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![[image loading]](http://jeremyreimer.com/uploads/daz3d-john-test1-web.jpg)
I've spent hundreds if not thousands of hours watching my favorite pro players battle out in the game of Starcraft, both the original and its sequel. I've fallen in love with eSports and the pro scene, with all of its drama, triumphs, and tragedies.
The Last Bonjwa, a novel now available on Amazon and Smashwords, is my love letter to the game and the players.
There has been a lot of talk this year about the decline in popularity of the pro Starcraft scene. In the novel, set a few years ahead in an alternate future, this decline plays a factor in the story, but it does not define it. The story is about an American pro player, John "Heart" Wolanski, who has had some success in the past and even won a couple of tournaments, but is now in the twilight of his career. He has to deal with both the decline of the game itself (especially in Korea, where he still lives) and the decline of his own skills. He has to deal with getting older, the possibility of retirement, and deciding what he is going to do with his life when he can no longer play the game he loves.
Because I love science fiction, there are some fantastical elements in the story as well, revolving around artificial intelligences. Oh, and the main character is also basically being hunted down by unknown forces that want to kill him. I won't say any more because it would give away the story. 
The Last Bonjwa is a sequel to my free short story The Stalker, set a few years after the events in that story. Familiar characters return and new ones are introduced. The response to The Stalker was positive, so I decided to flesh out the story into a full-length novel.
So why am I charging $2.99 for the novel instead of giving it away for free like I did with the short story? Why am I asking you to pay for my love letter? Well, that's a good question. I definitely feel that the story is worth the price. It's DRM-free and available in every format for every e-reader. This, plus the writing itself, took a fair bit of effort on my part. I actually think it's the best novel I've ever written. It's well-paced, full of action and heart, and makes you care about the characters. But you don't have to take my word for it: you can read the first few chapters for free on both Amazon and Smashwords.
Thanks for reading this. I hope you enjoy the story.
TL;DR I wrote a fun novel about ESPORTS!
  
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dat cover
Why american pro and not canadian pro?
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Well, I thought the American scene needed some loving.
The cover's background image is a scene from downtown Seoul with some heavy Photoshop filtering to make it seem a little otherworldly, and the Stalker in the background is from the cover I drew for the short story. The character image of John was done in DAZ 3D and then touched up in Photoshop.
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On December 28 2013 03:09 Jeremy Reimer wrote:
The cover's background image is a scene from downtown Seoul with some heavy Photoshop filtering to make it seem a little otherworldly, and the Stalker in the background is from the cover I drew for the short story. The character image of John was done in DAZ 3D and then touched up in Photoshop.
I think fabiano was more pointing out that the cover is very amateurish, you should get someone more experienced to do it next time. People judge books by their covers all the time 
Is it SC2 or BW based?
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Well, there was a certain look I was going for with the cover, and it turned out the way I wanted it to, so that's all I wanted. But you make a valid point.
It's based on SC2 (the timeframe is in the future, some time after LotV is released) but there are some references to Brood War from time to time.
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On December 28 2013 03:08 fabiano wrote:
dat cover
Why american pro and not canadian pro?
because fiction 
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Do you need the rights to writw about this considering that it's using the game as a referencw point?
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No, the rights for fiction don't work in the same way as video games. That's why you can have people in novels drink Coke while people in movies and games have to drink generic beverages.
Since I'm not using any copyrighted images from the game (even on the cover) there is no issue with licensing. The game serves as a backdrop to the story.
I did make all the characters, players, and teams fictional. This let me tell a story without having it be thought of as being about specific people.
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Not Canadian, wont read.
Jk, good work putting out a novel, hope you had fun with the project.
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Thanks! I had a lot of fun with the project, and I think it shows in the writing. I'd love to hear what people think of it.
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Everybody knows the true hero, the true bonjwa will be from Hong Kong
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I'll take a look at it. but the cover is...let's say not very pleasant to look at.
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That's interesting, the reaction you have to the cover. I'd love to know more specifically what you don't like about it, so that I can try to improve it.
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EPT
