I recently watched a thoughtful, interesting YouTube on ‘Writing Characters Who Are Weapons,’ by Tim Hickson. He’s a New Zealander who runs the channel HelloFutureMe, which deals with both writing as a craft and analysing pop culture. He’s got some great content, so I recommend you go and check it out. I’ve embedded the video in this article because he includes as one of his examples Lin Thi Vu from 36 Streets (2022), and The Escher Man (2024), which in turn compels my ego to share it with you.
But I do love the character of Lin, who has haunted me for over a decade now. Not many books have the protagonist in one (36 Streets) become the antagonist in the other (The Escher Man). While I consider both works stand alone, it’s worth picking up The Escher Man if you want to see where her journey takes her.
The Escher Man has struggled with sales. It’s not something I particularly like admitting, and it’s something I still don’t quite understand (though it did suffer an awful run of mismanagement in the lead up to its release). I consider The Escher Man as least as strong as 36 Streets, so if you’ve yet to read the former, I encourage you to check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
The Escher Man was fantastic and gave me chills in some parts. I cannot fathom why it wouldn’t perform as well as 36 Streets. It’s heavier – more emotionally damaging in a way. But that’s what makes it fantastic. The Escher Man has weight.
Thanks Colin. I agree (though I would, wouldn’t I?). This business is hard to figure, most of the time. But word of mouth is still king, and I think the book will still find its audience in the long run. Cheers.