Extreme Tales

I enjoyed writing "Hackers' Tales" so much I am currently researching a new book - entitled "Extreme Tales"

When writing "Hackers' Tales" I only had a rough chapter outline, but as I collected more and more tales various themes became apparent.

I am hoping that "Extreme Tales" will be like that also - so please treat the chapter outline and suggestions as a work in progress.

I'd like book to evolve into something that talks with the genuine voice of extreme sports enthusiast - for that reason editorial intervention will be kept to a minimum

Why "Extreme Tales"?
Why not another book about hackers?

Firstly, I wanted to be pushed out of my comfort zone.

Writing about computers and hackers is all very well, but a little variety is the spice of life.

I haven't given up writing about hackers either - I'm busy right now researching my next book about hackers - but a change is as good as a rest.

For a second thing, I believe that both groups - extreme sports enthusiasts and hackers alike - get mis-represented by the conventional media.

Hollywoord will exploit both groups as a good idea for a film - witness "Drop Zone" or "Hackers" - where the plot uses skydiving or hacking as plot dressing and action thrills.

News media is happy to point out every death or injury from an extreme sport, but meanwhile the 210 deaths by horse riders in America each year goes undiscussed.

Television is more than willing to pump out endless mediocre programs trying to communicate the "thrills, spills, excitement & danger" of extreme sports - after all most extreme sports enthusiasts are in a demographic that makes the networks' advertising slots pay well.

You might disagree with my view of the media - if so then drop me a line with some positive media representations of extreme sports enthusiasts and hackers - and I'll take a look.

Thirdly, there is the adrenaline. One night, after finishing "Hackers' Tales", I was talking to a group of London 2600 hackers about wanting to write about extreme sports next.

One of them commented that hacking was like an extreme sport, because the adrenaline rush from a good hack was like doing an extreme sport - bungee jumping was mentioned in this context.

Strangely not one of them had mentioned the excitement and adrenaline rush of a good hack before that night - it was the comparison with extreme sports that had brought out the similarities between the two.

Finally, and most importantly, the subject of extreme sports interests me.

It is very unlikely that I will ever partake of an extreme sport - you won't find me jumping out of a plane or sliding down a mountain - but I appreciate that those that do extreme sports - do it for the love of the sport.

Because of this I believe that extreme sports enthusiasts are pushing the edge of the envelope in a cultural way and not just in a sporting way.

Extreme sports enthusiasts are demonstrating to the rest of the world that there is more to life than the worst aspects of human nature - the aspects that make us throw up our hands on horror at some new atrocity.

Everytime someone goes "WOW!!" at a new extreme sporting exploit, it enriches our view of human beings because extreme sports enthusiasts are emphasising human playfulness, human culture and the human spirit of adventure.

There is a little of that in all of us - even if we do only watch from our armchairs - we just need to be reminded of it now an again.

Interviews

If you are an extreme sports enthusiast and have some extreme tales to tell - please get in touch and talk to me.

I can interview via email, phone or skype. I could even do snail-mail if necessary.

If you are in the Tarifa area, wind or kite surfing, then we can do the interview the way I prefer - face to face with a couple of cold beers on the table.