Welcome to Connected Editions
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Interview of Rufus Sewell
An in-depth interview with Rufus Sewell about his role in The Man in the High Castle, the Amazon TV series based on Philip K. Dick's iconic novel.
Marshall McLuhan
Marshall McLuhan's ideas, including hot and cool, the medium is the message, and the tetrad, are applied to help us understand selfies, tweeting, fake news, iconic television shows such as The Sopranos and Mad Men, the advent of streaming television and binge watching, binge listening to radio, the Arab Spring, the U.S. Presidential elections of 2016, 2020, and 2024, and the Kindle revolution itself.
Coming May 1, 2025
Pre-order the Kindle edition now -- here
Alternate History, Time Travel, other fiction
It's Real Life: An Alternate History of the Beatles
It's 1996, and in this alternate history novel about the Beatles, WFUV disc jockey Pete Fornatale walks in the tunnels under Fordham University, then travels downtown to Grand Central Terminal and finds the world of music that he inhabits is very different. As he struggles to understand how to get in and out of alternate realities, and make sure John Lennon is not killed in any of them, Fornatale will actually dine with John Lennon and David Bowie, consult with Leonard Cohen, attend a Beatles concert with Diana Ross in Central Park in 1996, and work with a variety of real life characters you may or may not have heard of. The short story this novel is based upon won the Mary Shelley Award for Outstanding Fiction in 2023, and was a Finalist for the Sidewise Award (short form) for Alternate History 2022.
- “Paul is original his books and music are different than the norm — they are clever!” — Billy J. Kramer
- “a wild ride” — Michael McLuhan
- “now I’m desperate to hear songs from the Asimov/McCartney musical” — Thomas MacFarlane, The Beatles and McLuhan and Lennon and McCartney: Painting with Sound
- “I got so hooked that I stayed up way beyond my bedtime and read it in one go. It was not just extremely entertaining (I started looking forward to the Tom Petty phone calls) but also a nifty take on averting the grandfather paradox.” — Geoffrey Winthrop-Young, Kittler and the Media
- “brilliantly entertaining … it’s no wonder this novel is such a transportive experience: it does exactly what our favorite songs do. It transports us, makes us remember, and wish … you couldn’t find a better escape than Paul Levinson’s It’s Real Life.” — Anthony Marinelli, Amazon
- “Paul Levinson’s It’s Real Life is an incredibly unique and captivating peek behind rock and roll’s mysterious curtain. The idea that the story delves into an alternate world adds to its page-turning intrigue. Highly recommended!” — Steven Manchester, The Menu
- “one of my favourite moments treats us to a Beatles concert in Central Park” — Keith Soltys, Core Dump
- “a fascinating tale of what could have been had John Lennon not been murdered … a passionate celebration of a musical genius whose life was prematurely cut short … a science fictional celebration [by] a master of speculative fiction and alternate reality, Paul Levinson” — Chris Cosmain, Novikov Windows and The Amazon Anomaly
- “a brilliantly written and fun sci-fi tale that is perfect for fans of the genre and music nerds” — Evan Levine, Interesting People
- “Such a wonderful story! I grew up as a real science fiction fan and time travel and alternative history has always been a favorite SF genre of mine. The story offers such a speculative piece that keeps one thinking. A detective story mixed with all of this. Just a wonderful story. With synchronicity mixed into it and the mention of Roots of Coincidence, one of my favorite books from long ago. In many ways, a story for our times after Covid as many think we are living in some alternate reality or alternative history.” — John Fraim, Amazon
- “What would you do if you came from an alternate reality in which John Lennon was never killed — and you became accidentally aware of our own universe? This excellent, eerie novel explores that question in ingenious style. It’s a page-turner with philosophical heft and a great sense of rock history (not to mention some surprise cameos by Lennon, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, and other luminaries). Highly recommended for fans of Philip K. Dick and/or the Beatles.” — SVL, Goodreads
- “Paul Levinson’s It’s Real Life is a page-turning exploration into that multiverse known as rock and roll. But it is much more than a marvelous adventure narrated by a master storyteller…it is also an exquisite (and absolutely non-didactic) meditation on the very nature of alternate history.” — Jack Dann, A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Alternate History
Marilyn and Monet
It all started in the hot summer of 1960, when Marilyn Monroe walked off the set of The Misfits and began to hear a haunting song in her head, "Goodbye Norma Jean" ...
"Levinson once again takes us on a marvelous magical mystery tour...brilliantly slipping the surly bonds of time, he reveals new insights into his stellar cast of characters and their interconnectedness in a context sans conventional limitations." - Joel Iskowitz, The Mountain Studio
Robinson Calculator
The Calculators -- a secretive group of androids -- have been living off the radar for centuries or longer. Why are they now burying their dead in plain view?
- "This wonderful story, "Robinson Calculator", has definitely convinced me to look for more of his fiction." -- A Deep Look by Dave Hook
- "Fast-paced and sprinkled with a literary knowledge of robotic fiction." -- Austin Beeman, Science Fiction Short Story Reviews
Borrowed Tides
August 2016 brought news - real news, in our reality - that an Earth-like planet was discovered circling Proxima Centauri, the third star in the Alpha Centauri system, just over four light years from Earth. This is exactly what happens in Borrowed Tides, first published in 2001, now reissued in Kindle.
The Other Car
James Oleson is beginning to see everything in perfect duplicate - two identical models of cars which are the same down to scuff marks and license plate, two old philosophy books with the same torn pages and inscription in old ink, and twin mail men. Is he losing his mind, or experiencing the birth of a new alternate reality via binary fission?
- "Flat-out fantastic ... I'd highly recommend all science fiction fans take a look at it." - Scifi and Scary
- "the end was stunning" - Ignite
Ian's Ions and Eons
Ian's Ions and Eons is the name of a time-travel agency in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx. This anthology contains the three "Ian" novelettes published thus far: "Ian's Ions and Eons" (2011) "Ian, Isaac, and John" (2011) and "Ian, George, and George" (2013). The time travel stories involve Presidential elections, rock music, television and movies. Real historical personages who appear include Al Gore, George W. Bush, William Rehnquist, David Bowie, John Lennon, Dick Cavett, and Orson Welles.
- "Ian's Ions and Eons is a really good story" - AQ's Reviews
- "a refreshing change" - The Portal
- "Levinson has utilized real life personas that add interest to the story as historical science fiction" - Tangent
- "'Ian, George, and George', an Ian's Ions and Eons novelette, is a phenomenal time travel story." - A Deep Look by Dave Hook
The Loose Ends Saga
Jeff Harris goes back in time to prevent the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, but gets pulled into November 1963, and has 23 years to plan his intervention with the Challenger. He discovers that his actions in the past may result in the Soviet Union continuing in the 21st century. He strives with Laura and Karina to prevent this, and also the murder of John Lennon and the September 11 attacks, but the resilience and interconnections of history make it unlikely that they'll be able to stop all of those calamities, and the personal survival of at least one of them may be incompatible with their goals. The Saga contains Loose Ends - the novella nominated for Hugo, Nebula, and Sturgeon Awards - and its sequels Little Differences, Late Lessons, and Last Calls.
- "Paul Levinson has taken the brilliant step of combining the emotional impact of tragic American events ... But Levinson does much more. He creates a love story set against the evocative portrait of New York City." - Michael Burstein, Tangent
- "A fun and tasty read, highly recommended." - Gary Alan Henson Reviews
