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Circuits of the Wind: A Legend of the Net Age
LITERARY FICTION / AMERICAN LITERATURE
The Internet is everywhere now, but Ray Valentine saw it first explode.
Circuits of the Wind, an ambitious literary coming-of-age novel in three volumes, is the very human story of Ray's quest to find himself as he grows up online, wandering the computer underground—the wild, global outback that existed before the net went mainstream. How else does an end-of-century slacker reach out to the world from Sohola, that northern state that's a little more Midwest than it is New England? The net holds the key to what he's after—but even as he pioneers this virtual world, the veneer of his real life begins to crack.
This edition contains the complete, unabridged contents of all three paperback volumes.
The Internet is everywhere now, but Ray Valentine saw it first explode.
Circuits of the Wind, an ambitious literary coming-of-age novel in three volumes, is the very human story of Ray's quest to find himself as he grows up online, wandering the computer underground—the wild, global outback that existed before the net went mainstream. How else does an end-of-century slacker reach out to the world from Sohola, that northern state that's a little more Midwest than it is New England? The net holds the key to what he's after—but even as he pioneers this virtual world, the veneer of his real life begins to crack.
This edition contains the complete, unabridged contents of all three paperback volumes.
- GenresFiction
718 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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55 people want to read
About the author
Michael Stutz
13 books4 followersMichael Stutz is an American writer. His reality fiction (including Circuits of the Wind, a three-volume novel) explores Generation X nostalgia and life in the Net Age with trademark poetic rhythms and rhapsodic lyricism.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 19, 2018
Couple a well-told story with rich poetic writing and the result is the ultimate in literary indulgence.
A quote from Ch 9:
‘For that is time: a low, long whisper in the wind. Reaching out like the flailing arms of long-dead spectres comes this call of time, and here the heavy doleful rain will weep and fall, and there begins the washings of another year.’
Brilliant
Circuits of the Wind, by Michael Stutz, has everything I look for in a story, and more.
Circuits of the WindProfound and poetic writing: Memorable lines brighten the pages in this lush, meaningful novel revealing an author with almost unrivalled ability.
A rich narrative: The author’s storytelling is artistic and sophisticated. At times you can almost hear him reading this work to you making it dynamic, aesthetic and effortless.
Realistic dialogue: Sparkling! I would be surprised to find that this author has not, at some point in his career, written for TV or the cinema where one truly develops the craft of writing realistic dialogue.
Solid story structure: The progression is logical and smart. Never does Mr Stutz lose focus or sight of the finish line. I have no doubt he outlined each chapter and worked from a scene sequence. Mandatory for screenwriters, these invaluable tools are often neglected by novelists.
I’ve read books or film scripts with exceptional storylines, and I’ve read books or scripts where the story was rendered less important simply by the literary prowess of the author. Seldom have I found both in the same book as I did with this gem.
Circuits of the Wind is one of those rare works that would be a compelling read based solely on the story but was made exceptionally compelling by an author with unparalleled literary talents.
Here are a few more of the memorable lines which caught my attention. The book is literally filled with outstanding quotes:
‘Somewhere, adults were working hard to make the whole world magic.’
Simple but brilliant.
‘He believed in this distant world, longed to be a part of it, and came to love the big electric box that provided him the windowed view.’
Outstanding. This is nearly Ray Bradbury or E. E. Cummings.
‘He knew that there was somewhere to go with them, somewhere far beyond us here — that there was something real and living to be had among the brilliant magic. He had to find it.’
Masterful.
What I liked Most:
The Writing
I love poetry and poetic prose. I knew from page one I was going to enjoy this book. It reminded of the first time, as a young boy, I cracked open The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury and said – this is how I’ll write one day.
It’s hard to imagine my saying this, but I enjoyed reading Circuits of the Wind as much, if not more than many of my favourite writers. Including Bradbury, Cummings and Marquez.
The Story
This is a nicely organized story of a boy, Raymond Valentine, growing up during the evolution of computers, and more specifically, the internet.
The story follows Raymond’s personal growth which is inextricably intertwined with the development of the internet and online chat rooms and electronic communications with strangers from abroad – something we take for granted now but didn’t three decades ago. The historical review is enlightening for those of us who’ve grown up with computers and the net, and, I would imagine, refreshing for those whose life may have mirrored Mr Stutz’s enthusiastic main character.
Raymond relishes in the purchase of his first computer. Reaches Nirvana with the acquisition of his first modem and achieves a heightened awareness when he chooses his first online alias and begins his career as a hacker.
Criticisms
I have none. I enjoyed this book from the opening page to the very end.
Recommendation
This is an extremely well-written book. If you like a meaningful story and enjoy powerful, poetic writing, pick up a copy. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
I give Circuits of the Wind by Michael Stutz a 5-star rating and my highest recommendation.
Review by T. E. Mark – Writer / Screenwriter
A quote from Ch 9:
‘For that is time: a low, long whisper in the wind. Reaching out like the flailing arms of long-dead spectres comes this call of time, and here the heavy doleful rain will weep and fall, and there begins the washings of another year.’
