Author: Author John G Dyer

Born in Chickamauga, Georgia, John Dyer moved to Asia in 1956, when his father took an engineering assignment with a power utility. He attended grades 1-12 at an international school, touring with his family through 29 countries before settling in the Midwest. A computer scientist turned author of fiction, he is a founder of an IBM-affiliated software company, and an early innovator in electronic commerce. He brings a lifelong interest in science and engineering to everything he writes.

The Process ~ 3 of n

First chapters are always a challenge, even for authors who sell lots of books. I am therefore unsurprised to find that Maroli Tango ~ A Serial Novel has a reader retention problem.

Not that I can tell from comments. No, y’all are apparently too polite to leave comments … but I can tell from the stats how we’re doing, and it’s not great.

Chapters 1 & 4 appear to be favorites. I agree with the audience — that’s some good work, right there.

I’m cringing on 12, not listed above; not that it should be — it’s unfocused, begging for a brutal edit.

Continue reading “The Process ~ 3 of n” →
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Maroli Tango ~ Chapter 25

https://marolitango.substack.com/s/read-the-book

The menfolk were smoking cigarettes in the castle driveway, accompanied by a non-elevated size-two fighting maroli named Quill.

Quill was 1.75 meters tall, with 2 heavy-lift primary tentacles, 4 lesser ungula, 6 grav-lift pucks around the skirt, 6 more on the capsule, eye dots all the way around, and a shock wand clipped below the plug cavity.

Carmen Benequista gave the machine a wide berth. Marie Jourdain stepped in for a closer look.

She said, “Can I get one of these?”

General Thorson fished a gas-station butane lighter out of a pocket.

He told Colonel Clarke, “You should see if Incredible might come to work for her.”

Clarke nodded. “I’ll ask him.”

“Well, like I was saying …” Thorson lit another cigarette. “Makes a lot of sense. Two forces. Cadre does political and military. Zirna Zapha handles policing and civil order. Good cop, bad cop; only you don’t tell the troublemakers which is which.”

Carmen reached for the pack of smokes. “It worked on Vidura.”

“And see here, it doesn’t matter whether it works on Earth or not.” He tucked the lighter into her palm. “It’s precedent. We get to tell my constituency we’re going by the book.”

Carmen tapped a cigarette on her thumbnail. “Who shall we cast in the role of space pirates?”

Thorson made a possum grin. “I’m looking at your boyfriend here.”

Brandon rubbed at his nose. “CH Banks is a business. We don’t do policing for free.”

“The Cadre doesn’t do military for free.”

“Who’s my customer?”

“Adopt a Zeze militant enterprise model. You know, like Boschert GMBH Zurich.”

“That’s not in our portfolio.”

“You have 3600 employees, old son. Maybe you could be a little more flexible.”

Marie Jourdain said, “It’s after 10:00 PM in France.”

Brandon’s eyes flicked away. “I’m calling our ride.”

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Maroli Tango ~ Chapter 20

I would really appreciate feedback on these opening chapters.

Click here to start at the beginning.

Pulina Nava, Planet Jivada

Offshore of PN, a stately Tuscan Renaissance villa drifted at a thousand meters altitude, aimless, nudged along by the wind, meandering on gravitic tensors as though sliding on ice.

SagGha House, built 1438, the work of Italian/AjJivadi architect Mechelozzo, a prototype for Palazzo Medici, Florence, Italy, 1444.

Erected atop a surplus grav-lift marine construction barge, commissioned as an owner-managed airborne luxury residential complex, then serving as a monastery, a college and a reform school.

Until occupied by SagGha Prefect Samuel Orsa — priest, scholar, family man. A furry Anye Mahat Limar, 138 years old, bearlike in appearance, sometimes referred to on Earth as the Space Pope.

Continue reading “Maroli Tango ~ Chapter 20” →
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The Process ~ 2 of n

Today’s reset of Maroli Tango ~ A Serial Novel is brought to you by Oupac of Ionia, also known as Homer the Greek, who must surely have edited a chapter or two in his day.

  • Chapters 2.1.x are ‘new’.
  • Chapters 5 + contain changes
  • Chapters 7 & 12 were discarded.
  • What was 8 is now 7 and on up the line until 13, all of which are new-ish.

These edits pushed the inciting event farther out, from page 30 to 42. The deliverables are stronger worldbuilding and character development in advance of a fast-paced story.

The cost is a delayed payoff on foreshadowed conflict.

It was a difficult decision to make, but if readers give up on early chapters for lack of explosions and car chases, they’re shopping at the wrong store. 

Tell me if you think I'm wrong. That's why I'm here.

By the way, there are explosions, perhaps more than you will expect.

