Author: Rodney Nelsestuen
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Ian McEwan’s 2025 Novel: What We Can Know
This novel is described by some as “immersive.” No argument there. But this book is likely going to appeal to a reader of a certain age, (I mean older) and certainly one who reads a lot. The plot centers around Tom and Rose, two academics in what is left of the UK, in 2119. Tom…
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The Dangers of Literary Hero Worship
In a previous post I praised John Updike’s writing and the story he told in his 2006 novel Terrorist. I still hold that all I said then is true. Yet now I’ve just finished his 1996 novel In the Beauty of the Lilies, and I have mixed feelings. With a career that started in the…
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Revisiting John Updike
I just finished reading John Updike’s Terrorist. Written in 2006, the shadow of 9/11 was still great over America. In this novel, Updike follows the development of a religious young man, Ahmed, and his journey toward terrorism through mentors using the words of the Quran that served as grooming by those wishing to punish America…
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The Evolving Nature of Artistic Growth
Many years ago I read Richard Russo’s Pulitzer Prize winning book Empire Falls. It takes place in a small New England town that is well worn and probably going to continue deteriorating. Lots of blue collar class issues and pitiable characters. But the writing is rich and one can’t help but care for the characters.…
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IndieReader Interview with me about Too Many Stones, Winner of Literary Fiction 2025
Here’s a link to the interview with IndieReader as Too Many Stones won the 2025 Discovery Awards Contest in the Literary Fiction category: https://indiereader.com/2025/07/irda-winning-author-rodney-nelsestuen-my-first-short-story-was-written-in-seventh-grade-it-was-a-science-fiction-story-of-how-a-hole-in-the-ozone-layer-was-threatening-to-kill-us-all/
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Martyr, by Kaveh Akbar
I just finished reading Kaveh Akbar’s novel Martyr. My copy of book has more than 25 effusive praises from mostly (but not entirely) east or west coast reviewers. So here again I find the number a bit overstated and feel like the inclusion of all this “doth protest too much.” And yet, not all the…
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Awards 2024-2025
Here are some of the awards earned by my four novels. 5 star review from Readers’ Favorite for Why Belize? Neighbors and Too Many Stones. Neighbors also received a 5 star review from IndieReader in 2024 Too Many Stones was given a 5 star rating from IndieReader in 2024, won the Literary Fiction category in…
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Orbital by Samantha Harvey
This “slender novel of epic power” (back cover) is, in my estimation, one of the finest examples of literary fiction recently written. There are six astronauts in an orbiting space station for essentially one 24 hour period. The descriptions of earth as they look out the window along with the internal dialogs each of them…
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Award Winner: Too Many Stones
My novel Too Many Stones won IndieReader’s 2025 Discovery Awards in the LITERARY FICTION CATEGORY. While there are a number of fiction awards, I am thrilled to have my book recognized in the Literary Category since that is my goal as I write, i.e., to produce a literary novel. Here’s the link: https://indiereader.com/2025/05/announcing-the-2025-discovery-awards-winners/?mc_cid=72ab31189a&mc_eid=27caecd08 In addition,…
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