Been Noodling Away At This Glam-rock Visualization For Tonic (the Main Character From Color Of A Mirror).

A Monument to Our Destruction. (Atomic Shadow.)

Building some strong momentum over the last few days, and we’re now one-sixth of the way there! So many thank yous to everyone who’s already joined!

Let’s keep it going! Join the independent publishing party, and show your support for non-traditional science fiction storytelling experiences! Check out the link below:

+/- Composite.

Final Week!

The Kickstarter is winding down, and I’m full of gratitude for those who’ve backed my vision for this independent dark science fiction project. Of currently-active Fiction Publishing projects on Kickstarter, “Color of a Mirror” is the 9th most-funded. In the world. That’s absolutely incredible to me!

Why, then, is the project not yet funded?

Well, largely because I’m not content with producing a hardcover or softcover book as cheaply as possible. I want this book to be a work of art in and of itself, to feel like it came from a big-name publisher, despite me being just one person. I want to work with a printer that strives for that same type of quality in the options they offer, that gives me the ability to customize this book in a way that makes it sing.

Beyond that, however, I’m also trying to do a limited pressing of a vinyl for the soundtrack. All my metrics for how big a run to do of these various items to make them cost-effective, cross-referenced with a feasible amount of money to raise, has landed me on the $15,000 mark.

(I’m encouraged that there’s currently a novella project from an established, published author that had a goal of $10,000, making me feel like my higher goal was not so far off.)

This may be a bit of a ramble, but I hope it’s an honest look at how I’m thinking about this project, and what I’m trying to achieve.

There’s still time to back! No matter the tier you choose, every little bit helps. It’s going to take a mega-surge this final week to get to fully-funded, but I whole-heartedly believe we can get there.

Ends the day after Cyber Monday, in celebration of the cyberpunk story that it is.

Now, let’s go get higher on that most-funded list!

-Dan/ArtificeLux

Kickstarter

Color of a Mirror: Dark Science Fiction Novel and Soundtrack

A cerebral, slow-burn narrative about mental instability and the lies we tell ourselves, coupled with a cinematic dark ambient score.

Razor blade.

Shadow of Industry, Precipice of Eternity.

About a year ago now is when Josh McCausland and I first wrapped production of the Color of a Mirror soundtrack, and sent it off for pressing! (The above photo is an abstract shot of the first test pressing sleeve.)

After the post the other day about the Full Moon Bundle (containing the limited vinyl release) I wanted to take a moment of special mention for this soundtrack and what it means to me.

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One of my biggest loves (and frustrations) of a show or video game is the music. When it’s done right, it’s one of those things that gives you chills, and you can’t wait to return to that universe, can’t wait to hear that title card music at the start of the next episode. (Like launching the original Mass Effect and hearing that menu music.) On the flip side, it can derail the whole experience for me… or at least make it far less memorable, because music often sets the scene for me.

This extends to when I’m writing, as well. Depending on the mood or the emotion, I’ll find different songs that fit that character or scene. And then lots of times, I’ll have that selection on repeat for a few days. Haha.

So being able to collaborate with a composer on the sound of this dark cyberpunk universe I’d been writing for a handful of years, trying to pull on all those ambient/sci-fi/industrial influences but also create something that felt new, something that could be listened to while you’re reading or on its own… it was really an amazing experience, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we came up with!

It all started with just two images that I sent to Josh; I said, “This is the vibe.” (He hadn’t read the book at that point, and I was thinking he was just going to make a single promo song for me.) When he came back to me with about ten different options, making it super difficult to choose, I knew the project had to be a full album. Iterating back and forth with him and seeing his process, taking some of those initial hooks and tying them together… so much fun!

The title track “Color of a Mirror” was one of those original concepts that I just couldn’t get enough of. The sound for the rest of the album was really born there, I think.

All in all, it’s such an honor to see my vision of this novel through someone else’s skill and expertise in an entirely different discipline. Such a pleasure, and I cannot wait to work on Vol. 2 together!

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Check out the soundtrack on Bandcamp to give Josh some love:

(Also available on major streaming platforms.)

And if you want to check out the book as well, head over to my website.

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Thanks for reading!

-Daniel

If Name of the Wind took place in 1950s America, this is what Kvothe’s inscription would look like on his Vintish court rings. And the Eolian would be a diner.

Waterfall.

(AKA Kissing Birds.)

Full moon today... looking up at a full moon is always one of those times when I feel the scale of the solar system and planets more acutely, and naturally it gets me thinking about science fiction and outer space. For those in the northern hemisphere, we're also a month into very warm summer, which has me dreaming of somewhere dark and cold more often than not.

Put these two things together, and we have the first ever sale bundle for my debut novel Color of a Mirror and its accompanying soundtrack! Set on the moon in a subterranean cyberpunk city, it's the perfect antidote to too much heat and not enough jacket weather. Add in the dark ambient soundtrack, and it's as close as you can get to actually being there.

And so... The Full Moon Bundle.

If you purchase the Hardcover Novel, the Vinyl Soundtrack, and the E-book all together, you automatically get 25% off all three! No sign-ups or anything necessary; just go to the purchase page for any of those three items, and you'll find an option to purchase the bundle.

If you want a psychological noir sci-fi mystery that Kirkus Reviews called "intricate, next-generation cyberpunk, with a head-spinning finale," check out the link below! There's never been a better time to wander into The Dive.

Daniel Adams-Dufresne

COLOR OF A MIRROR (Hardcover) by Daniel Adams-Dufresne

2084. While Earth still dreams of unfulfilled, ruddy-hued destinies on Mars, it’s the moon that boasts the furthest outpost of all humanity: