San Francisco Chronicle reviews INFECTED

Posted May 3rd, 2008 by scottsigler

Getting reviewed in the San Francisco Chronicle is, in my opinion, a big fucking deal. San Francisco is a HUGE book town. They even have an event called "LitQuake" that brings thousands of people to the streets of the Mission district for a marathon session of author interviews and readings. It's like a Lollapalooza for books.

So when my Google alert (read also: one of my many vanity searches) popped up this morning with a review by the Chron, I was excited and nervous to open it up. Reviewer Michael Berry clearly did not like INFECTED, but he gave it a fair shake and didn't beat it up too bad. The review reads like I'm a first-grader who don't spell so good, but he tries hard so the teacher gives him a silver star (but no smiley face, those are reserved for the smart kids).

Unlike most reviews, this one is open for comments, so feel free to swing over there and leave your feedback.

Click here to read Michael Berry's review of INFECTED.

Being reviewed in the

On May 12th, 2008 railroadgrrl says:

Being reviewed in the chronicle is great.

I personally think we should chase him down and use the chicken scissors on him. It would definitely make him sing a different toon.....hehe

The Comments

On May 10th, 2008 Lurch (not verified) says:

I love how the comments that follow the review are all so positive. That and the fact that they all have thumbs up. maybe they are severed thumbs up?

This is the kind of guy...

On May 5th, 2008 BarbaraJ says:

This is the kind of guy who cried reading "The Deep End of the Ocean" and talked it up big. I read that piece of junk and decided at that moment to never read a review again.
Tastes Like Chicken

he probably

On May 7th, 2008 Pjotr NL says:

cries after reading a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon too.

Convoco vel intereo, [1st Dutch junkie] All that matters is getting my fix.

Only when Hobbes eats Calvin's innards

On May 7th, 2008 scottsigler says:

And that episode where Calvin's stuffed bear goes rabid makes him mist up a bit as well.

sounds to me like he didn't finish the book

On May 4th, 2008 treed says:

-"By the time poor Perry meets his ultimate, disgusting fate..." is a statement that tells me that he doesn't know that "PERRY LIVES!!" when i first heard the story, i was expecting perry not to survive. the reviewer makes perry out to be a typical "dumb jock". he isn't, he just has "impulse control" issues, mr. berry seems to think Perry is illogical in his actions, but doesn't remark on the fact he exhibits ENORMOUS control and discipline in NOT succuming to the parisites and his "various forms of intimately described self-mutilation" keeps the Triangles from not only winning, but insures perry's survival. i am not a fan of gore, but i do enjoy a good story and do not shy away from gore, this is a good story, well told, and not predictable in its outcome and it leaves you wanting more.
http://www.pgholyfield.com/maah/

well

On May 4th, 2008 Pjotr NL says:

people tell me a lot of things and I usually don't listen to them. Especially if they are about our FDO™

[1st Dutch junkie] All that matters is getting my fix.

Don't Worry About It!

On May 4th, 2008 amaster says:

Micheal Berry seemed to come across to me as a whiny kid saying that he didn't get enough desert. He will fall under the Sigler March.

Sitting here with my computer hooked directly into a vein in my arm.

See my writing at http://Writing.Com/authors/amaster

No such thing as bad press

On May 4th, 2008 Adam_from_Japan says:

Hey Scott, I'm glad to see that you are taking his review well. Yeah, he may not have liked it that much, but you have a strong and loyal following to show that your stories are extremely well received, and that we want even more stories from you. As they say, no such thing as bad press. This will hopefully pull in some future addicts!

coolio

On May 4th, 2008 jtswambo says:

more junkies cumin this way then neh?

(subliminal ad - chek out 'enders game' - osc 8 books but u need to look 4 them)

what's wrong with a bit of senseless violence?

Agreed

On May 3rd, 2008 turtletao says:

The review is a big BIG deal! Congrats on that, & now you can kill him

But Perry is the perfect example of a sympathetic protagonist

On May 3rd, 2008 ogreoregon says:

From the beginning we find out about his past ghosts and demons and I think readers are really sympathetic to his struggle for control both before and after being infected. He is the best kind of protagonist ..possibly dangerous in control, and after becoming infected, when he does somthing really horrible, it's mostly to himself. The flaws are what make him sympathetic...he was trying so hard to stay in control.

infected review

On May 3rd, 2008 MuchAdo says:

Just tell Michael that this is the NEW sci-fi/horror that reaches across party lines to pull all sci-fi/horror enthusiasts together and that he needs to get with the program.

“Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time;”

Infected Review

On May 3rd, 2008 Colin Francis Barnes (not verified) says:

He makes some odd comments. For starters, who is to say that a protagonist has to be sympathetic? I personally enjoy stories where the protagonist is someone you dislike, this brings about emotions such as: Joy or Smugness when they get their comeuppance. Also, as mentioned on twitter; he seems to dislike your intensity. Again, I see nothing wrong with that, a good novel in my opinion has to have a certain level of intensity and pace otherwise I'm tempted to leave it and move on to something else with a view to coming back to it, which invariable doesn't always happen. Take the rough with the smooth FDO, your legion of Junkies will not be dampened by such mad ramblings.

Michael Berry will be the

On May 3rd, 2008 darn says:

Michael Berry will be the first example to be set in the New Sigler Order.

___________________

No bout a doubt it

Don't Worry...

On May 5th, 2008 DystopianDream says:

...We'll use Michael Berry's guts to grease the treads on the Sigler Juggernaut of Doom!