The Daily Monocle

How does a terrorist kill four million people? He stops them from being born.

So reads the ominous tagline for Mike Hogan's The Ovary Wars, a book which admittedly has loads of potential, but suffers from poor execution.


Professor Kirby Wadsworth is a radical advocate for population control. His students often come away shaken from his lectures. He bends the lines between moral and amoral with uncanny ease, and wants to share his opinions with the world.

Soon an opportunity comes along to fufil his dream. Wadsworth helps develop Ovamort, a drug that shuts down the ovaries. But how to carry out this dream? How to convince most of the young women of the world to destroy their bodies? Well, for Wadsworth, it's simple: you don't tell them what they're taking until it's too late.

Perhaps what's so chilling about this tale, is that it could happen. I have no doubt that medicines capable of Ovamort's effects could be made. This borderline science-fiction is usually my forte, but this time, I just couldn't finish.

Hogan clearly knows what he's talking about. He is an expert in his field, and this shows in the prose. The story itself was well-developed; the plot solid. Even the characters seemed to know who they were.

However, after 100 pages, I had to leave The Ovary Wars on the shelf. Why? Simply because it was too technical for me. The prose lacked the emotion that I prefer to read in books. I could not bring myself to read it, when I felt that the writing was dry.

This could be easily remedied by another run through with a red-pen, perhaps. One final edit. A lot of times, this final edit is the difference between a good book, and a great book. And I feel like The Ovary Wars had tons of potential. Unfortunately, it just wasn't the book for me.

Buy it on AmazonAuthor's Website

Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to read Michael R. Stevens' technilogical thriller, Fortuna. Now, Mr. Stevens has graciously agreed to an interview with The Daily Monocle!

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Your novel, Fortuna, is a rich and exciting foray into Renaissance-era Italy, and online role-playing games. What inspired you to combine these two things?

To tell the truth, I wanted the Renaissance environment but I didn't want to be in competition with “real” historical novels because I was afraid I'd get too many details wrong. My new book is straight historical fiction. The setting is Berlin, 1923.

Of all historical time periods to choose from, why did you choose Renaissance-era Italy?

I am fascinated by the role of force in governments and societies, and that issue was central to Machiavelli, who is the source of Fortuna's intellectual underpinnings. Machiavelli is associated with manipulation and ruthlessness, but this is an impoverished reading of his body of work. There is a lot of wisdom there.

What sort of historical research did you do in order to capture the essence of the time so fully?

Tons! I studied contemporary paintings, old maps, lots of books about the major houses of the time (Medici, Strozzi, Borgia etc.), tracts on business practices and coinage, historical documents about the evolution of the Sacraments in the Catholic Church, Neo-Platonic writing... it's a long list.

Did you play any online role-playing games to familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of gaming before writing Fortuna? Which ones and why?

After the book was about two-thirds finished, I became a member of Second Life to get a reality check, as it were. As it turned out, I had gotten it right, and didn't need to make any changes in the manuscript. I chose Second Life because it is a freestyle environment where players do what they want, as opposed to environments like Worlds of Warcraft, where there are specific missions to be accomplished.

Your protagonist, Jason Lind, plays as his alter-ego, Father Alessandro da Scala in the game, Fortuna. Was there a particular reason you chose to give him this persona instead of say, a merchant or page?

Machiavelli’s central thesis is that it is impossible to be a successful prince – we might say “an effective political leader” – and also a good Christian, or, in less religious terms, a good man. My idea in making Jason a priest was to accentuate this dilemma.

Did any one thing inspire you to write Fortuna?

Yes, and I will never tell!

Who was your favorite character to write?

I would say Mara, the courtesan. I didn't think about it at the time, but she's a sort of anima figure for Jason – everything he's not.

A lot of The Daily Monocle's readers haven't yet read your book. Can you tell them why they should read Fortuna in ten words or less?

It's about the most important trend of the century. It's very entertaining. (I know, that's twelve [words].)

You're on a ten hour car trip with one of your characters from Fortuna. Who do you take, and why?

I don't want to sound contentious or seem like I'm dodging the question, but I really don't think that way. The characters are constructions, part of a whole that's supposed to have an effect. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said that I am one hundred percent in control of every word I write, but that's the goal.



How did you get started in the writing business?

