The Plitone Revisionist
In an effort to prove just how poorly I spell, one of the greatest critical voices to come out of the UK, Paul S. Jenkins, has just released The Plitone Revisionist:
Will Captain Paola Mackie, independent space courier, thrown out of her home ten years previously, escape the unsavory clutches of the man who thinks she can lead him to the notorious Revisionist mothership secretly orbiting within the Lutrana system and plotting to destabilize its economy, its culture, its very way of life?
Will Paola be reconciled with her estranged and aged father before it’s too late for him to pass on his onerous legacy to her? And will she finally get it together with Nantuke Orlis, the Revisionist President’s enigmatic scout?
The Plitone Revisionist is a fast-paced, sexy science-fiction thriller that will keep you enthralled to the end — and beyond.
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October 12th, 2006 at 4:51 pm
Wow! First review after 2 weeks. I’ll make this one long enough. Anyway, I’ll start with my negative comments and then I’ll go for the good ones.
The most obvious comment (at least for me): the first two chapters can be difficult to listen because of the events surrounding the main character. With an intro such as this the author might have lost a few pod-listeners. After that, it’s fine.
An other thing, the narrator is not the best voice actor around for this reading in solo, but good enough to make the difference between narrator and character switch. Also, the narrator’s voice kind of makes me a bit sleepy. More on this subject later in the review.
Now the things that I liked (already? yay!). I like this “noire” sci-fi style where it’s a more realistic future and isn’t a daydream of a perfect world. It reminded me of a French sci-fi book I’ve read a long time ago that I don’t recall the name.
The writing is very good. There is an almost perfect balance of details, characters emotional state and action that immerses you into this world and the story is very interesting. Good enough for not falling asleep (not sarcasm, read third paragraph).
Got to appreciate the sex and love openness too. Writers tend to forget or cover it as much as toilets. Speaking of which, there is one in Paola’s ship. Extra points.
Overall, a little too strong start but it will immerse you quickly into this new but familiar future and following a slice of the life of a speedy courier.
Note: Review for the first 5 episodes.
October 18th, 2006 at 3:23 pm
Wow! My first real review. Thanks for the in-depth comments!
October 18th, 2006 at 11:15 pm
I disagree with most of AllDog’s initial comments (first three paragraphs). I like a character that has a lot of unexplained history. The intro was great. How can you not enjoy a story with a start like that? This is a great yarn. I was hooked right from the start and can’t wait for the rest.
Where is it?…. Where is episode Six?… I really can’t wait to see what happens next.
A little kinky (in fact - a lot!) and, I expect, a great adventure to come. Come on PaulJ.
PS: I wonder if that Jailer gets his comeuppance in a future episode? I hope he does, or at least gets left up in the air, if you know what I mean. Sort of how I AM FEELING RIGHT NOW.
Bring it on! Give me that Six Fix!
October 21st, 2006 at 7:32 am
Episode 6 will be uploaded in a few days (and Episode 7 a few days after that). I misunderstood the desired frequency of new episodes, so I have some catching up to do!
November 20th, 2006 at 2:30 am
Some interesting comments so far. I agree a little with AllDog. At times I find the narrator’s voice just a little off and unappealing, I don’t listen to his podcast for that reason, but I find it actually does quite well in this story.
The writing is really good, great balance, nice cliffhangers and interesting plot and story.
The beginning was a little kinky, but what a draw. It’s rare that a story is so just raw. I found myself instantly wanting to know what happened next and how exactly the jailer does get his comeuppance.
December 5th, 2006 at 1:35 pm
Thanks, Kung Fu Eats, for your comments on the writing — I feel validated!
I’m no voice actor. In fact my podcasting experience leads me to the conclusion that people either love my voice, or find it excessively monotonous. (Some useful advice for insomniac podcasters: listen to your own show!)
