Monday, May 28, 2007

Win a signed copy of Hybrids!

Competition reminder. Only three days to go to win three signed copies of Hybrids.

To enter, please answer the following questions, and email them to me:
  1. What is the secret at the middle of the Centre for Genetic Rehabilitation?
  2. How can you make me happy?
  3. If you were to become a hybrid, what would you merge with and why?
The answers to the first two questions are in the book!

The competition closes on May 31, and I will repost this during the month for newcomers.

the competition is open till the end of May. On June 1st I'll look at all the entries and select a shortlist of those which answer the first two questions correctly.

The last question is a tie-breaker, so of that shortlist the three answers to question 3 which I like the best will win the signed copies.

I'm afraid the competition is not open to relatives or employees of HarperCollins.

Good luck!

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

"A stunningly clever novel" - The Times

With modesty I record my first review - I'm so relieved it's a good one. Amanda Craig in today's Times looks at it in the context of other titles about technology and children. Hybrids is reserved for the highest praise.

Comparing it to Kevin Brookes' Being she writes: "David Thorpe's Hybrids takes the cyborg idea even further, with a stunningly clever novel that won a nation-wide competition run by its publisher, HarperCollins, and Saga magazine.

"A dystopian version of Blairite Britain is drawn with economy and wit.... Johnny's cynical, off-beat narrative voice, and Kestrella's hopeful, tender naivety are both well done."

For her it has "a disappointing climax" (I guess critics have to complain about something - I wonder what she expected?) but "Hybrids will get boys (and girls) talking and thinking about a brave new world without technological stimuli". I hope so.

>>
Read the full review.


Book signing Thursday May 10 Aberystwyth

Before it was announced that Hybrids had won the Saga/HarperCollins competition, some local teenagers including my son Dion wanted to turn it into a podcast.
Dion recorded and edited half of the 26 chapters and produced them, including writing the signature music.
Now it has won, HarperCollins are advising us to postpone the podcast, but the actors are doing readings at signings. The next one is:
Aberystwyth: Waterstones, Great Darkgate Street, 10 May at 5.30-6.30pm.

The actors:

Kestrella Chu is read by Izzy Rabey:

Izzy Rabey, playing Kestrella Chu

Johnny Online is read by Peter Horne:

Peter Horne, playing Johnny Online

Dion Thorpe, the producer:

Dion Thorpe, Hybrids podcast producer

Izzy is acting in King Lear at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre later in the evening.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Win a signed copy of Hybrids!

It's Hybrids publication day - May 1.

To celebrate I'm running a competition all through May giving away three signed copies of Hybrids.

To enter, please answer the following questions, and email them to me:
  1. What is the secret at the middle of the Centre for Genetic Rehabilitation?
  2. How can you make me happy?
  3. If you were to become a hybrid, what would you merge with and why?
The answers to the first two questions are in the book!

The competition closes on May 31, and I will repost this during the month for newcomers.

Good luck!