Chris Jags's Blog - Posts Tagged "mythology"
Myths and Monsters: the challenge
Rusalki. Naiads and fossegrim. A leyak. These four mythical beings figure heavily in my three works, beginning with the short story Rusalki, moving on to my first novel Hate Ghost, and continuing in my new serial Tales of Tourniquet. What do they have in common? They aren't vampires, werewolves, or zombies.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the VWZ horde (except maybe that they completely hog the tail end of the alphabet). They're as synonymous with horror as dragons, elves, and dwarves are with fantasy; they're not going anywhere. But man, the world of mythology is vast and rich, and there are so many creatures lurking in the outer reaches of folklore, just waiting to be dragged - kicking and screaming if necessary - into the public eye.
Yeah, some of them are insane; inarguably tough to work with. Let's take the A Bao A Qu, for example, a shapeless, translucent mass locked into a perpetual cycle of climbing and falling down staircases. No matter how you look at it, poor old Qu just doesn't have the raw, primal sex appeal of a vampire (if you're into the undead, I won't judge). It's not gonna be expanding The Big Three anytime soon.
But man, there are a ton of mythological entities out there which could easily take the limelight, it's just that no one outside of their home countries will give them the chance. They're like that bright-eyed starlet who no one in Hollywood can find room for because their leading lady quota is all full up, so she winds up squandering her potential in obscure porn. Case in point: rusalki, naiads, fossegrim, and leyak.
And here's the thing: these guys don't have to be slavishly re-created. In what I call Oh-Yeah?-MY-Vampire-Eats-Garlic-And-Wears-A-Cross-Syndrome, they can evolve to suit the times. Hell, even the A Bao A Qu could at least take the elevator if it showed up in a modern story.
When I settled on a leyak for my newest character, Tourniquet, I was ecstatic. Seriously, I thought, Why aren't these things everywhere? They're a vampiric creature whose head goes hunting at night, trailing their innards! Gross, sure, but come on! Creatures like that are a dark fantasy goldmine. And like I said above, you don't have to recreate these demons exactly. Mess around with them. I gave my leyak the bat wings of the similar Philippine Manananggal, removed the ability to turn into a pig (and the single-minded desire to attack pregnant women) and voila, updated!
So, my challenge to my fellow authors is, the next time you want to have a mythical creature starring in your tale - and I mean in a major role, either lead or support, not just some monster raging around in the background - crack open an encyclopedia of mythology and bring us something fresh. Or at least something which needs to have a layer of dust brushed off.
And then, I dunno, make them sparkle.
I'm not saying there's anything wrong with the VWZ horde (except maybe that they completely hog the tail end of the alphabet). They're as synonymous with horror as dragons, elves, and dwarves are with fantasy; they're not going anywhere. But man, the world of mythology is vast and rich, and there are so many creatures lurking in the outer reaches of folklore, just waiting to be dragged - kicking and screaming if necessary - into the public eye.
Yeah, some of them are insane; inarguably tough to work with. Let's take the A Bao A Qu, for example, a shapeless, translucent mass locked into a perpetual cycle of climbing and falling down staircases. No matter how you look at it, poor old Qu just doesn't have the raw, primal sex appeal of a vampire (if you're into the undead, I won't judge). It's not gonna be expanding The Big Three anytime soon.
But man, there are a ton of mythological entities out there which could easily take the limelight, it's just that no one outside of their home countries will give them the chance. They're like that bright-eyed starlet who no one in Hollywood can find room for because their leading lady quota is all full up, so she winds up squandering her potential in obscure porn. Case in point: rusalki, naiads, fossegrim, and leyak.
And here's the thing: these guys don't have to be slavishly re-created. In what I call Oh-Yeah?-MY-Vampire-Eats-Garlic-And-Wears-A-Cross-Syndrome, they can evolve to suit the times. Hell, even the A Bao A Qu could at least take the elevator if it showed up in a modern story.
