The Tusks of Extinction
Seek out and celebrate things you love (that’s why I write this newsletter).
Imagine things you'd love if someone made them for you. Then make them yourself and bring them to others who'd love them too (that’s how I write novels).
Don't be frustrated if your early efforts don't satisfy your taste (easier said than done). Skill follows taste, which is not a master, but a lodestone.
And now, a book I love that you might too:
The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler is a tightly knit speculative thriller that explores the dark underworld of the illegal ivory trade and the promise of resurrecting extinct species with genetic engineering. One of the characters is a conservation biologist whose connectdome is mapped onto the brain of a cloned mammoth, offering the reader the vertiginous thrill of imagining what it might be like to think like a mammoth. Nayler brings so much of human nature to life—from greed to rage to compassion—but perhaps the most beautiful aspect of the story is how it serves as an invitation to empathize with all the non-human animals we share this beautiful little planet with. Fun fact: I interviewed Ray about writing The Mountain in the Sea, one of the best books I read in 2022.
Things worth sharing:
So cool to see Foundry show up on peoples’ books-of-the-year lists, like this one from Ben Werdmuller.
I used to buy books to read. Now I usually read on Kindle or listen to audiobooks, and when I encounter something I love, I buy a physical copy as a kind of talisman representing what the story means to me. I frequently gift books from my shelves to friends and order replacements, so I ultimately contribute many multiples of a single sale to my favorite authors’ income.
You don’t need a good plan to make good art. You just need to screw around until something starts working and then fill in the blanks until it’s ready to share.
When I’m in the early stages of writing a novel, I worry that cutting straight to the main quest might not be enough, or that the story needs more context, but once I get to the middle of the manuscript, I realize there are too many balls in the air and that the original idea was more than sufficient the whole time. Even though I know it’s the right thing to do, it's hard to convince myself to just write the key moments and let the rest go.
I just dropped off a signed stack of all eleven of my novels at the post office—now en route to a lucky reader. Use this link to order a signed collection directly from me.
Kim Stanley Robinson, one of my favorite writers, shares what he learned from Ursula K. Le Guin, another of my favorite writers.
YouTube Premium is by far the best internet subscription I pay for, and the benefits are so darn simple: no ads plus creator payouts. It feels like an archetype for how big platforms should work, and I'm surprised that others aren't copying it.
Extraordinary essay about the CIA’s creative writing group—a clean line of a story.
"We teach each other what we learn" is the group vibe I can't resist.
From my interview with Ray Nayler: “Don’t be afraid of seeking. Don’t be afraid of your own depth. Don’t dumb yourself down to be less threatening to others. Don’t let the shallow present monoculture shame you into vacuousness.”
The best way to promote your thing is to be so interesting that people want to know more, look you up, and discover your thing. So if you go on a podcast, instead of plugging your thing, share your best stories and ideas and trust that the right listeners will seek you out. A nice side effect of this approach is that it’s more fun to tell stories than to shill, and others are more likely to share good stories than pitches, extending your reach.
Thanks for reading. We all find our next favorite book because someone we trust recommends it. So when you fall in love with a story, tell your friends. Culture is a collective project in which we all have a stake and a voice.
Best, Eliot
Eliot Peper is the author of Foundry, Reap3r, Veil, Breach, Borderless, Bandwidth, Neon Fever Dream, Cumulus, Exit Strategy, Power Play, and Version 1.0. He also consults on special projects.
“Frighteningly prescient. I read it in less than 48 hours—just had to know what would happen next.”
-Rebecca Hiscott, managing editor at Stripe Press, on Foundry