Minecraft: The Island is already on bookshelves! Can you give us a rough outline of the plot of the book?

Having written books like World War Z and Zombie Survival Guide, Max Brooks has already taught his audience several ways to survive a zombie apocalypse. Now, thanks to Minecraft: The Island, we can experience something more - life itself.

Minecraft: The Island is the first book in a series of Minecraft stories from Random House and Del Rey Books, about a character who must survive on an island. Along with this, the hero needs to find out who he is and what secrets the island itself keeps. The author of the book spoke about it in more detail and explained what he liked about Minecraft, like millions of other players.

The image shows the cover of the upcoming Minecraft: The Island book.

For those people who don't play games, what is Minecraft?

Max Brooks: Minecraft is an online world in which everything is made in a cubic form. Today there are several modes. For example, in the Creative mode, players can build anything they want using any blocks and items, since they will be available in unlimited quantities in the inventory. This allows gamers to create incredible structures.

So how does the gameplay work?

I play a mode called , where the player literally “wakes up” in the middle of a randomly generated world. This is a natural world, which globally is not much different from ours.

There are different biomes and ecosystems such as desert or tundra. Waking up in this world, you need to survive. From the moment the character awakens in the new world, he gradually begins to starve.

You can fill your hunger in different ways: hunt animals, plant and grow grains of various crops from potatoes and carrots to wheat, from which you can make bread. To make the first tools, you need to get wood. From the very beginning, the tree will have to be cut down with bare hands or other blocks that the player manages to obtain. Thus, it is necessary to cut down a tree in order to create wooden tools with which you can grow something edible.

Wow. This is all very different from the Minecraft music videos I've seen on YouTube.

Wow - the right word. This is all very different from music videos, but you know what? At the same time, this is no different from music videos. When I called the game a virtual world, an alternative reality, that’s exactly what I meant.

In our world, people who make music videos also need food! And if you remember any person who does this online, absolutely anyone, it becomes clear that he also had an ancestor, albeit 100,000 years ago, who was literally searching for food. Therefore, Minecraft is very similar to our world.

What kind of book is this?

They just called me and asked, “Are you interested?” and they said that Mojang was starting to look at the concept of implementing a Minecraft book, and would I be interested in doing it.

And this proposal is a real challenge in itself. For example, if I'm writing a book about Call of Duty, I don't have any difficulties, because the characters and plot are already there, I have everything to compose a good book. At the same time, in the case of Minecraft, I need to write the entire story from scratch, the events of which take place in this virtual world.

I already had a specific story that I wanted to tell. As we've already mentioned, Minecraft speaks to each person differently, and my story is a reflection of how Minecraft speaks to me in particular.

You need to clearly understand that I am not writing one main true story Minecraft. I'm just describing one of the situations. If I were asked to write a book of Halo stories, I would do it. But you can't do this in Minecraft.

Because Halo has a mythology?

Yes. For example, if you create World of Warcraft or something similar, this world will be specific. At the same time, Minecraft is just a world. It's like "writing a book about a person's life."

What is the difference between writing this book and some ordinary narrative?
First of all, it should be noted that there are certain rules in the game. I would say that for one hour of writing a book, I needed tens, if not hundreds of hours of play in order to make sure that everything described in the book could be done directly in the game itself.

And because I was really obsessed with this book, I studied every little detail down to “How many steps can you take in a certain amount of time” or “How fast do I fast while running versus walking normally.” I mean, the game has a really huge amount of details and all of them need to be taken into account.

Did you do anything else besides explore the game yourself?

No, because the story really happened to me during one of the games in the “Hardcore” mode. While playing Minecraft, I literally woke up at the bottom of the ocean. When I opened my eyes, I could only see the sun lightly making its way through the water. Scary, isn't it? As I swam upward, I began to run out of air.

After it ended, I began to lose my health, but managed to get out through the pain and damage to my health. After that, I chose one of the directions of movement and just hoped that there would be land there.

Can you give us a rough outline of the plot of the book?

The premise is that a person wakes up in the world, does not know who he is and what the whole world consists of. He doesn't know what to do next. He has nothing in his memory. This will be a story of survival. Waking up at the bottom of the ocean, the hero barely gets to the island in order to survive.