Brilliant
Circuits of the Wind, by Michael Stutz, has everything I look for in a story, and more.
Circuits of the WindProfound and poetic writing: Memorable lines brighten the pages in this lush, meaningful novel revealing an author with almost unrivalled ability.
A rich narrative: The author’s storytelling is artistic and sophisticated. At times you can almost hear him reading this work to you making it dynamic, aesthetic and effortless.
Realistic dialogue: Sparkling! I would be surprised to find that this author has not, at some point in his career, written for TV or the cinema where one truly develops the craft of writing realistic dialogue.
Solid story structure: The progression is logical and smart. Never does Mr Stutz lose focus or sight of the finish line. I have no doubt he outlined each chapter and worked from a scene sequence. Mandatory for screenwriters, these invaluable tools are often neglected by novelists.
I’ve read books or film scripts with exceptional storylines, and I’ve read books or scripts where the story was rendered less important simply by the literary prowess of the author. Seldom have I found both in the same book as I did with this gem.
Circuits of the Wind is one of those rare works that would be a compelling read based solely on the story but was made exceptionally compelling by an author with unparalleled literary talents.
Here are a few more of the memorable lines which caught my attention. The book is literally filled with outstanding quotes:
‘Somewhere, adults were working hard to make the whole world magic.’
Simple but brilliant.
‘He believed in this distant world, longed to be a part of it, and came to love the big electric box that provided him the windowed view.’
Outstanding. This is nearly Ray Bradbury or E. E. Cummings.
‘He knew that there was somewhere to go with them, somewhere far beyond us here — that there was something real and living to be had among the brilliant magic. He had to find it.’
Masterful.
What I liked Most:
The Writing
I love poetry and poetic prose. I knew from page one I was going to enjoy this book. It reminded of the first time, as a young boy, I cracked open The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury and said – this is how I’ll write one day.
It’s hard to imagine my saying this, but I enjoyed reading Circuits of the Wind as much, if not more than many of my favourite writers. Including Bradbury, Cummings and Marquez.
The Story
This is a nicely organized story of a boy, Raymond Valentine, growing up during the evolution of computers, and more specifically, the internet.
The story follows Raymond’s personal growth which is inextricably intertwined with the development of the internet and online chat rooms and electronic communications with strangers from abroad – something we take for granted now but didn’t three decades ago. The historical review is enlightening for those of us who’ve grown up with computers and the net, and, I would imagine, refreshing for those whose life may have mirrored Mr Stutz’s enthusiastic main character.
Raymond relishes in the purchase of his first computer. Reaches Nirvana with the acquisition of his first modem and achieves a heightened awareness when he chooses his first online alias and begins his career as a hacker.
Criticisms
I have none. I enjoyed this book from the opening page to the very end.
Recommendation
This is an extremely well-written book. If you like a meaningful story and enjoy powerful, poetic writing, pick up a copy. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
I give Circuits of the Wind by Michael Stutz a 5-star rating and my highest recommendation.
Review by T. E. Mark – Writer / Screenwriter
October 3, 2016
I found this book very hard to read. At least twice I came very close to giving up on it. I strongly suspect it is, to some degree, autobiographical, so I wish to be delicate, but it will be difficult. I will admit that it is very possible that this style of book is simply not my cup of tea. It reads very much like a biography. I have nothing against biographies, but it usually only interests me because it is about a real person. This one is, supposedly, not. It is a narration of a boy's life from about age 8 through 30-ish. At the same time that it catalogues his failed relationships, it also chronicles the development of computers and, most significantly, the "net". The title says it is a "legend", but there is nothing remotely legendary about Raymond Valentine's life. It is rife with failures and delusions of grandeur. I was so frequently disappointed at his attempts to create meaningful and lasting relationships which were ultimately doomed to failure. This boy desperately needed a guide! His parents just weren't there for him when he needed them the most. The book is full of flowery, lyrical, poetic descriptions of things that have no real meaning to the story. Relationships obviously play a huge part in this story, but I was shocked at the complete and utter lack of anything remotely sexual or romantic. He spends a lot of time with 2 or 3 women at different times of his life but you really have no idea if they are actually girlfriends, or just friends who happen to be women. In fact, I was taken by surprise when he proposed to a woman at the end of the book because I honestly had no clue that they were romantically involved. Also, the book ends at the beginning of the year 2000 yet the book makes zero mention of the Y2K freak-out. If he was so involved in the computer world, that should've been a matter of concern. As a software developer, I am frequently asked where I worked "during Y2K" and what my experience was. So I'm quite surprised that it wasn't mentioned at all in the book. So, overall, a very disappointing and altogether unimpressive book.
August 4, 2016
I read this in paperback where it was cut in three volumes, like Paul Murray's Skippy Dies. Like Murray this is literature, but more sensitive, less snark (and still just as funny). We are taken through the life of Ray Valentine as he discovers the internet. This happens in 700+ pages with little plot. But it moves fast, with touches at times of Richard Russo, Ethan Canin, even Dylan Thomas.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews