArtificeLux
Back with another look at the soundtrack! This time featuring “Closer to the Dead” (as always, by ultra-talented Josh McCausland)!
The video on this one is a little different than those that have come before… still abstract, but really hinting at certain elements of the book as well. Secrets abound…
There’s still time to back the Kickstarter for the exclusive vinyl release of the soundtrack, and the deluxe-hardcover novel, all with designs by me. There are other rewards (including digital copies and softcover) as well, so hopefully a little something for everyone!
It’s gonna take a big push this final week to get it over the line, but I’m holding out hope it can happen. Every little bit helps, so if you’re interested, I’d be thrilled for you to check out the link below:
“File Already Exists… Overwrite?” is the title of this newest song. Josh McCausland really channeled the Vangelis/Blade Runner vibes on this one, taking it much darker and brooding. And of course, some brutalist artwork of mine to match.
The Kickstarter seems kinda stalled at the moment, but all is not lost! We’ve made great progress so far, and I’m trying to spread the word and gain exposure, so we’ll see how the rest of the month plays out.
If you want to check out the project, the link is below:
A first look at the soundtrack element of this project! So excited to have Josh McCausland’s massive talent creating the moody sounds of this dark sci-fi universe!
This song is entitled “Sensory Deprivation” and will feature on the Color of a Mirror original soundtrack, as part of my multi-disciplinary novel/soundtrack/design experience.
(Motion graphics and design by me.)
If you like what you see and hear, there’s only 10 days left in the Kickstarter! Check out the link below, and thanks for looking!
New Excerpt! And a character we haven’t yet seen in this series of sneak peeks!
Definitely a good look at the tone and writing style of the book.
Like what you see? Check out the Kickstarter, running through Nov. 29 to get in on this independently-published book and ambient soundtrack!
Feels like it was just a couple days ago I was saying 1/6, and now we’ve jumped past the 1/3 mark! The support this past week has been absolutely stunning, and I can’t say thank you enough.
Still a ways to go to make this happen, but I have no doubt we can get there!
As always, link included below if you’re interested in learning more:
Building some strong momentum over the last few days, and we’re now one-sixth of the way there! So many thank yous to everyone who’s already joined!
Let’s keep it going! Join the independent publishing party, and show your support for non-traditional science fiction storytelling experiences! Check out the link below: