After a drunken fall from the ruins of a navy ship and the ill-advised ingestion of a stimulating new drug, Orange is rescued by Angie Bombadier, a fetching and forthright fellow Islander.
But with the arrival of Snorri – a Finlindian whale herder on a quest to find the fabled hyperborea – and Waldena – a harpoon wielding Thor-cult prestess – the waters surrounding Bismuth get rough and Orange finds himself at the center of a search for a missing package.
Rumors swirl and dangers escalate, turning the serene isle upside-down. For things to be set right again, the package must be found and given to its rightful recipient.
Snorri is well-heeled and fiercely indomitable, yet drawn to Orange's own personal brand of complacency and coerces him into joining ranks. Korean smugglers also enlist Orange's help with their search (among other things). At the same time Waldena pursues the package for her own reasons. Perilous yet lithe, her frequent interrogations leave Orange terrified but oddly excited... that is until he learns that his life might actually be in danger.
A vast North Atlantic is teeming with mythical whales and epic tales. Cruising the open water, Orange drinks gallons of coffee and beer, barbeques squid, and even stumbles into a sweltering sauna with the alluring Bombardier sisters. Aboard the Honeypaws, he is set on course to encounter an ancient council that is helping secretly create the WhaleNet, a cell phone network made of migrating whales. The council's possible ulterior motvies could hold the surprising and bizarre resolution to Orange's journey.
Drawing from the various satiric traditions of Neil Gaiman, Thomas Pynchon, and Christopher Moore, Swell is full of legend and lore, big fish stories, and unforgettable humor.
Recent News
The release of Swell by Corwin Ericson is in full swing. Here are some quick links for favorable reviews, guest blogs by the author, and online excerpts for your reading pleasure!
An exclusive excerpt at the science fiction blog Io9.
Help Orange Find His Phone and Win!
Find Orange's phone number and call or send him a text. It will enter you into a drawing to receive a phone call from Corwin and signed copy of Swell!
Upcoming Events
November 4, 2011
Book Release Party - SeaMonster Lounge - Seattle, WA.
November 5, 2011
Book Reading - Village Books - Bellingham, WA.
November 5, 2011
Book Reading - Eagle Harbor Books - Bainbridge Island, WA.
East Coast dates to come...
About the Author
Corwin Ericson is an MFA graduate of UMass Amherst and the former managing editor of the Massachusetts Review. His fiction has appeared in Harper's, the Believer, jubilat, and Fence. Swell is his first novel.
An interview with Corwin Ericson
Bookseller Information
Swell a novel by Corwin Ericson
Product Details
Genre: Fiction
Format: Trade Paperback, E-book
Price: US$16.95, CAN$18.95
ISBN: 978-0984428847
Release Date: October 25th, 2011
Ordering Information
Distribution & Sales by Ingram Publisher Services (IPS). Follow on Facebook.
To order, contact your local IPS Sales Representative: 1-866-400-5351 / ipage.ingrambook.com.
Summary
Stranded on Wreck Rock, a bad day only gets worse when Orange is conscripted into service on board the Wendy's Mom. After a drunken fall from the ruins of a navy ship and the ill-advised ingestion of a stimulating new drug, Orange is rescued by Angie Bombadier, a fetching and forthright fellow Islander. But with the arrival of Snorri – a Finlindian whale herder on a quest to find the fabled hyperborea – and Waldena – a harpoon wielding Thor-cult prestess – the waters surrounding Bismuth get rough and Orange finds himself at the center of a search for a missing package. Rumors swirl and dangers escalate, turning the serene isle upside-down. For things to be set right again, the package must be found and given to its rightful recipient.
Snorri is well-heeled and fiercely indomitable, yet drawn to Orange's own personal brand of complacency and coerces him into joining ranks. Korean smugglers also enlist Orange's help with their search (among other things). At the same time Waldena pursues the package for her own reasons. Perilous yet lithe, her frequent interrogations leave Orange terrified but oddly excited... that is until he learns that his life might actually be in danger.
A vast North Atlantic is teeming with mythical whales and epic tales. Cruising the open water, Orange drinks gallons of coffee and beer, barbeques squid, and even stumbles into a sweltering sauna with the alluring Bombardier sisters. Aboard the Honeypaws, he is set on course to encounter an ancient council that is helping secretly create the WhaleNet, a cell phone network made of migrating whales. The council's possible ulterior motvies could hold the surprising and bizarre resolution to Orange's journey.
Drawing from the various satiric traditions of Neil Gaiman, Thomas Pynchon, and Christopher Moore, Swell is full of legend and lore, big fish stories, and unforgettable humor.
Review Quotes
"This delightfully loopy debut combines Down East deadpan with elements of Nordic mythology and Pynchonesque pyrotechnics. Ericson's Maine coastal setting lies at the edge of the surreal."
- Publishers Weekly
"Jaunty, playful, hilarious, and eminently readable, Swell is much more than an auspicious debut, it's that rarest of birds, a good old-fashioned reading pleasure."
- Jonathan Evison, author of West of Here and All About Lulu
"A raucous roller-coaster ride . . . the writer deconstructs all things New England to hilarious effect. Ericson's tale reveals strong flavors of Tom Robbins, but there is also a splash of Douglas Adams in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Just sit back and enjoy the long strange trip.
- Tom Lavoie, Shelf Awareness
"A superbly crafted mixture of humor and observations of modern life, a combination of barely-noticeable detective fiction and magical realism, and something uniquely its own. A fantastic novel."
- Line Zero
© Copyright 2011 - Dark Coast Press - All rights reserved.
