Tom Corven
Real Magic Is Science We Don't Yet Understand...
Waking below a cliff with a stranger's blood on his hands, an amnesiac boy is rescued by the beautiful Katriana. Together, with a man she says is her uncle, they ride out a storm in a desolate, coastal cottage, called Creggan. Learning his name, Tom Corven is plagued by ghosts of past, and terrible, events, and soon realises that stumbling on Creggan was no accident. As he uncovers his tragic link with the place, its shadow - evil and timeless - is closing in.
Tom's story grew in the hearts of thousands, even as it formed in the mind of its creator. The world's first novel written for podcasting, it was penned and performed in almost real-time. In a form of 21st century, Dickensian storytelling, two chapters were delivered each week to an audience that grew to over three thousand; most of whom listened to it on their mp3 players. Despite this fact, the novel is just that - a traditional novel with small considerations given to the medium. Consequently, chapters are short and, although all characters are well formed and explored, this is balanced by an episodic structure that keeps impatient readers turning the page. Such a dry analysis does nothing to sell the book to you - I leave that to others and to your own reading - but it demonstrates the intent when writing a traditional novel for such an untraditional technology.
This juxtaposition of old and new is reflected in the story. As a trained physicist, the author was keen to avoid clichés that could chase everyone but science fiction fans away. There are no flying cars, no tall, gleaming towers. We do not travel for aeons or wear colourful spandex. An unprepared reader would be forgiven for going through much of the book and thinking it is something that it is not. While ideas are interesting, it is our shared humanity that binds us, and it is in the exploration of those common elements, that a good story develops. That is the focus for Tom Corven and, as such, that is why it is classed as a mainstream novel.
With much of the action in TC taking place on a lonely coastline, Dreamwords - its successor - widens the lens to bring us from the old world of a modern city, to a future that uses the platform, built for it in TC, to show us what could be if technologies in the laboratory today take their natural course. As in Tom Corven, however, it is the story and characters that dominate and, as its author, I am drawn by them, to get myself to Edinburgh and write, write, write.
What people are saying about Tom Corven:
Listening to Story's soft Scottish brogue telling you his tale through the computer is a hypnotic experience, and there is also a curious, child-like excitement that comes from having a story arrive on your computer, as if by magic, in bite-sized chunks - Michelle Pauli (Guardian) - (Talking of the audiobook).
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Wow, am I enjoying your novel so far! From one writer to another, hats off to you, sir. Your tale's a bit creepy, a bit sad, with hints of madness and romance, a good mystery to boot-- all my favorite things. I really look forward to setting aside my own labors every couple of days, to listen to the fruits of yours. Good luck with this! - Diane Ademu-John - Scriptwriter/Story Editor (Crossing Jordan, Missing)
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wow!
j....@
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Your audio book, Tom Corven , is both extremely well written and narrated by yourself. It has been a long time since I have experienced an author who can weave words together with such skill and poise. You should (if you haven't already) seriously consider selling your work. You are sure to become a 21st Century Classic Novelist
t.....@
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Loving It
Cant wait for the next episode. I have to play it rather loudly, as Im not used to the narrators Scottish accent, but thats just a little nit in an otherwise outstanding effort by Paul Story!
d.....@
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Good storytelling
A good storyteller telling a smartly written story. Great stuff. The chapters also short enough to make listening easier.
o.....@
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Excellent Story
This story is well done and fun to listen to.
s.....r@
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my favorite podcast. eagerly anticipate every chapter.
a.....@
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Great!!
Love The Story
r.....@
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This is getting creepier and creepier!
Bravo Paul, excellent work.
d.....@
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Curiouser and....
Tom Corven gets more mysterious as it proceeds :-)
r.....@
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the best of the Scots
t.....@
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like the accent
enjoying the podcast....very intreging
p.....@
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VOTE FOR TOM CORVEN
This is a gripping story. Well told and well produced. Bob
r.....@
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Gripping!
Excellent work Paul! I'm looking forward to your next installment! It's also great to see that you already have a gripped audience. Keep it up!
d.....t@
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love it !!!!
Paul - keep up the good work. I love your accent !!!!! Linda
l.....@
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genius - publish this guy!
t.....@
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It's taken me a while, but I've gradually warmed to this story
r.....@
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Listening to the whole Story
p.....@
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Brilliant!!
This is by far the best podnovel I have ever heard, I can hardly wait to get the next chapter. Its the ultimate exercise in suspense to have to wait a week between chapters. - Chris
k.....@
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Wonderful Idea!
Yours was the first pod-book I ran across. Since then I've found 2 others, but yours is the best. I'll listen to the whole story. Thanks, and keep writing!
c.....@
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tom corven
tom is very interesting, love listening to you paul, like the accent and i've been following it with anticipation...good luck with it. poda p.s. maybe contact the dragonpage guys and get listed there.
p.....@
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you are the first
keep up the great writing. I wait for evey podcast with anticipation
b.....@
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great story
This is a great story, and a great use of the podcasting technology. Surely Paul Story is paving the way for far more podcasts like this.
d.....@
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Chapter 14
Ooooh, good chapter!
d.....@
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Good stuff
Good story, great reading voice. Wonderful cliffhangers. Can't wait for next chapter.
j.....@
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This is my favorite podcast out there.
c.....@
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A good 5 to 10 minutes
I just gave this a try today and found it quite interesting. I really reccomend giving it a try. Each segment is on about 5 minutes or so and the reading is "as it is meant to be" since the author is the one reading the story. He speaks with a very heavy Scottish accent, which enhances the atmosphere-just don't let your simple American mind start to imagine the school janitor from the Simpsons! Pop culture will be the ruin of us!
d.....@
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We had an unexpected 7 hour drive yesterday for a tragic reason, and catching up on this story helped my husband and I make it through. I've saved chapters 39 & 40 until things settle down a little so I can savour them, something to look forward to…
K
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I've got up to chapter 38 and it's really exciting stuff and well written too. Just back from hols, so off to dreamwords to catch up.
G
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I really enjoy listening to you read Tom Corven. It is such a mysterious book. I really like that you use your real voice to narrate, it makes me
feel like I am really there in Scotland. I am from Alaska and have never been to Scotland but you really make the place come alive and make the
listener feel as if they are there........ Love the story, keep it up.
S
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alright alright you got me, i'm hooked. I did a recent search with i tunes for audio books and found yours. it's incredible! In the past few days as i'm working i'm listening to the story and as i'm writting i'm listening to chapter 35. luckily i'm going on vacation and hopefully when i get back there will be a few more chapters to listen to
C
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Just to let you know that your book, Tom Corven, is awesome. At first, I was wondering about listening to someone with such a strong
(to me) Scottish accent (I'm Canadian... from the west coast), but it didn't take long to realize that you have very good diction and an
great story-telling style of reading. Hopefully, once you have all your chapters completed, you'll put the whole Pod-book together as one file... make it available on CD or
downloadable for $. It's definetly worth it.
Thank you for sharing such an intriguing and captivating story!
O...
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I just wanted to drop you a note to tell you how much I enjoy listening to your book. You are a very talented author and I am afraid I am
addicted to your novel. I check your website in anticipation of the next chapter on a daily basis. I live in Utah (in the US) and have never been
to Scotland. My father moved to Largs, Scotland and lived there for about 4 years and loved it. When I found your book I instantly sent him
the link and he is also an avid listener. Keep up the good work. Hope to read/listen to more of your work.
D
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great story so far (I'm up to chapter 20). Your accent takes a bit of getting used to...
J
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Quite a twist in the story during chapter 33. A whoa when we hear about the big.....<spoiler>...., and a second whoa when we hear .....<spoiler>..... I got goose bumps all over. Can't wait for the next chapter.
O
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I don't suppose your tent in Scotland has broadband but wherever you are I just wanted to thank you for the Tom Corven novel. I'm only up to chapter 12 but I'm gripped. Excellent work.
K
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I'm finally catching up with Tom Corven and just listened to the "Behind Tom Corven" episode. I listen to the podcasts during my running exercises. So far I'm really enjoying the story. I really like the way you tell the story with well chosen words and expressions that keep the story alive. No unnecessary tautology or repetitive structures. Smart writing. And you have a very pleasant voice with an accent (to me as a foreigner) that brings additional texture to the story. You would keep the camp fire audience on the edge of their rocks for a very long time. :-) ........
O
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I heard your interview on The Dragonpage and checked out your podiobook. I am starting Chapter 10 now. I love the way you end each chapter with something dramatic. Very episodic and it keeps me going. I also love Scottish Accents. So you, Billy Connolly, and Alistair Begg... are all top of my list of favorite voices. I can't wait to keep listening, so off I go!
J
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What a wonderful job you have done.
I'm actually listening to Chapter two as I write this. Chapters three through twenty were just downloaded. You have a great narrative style and paint a very real picture of what is happening.
When I came across your story I thought, "hmmm. Twenty chanpters. I'll just check out the first one before getting the others." Well, after the first several sentences I went and got the others
Bravo.
T
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I'm very much enjoying Tom Corven - and an excellent use of the podcasting technology as well! ....... Keep up the good work,
M
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I have just discovered your podcast of Tom Corven and listened to the first 5 chapters all in one go yesterday and am completely addicted. Tom was floating around in my brain yesterday and I thought you should know that I love the story so far and the way you narrate it and can't wait for more. Your audiofiles are so generous. Please keep them coming.
J
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At points in the story, I felt as if I were in a dark wooden cottage, sitting on a rackety old chair with a blanket wrapped around me, listening your tale with the background crackle and pop of a stone fireplace. Storytelling is an art and you are gifted, not only as a maker but also as a teller. Keep up the world-making!
D