Click here for Maroli Tango ~ A Serial Novel

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The Process ~ 1 of n

My ambition for Maroli Tango, the final volume of a triple-trilogy, is to publish a novel anyone will enjoy regardless of what kind of book they’re in the mood for.

From where I’m sitting today, it seems possible; but then, I can see downstream of first chapters where, 2 1/2 years ago, I settled in, hit a sweet spot, and rode it out.

160,000 words later, my 7th draft manuscript is in transition from a collection of ideas implying a novel, to the novel itself; a phase wherein craft is typically applied in private, witnessed only by a handful of first readers.

I’m doing it in public. We’re not versioning. When I reshuffle the deck, what was is no more.

Fair warning — if you’re interested in process, catch up. Tomorrow, first chapters get a facelift.

Find the serial novel here.

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Something else to take care of

That’s what I get, isn’t it, for being a writer? Projects, here and there, begging to be watered.

Here’s one — https://marolitango.substack.com/ — a serial novel, and if nothing else perhaps it will provoke an intervention by my peers, after which I decide never to do that again.

However, by all means, do stop by — https://marolitango.substack.com/

No; it's the same as the other one. Thank you for asking.

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Serialize This — Chapter 7

Maroli Tango ~ A Serial Novel is at the vehicle assembly building on Substack. Find it here.

I enthusiastically recommend you prepare for this epic event by reading the first two installments of the AjJivadi trilogy.

It's like images of fruit on breakfast cereal packages. Serving suggestion. Not included in product.

Chapter 7

Central America

At 10:37 AM Eastern, the historic airborne estate Ruksa Zila emerged from N-Space encapsulation over the Pacific Ocean west of Panama.

RZ wobbled and swayed. Space tugs rushed in. Audiences on 3 planets — Earth, Jivada and the Anye home world Vidura — held their collective breaths.

Live audio from the descent crew reported, “The lift system is testing the curvature of space within the flight envelope … and we’re now told that Ruksa Zila is flying on its own.”

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Serialize This — Chapter 6

One of the motivations driving artists is a compulsion to record insights from one’s own life experience in a way that profits others. Engineers, architects, sculptors and authors — we’re all expressing what we know in a medium having potential to outlive us.

The work does not have to become famous — all it must do is exist.

That said, I do not oppose becoming famous.

Chapter 6

Arlington, Virginia

While President Carmen Benequista napped in the Oval Office, a senior NSA official joined a discussion panel on a morning news show from his home in a gated community west of Washington DC.

The arrival of AMV Bharamin in orbit was, he said, a red flag event, its mission a sinister ploy to establish dominance at the edge of space.

Glaring into a webcam, he shook a finger at network TV’s dwindling audience.  “The Jivadis are ruthless invaders, intent on enslaving all humanity, frightening everyone with lies about cosmic catastrophe, accusations of corruption within our most hallowed institutions, and anything else they can think of to make you go along.”

At the same moment, Parity Services, a Jivada-based security company, sent out a warning that the tone and volume of anti-Jivada propaganda had escalated to a level at which subscribers should retreat to safe harbor.

The man used the rest of his turn ranting about former subordinate Brandon Lopez, a ‘traitor’ and ‘alien collaborator’, during which the six-foot-tall size-two fighting maroli known as ‘Banger’ performed a Saraf Drive jump into an open area between sofa and China cabinet.

The offender rose from his chair, fumbling for a remote

Banger whacked a collarbone with a beavertail sap. He said, “Here; let me help you with that.”

The man fell back into his chair, shouting at the top of his lungs. An alarm horn sounded. A dog barked.

Injury was delivered to kneecaps, thighs, wrists and ankles. The news show’s ratings soared. Banger took the victim’s phone.

And without saying another word, he flashed away.

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Serialize This — Chapter 5

By now, on Page 16, a typical 3-act-form novel would have wrapped up introductions to place, time and cast.

If this was Fantasy, the Saracens would already have ridden in and cut everyone’s heads off.

Romance: bodice-ripping would be in-progress.

Sci-Fi adventure: a reptilian space admiral would be pacing the bridge of Battle Cruiser Krang, shouting threats at beautiful but reckless space pilot Candy Bootylicious while she undulated, heaving breasts straining against a tight and revealing space uniform.

You know, if I ever want to be successful, the first thing I should do is finish that story.

But no; I decided to write literary science fiction family drama.

Chapter 5

The Between-Life

When one speaks to the dead, it’s usually an ordinary dream, a conversation with oneself, influenced by feelings of doubt, insecurity, loneliness. Carmen Benequista had doubts —about whether she was experiencing an ordinary dream.

She stood in her deceased husband’s office at his family’s title insurance agency, a place she hadn’t been since a) he died and, b) his parents pushed her out of the company.

Continue reading “Serialize This — Chapter 5” →
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