And the story, first of all, will be built on such global questions as “How did I get here?”, “Can I return home?” In addition, the readers themselves, together with the character, must answer questions about “What basic actions are necessary for survival?”, “How to protect yourself?”, “How to find food?” And so on.

So, it's like in the book "Hatchet"?

Yes, the story is a bit similar to Hatchet. But in this book the boy himself knows who he is and other features. I would say the difference between the books is: The child has an axe! How cool it would be if I also had an axe.

Yes, this would skip a lot of steps.

Exactly! But if you skip a lot of steps, you automatically miss a lot of life lessons.

Do you think Minecraft players might take this as some kind of life lesson?

I do not know exactly. I'm the type of writer who can't predict my audience. My first book, Zombie Survival Guide, wasn't published for several years because I couldn't imagine anyone reading a book about fighting something that didn't exist. I felt like I was the only one thinking about it. Therefore, I would like many to learn certain life lessons from this book, but whether this will happen, I do not know.

So there will be a multi-book series?

No. There will be other Minecraft stories that will be published after my book. And I think it’s very important that the books will not be sequels. Each of them will tell its own story.

Well, it's good that you can be the first.

Yes, it's really good. I had the opportunity to write a book even before the contract was signed.

Did you sign it?

Yes. Mojang already had an agreement with another company, and they came to me to see if I had an idea for a book in this format. I had it, they liked the idea. And it seems to me that their previous contract has already expired.

Because they waited too long?

No, I think it's just a normal business cycle. While Mojang was waiting for the right publishing partner, we were all in limbo. And I couldn't stop thinking about this story. I just had to sit down and do everything according to the plan I had prepared earlier. Even if they didn't want to work with me, I would still have the opportunity to publish the book as a free fiction story.

Thank God you don't have to do that.

Yes, but there were some prerequisites for this. But overall I just had to write this book. Otherwise, thoughts would constantly flash through my head about why I didn’t do it. If I didn't do it, it would be unfair to the other projects I've done in writing.

Now that you have a little experience, would you like to write another Minecraft book?

I don't know because this book is not yet completely finished. There may be a few more books next, but it wouldn’t be fair if I started switching to other stories now. This will be unfair, first of all, to the current project.

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Well, apparently yes and no. This “first and only official Minecraft novel”, 4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/08/27/...

I never thought I’d see a book like this, brought to us by the author of World War Z no less. A month ago, if you had floated me the idea of ​​a Minecraft novel adaptation, I would have laughed and said it would never fly. I mean, what would it even be about? Won’t it just end up being a three-hundred-page instruction manual on how to play the game?

Well, apparently yes and no. This “first and only official Minecraft novel”, trumpets the publisher blurb, tells the story of a hero stranded on an island based in the Minecraft world. The book starts off with our unnamed protagonist (whom I will refer to as “he” since I listened to the version of the audiobook narrated by Jack Black) coming to consciousness in a freaky new reality where everything-the land, the trees, the animals, the sun, and even the character's own body is made up of square blocks. This shouldn’t be too hard to picture in your mind, if you’re familiar with Minecraft, though if you’re not, then this book-not to mention the rest of this review-is probably going to sound very strange.

Reading this story, I flashed back to early 2010 which was when I was first exposed to Minecraft. The game was in Alpha phase at this point, very early in its development cycle, and the only mode available was Survival where players must collect resources, build shelter, fend off hostile mobs, and manage your health and hunger in order to survive. Like the character in this novel, you literally started with nothing but the clothes on your back. To flourish and thrive, you had to explore and gather raw materials which can in turn be used to craft other items like tools, weapons, and furniture. At night, you wanted to be safely ensconced in a well-lit shelter because that’s when monsters like zombies would spawn, which our protagonist discovers to his horror and dismay. This book is essentially the story of his experience and serves as a proxy for a new player who might be seeing this confusing and disorienting game world for the first time-except, of course, there are no game guides or online wikis to help him out .

