July 27th, 2010 by aarondietz

I always have a bit of trouble explaining what my novel is about, so I’m lucky to have a synopsis written by the talented Alex Reed, with a few choice additions from my editor, Bryan Tomasovich.

The Synopsis

Do you need a new job?

Does the world need another superhero?

You see the connection, don’t you? If you had the chance to save lives…could you handle the adventure? The pressure, the risk, the grotesque, the insane? Most of all, could you handle your humanity? Update your resume, ‘cause here we go. Either stick with being sucked down further into your life, or earn the lift-off of the elite.

Aaron Dietz’s debut novel moves with an experimental edge into America’s heroic mythology. Structured as a novel-length job application for a superhero agency, Dietz uses his iron touch to explore themes that go far deeper than the swashbuckling world of comics and costumes. It’s a story about commitment, ability, bureaucracy, possibility, crisis, and heartbreak. Super.

July 22nd, 2010 by aarondietz

You learn something every day.

July 13th, 2010 by aarondietz

Now listen here, ’cause when you’re as old as me, you gets knowledge about stuff and then on occasion you force-share it on people and you can’t force-share it on people who don’t listen.

I remember when Wyatt Earp invented the compooter quite well, because it was the day after the gunfight near the O.K. Corral, and me and Wyatt were all cooped up in the hotel, bored as a spent firecracker, what when Wyatt done said, “Jeeminee, homma’ homma’ g’boy!”

Which, if’n you knew Wyatt like I did, you knew that was Wyatt’s way of proposin’ an entirely new form of technology capable of doin’ stuff when people did stuff to tell it what to do, which, if’n you knew Wyatt, you knew he intended to call the “compooter” because, hot dog, that’s just obvious if’n you knew how he talked.

And that was the day we what wished the microchip to already have been invented because we couldn’t-a figure that part out.

The next day we sent McMasters out for ice cream and then made him eat it first so we know’d it weren’t poisoned.

July 7th, 2010 by aarondietz

Perhaps a comforting thought related to people being relatively easy to manipulate is that people can be heavily influenced by an idea, and so if the world seems too commercialized, too homogenized, or just too stupid due to a general lack of independent thought, then take heart in knowing that the right idea could easily catch on at any moment, and transform the world.

June 28th, 2010 by aarondietz

I’ve always been kind of nice, so when I’m approaching the same street corner as someone else I tend to stop and let them go ahead, which seems to suit them fine, as they usually make no acknowledgement of my existence whatsoever.

This never surprises me, it being that people are selfish jerks and all.

But no! I’ve made a frightening discovery! Recently, I’ve changed jackets from a simple black pea coat to an attention-getting, weird (sort of Sgt. Pepper-y) jacket. Suddenly people wait for ME at street corners!

What a bunch of jerks! Being selfish and ignoring the existence of others is actually fairly reasonable behavior, seeing as how other people are also selfish jerks, but going out of your way just to treat others differently purely based on what they wear is another, far worse kind of idiocy!

June 21st, 2010 by aarondietz

My novel, Super, is being published by Emergency Press.

Not only are they incredible to work with, they’re also a participant of the Green Press Initiative, and they’re publishing some of the most exciting authors out there right now.

For example, Tom Hansen, Gina Frangello, and Erika Rae. I’d tell you more about them, but the trailers and excerpts are awesome, so don’t let me keep you.

Tom Hansen’s American Junkie

Trailer: here
Excerpts: here

Gina Frangello’s Slut Lullabies

Trailer: here
Excerpts: here

Erika Rae’s In a Handbasket: Notes from a Recovering Evangelical
Erika Rae’s book isn’t out yet, but you can sample her writing on TheNervousBreakdown.com.

June 15th, 2010 by aarondietz

The good thing about getting older is that there is less weirdness and fewer surprises.

Less Weirdness

You hug a friend in a train station in a city where you’ve never seen each other before. It’s not weird, because heck, by this time, you can’t even remember where you knew each other from anyway.

Fewer Surprises

There are fewer surprises because your memory is absent.

Oil spill? No surprise there–you’re not really sure if it’s a new one or the same one from before.

Ear buds not working in one ear? You’ve probably just gone deaf in one ear and forgot that you went deaf. Clearly nothing to worry about.

Aliens abducting you? For all you know, it happens every night. Why worry?

One Last Unrelated Thing

Go equality.

May 25th, 2010 by aarondietz

See that? I said “lost” without capitalizing it because I wasn’t talking about the TV show.

It happens.

May 17th, 2010 by aarondietz

So I saw this guy sitting on some steps the other day, and I was like, “Huh. Wonder what he’s doing?”

And then I realized what it was–he was doing nothing!

I totally want to try that someday. It looks awesome!

May 11th, 2010 by aarondietz

I have a novel coming out this fall called Super. It’ll be published by Emergency Press.

Do you want to see the cover? Oh, goodie! It’s a rough cover, and could change, but here it is at the moment.

The cover art and book design is by Charlie Potter. More on him later this month or so.

Oh hey, and you know what? It takes an army for a small press to get a book out. If you want to help or have suggestions, let me know. I have an entire insane plan in the works and there is a lot to do. I mean, I’ve spent over $30 on stickers already.