1. What inspired you to write this book?
I have always admired Percy Bysshe Shelley’s work Ozymandius, reading this piece inspired me to explore other works of romantic poetry. I have always had an
interest in poetry, but it wasn’t until 2022 when i was locked down in isolation because of COVID that I began to toy with the idea of writing poetry. I didn’t have
much that I could do, and isolating meant I could not go out and practice photography which is my other hobby. I loved reading poetry throughout my life and decided I would try my hand at writing some to pass the time at home.
2. What exactly is it about — and who is
it written for?
The book is a foray into science fiction poetry, containing several pieces of science fiction related work in addition to other classically romantic works of poetry. Each piece is best consumed on its own and is unconnected to others in the book, making it accessible and able to be picked up whenever the reader has time.
It was written for lovers of classical romantic poetry, of space and science fiction, who are interested in an alternative viewpoint on the world.
3. What do you hope readers will get out
of reading your book?
I would hope that readers will enjoy an easy, lyrical read of my book. I created the book to offer readers interested in science fiction access to poetry in what is an
unrepresented niche. I hope that it offers the reader a chance to escape the doldrums of the modern world and take comfort and refuge in thoughts of space,
science fiction and mythology. I wrote each poem to spark the imagination with vivid imagery.
4. How did you decide on your book’s title
and cover design?
The original title of the work “Death to the Cybermen” was chosen as a striking title that firmly places it into the science fiction genre. The cover artwork is a rendition of a poem from a currently unpublished book of poetry which I felt captured the spirit of my book perfectly. Strikingly vivid imagery and mystery. The book is now published under a new title “The Illuminated Man” which was chosen based on my desire to maintain a science fiction theme for the book.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than Run!?
You never know what hidden talents you have until you discover them and give things a try, like myself discovering I was a poet aged 53, laying on the couch with COVID.
6. Were there experiences in your personal
life or career that came in handy
when writing this book?
As a child, I loved physics and science and I used to go to warehouses and get discarded pieces of technology and take them apart and rebuild them. This experience meant that I have always been interested in science and science fiction which is very useful when writing a book of science fiction poetry.
7. How would you describe your writing
style? Which writers or books is your
writing similar to?
Some of my greatest inspirations have been poets such as Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe Shelley and William Butler Yeats. I find myself
gravitating to the style of romantic and modern
poetry. I am increasingly interested in pursuing more poetry that explores
themes of space, science fiction and the cosmos.
8. How do you feel your book compares to
others in your genre?
My book occupies a niche in that it explores themes of science fiction, which is rare in the genre of romantic poetry. For this reason i feel that my book is unique
and offers a different insight that many fans of the genre will find interesting and engaging.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the
writing of this book?
In composing the book I needed to find a balance between the science fiction nature of the work, aesthetics as well as the grand themes I wanted to explore.
When i had finally settled on a draft, it took me some time to find a publisher to help share my vision with the world.
It was a very long process with challenges along the way but I am very excited with how it has panned out. A more recent challenge was needing to change the
name of the work from “Death to the Cybermen” to the “The Illuminated Man” which took place after the publishing date due to potential copyright issues.
I am very grateful to my publisher and my family and friends for supporting me through each step of my writing journey.
10. If people can buy or read one book
this week or month, why should it be
yours?
I think that in today’s troubled world of noise, technology and troubles, that most people would benefit from finding an escape in poetry that is soft and lyrical and that encourages them to take their mind into a different world and time, away from the trials of their lives.
Biography: I was born in 1969 in Galway, Ireland. I come from a family of 6 people, being the eldest of 4 children. My father is Australian, and my mother is Irish. We emigrated to Australian in 1987 due to my father wanting to return home. We moved to Newcastle
in New South Wales before finally settling in Launceston, Tasmania 6 months later. My hobbies include science, music, photography and architecture. I am always looking at broadening my experiences and developing new skills in these areas. I started
writing poetry in 2022 as part of my isolation after having contracted COVID. I did not have much that I could do, and isolating meant I could not go out and practice photography. I loved reading poetry throughout my life and decided I would try my hand at writing some to pass the time at home. Some of my greatest inspirations have been poets such as Lord Byron, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Percy Bysshe
Shelley and William Butler Yeats. I find myself gravitating to the style of romantic and modern poetry. My first book, The Illuminated man was published on the 21/02/2025 by Austin Macauley publishing. I am currently refining a second book titled The
Forbidden City with aims to get that published next. My next aim, after having these works published, is to begin entering my works into publications and competitions to
have my work recognized and gain exposure for my
poetry. For more info, please see:
Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?
Brian
Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page
views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors like you to promote
your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of
experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him
be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!
About Brian Feinblum
This
award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021
and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” Copyright 2025.
For
the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He
formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the
head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the
director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many
first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with
best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen,
Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard,
Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C.
Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.
His
writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s
The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).
He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah
Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and
Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the
2024 IBPA Book Awards.
His
letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal,
USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester)
and The Washington Post. His first published book was The
Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook. It
was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
Born
and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids,
and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.
You
can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.