Jim Monroe was another one who looked like, at first glance, another Mark Ryan. What saved his game was, as is usually in these things, the writing. It looks very immature, but if you look a little harder you can tell that he's writing his characters the way they would act as opposed to living that way himself. Which is the mark of a <Kung Pao> Veeerry Gooood Wri-ter. </Kung Pao>

I liked Angry Young Spaceman a lot, even if it isn't quite perfect. I didn't enjoy Flyboy as much and haven't yet gotten very far in his most recent novel.

For a while, Jim was following his own ethics and offering AYS as a free download, which was extremely cool. I read it that way and bought the book as a "thank you." I'd also like to see a text game sequel to AYS.

Anyway, I think it's pretty interesting to browse his web page at http://www.nomediakings.org.

bruce wrote: <i>Flyboy Action Figure Comes With Gasmask</i>, which, in a lot of ways, reads like "Punk Points."

In a lot of other ways, it reminds me of <i>A Crimson Spring</i> too.

Bruce

You may remember Jim Munroe from the 2000 IFComp, in which he entered the inimitable feel-good coming-of-age story "Punk Points".

Well, I've just started reading his novels. I bought <i>Angry Young Spaceman</i>, which is, I guess, an allegorical SF version of teaching English in Japan, and I'm in the middle of <i>Flyboy Action Figure Comes With Gasmask</i>, which, in a lot of ways, reads like "Punk Points."

It's strange to have finally reached that age where competent authors are writing for you. I felt it with <i>Lucky Wander Boy</i> and now with these. The newest book of his at Border's, which I may buy today, <i>Everyone in Silico</i> has what look like 8-bit Nintendoish video game characters and objects on the cover.

Anyway, he's a damn good writer.

Two thumbs up. Waaaaaaaay up.

Bruce