Thank you for my very first two-star review, Mr. Griminger
Blazing Reader,
It's taken three years of being a published author, but I finally received my first... two-star review. Not the most sought-after milestone, but I find it oddly reassuring. This two-star review appeared on the GoodReads page for my second novel, All the Humans are Sleeping (which currently averages 4.7 stars on Amazon, by the way).
Apparently, this wasn't just a first for me. The reviewer, a Mr. Andy Griminger, opened up his grim review with:
"I've never given a review of this nature, but here goes."
Looking at his profile, however, reveals he has never left a review of any nature on Goodreads before. I am honoured that he found my novel so triggering that he had to denounce it.
But before we get into his grim review, I prefer to find some common ground. Looking at Mr. Griminger's reading list, I see we share an appreciation for many of the same authors — J.R.R. Tolkien, Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothffus, Amor Towles, Harper Lee, Ray Bradbury and even George Orwell.
Sadly, that may be all that we have in common.
Griminger begins his review of my novel by declaring...
"The two gripes I have are related. The writing is generic and not very engaging..."
Without any examples, the comment is a bit generic and not very engaging. Oddly enough, the Goodreads review following Griminger's two-star review gave All the Humans are Sleeping five stars — with the opposite reaction:
"I couldn't put this book down! Such a captivating story and the details made it so easy to get lost in it."
You'd think they were talking about two completely different books.
So, I guess, it's a matter of taste. There are plenty of popular thriller novels out there that I don't find particularly engaging, yet sell millions of copies.
Mr. Griminger's next gripe, however, is totally speculative and inaccurate:
"...and I think that is in part because the author is so taken by making political and social points he doesn't give time to the craft of writing."
My manuscripts go through fifteen edits before being critiqued by multiple beta readers and an editor. By the time they are published, they've been subjected to twenty or more rewrites (Stephen King, according to his memoir, only does two to three rewrites). All the Humans are Sleeping was the culmination of over 500 hours of work, spanning twenty years — which means I'm either ultra-dedicated to the craft or super-slow (possibly both).
Just Right Media reviewed the book with quite the opposite take to Mr. Griminger's grim views on my writing capabilities: "Once again, John C.A. Manley has created a masterpiece. The narrative transcends his story's plot..."
Mr. Griminger's next comment points more to what may be the real reason for his discontent with my "generic and not very engaging" writing:
"This is a political screed about vaccines, public policy, etc with a thin veneer of fiction on top. I got the point about twenty pages in, but the relentless hammering of the author's politics became too much, and the writing could not keep me engaged."
It sounds more like he disagreed with the way the story depicted a future where totalitarian control of society (what Griminger diplomatically calls "public policy") becomes a reality — under the guise of stopping climate change, preventing the next outbreak of the common cold and making sure everybody uses the right pronoun. The politics the story illustrates are not my own, but a reflection of publicly stated proposals from organizations such as the World Economic Forum (e.g. "You'll own nothing and be happy about it") and the United Nations (e.g. Agenda 2030).
For the record, the only political and social view All the Humans are Sleeping promotes is one of individual freedom — where force, coercion and violence are no longer used to govern people. The story from beginning to end explores the theme of consent in all matters of human interaction.
Lastly, Griminger says:
"Hence, I made it about a quarter of the way through before deciding to move on."
Certainly, the story isn't for everyone. That some people enjoy it so much, almost inevitably means others will despise it. In fact, I want it no other way.
This is why I offer the first 24 chapters for free (in ebook and audiobook formats) so people can preview and decide before they buy. For example, one lady gave the free sample a try and immediately emailed me:
"I gratefully read the first 24 chapters of All the Humans are Sleeping a few days ago, and it's been haunting me ever since... LOL! ...in a good way. I will likely bite the 'budget bullet' and order [both your books]. I'm excited."
If you haven't already done the same, head over to AlltheHumansAreSleeping.com to get your free sample copy in ebook or audiobook format and see how many stars you feel my story about a farmer, a robot and the end of the world deserves.
John C.A. Manley
P.S. A slight warning from Seán ÓLaoire, PhD, author of Spirits in Spacesuits and Setting God Free: “John Manley has hit the ball out of the park again in his latest novel, All the Humans are Sleeping… Curl up and prepare to be both shocked and delighted at the same time.”
John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona, All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of philosophical fiction that are "so completely engaging that you find yourself alternately laughing, gasping, hanging on for dear life." Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber.