I started out as a professional writer when I was sixteen, when I got a job as music columnist for my home town newspaper, The Vallejo Times Herald. Then, after college and the U.S. Army, I needed a job and writing was really the only thing I knew how to do. So I got into technical writing, then advertising, and now, fiction. I don't know if that's an upward trajectory or not.

A lot of fledgling authors tend to think that once you write and publish that ubiquitous "first book", the writing process changes, and so does their career. Has publishing your first book changed your outlook on writing at all?

It’s had an enormous impact. I can’t even find words to describe it. I’ve been blogging about it for months at www.fortunathebook.com/blog. I can’t think of any way to summarize all those thoughts.


Is there any one book and/or author who has influenced your writing the most?

Do I have to answer? It would be the science fiction writer, Frank Herbert.

A lot of writers count music as a main way of 'setting the mood'. Did you listen to any music while writing Fortuna? If so, what did you listen to?

That's interesting. I didn't know that. I'm a serious amateur musician and, perhaps for that reason, I never listen to music while writing. It would be too distracting, and I think it would impair my ability to get the rhythm of the sentences right.

About how long did it take you to write Fortuna?

About 18 months.

Did any people or events from your life shape the events or people in Fortuna?

Not really. Of course, my humanities background from college and my time in Silicon Valley certainly influenced the overall framework.

Are you working on any other books right now?

Two. One is about the process of getting published for the first time. The other is a novel with the working title, The Allegory of the Golden-Haired Wife. It’s a thriller about industrial espionage set in Berlin, 1923.

This might be a hard question, but what is your favorite book? Why?

Der Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse. It’s about a man of a certain age who is intelligent and has been successful in the world, but feels that something important in life has eluded him. Not that I know anyone who fits that description.

You've been invited to spend a week with a writer from any time in history. Who do you spend a week with and why?

Hemmingway. Why philosophize when you can drink whiskey?

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Thanks so much for this opportunity, and for the great questions.

Thank you Mr. Stevens for doing this awesome interview with The Daily Monocle!

Don't forget to check out Michael R. Stevens' website here, and purchase your copy of Fortuna on Amazon today!

Don't forget to check out our interview with Michael R. Stevens, author of Fortuna, here!

When you don't have any actual money (and even if you do), books are an excellent way to take a cheap vacation. But if you've read all the books on your shelf, and something astronomical has happened to keep you away from the bookstore, perhaps virtual lives are the most convenient solution to this fatal monotony. But imagine a virtual life so sophisticated—so complex—that it's run entirely by machines. Imagine a world where the lines between the game and real life begin to blur, until they're almost impossible to distinguish.

Welcome to Fortuna.


Computer science major, Jason Lind, is looking for an escape from his boring life, when he happens upon Fortuna, an incredibly sophisticated online role playing game set in renaissance-era Florence, Italy. Playing as Father Allesandro da Scala, Jason finds himself seduced by this wild world of relationships, politics, and greed that extends beyond the virtual walls of his computer.

When he incurs an in-game debt that flows over into his real life, Jason is forced to seek the attentions of his estranged computer-mogul uncle, Frank Stocker. Under his uncle's employment, Jason begins to remember and realize the secrets of his family's past, and to uncover the realities of his future.

The first word this book brings to mind is "detailed". Michael R. Stevens' Fortuna captures the essence of renaissance-era Italy with an artist's eye. From the social hierarchy, to the dangers of every day life, to the confessional at Father Allesandro's church, the historical aspects of this book are as engrossing as they are beautiful.

I also loved all the technological references. The code-speak isn't difficult to understand, but geeks like me still feel like they're getting a crash course in the antagonist's program-of-choice (of course, my knowledge is a little outdated now…). Fortuna is truly a technological thriller, but, for the casual reader, the historical elements help to balance this out.

Now, normally I'm a stickler for interesting characters, and—let's face it—Jason Lind's life is pretty boring. He and his friends are all freakishly normal, but for once, I think this enhances the book. The plot here is front and center; our eyes are ever drawn to the lush and beautiful world of Fortuna. I like it; a lot.

Michael R Stevens' writing style is very straight forward, and easy to read. I didn't find myself clamoring over the letters, or getting that 'red pen' feeling. Fortuna would make an excellent airplane book, or passenger-seat-of-the-car kind of book; both fast and engaging.

The biggest negative I have for Fortuna, would be its predictability. I know I can almost always predict the ending of a book within the first forty pages, so maybe it's just me. But I did find Fortuna to be highly predictable. That isn't to say I didn't like it—because I did. I just guessed the ending.