December 20th, 2006 at 8:32 am
This is real old fashioned (in a good way) science fiction, with modern sensibilities. I’m really enjoying the book so far. On an episodes release day, its the first podcast in the list to get heard. The story is an adventure in space, what more can an old school sci-fi fan ask for
The writing is good, you start to care about the characters relatively early on, although the female characters seem to have much more depth than the male characters. The first few chapters definitely make you flinch, I’m surprised that Paula is not a little more mentally scarred than she appears.
There have been a number of comments on Paul’s voice; I was a little uneasy with Pauls voice when prior to this book I listened to his reading on Escape Pod, and his Rev-Up-Review podcasts, however I must have got used to listening to him, since its fine now.
Keep up the good work Paul!
December 30th, 2006 at 3:24 am
Steve, that’s an interesting comment about the female characters. I suppose I just find them more… interesting. Or maybe it’s because there are fewer female characters than male? (The author is probably not the best person to do this kind of analysis.)
Much thanks for the feedback — always appreciated
January 16th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Love the book so far.
Only complaint: the relationship between the charcters developes way to fast. They go from aquntences to pals/lovers very quickly.
Otherwise great plot, great charcters, Paul great voice, and great music, etc.
Keep it coming.
January 16th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
I’ve only recently found this and am loving it!! (Paul your voice is absolutely fine with me - perhaps I’m a little more used to the accent than some others?) I’m waiting with baited breath of Episode 16.
January 20th, 2007 at 9:40 am
Love the book! I actually find Paul’s voice almost mesmerizing. But I need my Paola Mackie fix! Any idea when the #16 is going to be released?
January 20th, 2007 at 11:35 am
Episodes 16 and 17 will be posted to the server this evening, so they should be available for download shortly.
Thanks to everyone for the comments. Podiobooks.com is a great way for authors to get feedback, and I really appreciate folks taking time to let me know what they think. The Plitone Revisionist is my first novel, and knowing how people are reacting to it is invaluable to me.
Folks might like to know that there will be about 23 episodes in total. (I say ‘about’ as I’ll be doing some final rewrites of the closing chapters.)
February 16th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
I can’t wait for the next chapter. Is there any chance this is going to be a trilogy or series? I’d really like to see where this story goes over time. Thanks for making this novel available to us over here at podiobooks.
February 18th, 2007 at 7:46 am
Please Please upload the next chapter - This is one of the best pod books I have heard…
February 18th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Jeff,
I do intend there to be a sequel to The Plitone Revisionist, but to date it’s no more than a few pages of outline and notes. I have 75,000 (of about 100,000) words of a novel set in the same universe but a slightly different time (and completely different characters).
forgeman,
New chapters will be posted this evening (Feb 18th).
Thanks to you both for your kind comments.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:44 pm
Hey Paul, thanks for a great story. I’m a big science fiction fan, I think you tackled space travel in a realistic way. I also think you did a great job defining your characters. As mentioned previously, there is a lot of sexual content in the story, more so than most podcasters seem to include. You seem to present things as real as possible. Love, Relationships, and the drama they create help to make your story seem more real to the audience.
As for the voice comments that other readers have made. I honestly don’t think I noticed anything; the story was way too interesting to pay attention to anything else.
Please continue posting new chapters, I can’t wait to get the next one.
March 2nd, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Paul,
I echo Greg’s comments. This is right up there with the most enjoyable books on Podiobooks. And your understated British accent makes a really great change from most readers (not that there’s anything WRONG with overstated(?) American accents!)
Now, come on - get your act together and sort out that sequel, pronto!
March 17th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
For those waiting for the next chapter, I have today uploaded Episodes 20 & 21. The end is in sight — with just two more episodes to go after these.
Until the sequel. (Thanks to Greg and Steve for continued encouragement!)
April 12th, 2007 at 10:03 am
Were have the next episodes gone? It’s been almost a month and I’m starting to think that there is not going to be anymore! Please let me be wrong!!!
April 12th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
I’m working on the final two episodes now. Honest.
April 20th, 2007 at 11:59 am
I will add a me to. I look forward to the next episode. You left us at a great cliff hanger.
