Daniel Polansky Interview, plus links to author biography, book summaries, excerpts and reviews

Daniel Polansky

Daniel Polansky

An interview with Daniel Polansky

An interview with Daniel Polansky about his first novel, Low Town, set in an original world steeped in noir sensibilities and relentless action.

Low Town takes several noir elements - a disgraced anti-hero detective, a shadowy underworld rife with thugs and drugs, and a horrific murder that drives the plot - and arranges them in a fantasy/sci-fi setting. The result is a wholly unique mystery/thriller. Is it accurate to describe Low Town as "Tarantino meets Tolkien"?
It's not exactly how I think of it, but it's certainly flattering. In my mind it's more Dan Brown meets the Old Testament.

"Low Town" refers to a poor, drug and crime ridden district of a major city in not only a foreign land but an alternate world/universe, that is populated by a diverse and colorful array of people and cultures. Were these inventions informed by people and places in the real world?
In terms of the broader world, I read a lot of history so most of it is grounded in that. I always tried to keep in mind that however alien the world of Low Town may be, the characters are all human, affected by the same fundamental drives - greed, guilt, loyalty, bigotry etc. - as we are. In terms of the characters and situations and so on, you do your best to take from your own experiences, though obviously, I've never knifed anyone.

Your hometown is Baltimore, which has seen its share of crime and inner city turmoil. Did life in Charm City shape your fiction writing?
I have no idea what you are talking about. Inner city turmoil? Baltimore is an edenic paradise, Plato's Athens but without all the pederasty. Where are you getting this misinformation?

The principles of good versus evil are murky in noir fiction, and Low Town is characteristic of the genre. Are the gray areas of character easier to portray than stark black and white?
There's not really a clear good/evil axis to most of our decisions. People muddle through as best they can - if you are lucky enough to be in a situation where your basic needs are met, you can more easily spend energy thinking about your neighbor's. Should society descend into anarchy, on the other hand, it all becomes more of a zero sum game. All that is to say I don't know what a ‘stark black or white' character would look like, so I guess in that sense it's easier to write people with more mixed motivations.

Drug dealers, hustlers, brothels, dirty politics, corrupt cops...and sorcery. Where did the idea for Low Town come from?
Honestly I sat down to write something a little more in line with the typical fantasy norms, but as it turns out I hate elves so I realized I needed to do something different. I guess I liked the idea of introducing a faster pace to a genre that tends to bloat a little, and Low Town seemed like one way to do it.

What kind of research and preparation went into crafting Low Town? Which other fantasy/sci-fi authors influenced you, and do you have a favorite?
I wear my influences pretty heavy on my sleeve, Chandler and Hammet in particular. As far as fantasy goes, Gene Wolfe is a giant, deserved of far more regard than he gets. George RR Martin is probably the only person who ever wrote a good high fantasy book, cruel though it was to strand us mid-series.

What do you think the main character, the Warden, would have become if the "Crane" hadn't rescued him from life on the streets—where he ultimately returned on his own terms?
I'm not sure that I think of the Warden as having been saved by the Crane exactly, or having returned to the streets on his own terms. For better or for worse, I think of the Warden as fundamentally a pretty selfmade man.

How did you make the journey from earning a philosophy degree to becoming a novelist at the ripe old age of 25?
Well I'm 26 actually, but I guess that doesn't change the question. I wish I had a better story for you, but my post-college history is pretty dull. I lived in China for a while, I went broke and came back to the US, I got a job, I wrote the first draft of Low Town, I quit my job, I went traveling again, I got an agent, I went broke and came back to the US, some gentleman at Random House drank too much at lunch one morning and gave me some money, and now I'm traveling again.

Finally, have you sampled pixie breath and/or dream vine?
Are you a cop? Because, honestly, that reads like the kind of question a cop would ask. If you're a cop you have to tell me, or its entrapment.

May 2011

Unless otherwise stated, this interview was conducted at the time the book was first published, and is reproduced with permission of the publisher. This interview may not be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the copyright holder.