Fortuna is a book that grabs you and won't let go. I'm proud to have it on my bookshelf.

An afterthought: After reading Fortuna, I decided I needed to try some online gaming. Stevens' website said that the game Fortuna most closely resembles Second Life in the games available today, so off to Second Life I went. After spending about an hour creating my character (I named her Ink), I began interacting with people… and promptly got off. It was too much for me. The actual voice chatting with people I've never met; the humongous community. I think I'm internet paranoid or something, because it just made me all kinds of nervous interacting with people that way. So I want to congratulate Jason Lind on his bravery—he made it farther than I did.

Read an excerpt at the Author's website

Everything I know about genetics, I've learned from science-fiction. Or, more precisely, everything I've learned about genetics has been borne of a love of science-fiction. That's why you'll find Genetics for Dummies right along side Pride and Prejudice and Zombies on my bookshelf.

I've done a lot of research on the subject of genetics, and I've found that there are a lot of disturbing things going on in the field today. For example, there are major corporations (such as Myriad Genetics) who are patenting human genes. That way, they can legally control the research—or stop the research altogether—on said gene. This practice has crippled genetic research, and left people paying thousands of dollars on genetic tests that should cost mere hundreds.

In May of this year, the US District Court of Appeals ruled Gene Patents illegal. Not long after, Myriad Genetics retaliated. And, of course, the terse battle for the rights of our bodies continues. It's estimated that 20% of genes inside your body are owned by a major corporation. Creepy, isn't it?

Next by Michael Crichton is a book that deals with many genetic issues that we hear about in the media. Basically, it highlights the inner workings of the business of genetic science; it underscores how one little slip can cause a whole world of trouble.

I have a difficult time providing a succinct synopsis for this novel because this book tells more than one story. While most authors will provide ordinary characters and thrust them into extraordinary circumstances (or vice versa), Crichton has taken ordinary characters and put them into circumstances that would ordinary in their field. This allows the reader minimal suspension of belief, and so we find ourselves more easily drawn into the story.

Crichton is a plot-driven novelist. However, as in Pirate Latitudes, he also manages to provide distinct characters. Too often plot-driven books find themselves shadowed by characters that are as lifelike as cardboard. Thankfully, Next bucks the trend, leaving the reader with characters as diverse as the book's plot(s).

Next unfolds like a movie. Tendrils of carefully-planned plot spread to the far reaching corners of every page. The first half of the book exists to show you just how messed up the world of scientific genetics is; and the second half brings all of these issues together. What you're left with is a whirlwind tale about genetic experimentation, without focusing on any one issue as a whole.

Crichton expertly blurs the line between fact and fiction. With phony news articles and strange stories that you're sure you've heard somewhere , you're never quite sure if the anomalies of the scientific community are fact, or birthed from the author's imagination. As the preface says, "This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren't.

Michael Crichton's Next is, plain and simple, a genetic thriller. How apt that people should be reading it now while these genetic issues are so relevant in our society today.


Author's Website
But it/read an excerpt on Amazon

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Would you like to own a copy of Michael Crichton's Next?

Of course you would! That's why The Daily Monocle is hosting the first every Monthly Monocle Giveaway, featuring Next.

Every month The Daily Monocle will give away one new and/or gently used copy of one of the books we've reviewed. This book will be sent to you, free of charge—we'll even pay shipping!

The copy of Next that we'll be giving away is a very gently used paperback with a bright green cover. It looks just like the image featured above, but in green.

How to Enter
There are several ways to enter this contest. Each way you enter earns you one (1) entry. You may enter each way one time per contest.
---*Leave a comment on this post = 1 entry (this is required to enter the contest; don't forget to leave your e-mail in the comment).
---*Subscribe to this blog (if you're already a subscriber, say so in your comment) = 1 entry
---*Blog about The Daily Monocle on your blog (leave a link) = 1 entry
---*Put a link to The Daily Monocle on your blog/website sidebar. (leave a link). = 1 entry
---*Become a fan of our Facebook page (let me know in your comment) = 1 entry

By entering each of these ways, you can enter a total of 5 times per contest period. That's 5 chances to win a copy of Michael Crichton's fabulous book, Next! Every entry is assigned a number, and then I will use a random integer generator to select the winner.

Tell your friends. And don't forget to include your e-mail in your comment. If I can't contact you, I can't send you your prize, and it will go to someone else.

USA and Canada addresses only.

Happy reading!