April 20th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
I just started listening to this great podcast and story on iTunes. Were the first four chapters the only ones that will be available there? I’m jealous of all you folks who’ve been listening to the last 20ish episodes on Podiobooks and am going to register today! Keep up the fantastic work Paul.
April 24th, 2007 at 12:20 am
Apologies for the delay. The final episodes will be available soon, I promise. (I’m recovering from a head cold that has affected my voice — although that’s not the only reason for the delay.)
Dave, at present only the first four episodes are available at paulsjenkins.net (which is one of the iTunes feeds), but I’ll update these once the Podiobooks version is complete.
April 27th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I’ve loved the book all the way through and i am eagerly anticipating the finale and any sequels that could arise. i hope any problems ease up so you can wrap up the next episodes but i can wait… i’m sure the jitters will cease… eventually..
April 28th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
A bit too steamy for my taste - I don’t feel like the “R-rated” scenes are really driving the story forward.
I like the story, though, and the writing is great. I really feel like I have gotten to know and care about these characters, and in my book that is perhaps the most important mark of a good author. Very impressive, especially for a debut!
And I have to say, I’m one of the people who love the narration. Probably because I think the British accent is more pleasant to listen to - no offense to any Americans… ;o)
May 7th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
Folks, my voice is back — at least sufficiently enough to record the final two episodes. Now they just need editing and assembling. Thank you all for your patience!
May 13th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
Arrrgggh! Paul, I could just throttle you! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and to be left hanging, well…. (gaining composure) it’s been quite a ride and I’m really looking forward to the sequel!
To be honest, I didn’t find the sexual parts too off-putting in balance with the whole, but the novel didn’t need it. The story itself is good enough and exciting enough without graphic nitty-gritty details. I imagine that the “explicit” rating draws a certain type of reader (or listener) but probably put off just as many.
I enjoyed your narration, calm and smooth, letting the story tell itself. I really liked that you didn’t change voice pitch for the female characters. I always appreciate that. When I read a book to myself, I don’t actively create a voice for each character in that way and find it ruins the flow when narrators do it badly!
Overall, this listener can’t wait for more! Do you have a timeline for the release of the next installment? Please letus know (I’ll keep tabs on the thread to learn more.) Thanks so much for the gift of this novel.
May 18th, 2007 at 4:03 am
I loved this book, and am eagerly looking forward to the sequel. I wasn’t too thrilled with the cliff hanger ending, ’cause that means I have to wait.
Also, thanks for introducing me to Sacred Desire. I love thier music.
June 13th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
I absolutely loved this book. After the first couple of chapters I was so caught up in the story that I listened to nothing else but TPR until I reached the end.
I thought the narration was very good. Paul’s voice struck just the right tone with me and so I could just forget about him reading it and concentrate on the story. Does that make sense? I’ve listened to quite a few audio books and sometimes the narration is so bad that I can’t concentrate on the story because I’m thinking, “He’s putting the inflection in all the wrong places. This guy has no business reading anything out loud, let alone recording it.” Paul read it the way I would have heard it in my head had I been reading the book myself.
I loved the characters and found myself really rooting for Paola and Nake. Sometimes I’d have to stop what I was doing and wait with bated breath for the outcome. In my opinion, the sexual content only added to the story and I didn’t find it to be gratuitous. I thought it was quite well done, not too graphic but not too tame.
I was surprised to read that this is his first novel. It’s so well written and presented, it seems as if Paul is an old pro at this. I certainly look forward to hearing more in the near future.
Thanks very much for providing me with hours and hours of enjoyment.
June 14th, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Lindsey: thank you very much for your enthusiastic comments. I can’t help but think that you are amongst the most intelligent, perceptive and eminently sensible of my listeners!
EdGizmo, Joan: your comments (and others) posted here have encouraged me to think seriously about the sequel to The Plitone Revisionist, with a view to completing it much sooner than I had originally intended.
June 22nd, 2007 at 10:01 pm
What a great book! I read a couple comments that the sexuality was too much & didn’t help the book (we would’ve liked more). I think those people are afraid of their own sexuality & prude. My wife & I both loved it.
We both aggree that it would not have been nearly as enthralling to us with the sexuality & sexual tension removed.
June 24th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Thanks, shane, for your comments. Several have mentioned the sexual content, and some have expressed the opinion that it could possibly put people off, but so far no-one has said that it put _them_ off (though if they _were_ put off I doubt they’d leave a comment).
In truth when I wrote the novel I didn’t know what reaction to expect. Including explicit scenes was a risk, but I personally felt they were integral to the story. Not everyone agrees, and I might approach this aspect differently in other works (though not necessarily in the sequel).
Podcasting my first novel has been as much a learning experience as writing it.
August 18th, 2007 at 12:41 am
I finally got around to listening the book. Great job Paul! I wish I had put it higher up on my listening list but didn’t really know what to expect. I’m looking forward to a sequel.
Cheers!
August 18th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
Thanks for the feedback Thomas - always welcome. The sequel is… under way. (I shall be posting progress updates on my blog at http://www.witteringon.co.uk.)
December 13th, 2007 at 11:50 am
Hey Paul,
Great book! It was recommended to me by Mike Bennett, author of “One Among the Sleepless” and the “Hall of Mirrors” podcast. Those are also excellent listens.
Warning, these comments may contain spoilers…
The sound quality for the Plitone Revisionist was great, I like your soothing narration voice, even if you don’t create distinct character voices, your choice of intro/outro music was great and I find myself singing “Sad to Say” throughout the day. I agree, your male characters have less substance than your female characters, but I do like how you created believable emotional connections between the characters, except for that gratuitous girl-on-girl scene which seemed out of place. After the two rape scenes,the the voyeuristic scene, and the lesbian embrace scene, I thought I’d stumbled into erotica, yet it had a solid plot holding it together. The rest of the book had a much different feel, more decidedly gritty sci-fi. I was fine with the change though, it was all very entertaining.
The fact that the Jealous character never appears again after his mistreatment of Paola feels like a loose end. There was some good misdirection and I had some genuine moments of delightful “Ah ha!”. Sometimes I was able to predict plot elements, like Jolli’s sex cap, but it didn’t ruin the story for me.
The title seems unrelated to the story. Adam Fairfax has an almost negligible part of the story and seems to only be included as a way to connect the characters and serve as a reason for them to return to plitone. Maybe the sequel use him more, but then the second book should be called the Plitone Revisionist. The first book should have been called, The Revisionists Daughter, since it applies to both Terri and Paola.
Anyways, thanks for the great podiobook. I donated and gave you 5 stars across the board.
Cheers
December 18th, 2007 at 8:35 am
(Warning - possible spoilers)
I’m grateful for the critique, Devious. You make valid points - ones that I did wonder about during, and after, writing the story. The title is perhaps misleading as to who is the central character, but I feel that “The Revisionist’s Daughter” might be a (double) spoiler. As for Governor Jellis, it’s true that he ought to get his come-uppance for his behaviour, but he’s still around, and there will be a sequel (I’ll say no more on Jellis…)
Regarding the explicit content at the beginning, that many commenters have remarked on: The Plitone Revisionist is my first novel, and when I started writing Paola’s story I had entirely different intentions for it. It wasn’t going to be a novel at all, but a series of self-contained short stories. It was only after deciding that I should have been writing it as a novel that I chopped and changed the beginning, interleaving other characters’ viewpoints. As a result I found the story taking off in another direction (that’s when the idea of the Revisionists in their secret orbiting ship emerged). I abandoned the episodic framework that I had hoped would appeal to a particular market, and went with the novelistic structure. I’m glad I did, as it freed me to go where the story dictated.
I don’t regret including the explicit stuff - I feel it fits with the earthy and unpleasant nature of the initial setting - but I agree that taken with the later parts of the novel it makes the whole a bit uneven.
Thanks muchly for your comments (including about the sound quality and the music), and for the stars! The sequel is on its way.
