Day 24 – Conspiring to Inspire
My novel PLANET ATE and its spinoff ALIEN ENCOUNTERS may have an extraterrestrial threat in them, but the main antagonist is the government itself. Countless cover ups and hidden truths are holding the keys to survival, but finding the facts prove to be a difficult task for the heroes of the story.
Conspiracy is what inspired the idea behind me writing these. I wanted to account for some of the many theories out there, and take it to a whole new level. I’m fascinated by how convincing some of these ideas are, and though I’ve personally thought many of them to be ridiculous theories, I have to admit there are some I may have bought into.
So what kind of conspiracy stories do I enjoy? Here’s a few of my favorites:
The TV series 24 will always hold the title. I’ve loved that show since episode 1, and haven’t missed a beat. At times it goes a little overboard with Jack Bauer’s ability to survive, but that’s the best part of it all. I’m excited to see what they do without him as the main character when 24 LEGACY starts next year.
Another series that influenced me is THE X-FILES. When I was a kid I enjoyed the show, and now that it came back I’m eager to see more. From the campiness at times, to some awkward humor, it keeps the story fresh. You may go into one episode laughing at how ridiculous it is, and the next terrified of what is going on. It is the perfect embodiment of what the government is capable of.
Finally is Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series of books. ANGELS AND DEMONS, THE DAVINCI CODE, THE LOST SYMBOL, & INFERNO are must reads for anyone who is into this sort of thing. Sure the movies were good (and yes I’ll be reviewing Inferno sometime soon), but the books really intrigued. Though there always seems to be a year and a half to two year gap between Brown’s releases, I feel they are worth the wait as he captures a real feel and as many facts as he can in order to tell a convincing story.
What are some of your favorite conspiracy theories, movies or books based on them? Do you have any theories of your own you’d like to share? Please feel free to comment and post. Use the hashtag #scrypthalloween and you will be placed in the running for one of my book giveaways!
Day 13 of #authorlifemonth : favorite book in genre
Day 13 of #authorlifemonth is favorite book in genre. I have to go with series instead, and since I write across genres I put my two favorite series’ up. Area 51 by Bob Mayer and the Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown . (I had a hard time fitting them in the collage and am missing some of the newer title pics, but you get the idea). 🙂 #books #series
Day 29: Top 5 for Halloween
For today’s installment of my 31 days of Halloween I made a top 5 list of my personal choices for film, book, etc. These are stories that not only have entertained me, but inspired me to continuously try exceeding what I did and topping each previous book I write. I tried to keep them as Halloween related as possible, and even though some aren’t horror, they fall into the thriller category and have spooky elements. What are your personal choices? Feel free to comment below.
TOP 5 NOVELS: The “Area 51” series by Bob Mayer (writing as Robert Doherty), Dan Brown’s “Robert Langdon” series, Thomas Harris’ “Hannibal Lecter” series, The “Atlantis” series by Bob Mayer (writing as Greg Donegan), Dean Koontz’ “Frankenstein” series (please don’t watch the movie because it’s terrible the books are great though. *Bonus All novels in the FLESH AND LEFTOVERS SAGA by Rick Pipito (had to add them, sorry.) 😛
TOP 5 TV SHOWS: Once Upon a Time, Arrow & The Flash (I put these as one because they crossover and exist in the same universe), 24, Law And Order SVU, Hannibal
TOP 5 GAMES: The “Tomb Raider” series, The “Resident Evil” Series, “Silent Hill”, “HeroQuest” (This is a board game I had growing up, and I just remember how awesome it was. I recently found it in my parents’ attic), The “Doom” series.
TOP 5 SONGS: Dragula by Rob Zombie, Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett, Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr, Don’t Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult (because everyone needs more cowbell), Mz. Hyde by Halestorm
TOP 5 MOVIES: Ghostbusters 1 & 2, The Goonies, Monster Squad, Van Helsing (Kate Beckinsale, Huge Jack Man, and monsters? I don’t care if its cheesy. It’s awesome), The Brendan Frasier Mummy Movies.
BONUS—-TOP 10 COMIC BOOK Movie List (in numbered order):
1) Captain America: The Winter Soldier
2) X-Men Days Of Future Past
3) Avengers
4) Ironman
5) Captain America: The First Avenger
6) Guardians Of The Galaxy
7) Man Of Steel
8) Spiderman 2
9) Thor The Dark World
10) Batman 1989
*This list is current as of 10/29/14 of course. It will most likely change, but it is the order I believe works. I wanted to put both Punisher movies in there as well just for pure fun, but they didn’t make the cut.
Inspirational Reads
The folks over at 5 Reads Blog gave me a guest post on my 5 most inspirational reads as an author. Click on over to check out what my mentions are and how they’ve shaped me into the writer I am. http://5readsblog.wordpress.com/2013/11/05/rick-pipito/
sCrypt Publishing 