Tech Noir - Blog Posts

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GRIMES

GRIMES STORE

Official Grimes Merchandise

Cyberpunk, the genre, and cyberpunk adjacent stuff Made a Rex Power Colt figure that I think is really cool

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

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.

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.

“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.)

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!)