What Folks Are Saying About The Novel SOME ANIMALS

Joshua Todd James
5 min readSep 18, 2021

My novel, SOME ANIMALS, launched this week, and I am very fortunate in that some great artists and friends let me know what they thought of the book. Before we to them, first, if you’re interested, you can order the novel HERE: SOME ANIMALS

Sign up for updates on Jacob’s journey here: JOSHUA TODD JAMES

Now for the kind words of some wonderful people.

“SOME ANIMALS is a non-stop sci-fi thrill ride that will keep you reading far into the night. Joshua Todd James fills the page with cinematic action scenes and snappy dialogue, all anchored by a compelling protagonist that reflects so much of who we are today.” — Mike Nguyen Le (screenwriter/producer) PATIENT Z, DARK SUMMER, W.M.D

“SOME ANIMALS blew my mind. Joshua is the master of moralistic pathos. It’s a pathos steeped in a personal code of ethics in each of his characters. Joshua’s brilliance is in setting these characters careening down a track fueled by their pathos and the fun happens when characters with opposing drives collide in an action-packed train-wreck of ethics, desires, and dreams. Do. Not. Miss. This. Book.” — Ato Essandoh, actor (star of Netflix’s ALTERED CARBON, AWAY, Amazon’s TALES FROM THE LOOP, HBO’s VINYL, and many more.)

“Joshua Todd James delivers a one-of-a-kind Sci-Fi thrill ride. The depth of its characters and its world is remarkable, especially given how quickly it reads.” — Nathan Graham Davis, author of MALICE AND MISTLETOE

“Doing noir as sci-fi is a real challenge and this ambitious book pulls it off!” — David Gerrold, Hugo & Nebula award-winning author of THE MARTIAN CHILD, HELLA, THE MAN WHO FOLDED HIMSELF

“I love sci-fi and I love hardboiled detective stories. This is both, but it’s even more. Sci-fi has always been the best place to take on real-world issues, and Joshua Todd James takes on a lot of those in SOME ANIMALS. In this book, he serves up a strong cocktail, shaken from Chandler and Asimov, leaving me with the impression that someone just punched me in the face with a new cut of BLADE RUNNER.” — Yuri Lowenthal, actor, MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN, NARUTO, BEN 10, RAVE MASTER, LEGION OF SUPERHEROES

“I started reading SOME ANIMALS at 7 AM and didn’t stop until I was finished. Joshua Todd James has created a vibrant, fiery futuristic world that we instantly believe in, and characters that hook us deep for this truly wild ride. But this is much more than a cracking good ‘Who done it?’ It’s a story that breaks both boundaries and stereotypes all along the way. Start reading. You won’t put it down.” — Naomi Wallace, playwright, screenwriter, and MacArthur Fellow (aka the Genius Grant)

“Joshua Todd James is a beautiful writer whose compelling, intelligent, and evocative sci-fi brings to mind the work of Isaac Asimov and Andy Weir. SOME ANIMALS weaves a propulsive plot that keeps you turning the pages with the themes that make for our finest speculative fiction — among them, what it means to be human. This exciting story is not one to be missed!” — Martin Aguilera, author and screenwriter, Netflix’s THE CRAVING

“Joshua Todd James has created a compelling protagonist, a fascinating story universe and a suspenseful mystery, all-in-one, in his new novel SOME ANIMALS. Think of it as sci-fi nitro in book form. Highly recommended!” — Scott Myers, screenwriter (K-9) author of THE PROTAGONIST’S JOURNEY, professor at DePaul University and host of GoIntoTheStory.com

“Finally, it happened. I’ve long wanted to begin and end a book in one setting. SOME ANIMALS is that book. What is a Companion? What is a human being? Joshua Todd James reminds me of Heinlein, merging intelligence and story with effortless precision while subtly confronting tough questions in a hugely entertaining tale. This is a terrific, unexpected work.” — Joel Eisenberg, author of THE CHRONICLES OF ARA

“From the opening lines of SOME ANIMALS Joshua Todd James creates a compelling narrative and gripping mystery that you won’t want to put down!” — Tess Rafferty, author, RECIPE FOR DISASTER & UNDER THE TUSCAN GUN.

“SOME ANIMALS is a sci-fi novella that had me smiling throughout. It’s fun. It’s smart. It’s thought-provoking, and most of all, it’s entertaining as all get out!” — Bill Rodemeyer, co-author of JUVENILE X, SUCKERFISH CITY & TWILIGHT PULP-SHORT READS FOR TWISTED MINDS.

“SOME ANIMALS is an intriguing exploration of a future that is moving, tense and which reflects, heartbreakingly so, upon our present day society.” — Dwayne Alexander Smith, bestselling author of FORTY ACRES & THE UNKIND HOURS.

“The Fugitive meets Blade Runner, SOME ANIMALS is a fast-paced near-future science fiction thriller about an android companion accused of his human’s murder and who goes on the run, relentlessly pursued by an obsessed detective and it really delivers. As he searches for the real killer, he learns what it means to be human… and inhumane.” — William C. Martell, screenwriter (19 produced films thus far) and author of the hugely popular Blue Book series on screenwriting.

“The best stories to me are always a sort of mix of genres. And that’s exactly what Joshua Todd James has done with SOME ANIMALS. He’s created a tasty genre burrito that has reminded me of some of the best old school sci-fi and detective stories, then spiced it up with several issues relevant to today.” — Chad Law, screenwriter/producer, DRIVE HARD, DAYLIGHT’S END, THE SHADOW EFFECT, BLACKWATER, DAY OF HEROES.

“On the run from corrupt police, falsely accused of the murder of his owner, Jacob discovers he’s more than an android — that process, of learning who you really are, will resonate with readers. This is compulsively readable and strongly recommended.” — Daniel Keys Moran, author, EMERALD EYES, THE LONG RUN, THE LAST DANCER.

Order the novel HERE: SOME ANIMALS

Sign up for updates on Jacob’s journey here: JOSHUA TODD JAMES

And here’s the book trailer, of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRTaPBAaPJU

I feel so very much gratitude to these folks and to readers and fans everywhere who have helped make this novel happen.

Words will never truly do justice to their kindness, but I will always strive to do so. Take care, folks and thank you again.

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