PARADOX
Iris Cloth Book Material
Front Cover
Back Cover
Ribbon Edge
Postcard Insert
Playing Card Insert
Bespoke Packaging
Ethically Sourced Paper
Illustrations Weaved With Text
Illustrations Weaved With Text
Handwritten Note From Author
PARADOX: wish you were (n’t) here
Samuel Abrahams is haunted by a love-stained memory. Locked away, with chains of shame. All it takes is a postcard to turn his world inside out. And a message from someone he's worked hard to forget.
"THE TWINS ARE HERE.
THE TWINS ARE REAL.
THE TWINS ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU."
PARADOX is an inspiring re-imagination of 'A Christmas Carol.' This page-turning adventure travels between present day and Victorian Britain, as a mysterious shadow flings Abrahams into an unknown but strangely familiar world. The place he calls home, London, has transformed itself into the living stories from Charles Dickens. But nothing is what it seems in this richly layered thriller. Dan Brown introduced the world to Da Vinci's hidden code. In PARADOX, the intriguing web of Dickens is revealed. Behind every tale from the Victorian author is a clue as to why Abrahams has the feeling of Déjà vu. He doesn't know who to trust as he weaves through the provocative back-story of 'Oliver Twist.' A familiar character from 'Hard Times' has a disturbing look in their eyes, and a card dealing Fun Fair owner from 'The Chimes' carries an unspoken fear.
PARADOX is more than just a Fantasy Thriller. It's a Social Thriller. This compelling tale shows the Dickensian landscape of poverty and social injustice is still in existence today. Education, Welfare, Housing and Healthcare are just some of the themes connecting the Victorian world to the present day. But leave all assumptions aside. The message from Dickens carries a surprising twist for the world today.Perfect for fans of James Patterson, Stephen King and Neil Gaiman - PARADOX brings similar pace, imagination and brilliant characterisation to the page.
OTHER VERSIONS:
THE STORY BEHIND THE BOOK
This book is more than a story wrapped inside a red cover… it’s about thinking differently in how to produce and distribute a book.
The publishing world continually encourages any dreamer to fit into a template model of production and distribution. Although the Paperback and eBooks of Paradox are fully immersed within that typical model, the Hardback is walking a different adventure. From sustainable material to moral choices around production and delivery methods, the story themes within Paradox goes beyond the page.
Each purchase of the Special Edition Hardback is sent with a handwritten note from the author.
Personal Touch
The personal touch is unscalable. It requires cost, time, capacity. And that is ok.
The personal touch speaks of value - value of thanks from the author to the reader - value of what it means to step into a story.
A book is not only a collection of pages, but a doorway into the magic of imagination. Sometimes it’s nice to step into that waiting world through the act of finding a note behind a piece of string.
Inserts With A Difference
Within the pages of every Hardback are two inserts - a playing card and postcard.
Inserts with a difference - that’s the best way to describe the playing card and postcard. The playing card has a direct reference to an illustration and critical moment in the story. It was designed as a visual reminder to something we all face in the world of Paradox (because obviously, Paradox IS real).
The front of the postcard is a nod of respect to ‘A Christmas Carol’ and John Leech’s illustration in that timeless tale. ‘A Christmas Carol’ was the inspiration for Paradox, and that specific illustration reveals a hint to what the story is all about.
On the back, a message from… that’s for you to find out.
Packaging
Making a box more than a box.
Making a box that has a moral story attached.
Packaging is more than something to transport a book - it should be part of the story. In the case of Paradox, it required not only a visual mark on a box but a moral business choice.
Just like ‘A Christmas Carol’ (the story this book took inspiration from), Paradox invites the reader to think about the world around them. Without any spoilers, it was important to find a delivery mechanism that, although not perfect, carried elements of fair-pay and respectful work hours.
THE SKETCHES TOUR
A different type of book tour.