As surprised as I am to admit it, Minecraft: The Island ended up being very good. Much of the enjoyment came from listening to the audiobook, I am sure (which I will go into later), but I was overall quite impressed with how the author managed to dramatize the new player experience, making even the most mundane tasks feel like a race against time. Brooks also did a great job capturing the spirit of the game, perfectly portraying that giddy sense of excitement whenever you make a new discovery, or even that satisfying feeling of accomplishment when you survive your first night without being killed by a zombie.

For a story based on a desert island scenario, the tone of the narrative was also much more enthusiastic and upbeat than I expected. Thanks to unconventional personalities like Moo the cow and other barnyard animals that our protagonist befriends (hey, it sure beats talking to an inanimate volleyball), we avoid the usual problems involving loneliness and tedium. As this book is geared towards children and young adults, the humor we get is light and clean, though I’m also confident that readers of all ages will be able to appreciate the story’s universal themes. The table of contents, which ostensibly reads like a list of guidelines to help you succeed in Minecraft, show chapter headings like “Never Give Up”, “Details Make The Difference”, “Take Life In Steps”, “Take Care of Your Environment” So It Can Take Care Of You”, “It's Not Failure That Matters, But How You Recover”, or “Books Make the World Better” - all good lessons that can be applied to the real world, no matter how old you are.

Bottom line, Minecraft fans will undoubtedly get the most out of this, but it would also be a shame to dismiss it out of hand. Having sunk plenty of hours into this game back in Alpha, reading Minecraft: The Island was a nice shot of nostalgia, with the main character's challenges reminding me lot of those early days where no one really knew what was going on and any progress was made mostly through experimentation and sheer dumb luck. Overall, I thought this was a fun little book filled with tons of game lore and Minecraft-y goodness-along with a surprising amount of introspection, which is always a nice bonus.

Audiobook Comments: The audiobook for Minecraft: The Island comes in two versions-one narrated by Jack Black, the other narrated by Samira Wiley. Since the protagonist is undefined by gender, this allows the reader/listener to select their own “character”, so to speak. I personally went with the Jack Black version because I love his work as an actor and comedian, and it was a choice I did not regret at all. His energy was a great fit for Max Brook’s humor and writing style, and his voice acting really took the story to a whole new level. I also liked how the audiobook incorporated sounds from the game, and though the music could get a bit loud and distracting at times, I doubt I would have enjoyed myself as much if they hadn’t included these nice little touches. Indeed I am happy that I decided to go with the audiobook, and I would not hesitate to recommend this format to anyone thinking of checking out the novel.

If you are a fan of the game Minecraft, this book will fill the void when you are unable to play. Minecraft: The Island, written by Max Brooks (World War Z), takes our main character from day one in the world of Minecraft to feeling somewhat comfortable with his new surroundings. The audiobook version can be purchased narrated by either Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda) or Samira Wiley (Orange is the My original Minecraft: The Island audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

If you are a fan of the game Minecraft, this book will fill the void when you are unable to play. Minecraft: The Island, written by Max Brooks (World War Z), takes our main character from day one in the world of Minecraft to feeling somewhat comfortable with his new surroundings. The audiobook version can be purchased narrated by either Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda) or Samira Wiley (Orange is the new black). I’m reviewing the version narrated by Jack Black, which I enjoyed very much. If you are under fifty, nearly everyone under this age has either played Minecraft or knows what the game is about. If you are coming to this book without prior knowledge of Minecraft the game, I recommend you first get some hands-on experience as it will make the book that much more enjoyable. Not having firsthand knowledge of the landscape, creatures, day and night cycles, etc., you may lose out on what makes this book fun and interesting. It should be noted that the book is written at an eight to ten year-old level and is classified as a children’s book. You will be sadly disappointed if you are coming to this book with hopes of adult deep character development, storyline, or romance. If you like Minecraft and can put up with some of the silly and light-hearted humor expected in a book of this genre, I think you should pick up the book.

This book contains everything that makes the game of Minecraft interesting. It is full of discovery, crafting, building and of course survival. For those familiar with the game, you may find it interesting that the main character’s discovery process was unlike what most who started the game experience. It was not simply seeking shelter, building a fire, survive the first night one is accustomed to, but more a unique discovery and journey from the norm; for me that was refreshing and new. Those who enjoy the Literary RPG (LitRPG) genre, you will find this is right in that niche with a Minecraft focus. Like with the game itself, the book is full of new and wonderful discovery told in a way that is engaging and fun. The game of Minecraft is very interactive, and this book has that same feel when you read or listened to it. Overall it is a clean, fun, action-packed story that is targeted towards players of the game. I was excited to learn that the author kept to the roots of the game and it is the first book released by Mojang.

Although Minecraft is an open world where the player is able to take whatever action desired, knowing there may be consequences, the book has that same feeling of being vast and open-ended. I like that it was not all about survival and monsters. You get a sense of the complexity of the game and scale of the world itself as he character experiences the world around him. The author included many not required additional aspects making the book interesting and fun. For example, our player befriends some of the local livestock early in the game and they take this wonderful journey along with him; except during his mining. The book is ripe with friendships, sacrifice, and exploration.

As with the game, this story is full of encounters, disasters, and a time of recovery. Encounters can include anything from the standard monsters (mobs), items (books, rugs, records, spawners, etc.) and so much more. Apart from one section where the main character references being “green” (referring to recycling), there were no agendas being pushed by the author, the book really is simply intended for shear entertainment. I often include in my reviews a section warning parents or young readers of any potential offensive or more adult subject matter. Even with a few sections of the book containing crude childish humor, the book’s age is appropriate for its intended audience. The humor is what would be expected in a book of this type and category. I will say that a few quips made me laugh out loud as I imagined the character being frustrated that he was unable to put his hands on his hips; for example.

Let me turn to the narration by Jack Black (voice of Kung Fu Panda). Even though he has not narrated many other audiobooks on Audible, his narration is professionally done; as expected from a person who does character voiceovers for a living. Random House, the publisher of this title on Audible, did not pull any punches when it came to lining up narration talent. I liked Jack Black’s rich and deeper voice making the story feel vaster and at times darker. The narrator had great inflection and the audio did not contain any noticeable issues such as swallows, page turns, etc. I also liked some of the added extras included in the audiobook edition. The inclusion of sound effects and music brought the book to life. They were not over used, but became the icing on top of the cake.

If you are a fan of Minecraft, your decision to pick up this book is something you will not be disappointed with. Although geared towards younger audiences, I think there is enough that nearly all ages can laugh and enjoy the book. It is so much better with existing knowledge of Minecraft itself, so make sure that if you plan on reading this book you have some prior knowledge of the game.

Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.

One of the fascinating things I learned by listening to the podcast is that t I really enjoyed reading, so when I saw this book at our local library, I immediately borrowed it for our Minecraft -obsessed daughter. She liked the book, and I really didn't think much more about it.

One of the fascinating things I learned by listening to the podcast is that there"s another edition of the audiobook that is narrated by, which is sure to appeal to girls.

interesting quotes (page numbers from hardcover edition with ISBN13 978):

"...mistakes can be a pretty good teacher. Maybe the best."(p. 186)

"It"s not a failure that matters, but how do you recover, right?"(p. 240)

Our very first Minecraft novel was released today! It's called "Minecraft: The Island" and written by world-famous super-author Max Brooks, whom you may be familiar with from the wonderful fantasy zombie apocalypse story "World War Z." “The Island” is much more fun, but no less dramatic. It's a shipwrecked story that's a bit Robinson Crusoe-esque: our hero finds himself on the coast of a strange land, where he'll have to struggle to understand the rules of a new world in order to survive all the dangers and prosper!

It's a very clever approach: on the one hand, it is a story of exciting adventures, and on the other, a thorough guide to the game Minecraft itself. And moreover, on the third mystical side, this is a textbook for life itself! No, really. Max was so inspired by the hundreds of hours he spent playing Minecraft that he wrote a book that secretly tells how learning the game can make you a better person.

I was lucky enough to talk to Max about the book and, among other things, fertilizers a few weeks ago - . Or scroll down and read an excerpt from the first chapter of the book!

The book can be ordered or found in stores today!

Chapter 1. Never give up

I'm drowning!

I woke up underwater deep underwater, and that was my first conscious thought. Cold. Dark. Where is the surface? I struggled in all directions, trying to find a way up. I twisted and turned until I saw the light. Dull, faded, distant...

Instinctively, I reached out to it, swam, and quickly discovered that the water around me had become lighter. This was the path to the surface, to the sun.

But how could the sun be... square? I guess I was imagining it. Perhaps all this is due to water.

Who cares! The main thing is, will I have enough breath? Get out! Swim!

My lungs burst, air bubbles bursting from my lips, overtaking me on the way to the light. Like a hunted animal, I kicked and grabbed at the water. I could already see the surface, the ripples that were getting closer with every jerk. My lungs felt like they were on fire, pain penetrated every cell of my body.

Swim! SWIM!

My body was writhing in pain, which suddenly enveloped me from head to toe. My mouth opened in a silent scream. I reached for the radiance, grasping at the emptiness, grasping at life.

And burst into the cold and clean air.

I wheezed. I was out of breath. I coughed. I laughed.

For a moment I simply enjoyed the sensations, closed my eyes and exposed my face to the warm rays of the sun. But when my eyes opened again, I couldn't believe them. Sun was square. I blinked. Clouds? Instead of round soft cotton balls, huge rectangular objects lay lazily above me.

You're imagining it- I thought. You hit your head when you fell off the ship and now you're just delusional.

But... did I fall off the ship? I didn't remember. I didn't remember anything at all; how I ended up here, or even where “here” is.

"For help!" - I shouted, scanning the horizon in search of a ship or plane, or at least a speck of land.

“Someone! Save! HELP!" Silence... There was only water and sky around me.

I was alone.

There was a splash, very close to my face, tentacles and a thick black-gray head flashed.

I squealed and jumped back. This is some kind of octopus, only square, like everything else in this strange place. The tentacles turned towards me and opened. I looked straight into the red mouth, surrounded by white, razor-sharp teeth.

"Get out from here!" - I screamed. My throat was dry, my heart was pounding, and so was I, trying to get away from this creature. I couldn't do it. And at that moment the tentacles collapsed, shooting out like an octopus in the opposite direction.

Deep breath. Exhalation. Then again... Finally, my heart calmed down and I stopped trembling. And, for the first time in all this time, my brain started working.

“Okay,” I said loudly. “You're in the middle of a lake or an ocean or something. No one will come to help, and you can’t sit in the water all the time.”

I made a slow 360 degree turn, hoping to see the coastline I hadn't noticed before. Nothing. In desperation, I turned my eyes to the sky again. Neither the plane nor even a thin white trace is visible. What sky doesn't have such traces? Only in the one where there is a square sun and rectangular clouds.

I noticed that they were constantly swimming in one direction, away from the rising sun. To the west.

“Why not,” I said, taking another deep breath, and slowly swam after them.

I thought that a tailwind would help me a little or at least not interfere. And if I swam north or south, the wind would gradually turn me around, and I would begin to swim in circles. I still don't know if this is actually true. I want to say that, well, I just woke up underwater, most likely with a concussion, on the bottom of the ocean and it was only a miracle that I didn’t stay there.

Keep swimming- I said to myself. Focus on what's ahead. And only now I noticed how strangely I “float”. Not “swing, pause, move forward” - it’s more like gliding through water.

Just a concussion- I thought, trying not to think about how serious the injury could be.

But I noticed that I wasn’t tired at all. Shouldn't swimming be a tiring activity? Shouldn't the muscles get heavy and shut down after a while? Adrenaline - I thought, trying to drive away the thought that this supply of energy should soon run out.

“Not now,” I growled. “I haven’t given up yet!”

My own scream was enough to spur me on. “Focus! Keep swimming!”

And I swam. I swam as hard as I could. I also tried not to lose sight of what was happening around me. I was hoping to spot the mast of a ship or the shadow of a helicopter, either way it would provide a distraction from the plight of my situation.

The water became calmer and I had hope. In calm water, without waves, I will swim further, right? And I also noticed that the water was clean and fresh, which meant that there was a lake around me, not an ocean. Lakes are smaller than oceans. Certainly, big lake as dangerous as the ocean, but come on, let me see something good in this situation!

By the way, I could see the bottom perfectly. Don't get me wrong, it was very deep here, deep enough to drown a skyscraper up to the roof. But there was no dark abyss here, as there should have been in the ocean.

The bottom was not flat, there were small plains and hills. And soon, I noticed that one of the underwater hills, on the right, had grown so much that its top could not be seen over the horizon. Does it reach the surface? I turned north, or rather northwest, and swam straight towards the hill.

Gradually the hill turned into a seamount. And after a few seconds, it seemed to me that I saw him look out from under the water.

This must be the earth- I thought, trying to calm down my hope. Perhaps it’s a mirage, or a trick of light, or fog, or...

That's when I saw the tree! At least I assumed it was a tree, because from this distance all I could see was a green, angular mass looming over a dark brown line.

Excitement gave me acceleration, and I rushed like a torpedo. My eyes looked only forward, and soon I saw other trees that grew in the middle of the yellow beach. And behind them, suddenly, a green-brown hillside appeared.

Read the excerpt of the first Minecraft novel!

Our very first Minecraft novel is out today! It"s called Minecraft: The Island and is written by world famous mega-author Max Brooks, who you may know as the author of the brilliant fictional history of the zombie apocalypse, World War Z. The Island is quite a lot of cheerier, however , but no less dramatic. It"s a castaway story in the vein of Robinson Crusoe - our protagonist waking up alone, off the shores of a strange land, forced into a struggle to understand the rules of this new world, to survive its perils and thrive!

It"s a pretty clever piece of work - on the one hand it"s a gripping tale of adventure, and on the other a meticulous guide to Minecraft itself. And then, on the mysterious third hand that I somehow now have, it"s also a guide to life itself! No, really. Max was so inspired by the many hundreds of hours he"d spent in Minecraft that he wrote a book secretly all about how the game's lessons can turn you into a better person.

I was lucky enough to talk to Max all about the book and, among other things, fertilizer a few weeks back - . Or just skip straight below and read this excerpt from the first chapter of the book!

Or find it in bookshops today!

CHAPTER 1: NEVER GIVE UP

Drowning!

I woke up underwater deep underwater, and this was my first conscious thought. Cold. Dark. Where was the surface? I kicked in all directions, trying to find my way up. I twisted and turned, and then I saw it: A light. Dim, pale, and far away.

Instinctively I shot for it, and quickly noticed that the water around me was growingbrighter. That had to be the surface, the sun.

But how could the sun be… square? I must be seeing things. Maybe some trick of the water.

Who cares! How much air do I have left? Just get to it. Swim!

My lungs ballooned, little bubbles escaping from my lips, racing me for the distant light. I kicked and clawed the water like a caged animal. Now I could see it, a ceiling of ripples coming closer with each desperate stroke. Closer, but still so far away. My body ached, my lungs burned.

Swim! SWIM!

CRACK!

My body writ as a sudden jolt of pain shot from toes to eyes. My mouth opened in a choked scream. I reached for the glow, grabbing for breath, for life.

I exploded into the cool, clean air.

I coughed. I'm choked. I wheeze. I laughed.

For a moment, I just savored the experience, closing my eyes and letting the sun warm my face. But when I opened my eyes, I couldn’t believe them. The sun was square! I blinked hard. The clouds too? Instead of round puffy cotton balls, these thin, rectangular objects floated lazily above me.

You're still seeing things, I thought. You hit your head when you fell off the boat and now you’re a little dazed.

But did I fall off a boat? I couldn't remember. I couldn’t remember anything, in fact; how I got here, or even where ‘here’ was.

“Help me!” I shouted, scanning the horizon for a ship or a plane or even a speck of land.

“Please, somebody! Anybody! HELP!” All I got was silence. All I could see was water and sky.

Something splashed inches from my face, a flash of tentacles and a thick, black and greyish head.

I yelped, kicking backward. It looked like a squid, but square like everything else in this strange place. The tentacles turned to me, opening wide. I gazed right into a yawning, red mouth ringed with white razor teeth.

“Get outta here!” I'm hollered. Mouth dry, heart pounding, I splashed clumsily away from the creature. I didn't have to. At that moment, the tentacles closed, blasting the squid in the other direction.

I floated there, frozen, treading water for a few seconds, before the animal disappeared into the deep. That’s when I let out a long, throaty, tension-draining “ughhh.”

I took another deep breath, then another, then a whole lot more. Finally, my heart settled down, my limbs stopped jerking, and, for the first time since I woke up, my brain switched on.

“Okay,” I said aloud. “You're way out in a lake or ocean or whatever. No one’s coming to save you, and you can’t tread water forever.”

I did a slow, 360-degree turn, hoping to see some thread of coastline I’d missed before. Nothing. In desperation I tried one last scan of the sky. No planes, not even a thin white trail. What sky doesn’t have those trails? One with a square sun and rectangle clouds.

I noticed they were all moving steadily in one direction, away from the rising sun. Due west.

“As good as any,” I said, giving another deep sigh, and started swimming slowly west.

It wasn’t much to go on, but I figured the wind might help me along a little bit, or at least wouldn’t slow me down. And if I went north or south, the breeze might slowly blow me in an arc so I’d end up swimming in circles. I didn’t know if that was really true. I still don't. I mean, c’mon, I’d just woke up, probably with some kind of massive head injury, at the bottom of an ocean, and was trying really, really hard not to end up back there.

Just keep going I told myself. Focus on what's ahead. I began to notice how weird my ‘swimming’ was; not the stroke, pause, stroke motion, but more like gliding across the water with my limbs along for the ride.

Head injury, I thought, trying not to imagine how serious that injury might be.

One good thing, I noticed, was that I didn’t seem to be getting tired. Isn’t swimming supposed to be exhausting? Don’t your muscles burn and quit after a while? Adrenaline, I thought, and tried not to imagine that emergency gas tank running out.

But it would. Sooner or later, I’d lose steam, cramp up, go from swimming to treading water, then from treading water to floating. Of course, I’d try to rest, bobbing up and down to conserve energy, but how long could I keep that up? How long before the cold of the water finally got to me? How long before, teeth chattering, body shivering, I finally sank back down into the darkness?

“Not yet!” I blurred out. “I’m not giving up yet!”

Shouting out loud was enough to perk me up. “Keep focused! Keep going!”

And I did. I kept swimming with all my might. I also tried to be uber aware of my surroundings. Hopefully I would spot the mast of a ship or the shadow of a helicopter, but at the very least, it would take my mind off my current predicament!

I noticed that the water was calm, and this gave me something to feel good about. No waves meant no resistance, which meant I could swim farther, right? I also noticed that the water was fresh, not salty, which meant that I had to be in a lake instead of an ocean, and lakes are smaller than oceans. Okay, a big lake is just as dangerous as an ocean, but c’mon, you got a problem with me trying to look on the bright side?

I also noticed that I could see the bottom. It was deep-don’t get me wrong, you could sink a pretty decent office building and never see the top-but it wasn’t bottomless like the ocean is supposed to be. I could also see it wasn’t level. There were tons of little valleys and hills.

That was when, off to my right, I noticed that one of the hills had grown so tall that its top disappeared beyond the horizon. Did it break the surface? I turned north, northwest, I guess, and swam in a straight line for the hill.

And before I knew it, the hill grew into an underwater mountain. And a few seconds later, I actually thought I saw its top sprout above the water.

That's gotta be land I thought, trying not to get my hopes up. It could be a mirage though, a trick of the light or some mist or…

That's when I saw the tree. At least I thought it was a tree, because, from that distance, all I could make out a dark green angular mass perched atop a dark brown line.

Excitement propelled me like a torpedo. Eyes locked forward, I soon saw other trees dotting a tan beach. And then, suddenly, the green-brown slope of a hill.

“Land!” I shouted. “LAAAND!”

What's next? You'll have to get the book yourself to find out! or find it in bookshops today!