New Century

On this page you can find links to Alex Shaw’s first novel, which is now being adapted into a web series.

The Patreon can be found here. If you would like to show your support for Digital Drift this year you can make the most difference by being a Patron of the New Century web series. Effectively you, my community are vouching for the quality of my work to the wider, Patreon crowd. As little as a dollar a month will be one more endorsement and will add strength through solidarity.

But the work should speak for itself so watch this…

Cover 1 400X600The Cartographer’s Handbook

Ostensibly written by Thomas W. Arlington, director of the newly formed National Intelligence Agency, this book is given to scouts of the Reunified States Military, setting out to travel an America beset since 1872 by a lethal new plague.

The infected regress to an aggressive, feral state and it is up to what remains of a shattered government, operating out of the reclaimed Washington DC, to re-establish contact and form a total army of the people, if they are to stand a chance of retaking their land.

This is the first book and introduction to an ongoing series named New Century. Now available on Kindle for £1.58 / $2.49

Actually written by Alex Shaw, freelance web content producer, host of the Digital Gonzo podcast and chief editor of Digital Drift. Longtime enthusiast cinema and video gaming critic, Alex has been developing this story on and off since 2001, taking it through several incarnations and utilizing his in-depth research and analytical podcasting style to craft a dangerous, involving and character-driven world.

 

 Buy it on Kindle USA  Buy it on Kindle UK  Buy it in Paperback

 

 Listen to a sample

Daniel Floyd as Lieutenant James Buckner

 

CH 600 2 600X600The Audio Drama

This is an unabridged, adaptation of the book with a full cast. It is performed rather than read and is accompanied by a fantastic score by musicians; Mark Tschanz and Marian Call.

This is available through the Patreon site.

Written, edited and produced by: Alex Shaw

Listening Length: 3 hours and 37 minutes

 

 

 

 

 

Cast 
Director Thomas W. Arlington                     Alex Shaw
Lieutenant James Buckner                          Daniel Floyd
Private Lawton Sadler                                    Spencer Leeb
Captain Samuel Tudor                                   Spencer Leeb
Doctor Julius Kauffman                                Matt Wardle
Maggie Strother                                                Laureta Sela
Private Henry Jackson                                   Jacob Newburn
Sergeant Bo Travis                                           Matt Wardle
James Gregory                                                  Mark Ord
Katherine Holloway                                         Sharon Shaw
General Nathanial Curtis                                Alex Shaw
Tabitha Chorley                                                 Maureen Foley
Corporal Ryan Considine                              Jacob Newburn
Corporal Harriet Blaine                                  Sharon Shaw
Captain Annie Oakley                                      Laureta Sela
President Ulysses S. Grant                            Alex Shaw
Private Carmen Santos                                   Laureta Sela
Commander Calvin Wilson:                          Matt Ramsey

 

Music written and performed by: Mark Tschanz

Flashback / Departure Acoustic / New Car / Horizon / Moment 2 / Tibet Chill

Copyright Mark Tschanz 2013, all rights reserved

Hear more of Mark’s music at www.musicdispensary.com

 

Perilous Road written and performed by: Marian Call 

Copyright Marian Call 2011, all rights reserved

Hear more of Marian’s music at www.mariancall.com

 

Artwork for the audio drama by: Matt Dillon

Hear Matt’s audiobook for Traveler’s Duty

 

The follow-up series, New Century: Season 2, will be released as a web series throughout 2015 and will then be adapted to Kindle and audio drama form.

 

Here is what some people have said about The Cartographer’s handbook.

“Have you ever watched a pilot for a series that makes you incredibly excited? There are few better feelings than finding a TV show that clicks with you from the first episode (e.g. My So-Called Life, Downton Abbey, Firefly, or Spaced), and The Cartographer’s Handbook carries a similar sensation for Shaw’s “New Century” series.”

-Scott Udall

“Not only a very good and well executed way to introduce readers to a new world. It’s also very satisfying to read on its own. The details of North America ravaged by a war with savage creatures really kickstarted my imagination and made me think about all the possibilities in which this story might yet go.”

-Rafal Rzeuski

“Alex Shaw has managed to find a compelling new angle to the extremely well-mined seam of the zombie apocalypse genre.His decision to set his story in a post US Civil War alt-history, allows him to put a fresh spin on scenarios that even those with only a passing knowledge of zombie films or books will easily recognize.”

-Grae Hall

“The found accounts format presents fantastically well-written stories from various points in the history, which all work really well as stand alone stories and accounts, after reading a few of the stories I had to put down my iPhone and look at a wall for a bit to compose myself.”

-Will Parkes

“Permeating every last proverbial fiber of this work are Shaw’s adherence to reason, communication and a resistance to both ignorance and acceptance of the status quo.” 

-Sean Cullen

“I’ve been anticipating New Century for some time; the promise of a grand, alternate history Sci-Fi epic from an author whose podcasts I enjoyed, was music to my ears. But when I found the story would begin after the American Civil War, I cringed. I was born, raised, and have lived almost of my life, in Texas. I have a personal stake in the history of the war, and the legacy it leaves behind. For clarification, I hate the Confederacy and all it stood for, and I am very, very glad the outcome was in favor of the union. I hate the Romanticizing of the South and all the ideas about it held by its descendants. I have never seen the civil war as a tragic, needless conflict between two brothers; I see it as a desperate battle between those who demanded that things always be as they always have been, and those who would drag this country kicking and screaming into the future. And therein did lay my fears. I have seen many outsiders and historians look upon it and see a fascinating inter-country struggle, and this is something that has always bothered me. Alex Shaw lives in the U.K. and has no personal attachments to the conflict that I know of. Because of this, I began to dread this story immensely.

How wrong I was. The author has done his research. LOTS of research, to the point where I can’t even fathom how much time must have been spent. The characters on display come from both sides of the conflict, and while not always moved to the point of emotion I felt was the author’s intent, I did find almost all of the stories fascinating and engrossing regardless, with some true standouts. My main concern was that the author would use the civil war as a historical backdrop to ground his story while not having much feeling on the conflict itself, but I was wrong. Stories about our shared humanity, while true and useful, are something of a cliché and often disappointing; but over time, a certain idea of the conflict does materialize, and gives meaning to the work as a whole. As a side note, and I may be reading into this too much, it provides a fascinating look at what would happen if the proverbial melting pot that this country has been described as was ACTUALLY melted and mixed, instead of just thrown in and shaken up. Time and future books will tell. Basically, what I’m trying to say is this: As someone personally attached to the conflict I thought it was very well handled, and I’m very excited to see where the series is going.

I couldn’t give it less than 5.”

-K. Smith

4 Comments

  2. Alex Shaw

    December 2, 2013

    Absolutely will do, Ken. I have a growing list of places to put this and iBooks (being the most requested so far) is at the top. I’m hoping to get it submitted this week.

  3. Mircea Laslo

    December 5, 2013

    Alex, just wanted to tell you that I reviewed The Cartographer’s Handbook on Goodreads as well. Initiated recommendation protocol. :)

  4. MegaMonster54

    December 12, 2013

    Oh Sweet! My first credited performance!

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