January 10th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Just finished the last episode.. Great story, great narrative… Absolutely mind blowing audiobook.. (i can go on, but you get the point).. Anyhow, I can’t wait for the sequel thou’ =)
Thanks, Paul!
January 23rd, 2009 at 3:24 am
A great piece of work from a master story teller. Paul Jenkins does an excellent job in relating this tale which is rich with excitement well formed characters and a fantastic plot. It was a real pleasure to listen to, and even though this is not a short book by any means, I was through it in only a few days.
There are just a few things which I found a little niggling, there was a degree of repetition that made me want to fast forward through certain passages that had already been explained, but this was not too distracting. Sometimes I felt the characters had a rather blase attitude to information they’d recieved or had slightly perplexing responses to situations they found themselves in, but was occasional and again, not too distracting as the story unfolded quite neatly.
Paul Jenkins is one of the few authors who’s narrating ability is well above the standard of the average mortal. He is fortunate indeed, as this is the shortfall of many a tale told on this site.
Great audio quality, no issues with files and a fantastic production.
Highly recommended.
February 2nd, 2009 at 9:30 am
Jim, thanks indeed for your comprehensive review, and especially for your constructive comments on certain aspects of the novel - aspects that I hope to improve in the sequel, which I’m currently writing.
I immensely appreciate those who have taken the trouble to comment on my efforts, whether positively or negatively (though the ratio of praise to criticism has been gratifyingly high). My thanks to everyone, whether you comment extensively, as Jim has done - or more briefly, such as Anton before him.
April 4th, 2009 at 3:11 am
Hi Paul, I just finished listening to Plitone Revisionist and I must say that I really enjoyed this book. At first attempt I stopped listening to this book as I did not like the opening episodes, in fact I deleted the story from my IPod. A few weeks later a friend said how much he enjoyed the book and he said after the opening chapters with the heavy sex emphasis it got much better. I tried again and found that he was right. The story is original and entertaining. I am awaiting the next in the series and I forsee that this can become quite an engaging series of books. Keep up the good work.
April 19th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Thanks for sticking with the story, Robin. I was aware that the explicit nature of the opening chapters might put some people off, but as I mentioned in my reply to Devious Grin (above) I began the story with different intentions. If I was starting out again I might approach it another way, or at least perhaps shift the emphasis. The sequel will not be so uneven.
I appreciate your comments (and perseverance!), and will be podcasting the next in the series soon after the final chapter is revised.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:42 am
I made it through the first episode, and have to stop. I don’t look to literature for vicarious sex, so tying a beautiful young woman down in a bent over position, and walking up behind her dropping your pants is not my cup of tea. I had to decide if this was an essential part of some interesting plot line, or a nerdy guy sitting in the dark pounding out personal fantasies. The latter option would argue poorly for a quality novel. I’ll probable try again, and I hope there’s no more boy’s locker room stuff.
April 26th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Hi Paul, Loved the book! The strong content of the early chapters didn’t bother me, and did a good job of presenting the gritty “feel” of this future. My one question is whether I missed the point of the kiss between Paola and Terri? Just a orphaned plot thread, or did I miss where it got weaved into some foreshadowing of recognition or the whole emotional ‘transmitter/receptor” thing? Your writing is fairly tight and that one nagged a me. In any case, thank you for presenting your work in this format and hope to see more.
May 1st, 2009 at 4:18 am
Thanks for the feedback Jane. Regarding the one-off kiss between Paola and Terri, you’re right in thinking it’s foreshadowing of recognition. You might say it was a confused reaction to the subconscious realization that they had met before. Also, some of the plot threads that appear to be incomplete are developed in the sequel (of which I’ll say no more here…).
Obviously I’m glad you weren’t put off by the early chapters. I knew there was a risk (borne out by Craig’s comment previously), but judging by the majority of comments I seem to have pitched it mostly right in that respect.
June 19th, 2009 at 10:30 am
This is a very nice story. Really, really nice. And I am really, really looking forward to the sequel ! Go Paul, go ! -AndrweO