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Books by Daniel Polansky at BookBrowse
Low Town jacket
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Debugging Information
ColdFusion Server Developer 2021,0,13,330286
Template /author_interviews/full/index.cfm
Time Stamp 01-Jun-26 09:40 AM
Locale en
User Agent Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)
Remote IP 127.0.0.1
Host Name 127.0.0.1


Execution Time

Total Time Avg Time Count Template
1780306824230 ms 1.78030682423E+012 ms 1 /root/website/app_server.cfm
475 ms 475 ms 1 /root/website/author_interviews/full/index.cfm
238 ms 238 ms 1 /root/website/app_layout.cfm
152 ms 152 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/dsp_right_column.cfm
103 ms 34 ms 3 /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm
98 ms 98 ms 1 /root/website/app_globals.cfm
80 ms 80 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_border_first_impressions.cfm
79 ms 79 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_arcs_for_ad.cfm
63 ms 63 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_books_by_author_id_lite.cfm
62 ms 62 ms 1 /root/website/adzones/AdZone6.cfm
36 ms 36 ms 1 /root/website/author_interviews/full/dsp_main.cfm
35 ms 35 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/head.cfm
30 ms 30 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_active_obc.cfm
28 ms 28 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/dsp_footer.cfm
27 ms 27 ms 1 /root/website/adzones/showcase_track.cfm
19 ms 10 ms 2 /root/website/site/blocks/membership_advantages.cfm
17 ms 9 ms 2 /root/website/queries/qry_get_member_account_types.cfm
16 ms 16 ms 1 /root/website/adzones/AdZone2.cfm
16 ms 16 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_all_books_by_author_id.cfm
15 ms 15 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_competition.cfm
14 ms 14 ms 1 /root/website/actions/adstatus.cfm
13 ms 13 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/dsp_bottom_block.cfm
12 ms 3 ms 4 /root/website/actions/act_spider_tracker.cfm
12 ms 12 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_free_newsletters.cfm
11 ms 11 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_author_readalikes_by_id.cfm
10 ms 10 ms 1 /root/website/act_check_login.cfm
10 ms 10 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_wordplay.cfm
9 ms 9 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_bb_briefs_by_author.cfm
9 ms 9 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_member_info.cfm
7 ms 7 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_book_giveaway.cfm
6 ms 6 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/dsp_header.cfm
1 ms 1 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_ezine.cfm
1 ms 1 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/main_menu.cfm
1 ms 1 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/main_search.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/Application.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/act_libraryIPLogin.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/actions/udfs.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/banners/ad_594.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/formurl2attributes.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/js/fbjavascriptsdk.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/queries/qry_get_previous_arcs_for_ad.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_border_booktalk.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_header_newsletter.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_top_author_block.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_wordplay.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/email_modal.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/google_tags.cfm
0 ms 0 ms 1 /root/website/site/blocks/layout/header_announcement.cfm
1 ms  STARTUP, PARSING, COMPILING, LOADING, & SHUTDOWN
476 ms  TOTAL EXECUTION TIME
red = over 250 ms average execution time


SQL Queries

spidercheck (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=11ms, Records=1) in /root/website/actions/act_spider_tracker.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT	a.bot_number
        FROM	bots a
        WHERE	charindex(a.bot_name, ?) > 0
		OR a.bot_ip = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(cf_sql_varchar) = Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)
Parameter #2(cf_sql_varchar) = 127.0.0.1

get_member_info (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=9ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_member_info.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
select 	a.*, 
    		b.member_account_type_name, b.member_account_type_charge, b.member_account_type_charge_frequency,  b.member_account_type_months, 
            c.member_chargetype_name, c.member_chargetype_number, a.member_classification_number, a.member_book_format
	
    from members a, member_account_types b, member_chargetype c
	
    where a.member_account_type_number = b.member_account_type_number
	and a.payment_method_id = c.member_chargetype_number
	and a.member_number = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 0

