From gayinwa.com.au:
M.
Christian is known as a writer of erotica, with stories in several
spicy anthologies such as Best American Erotica, Best Gay Erotica and
Best Lesbian Erotica. This time he´s playing in the sci fi genre with
the psychological thriller, Me2. Fear not, however, as Christian has not
forgotten to pen some sizzling scenes involving the gay hero.
At
first glance, I was sure that this was going to be yet another cheesy
addition to the growing number of sci-fi books and films about cloning.
What comes to mind is the Sixth Day, a film in which Arnie
Schwarzenegger´s character is secretly cloned and battles the people
behind his cloning. Similarly, in Me2, the main character discovers that
there is someone who is exactly like him, quite possibly a clone,
taking over each part of his life. Christian is masterful in describing
the Starbucks employee´s transition from bland but satisfied, to a
blundering paranoid individual who questions his every move.
These
kinds of sci-fi psychological thrillers aren't usually my cup of tea,
but Me2 is suited to a much broader audience. I say this because the
underlying tale lies not in the main character´s possible cloning by
some secret government agency, but goes deep into theories of identity
and identity theft. It questions how our identities are formed,
especially queer identity. Christian seems to suggest that our
identities come down to what we choose to buy, as we collect material
possessions to mould our identities based on how we want other people to
see us.
Christian also raises the question of the possibility of
the Genetic Mirror Theory, which states that each person has a genetic
twin. This idea that there could be more than one of us out there raises
some hairs along the way, or at least gives you some food for thought!
Me2
is a chilling and gripping novel. At first I really did think it was a
bit of overdone genre about cloning, but it turned into something much
more philosophical and interesting. Worth a read.
As part of my wonderful ManLove Queer Erotica Special Sale And Celebration sale, here's a rave review of the book from my pal Steve Williams:
Muse Review:
M.
Christian's excellent new gay vampire novel, "The Very Bloody Marys"
has winged its way to you courtesy of Renaissance E Books. A tale of an undead
San Francisco deputy called Valentino who's about as useful as George
Bush with a rubiks cube, and how, once his boss goes missing, his life
is about to get a whole lot worse as the weight of tracking down his
hateful, demeaning and downright self-confidence shattering employer
falls firmly on Valentino's shoulders.
Deftly, M.
Christian has created a novel that is, in fact, a coming of age story in
a sugary horror coating. Valentino goes through trials, such as
confronting three Marys on Vespas, getting attacked by a pissed off
Irish Faery called Liam - I kid you not - and having to contend with a
chauffer called Mariah - please, God, let Mariah Carey play him in the
movie, a zombie in drag, and she could warble all she'd like off camera
just as long as, for those few seconds, she shuts the hell up (like her
songs though!) - who is less than forthcoming when it comes to
information or help of any kind. And so, time after time, Valentino must
battle forces he has... well... to say he has no comprehension of
wouldn't be quite fair. It's rather like giving an infant a blow torch
and not expecting him to roast his little apple cheeks off (I'm suddenly
quite hungry. Mutilation, even joking, shouldn't do that to a man).
Needless
to say, there's a fair amount of swearing, some getting spanked with
chains and a dollop of hard ass domineering, but you'll have to wait and
see if Valentino, our underdog (who, in case anybody does want to make a
film of this, I think I look quite like; Hollywood, call me) makes it
through this ... well, not alive... but... as dead as he was before... I
guess.
M. Christian's writing really sparkles here,
and his wit is obvious, and never labored. There's a lot to love,
amongst characters like a talking cat addicted to cat nip, and a statue
of Lincoln that is a wizard's personal butler. There were a few moments
of perplexity on my part as I was reading through, but M. Christian does
well in keeping you turning the page, and, whilst everything is tied up
in the end rather nicely, this isn't forced and feels much better for
it. In fact, I felt this one book would make an excellent start to a
series, and I know I for one would be reading cover to cover.
There
was one issue I had. Oh God, what an issue. I mean, really, Valentino
fancying Nicholas Cage... well, I suppose, if you're a walking corpse
your taste would change somewhat... but I'll let M. Christian off on
that score, because Very Bloody Marys is one of the most entertaining
little novels I've read in a good long while, and it does, as they say,
exactly what it says on the tin.
4 Muses Out of 5! ***This Weeks Recommended Read.
As part of my wonderful ManLove Queer Erotica Special Sale And Celebration sale, here's a kick-ass interview with myself and Steve Williams about my book, Me2. Enjoy!
Author
M. Christian, an established and highly praised writer, talks about his
acclaimed works and his career to date, offering aspiring writers his
sage advice also.
SW: Can you give us some deatails about your book please?
M.C:
The book called Me2, which was totally and completely written by
myself, the real and bonafide 'M.Christian' and not written by some
person claiming to be the real 'M.Christian'. It is a novel about
identity and existence. Although the book has been marketed as a horror
story, it also has elements of surrealism, humor, and plenty of social
commentary. Similarly, even though the book has a gay male focus I think
it would appeal to readers of any orientation, as its message is
extremely universal: who are we and are we in control of our lives?
Everyone,
gay or straight, likes to think they have a certain uniqueness, but do
they really? 'Me2' deals with this by exposing the idea of a copy or
fake, a second 'you' that appears apparently out of nowhere and begins
not only to take over your life but also becomes a better 'you' than you
ever could. How would you react to that? Would you try and quickly
change your life, become someone less easily imitated? But then what
happens when even this new 'you' is similarly copied -- or is the fraud,
your doppleganger, just doing what you're doing ... down to your
panicky change of life?
And it gets even worse from there.
SW: For aspiring writers, what would you say were key things they could do to improve their writing?
M.C:
Boy, that's a difficult one, mostly because I believe each writer is
different, with unique things that do (or don't) work for them. I have
no problem advising folks on smut, for instance, because that's writing
for a specific genre. But in general:
Don't read about writing and
don't take writing classes (except for mine, of course). I've noticed a
lot of would-be-writers spend way too much time on theory and little to
no time on actual practice. A writer writes, and each time they do they
(hopefully) get better. And have fun! If writing is painful then you're
not doing it right. Don't try and outdo someone else or become the next
Dickens or Kipling, just do things that you like and that you enjoy.
Once it gets easier then you can try to push yourself even father but
when you're just starting out you need to get comfortable with language,
structure, flow, etc.
For God's sake don't dismiss genre fiction.
Good work is good work, if it was written for The New Yorker or a
Saturday morning cartoon. Learn to recognize good -- and bad -- work and
learn from it. If you read something good then learn from what that
writer did. If you read something bad then learn what that writer did
wrong.
Play games with your own creativity. If you like a TV show
then try writing an episode. You don't even have to write it, just
imagine the story and the dialogue. If you're watching a movie or
reading a book, stop half way through it and finish it yourself -- was
your ending better or not? Why was it better or not? The big thing is to
have fun!
Don't write thinking about money (there isn't
any) or awards (they are like hemorrhoids, every asshole gets one), or
fame. Instead just think about the books you love and do something like
them -- repay the debt, so to speak.
SW: Do you see gay fiction becoming more mainstream in the future?
M.C:
Only if readers buy them. Like with gay issues in our culture, queer
books have become more common, but money is what matters (sigh). I think
one of the best 'tricks' to further mainstream gay characters and
issues is to simply make them part of any book's world or to emphasize
similarities and not differences -- create a bridge between so-called
'gay' fiction and every other genre. So, yeah, I think queer books are
becoming more mainstream but I think there's still some distance to go
-- mainly because readers need to throw down their bucks to keep the
genre going. Without money it could slip back into being just a tiny
niche.
SW: Finally, do you have any new stories in the works? If so, can you tell us a little bit about them?
M.C:
Thanks for asking! I already mentioned that I have two novels coming
out very soon: Brushes is a mainstream/romantic/erotica novel about a
famous artist and the people who surround him; and Painted Doll is a
cyberdelic noir story about a woman on the run from the mob who hides
under the identity of a quasi-dominatrix. In the meantime I'm working on
a new novel that should be out in another year, having a great time
with a wonderful artist adapting one of my stories into a comic book,
and wasting way too much time on my writing blog and my fun blog of weird and unusual things.
As part of my wonderful ManLove Queer Erotica Special Sale And Celebration sale, here's a kick-ass review of my book, Me2. Enjoy!
Brian Jewell from Edge Boston (and Bay Windows):
Until the most recent movie version, each iteration of Invasion of the Body Snatchers
has been tailored to the up-to-the-minute fears of its generation. This
eerie novel goes where the Nicole Kidman vehicle should have, drawing
on conspiracy theories, urban anomie, identity theft and consumerism to
create a subtle horror tale about erosion of the self. The nameless lead
character is a shallow twink, over stimulated but isolated, who has
acquaintances and tricks instead of friends, and products and catalogs
instead of values. After a street crazy puts the idea of pod people in
his head, our hero starts noticing strange things. People are referring
to conversations he doesn’t remember and events he didn’t witness. Does
he have a double? Is this doppelganger trying to steal his life from
him? And does this interloper come from outer space, a secret government
cloning lab, a disordered brain, or is he a thought experiment come to
life? Christian keeps the reader guessing, using repetitive language and
a deliberate pace to evoke our Everyman’s sense of disorientation and
disconnection as he realizes that no one would notice if he were erased,
while barreling towards a suitably trippy conclusion. Like a lot of
good science fiction, this is as much a contemporary social satire as an
unsettling fantasy.
As part of my wonderful ManLove Queer Erotica Special Sale And Celebration sale, here's a rave review of the book from my pal Colleen Anderson:
From
the title you might think this is about drinking, or murderous
monarchs. If you thought one of these, you’re close to the heart of the
matter. But really it’s both, about bloodthirsty vampire queens. Some
are not so much queen as just murderous gay vampires. If you’re familiar
with M. Christian’s work, you know he’s a prolific writer, and his
writing includes erotic tales straight, gay, lesbian, etc. He’s very
versatile. So I confess to thinking this book would be about gay
vampires with a lot of erotica thrown in. Though it has sensuous details
this is more the tale of a gay vampire trying to gain experience as a
detective. It’s a murder mystery with the supernatural thrown in.
While
vampire detectives are not necessarily new, a gay vampire detective is.
Valentino is thrust into the crime scene on a personal level, since his
mentor is missing. And the crime scene: Vespa scooting vampires are
killing the folks of San Francisco and risking the outing of all
vampires, who tend to live by a code so that they aren’t hunted down.
Coupled with mentor Pogue’s disappearance, Valentino has two mysteries
to figure out.
The book opens with three different
beginnings as Valentino tries on his authorial voice. This sets the
tone, and gives this character high twinkiness. Valentino is a flamer,
vapid and vain. The character was so irritating and flittythat I nearly
put the book down, but his way in the world was intriguing. I think M.
Christian might have cut it down a bit but then I realized there is a
good reason about a quarter of the way into the book on why Valentino is
acting this way. He comes to discover what’s been done to him and his
personality deepens as it’s unlayered.
Valentino
relies on other supernatural help and Christian’s writing uses some very
descriptive phrases. For being an undead guy, Valentino is vibrantly
alive and given to over verbosity that doesn’t stop in describing his
zombie driver: “One time–big shudder here–I had caught a look at his
eyes, two puss-filled boiled-egg eyes staring, unblinking, straight
ahead, and didn’t sleep well for a week.” Of course that should be
pus-filled not eyes with cats in them, but I blame the publisher for not
putting a proofreader on it or maybe they did and missed it. There are
very few typos, which is a good thing.
You get a good
sense of Valentino’s world as he sees it. “Finally, the Brass Ass of the
Great Emancipator (Abraham Lincoln) led me through silverfish heaven to
a narrow doorway between the piles…In it was Saul, tarnished silver
hair, rainbow sweater unwinding in spots into primary colors, brittle
bones showing where unwinding yarn couldn’t hide it, eyes like bleached
robin’s eggs, Indian blanket in his lap hiding the bones I knew weren’t
just brittle but also didn’t work, and, because of those legs, an
ancient wheelchair.”It took me a moment to realize he meant realbones,
not bony legs; the visual setting is very concrete.
Much
of Valentino’s descriptions go into overdrive, with buckets of
adjectives. They hit their height when he’s talking about his lover,
Julian. “Oh oh oh Julian Julian Julian–beloved, adored, venerated
companion, compadre, mate, playmate, partner, betrothed, idol, best
friend, love, lover–oh oh oh Julian Julian Julian…” A bit much? Yes, but
then this is the turning point for Valentino.
Events
pick up with dire and catastrophic discoveries. I don’t want to give it
away but let’s just say the Very Bloody Marys are brutal, relentless,
sociopathic, fashion sensitive vampires. As the fog clears from
Valentino’s eyes he finds his world isn’t as he suspected. Sure it still
has a few supernatural beings but all is not what it seems. He still
richly describes things but there is a darker vein now to the vampire
detective’s perspective. “The inky blackness didn’t so much as run as
steadily walk out of that doorway. A pooling, a billowing, a smoking,
and then up and into arms and legs and a wide-brimmed hat pulled down
over hooded eyes.”
When Valentino runs into Ombre,
even the supernatural shade notices something has changed though the gay
vampire tries to hide it. “It’s just that you seem different somehow.
The flippancy is still there, that much is clear, but it’s like
something else is missing.”
And Valentino has changed
on several levels. In the process of discovering what has happened to
Pogue, being threatened with permanent annihilation and in stopping the
brutal gang, he earns his wings. He solves the mysteries, stops the
Marys and finally grows up a bit after 200 years. M. Christian wraps up
the tale in a very satisfying and unpredictable way. It’s one of the
many bright spots in the story; very little is predictable. You won’t
see this as another tired take on the vampire trope. It’s refreshingly
bright and if not a complete happy ending, one with suitable revenge.
If
you’re looking for a good, fast paced read, or if you like mystery or
fantasy or gay fiction. Or if you just want something different and new,
this book will be as satisfying as a vampire’s first drink of blood.
As part of my wonderful ManLove Queer Erotica Special Sale And Celebration sale, here's a kick-ass review of my book, Running Dry by Billierosie.
Thanks so much, Billierosie: you are a real treasure!
In RUNNING
DRY, M. Christian, elegantly re-writes the eternal themes of love, loss,
betrayal, fear and death. With a flourish of his pen (or lap-top and
cursor) Christian gives us a potent potpourri, that has little to do
with gracious fragrances and everything to do with the pungent stench of
bodily fluids; blood, bile, saliva and mucus.
This is a
vampire story with a difference. Unlike Anne Rice’s exotic, erotic
Lestat and Bram Stoker’s sinister Count Dracula, M.Christian’s vampires
are riddled with guilt about what they have to do to survive. Ernst
Doud, paints his guilt, with portraits lurid with the blood of his
victims. Doud has a conscience, and he makes it up to those he has
killed with a visual, tangible lament. His remorse is palpable.
There’s
a mystery here. Who is Doud? Who is Sergio? What is their secret? Why
has Doud given up on his art? Why is Sergio trying to seek out Doud? Why
does Doud want to kill Sergio? What is Shelly’s place in all of this?
Yes, Doud and Sergio are monsters. They know it; Vince is a monster too. But he’s worse; he’s a killer without a conscience.
There
is no “dark trick” in RUNNING DRY. Doud, Sergio and Vince won’t
spellbind you with a glamour. In the tradition of the most gruesome
fairy tales from the Brothers Grimm, or Angela Carter, they grab you,
gobble you up; eat you. Your death won’t be romantic, erotic; sexy. Just
complete, total annihilation.
The scene where Doud
fights Vince in the desert, is terrifying. It’s visual; like watching a
film. My heart is racing, as I read. I can feel the heat of the desert,
scorching my lungs. I screw up my eyes, against the glare of the sun;
the painful blue of the desert sky.
M.Christian, possesses a rare gift; that of making elegant, lucid prose appear effortless.
Just listen to this:
“...the
world acquired sound, the ground achieved traction, the air thinned,
the rose-red glow ceased. As his body slowed from the blinding
acceleration Doud had forced upon it, the monster’s body completely
disintegrated. A body once ninety-five percent water became nothing but a
desiccated five percent, falling apart into dust, ash, and a few
brittle bones; life and moisture gone.”
Don’t you wish you’d written that? I do!
For me, RUNNING DRY is every bit as good for a second reading; better. Buy it, borrow it, read it. It won’t fail you.
As part of my wonderful ManLove Queer Erotica Special Sale And Celebration sale, here's a kick-ass review of my book, Dirty Words compliments of the always-always-always-great Amos Lassen. Enjoy!
Eureka Pride:
I
love reading M. Christian. I remember when I read him for the first
time about two years ago, I thought to myself that this was an author
whose work I wanted to keep up with and I have done just that. He is a
brilliant writer with a wonderful streak of darkness that is delightful.
I love his irreverence and his inventiveness and reading “Dirty Words”
is like taking a trip to places unknown.
This
collection is sometimes funny, sometimes scary, sometimes fantastic and
always interesting. The writing is smart and clever and edgy and dark.
It is hard to put a name on it because the writing transcends all labels
and genre. All of us love good stories and these are some of the best. I
have often said that writing goof erotica is difficult because it has
to engage the minds and the senses. Christian manages to do this and
with style. The stories capture the reader and he tells us strange
stories that at times are very disturbing. Joy and horror are combined
along with the lust of the flesh and the lust of the language.
There
is sex in all of the stories but Christian does not make us work to
understand what he has to say; he says it all but with magnificent care
and beautiful style. Fourteen stories that reflect the author’s mind is
what we have here.
I deliberately did not go into
individual stories because I want you to have the experience of enjoying
each and every one. You will not forget the stories or the experience
that you will have reading them.