adactive (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=13ms, Records=2) in /root/website/actions/adstatus.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT	viewby, section
    FROM	adsystem 
    WHERE	active  = 1 
    AND		start_date <= GETDATE()
    AND 	(viewby = ? OR viewby = 'all')
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = non

get_current_ezine (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=0ms, Records=1, Cached Query) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_ezine.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
select		top 1 ezine_number, ezine_dt, ezine_image, ezine_brief_description, ezine_introduction
from		ezines
where		ezine_active_flag = 1
and 		ezine_type_number = 4
and			ezine_dt < getdate()
order by 	ezine_dt DESC
get_current_wordplay (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=9ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_wordplay.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT		a.wordplay_number, a.wordplay_dt, a.wordplay_name, a.wordplay_intro_text, b.wordplay_puzzle_number, b.wordplay_puzzle_question
    FROM		wordplays a 
	INNER JOIN	wordplay_puzzle_mapping c on c.wordplay_number = a.wordplay_number
	INNER JOIN	wordplay_puzzles b on b.wordplay_puzzle_number = c.wordplay_puzzle_number
	WHERE		a.wordplay_number = (	select top 1 a.wordplay_number
                                from wordplays a, wordplay_puzzles b, wordplay_puzzle_mapping c
                                where a.wordplay_number = c.wordplay_number
                                and b.wordplay_puzzle_number = c.wordplay_puzzle_number
                                and a.wordplay_dt < getdate()
                                and a.wordplay_expiration_dt > dateadd(day, -1, getdate())
                                order by a.wordplay_dt asc
                                )
get_ComNo (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=7ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_competition.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT 	TOP 1 	x.competition_number, x.bb_briefs_flag
	from			competitions x
	
		WHERE	x.competition_dt <= getdate()
		AND		x.competition_expiration_dt > dateadd(d,-1,getdate())
get_current_competition (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=7ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_current_competition.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT 	x.competition_number, x.book_number, x.competition_teaser_title, x.competition_teaser_description, x.competition_intro_text, x.competition_expiration_dt, x.bb_briefs_flag, x.competition_full_info_flag, x.competition_type, x.competition_optin,x.competition_optin_text, 
				a.book_title as "title",
				(b.author_first_name + ' ' +  b.author_middle_initial + ' ' + b.author_last_name) as "author",
	            f.edition_publish_dt AS "hardcover_publish_dt", f.edition_jacket_image as "hardcover_jacket_image",
				g.edition_publish_dt AS "paperback_publish_dt", g.edition_jacket_image as "paperback_jacket_image"
	
		FROM 		competitions x
		INNER JOIN	books a on a.book_number = x.book_number
		INNER JOIN	book_author_mapping c on c.book_number = x.book_number
		INNER JOIN	authors b on c.author_number = b.author_number
		LEFT JOIN	editions f on a.book_number = f.book_number and f.edition_paperback_flag = 0
		LEFT JOIN	editions g on a.book_number = g.book_number and g.edition_paperback_flag = 1

		WHERE		x.competition_number = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 0

get_previous_arcs_for_ad (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=0ms, Records=0, Cached Query) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_previous_arcs_for_ad.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT 	a.arc_number,a.arc_client_url,a.arc_active_dt, a.arc_off_ad_dt,
		b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_publisher, 
		b.ezine_preview_publish_dt, b.ezine_preview_jacket_desc, b.ezine_preview_number_of_pages, b.ezine_preview_bb_comments, b.ezine_preview_isbn13,
		c.ezine_preview_category_name AS "ezine_preview_category",
		(select count(*) from arc_allocator d where d.arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) as "reviews",
		(select (CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,0))) AS numeric(12,0)))+
				(CASE WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 25 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 50 THEN 0.5
				 WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 50 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 75 THEN -0.5
				 ELSE 0
				 END)
 			from arc_allocator	where arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS arcrating,
 			(select (CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,1))) AS numeric(12,1)))from arc_allocator where arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS "decrating"

FROM arcs a
INNER JOIN ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
INNER JOIN ezine_preview_categories c ON b.ezine_preview_category_number = c.ezine_preview_category_number

WHERE arc_closed_flag = 1
AND arc_obc_flag = 0
AND getdate() >= arc_on_ad_dt
AND getdate() < arc_off_ad_dt

ORDER BY a.arc_on_ad_dt DESC
get_future_obc (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=7ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_active_obc.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT 		a.arc_forumidfk, a.discourse_flag, a.arc_promo_text, arc_on_ad_dt,
				b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_jacket_desc, b.ezine_preview_publisher, ezine_preview_publish_dt, ezine_preview_number_of_pages, ezine_preview_isbn, ezine_preview_short_summary,
	            b.ezine_preview_bb_author_link, ezine_preview_bb_link
	
	FROM 		arcs a
	INNER JOIN 	ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
	
	WHERE 		arc_obc_flag = 1

	AND 		getdate() < arc_on_ad_dt
	
		ORDER BY  	NEWID()
get_active_obc (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=3ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_active_obc.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT 		a.arc_forumidfk, a.discourse_flag, a.arc_promo_text,
				b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_jacket_desc, b.ezine_preview_publisher, ezine_preview_publish_dt, ezine_preview_number_of_pages,  ezine_preview_isbn, ezine_preview_short_summary,
	            b.ezine_preview_bb_author_link, ezine_preview_bb_link,
	            c.book_reading_guide
	
	FROM 		arcs a
	INNER JOIN 	ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
	LEFT JOIN  	books c on c.book_number = b.ezine_preview_bb_link
	
	WHERE 		a.arc_obc_flag = 1
	AND			a.arc_active_flag = 0
	AND 		arc_closed_flag = 1
	AND 		getdate() >= arc_on_ad_dt
	AND 		getdate() < arc_off_ad_dt
	ORDER BY  	NEWID()
get_recent_obc (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=18ms, Records=4) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_active_obc.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT 		a.arc_forumidfk, a.discourse_flag, a.arc_promo_text,
				b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_jacket_desc, b.ezine_preview_publisher, ezine_preview_publish_dt, ezine_preview_number_of_pages,  ezine_preview_isbn, ezine_preview_short_summary,
	            b.ezine_preview_bb_author_link, ezine_preview_bb_link,
	            c.book_reading_guide
	
	FROM 		arcs a
	INNER JOIN 	ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number
	LEFT JOIN  	books c on c.book_number = b.ezine_preview_bb_link
	
	WHERE a.arc_number IN (select top 4 arc_number
							from		arcs
							WHERE 		arc_obc_flag = 1
							AND			arc_active_flag = 0
							AND 		arc_closed_flag = 1
							AND 		getdate() > arc_off_ad_dt
							ORDER BY	arc_on_ad_dt DESC)
	ORDER BY  	NEWID()
get_books_by_author_id (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=19ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_books_by_author_id_lite.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
select	a.book_number, a.book_title, a.book_sub_title, book_short_summary,
				(CASE WHEN f.edition_publish_dt < g.edition_publish_dt OR g.edition_publish_dt IS NULL THEN f.edition_publish_dt
                      ELSE g.edition_publish_dt 
                      END) "publish_dt"
		
        from 	books a
		inner join book_author_mapping e ON e.book_number = a.book_number
        inner join authors d ON d.author_number = e.author_number
        left outer join editions f ON a.book_number = f.book_number and f.edition_paperback_flag = 0 
   		left outer join editions g ON a.book_number = g.book_number and g.edition_paperback_flag = 1 
		
       	where 	d.author_number = ?
        and 	a.book_number IN (	select	distinct b.book_number 
        							from	categories a, category_book_mapping b 
                                    where 	a.category_number = b.category_number 
                                    and 	a.category_active_flag = 1)

		order by publish_dt DESC
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 2034

get_author_by_author_id (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=42ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_books_by_author_id_lite.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
select	d.author_number, d.author_first_name, d.author_middle_initial, d.author_last_name, d.author_pronunciation,
				i.author_info_number, i.author_number, i.author_info_image, i.author_info_entry_dt,
                i.author_info_url, i.author_info_interview_summary, i.author_info_interview, i.author_info_biography, i.author_info_copyright_info
                		
        from 	authors d, author_info i
		
        where 	d.author_number = ?
        and 	d.author_number = i.author_number
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 2034

get_all_books_by_author_id (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=16ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_all_books_by_author_id.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
select	a.book_number, 
        		'' AS ezine_preview_number,
                a.book_title, 
                a.book_sub_title, 
				(CASE WHEN f.edition_publish_dt < g.edition_publish_dt OR g.edition_publish_dt IS NULL THEN f.edition_publish_dt
                      ELSE g.edition_publish_dt 
                      END) "publish_dt",
                '' as "jacket"
		
        from 	books a
		inner join book_author_mapping e ON e.book_number = a.book_number
        inner join authors d ON d.author_number = e.author_number
		left outer join editions f ON a.book_number = f.book_number and f.edition_paperback_flag = 0
		left outer join editions g ON a.book_number = g.book_number and g.edition_paperback_flag = 1
		
        where 	d.author_number = ?
        and 	a.book_number IN (	select	distinct b.book_number 
        							from	categories a, category_book_mapping b 
                                    where 	a.category_number = b.category_number 
                                    and 	a.category_active_flag = 1)        
        UNION

		select	'' AS book_number,
        		ezine_preview_number, 
				ezine_preview_title AS "book_title", 
				ezine_preview_subtitle AS "book_sub_title",
                ezine_preview_publish_dt AS "publish_dt",
                ezine_preview_jacket_image as "jacket"
		
        from 	ezine_previews
		
        where 	ezine_preview_bb_author_link = ?
        and		ezine_preview_bb_link < 1
        
        order by publish_dt DESC
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 2034
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 2034

get_bb_briefs_by_author (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=9ms, Records=1) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_bb_briefs_by_author.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
select	ezine_preview_number, 
				ezine_preview_title, 
				ezine_preview_subtitle,
                ezine_preview_publish_dt ,
                ezine_preview_jacket_image
		
        from 	ezine_previews
		
        where 	ezine_preview_bb_author_link = ?
        and		(ezine_preview_bb_link IS NULL
				 or ezine_preview_bb_link < 1)
        and		ezine_number > 0
        
		order by ezine_preview_publish_dt DESC
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 2034

get_author_readalikes_by_id (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=10ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_author_readalikes_by_id.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT		a.author_number,
			CASE	WHEN datalength(a.author_middle_initial) > 0 
					THEN a.author_first_name + ' ' + a.author_middle_initial + ' ' + a.author_last_name
					ELSE a.author_first_name + ' ' + a.author_last_name
					END AS "author_full_name",
			b.book_number, 
			f.book_title as "book",

			CASE	WHEN datalength(e.author_middle_initial) > 0 
					THEN e.author_first_name + ' ' + e.author_middle_initial + ' ' + e.author_last_name
					ELSE e.author_first_name + ' ' + e.author_last_name
					END AS "liked_author_full_name",
			e.author_number as "liked_author_number", 
			g.book_title as "liked_book",
			c.liked_book_number as "liked_book_number" 

FROM		authors a
INNER JOIN	book_author_mapping b ON b.author_number = a.author_number
INNER JOIN	liked c ON c.book_number = b.book_number
INNER JOIN	book_author_mapping d ON d.book_number = c.liked_book_number
INNER JOIN	authors e ON e.author_number = d.author_number
INNER JOIN	books f on f.book_number = b.book_number
INNER JOIN	books g on g.book_number = c.liked_book_number

WHERE		a.author_number = ?

ORDER BY 	e.author_last_name, e.author_first_name
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(cf_sql_integer) = 2034

get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=9ms, Records=0) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT		a.adid,	adweight
	FROM		adsystem a
	INNER JOIN 	ad_category_mapping b ON b.adid = a.adid
	WHERE		a.section = ?
	AND			a.active  = 1
	AND 		a.start_date <= GETDATE()
	
	AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
            

	AND     (b.category_number IN (	SELECT	category_number
									FROM	category_book_mapping
									WHERE	book_number = ?)
      		OR 	b.category_number = ?)
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = adzone2
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0
Parameter #3(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0

get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=4ms, Records=0) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT	a.adid,	adweight
        FROM	adsystem a
        WHERE	a.section = ? 
        AND 	a.active  = 1 
        AND		a.start_date <= GETDATE()	
        
        AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
        AND (select count(*) from ad_category_mapping where datalength(category_number) >= 1 and adid = a.adid) = 0
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = adzone2

get_member_account_types (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=5ms, Records=2) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_member_account_types.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
select member_account_type_number, member_account_type_name, member_account_type_charge, member_account_type_charge_frequency, member_account_type_postscript, member_account_type_months, member_account_type_stripe_lookup_key
from member_account_types
where member_account_type_number = (select top 1 member_account_type_number
									from member_account_types
									where member_account_type_months = 12
									and member_account_type_public = 1
									order by member_account_type_charge ASC)
									
or member_account_type_number =		(select top 1 member_account_type_number
									from member_account_types
									where member_account_type_months = 3
									and member_account_type_public = 1
									order by member_account_type_charge ASC)
									
order by member_account_type_sort_order ASC
get_member_account_types (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=7ms, Records=2) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_member_account_types.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
select member_account_type_number, member_account_type_name, member_account_type_charge, member_account_type_charge_frequency, member_account_type_postscript, member_account_type_months, member_account_type_stripe_lookup_key
from member_account_types
where member_account_type_number = (select top 1 member_account_type_number
									from member_account_types
									where member_account_type_months = 12
									and member_account_type_public = 1
									order by member_account_type_charge ASC)
									
or member_account_type_number =		(select top 1 member_account_type_number
									from member_account_types
									where member_account_type_months = 3
									and member_account_type_public = 1
									order by member_account_type_charge ASC)
									
order by member_account_type_sort_order ASC
get_arcs_for_ad (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=57ms, Records=0) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_arcs_for_ad.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT 	top 10 a.arc_number,arc_promo_text,
		b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_publish_dt, 
		(select (CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,0))) AS numeric(12,0)))+
				(CASE WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 25 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 50 THEN 0.5
				 WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 50 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 75 THEN -0.5
				 ELSE 0
				 END)
 			from arc_allocator	where arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS arcrating

FROM arcs a
INNER JOIN ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number

WHERE arc_closed_flag = 1
AND arc_obc_flag = 0
AND getdate() >= arc_on_ad_dt
AND (select count(*) from arc_allocator d where d.arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) > 1
and getdate() <= dateadd(day,1,a.arc_off_ad_dt)

ORDER BY NEWID()
get_arcs_for_ad (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=20ms, Records=3) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_arcs_for_ad.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT 	top 3 a.arc_number,arc_promo_text,
			b.ezine_preview_number, b.ezine_preview_title, b.ezine_preview_subtitle, b.ezine_preview_jacket_image, b.ezine_preview_author, b.ezine_preview_publish_dt, 
			(select (CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,0))) AS numeric(12,0)))+
					(CASE WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 25 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 50 THEN 0.5
					 WHEN right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) > 50 AND right(CAST(AVG(CAST(arc_allocator_review_rating AS numeric(12,2))) AS numeric(12,2)),2) < 75 THEN -0.5
					 ELSE 0
					 END)
				from arc_allocator	where arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) AS arcrating

	FROM arcs a
	INNER JOIN ezine_previews b ON b.ezine_preview_number = a.ezine_preview_number

	WHERE arc_closed_flag = 1
	AND arc_obc_flag = 0
	AND getdate() >= arc_on_ad_dt
	AND (select count(*) from arc_allocator d where d.arc_number = a.arc_number and arc_allocator_review_approved_flag = 1) > 1

	ORDER BY a.arc_off_ad_dt DESC
get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=25ms, Records=0) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT		a.adid,	adweight
	FROM		adsystem a
	INNER JOIN 	ad_category_mapping b ON b.adid = a.adid
	WHERE		a.section = ?
	AND			a.active  = 1
	AND 		a.start_date <= GETDATE()
	
	AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
            

	AND     (b.category_number IN (	SELECT	category_number
									FROM	category_book_mapping
									WHERE	book_number = ?)
      		OR 	b.category_number = ?)
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = adzone6
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0
Parameter #3(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0

get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=6ms, Records=1) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT	a.adid,	adweight
        FROM	adsystem a
        WHERE	a.section = ? 
        AND 	a.active  = 1 
        AND		a.start_date <= GETDATE()	
        
        AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
        AND (select count(*) from ad_category_mapping where datalength(category_number) >= 1 and adid = a.adid) = 0
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = adzone6

get_type (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=4ms, Records=1) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT	a.start_date, a.adid, a.end_date, a.camp_views, a.image_name, a.alt_text, a.views, a.code, a.adsize
        FROM	adsystem a
        WHERE	a.adid = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 1112

get_quotes (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=5ms, Records=1) in /root/website/site/blocks/dsp_book_giveaway.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
select top 1 ezine_number, ezine_quote, ezine_quote_title
	    from ezines
	    where len(ezine_quote_title) > 1
	    order by newid()
get_free_newsletters (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=0ms, Records=4, Cached Query) in /root/website/queries/qry_get_free_newsletters.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT 	*
    FROM 	free_newsletters
get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=5ms, Records=0) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT		a.adid,	adweight
	FROM		adsystem a
	INNER JOIN 	ad_category_mapping b ON b.adid = a.adid
	WHERE		a.section = ?
	AND			a.active  = 1
	AND 		a.start_date <= GETDATE()
		 	AND a.adid NOT IN (?) 
	AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
            

	AND     (b.category_number IN (	SELECT	category_number
									FROM	category_book_mapping
									WHERE	book_number = ?)
      		OR 	b.category_number = ?)
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = showcase_track
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 1112
Parameter #3(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0
Parameter #4(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = 0

get_ads (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=11ms, Records=1) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT	a.adid,	adweight
        FROM	adsystem a
        WHERE	a.section = ? 
        AND 	a.active  = 1 
        AND		a.start_date <= GETDATE()	
        		AND a.adid NOT IN (?) 
        AND (a.viewby LIKE '%n%' OR a.viewby = 'all')
        AND (select count(*) from ad_category_mapping where datalength(category_number) >= 1 and adid = a.adid) = 0
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_VARCHAR) = showcase_track
Parameter #2(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 1112

get_type (Datasource=bookbrowse_com_new, Time=6ms, Records=1) in /root/website/adsystem/adsystem_mod.cfm @ 09:40:24.024
SELECT	a.start_date, a.adid, a.end_date, a.camp_views, a.image_name, a.alt_text, a.views, a.code, a.adsize
        FROM	adsystem a
        WHERE	a.adid = ?
Query Parameter Value(s) -
Parameter #1(CF_SQL_INTEGER) = 594


Scope Variables

CGI Variables:
AUTH_PASSWORD=
AUTH_TYPE=
AUTH_USER=
CERT_COOKIE=
CERT_FLAGS=
CERT_ISSUER=
CERT_KEYSIZE=
CERT_SECRETKEYSIZE=
CERT_SERIALNUMBER=
CERT_SERVER_ISSUER=
CERT_SERVER_SUBJECT=
CERT_SUBJECT=
CF_TEMPLATE_PATH=/root/website/author_interviews/full/index.cfm
CONTENT_LENGTH=
CONTENT_TYPE=
CONTEXT_PATH=
GATEWAY_INTERFACE=
HTTPS=
HTTPS_KEYSIZE=
HTTPS_SECRETKEYSIZE=
HTTPS_SERVER_ISSUER=
HTTPS_SERVER_SUBJECT=
HTTP_ACCEPT=*/*
HTTP_ACCEPT_ENCODING=gzip, br, zstd, deflate
HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE=
HTTP_CONNECTION=upgrade
HTTP_COOKIE=CFTOKEN=c5af3a407551e7c-198E8028-C026-6F3C-BDAC84F196853875; CFGLOBALS=urltoken%3DCFID%23%3D4094044%26CFTOKEN%23%3D427e69c3dcab9750%2D198E9190%2DB3E9%2DA196%2D968537CFE8FDE6A6%23lastvisit%3D%7Bts%20%272026%2D06%2D01%2009%3A40%3A24%27%7D%23hitcount%3D3%23timecreated%3D%7Bts%20%272026%2D06%2D01%2009%3A40%3A21%27%7D%23cftoken%3D427e69c3dcab9750%2D198E9190%2DB3E9%2DA196%2D968537CFE8FDE6A6%23cfid%3D4094044%23; CFID=4094040; CFCLIENT_BOOKBROWSE=order%3Dp%23member%5Fnumber%3D0%23member%5Factive%5Fflag%3D0%23member%5Flogged%5Fin%5Fflag%3D0%23library%5Fuser%5Fflag%3D0%23view%3Dbooks%23
HTTP_HOST=dev.bookbrowse.com
HTTP_REFERER=
HTTP_URL=
HTTP_USER_AGENT=Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)
LOCAL_ADDR=127.0.0.1
PATH_INFO=/author_number/2034/daniel-polansky
PATH_TRANSLATED=/root/website/author_interviews/full/index.cfm
QUERY_STRING=
REMOTE_ADDR=127.0.0.1
REMOTE_HOST=127.0.0.1
REMOTE_USER=
REQUEST_METHOD=GET
SCRIPT_NAME=/author_interviews/full/index.cfm
SERVER_NAME=dev.bookbrowse.com
SERVER_PORT=8500
SERVER_PORT_SECURE=0
SERVER_PROTOCOL=HTTP/1.1
SERVER_SOFTWARE=
WEB_SERVER_API=
Client Variables:
cfid=4094042
cftoken=193f85864c205f5b-198E88FD-DE45-1B77-34C055A5E7C397F6
hitcount=5
lastvisit={ts '2026-06-01 09:40:24'}
library_user_flag=0
member_active_flag=0
member_logged_in_flag=0
member_number=0
order=p
timecreated={ts '2026-06-01 09:40:21'}
urltoken=CFID=4094040&CFTOKEN=c5af3a407551e7c-198E8028-C026-6F3C-BDAC84F196853875
view=books
Cookie Variables:
CFCLIENT_BOOKBROWSE=order=p#member_number=0#member_active_flag=0#member_logged_in_flag=0#library_user_flag=0#view=books#
CFGLOBALS=urltoken=CFID#=4094044&CFTOKEN#=427e69c3dcab9750-198E9190-B3E9-A196-968537CFE8FDE6A6#lastvisit={ts '2026-06-01 09:40:24'}#hitcount=3#timecreated={ts '2026-06-01 09:40:21'}#cftoken=427e69c3dcab9750-198E9190-B3E9-A196-968537CFE8FDE6A6#cfid=4094044#
CFID=4094040
CFTOKEN=c5af3a407551e7c-198E8028-C026-6F3C-BDAC84F196853875
Session Variables:
cfid=4094040
cftoken=c5af3a407551e7c-198E8028-C026-6F3C-BDAC84F196853875
sessionid=BOOKBROWSE_4094040_c5af3a407551e7c-198E8028-C026-6F3C-BDAC84F196853875
urltoken=CFID=4094040&CFTOKEN=c5af3a407551e7c-198E8028-C026-6F3C-BDAC84F196853875
URL Parameters:
author_number=2034
daniel-polansky=
Debug Rendering Time: 19 ms