When I settled on a leyak for my newest character, Tourniquet, I was ecstatic. Seriously, I thought, Why aren't these things everywhere? They're a vampiric creature whose head goes hunting at night, trailing their innards! Gross, sure, but come on! Creatures like that are a dark fantasy goldmine. And like I said above, you don't have to recreate these demons exactly. Mess around with them. I gave my leyak the bat wings of the similar Philippine Manananggal, removed the ability to turn into a pig (and the single-minded desire to attack pregnant women) and voila, updated!
So, my challenge to my fellow authors is, the next time you want to have a mythical creature starring in your tale - and I mean in a major role, either lead or support, not just some monster raging around in the background - crack open an encyclopedia of mythology and bring us something fresh. Or at least something which needs to have a layer of dust brushed off.
And then, I dunno, make them sparkle.
Tales of Tourniquet
One of my favorite books - I've read the cover clean off it - is the compiled Sherlock Holmes collection. Holmes was my introduction to serials in general, and in recent years, I've developed a taste for TV shows as well. It was only a matter of time before I wanted to try my hand at a serial myself.
After getting the deathly serious Hate Ghost out of my system, I decided I wanted to try a "lighter" dark fantasy - keeping the horror elements, but wrapping them around a framework of adventure, drama, and humor - and Tales of Tourniquet is the result.
Speaking of TV, there are several intelligent, intricately plotted, award-winning shows running. Even taking different mediums into account, Tales of Tourniquet doesn't aspire to their company. Meant to be fast, fun, and pulpy, ToT chronicles the ongoing journeys of an undead bounty hunter pursuing targets ranging from vampires to soul-sucking demons.
Tourniquet herself is a leyak - a creature which detaches its head to hunt - in disguise as a human to avoid persecution. She's a woman with a very fluid morality; her own companions can't always figure out how she makes her decisions. She needs human blood to survive - or is presumed to - and doesn't much care who provides it.
Her most stalwart companion is the Northlands barbarian Ajin, a man of honor whose noble convictions are somewhat undermined by his loyalty to a killer as vicious as Tourniquet. It is currently unknown as to why he remains so devoted to someone who, by his own values, would be considered a monster.
Darius Zenn, failed merchant, sleazy and unscrupulous, is looking to make a profit from his travels with Tourniquet, who has a way of amassing priceless, powerful artifacts. Self-serving and immature, Zenn values himself above all others, which occasionally manifests in vindictive, ill-considered actions.
The newest addition to Tourniquet's crew is the quirky stripper Red. She's a little air-headed and awkward, but she does have a rare skill which Tourniquet values: her ability to see through mystical disguises. Her infatuation with Ajin has gone, so far, unreciprocated.
This motley crew represent the core of Tales of Tourniquet, and I hope readers will come to enjoy their continuing misadventures. Theirs is a world bursting with supernatural horrors just waiting to be confronted and I'm excited to continue building the series' mythology. Volume 1 releases on January 6 2015. I'm already working on volume 2!
After getting the deathly serious Hate Ghost out of my system, I decided I wanted to try a "lighter" dark fantasy - keeping the horror elements, but wrapping them around a framework of adventure, drama, and humor - and Tales of Tourniquet is the result.
Speaking of TV, there are several intelligent, intricately plotted, award-winning shows running. Even taking different mediums into account, Tales of Tourniquet doesn't aspire to their company. Meant to be fast, fun, and pulpy, ToT chronicles the ongoing journeys of an undead bounty hunter pursuing targets ranging from vampires to soul-sucking demons.
Tourniquet herself is a leyak - a creature which detaches its head to hunt - in disguise as a human to avoid persecution. She's a woman with a very fluid morality; her own companions can't always figure out how she makes her decisions. She needs human blood to survive - or is presumed to - and doesn't much care who provides it.
Her most stalwart companion is the Northlands barbarian Ajin, a man of honor whose noble convictions are somewhat undermined by his loyalty to a killer as vicious as Tourniquet. It is currently unknown as to why he remains so devoted to someone who, by his own values, would be considered a monster.
Darius Zenn, failed merchant, sleazy and unscrupulous, is looking to make a profit from his travels with Tourniquet, who has a way of amassing priceless, powerful artifacts. Self-serving and immature, Zenn values himself above all others, which occasionally manifests in vindictive, ill-considered actions.
The newest addition to Tourniquet's crew is the quirky stripper Red. She's a little air-headed and awkward, but she does have a rare skill which Tourniquet values: her ability to see through mystical disguises. Her infatuation with Ajin has gone, so far, unreciprocated.
This motley crew represent the core of Tales of Tourniquet, and I hope readers will come to enjoy their continuing misadventures. Theirs is a world bursting with supernatural horrors just waiting to be confronted and I'm excited to continue building the series' mythology. Volume 1 releases on January 6 2015. I'm already working on volume 2!
Crow's Meal 2: A Bestiary
Just checking in - I'm over 50,000 words into a sequel to Crow's Meal, and I'm pretty happy with it. It's as deranged as the first entry, but it also takes a more serious tone - without abandoning a ghoulish sense of humor. I'd expect it, maybe, mid-2018? I can't lock down a date yet, since most of my writing and editing revolve around work.
In my ongoing quest to "write 'em all", expect a bunch of mythological oddities to join a cast which previously included vampires, fairies, rokurokubi, imps, elves, and lampad. Crow's Meal 2 (no, NOT the title! - that will be revealed soon) will add a succubus, a mara/mare, and an aswang to the mix). And, of course, a brand new crow!
Stay tuned here or follow my curmudgeonly ramblings on Twitter.
In my ongoing quest to "write 'em all", expect a bunch of mythological oddities to join a cast which previously included vampires, fairies, rokurokubi, imps, elves, and lampad. Crow's Meal 2 (no, NOT the title! - that will be revealed soon) will add a succubus, a mara/mare, and an aswang to the mix). And, of course, a brand new crow!
Stay tuned here or follow my curmudgeonly ramblings on Twitter.
Chasing Danaera - a horror-infused fantasy novella
I have dragged my new novella, Chasing Danaera, kicking and screaming into the world!
Anyone who follows me on Twitter may already know that this one has been a difficult, uncooperative project. I've struggled with it all year, abandoned it multiple times, and written it across many moods. But at long last, it is complete!
Chasing Danaera is the tale of a young man who abandons his wife (with a stillborn child) to pursue the woman of his dreams, a nymph, into her forest homeland. "Wow, what a hero," you might say, in your best sarcastic voice... and you'd be right. I don't write heroes.
Garrick is a youth torn between the traditional expectations of his father and fellow villagers, and his hunger for a wild creature, supernatural in her beauty. He chooses the fantasy of reuniting with Danaera the nymph over his solid and dependable young wife, Cadie.
The tale is composed of several different elements - a fantasy adventure, albeit a dark one; a horror tale both psychological and visceral; and a romance... of sorts. If you want something to swoon over, this ain't it.
Anyway, I'd rather not give too much away, so I'll just mention that Chasing Danaera features several of my hallmarks - buckets of supernatural creatures and a dangerous forest among them - so despite the different angle, my readers should feel at home. There are pesky sprites and cannibal wights and oversexed rusalki (or fauns, if fauns are more your thing.)
Okay, maybe I'm giving a lot away. But to find out how all this fits together, you'll have to read it!
Chasing Danaera is tentatively scheduled for January 11 2020 on Kindle (USA/Canada/U.K.) I'm still working on the paperback release which may or may not be simultaneous. More news to come!
Anyone who follows me on Twitter may already know that this one has been a difficult, uncooperative project. I've struggled with it all year, abandoned it multiple times, and written it across many moods. But at long last, it is complete!
Chasing Danaera is the tale of a young man who abandons his wife (with a stillborn child) to pursue the woman of his dreams, a nymph, into her forest homeland. "Wow, what a hero," you might say, in your best sarcastic voice... and you'd be right. I don't write heroes.
Garrick is a youth torn between the traditional expectations of his father and fellow villagers, and his hunger for a wild creature, supernatural in her beauty. He chooses the fantasy of reuniting with Danaera the nymph over his solid and dependable young wife, Cadie.
The tale is composed of several different elements - a fantasy adventure, albeit a dark one; a horror tale both psychological and visceral; and a romance... of sorts. If you want something to swoon over, this ain't it.
Anyway, I'd rather not give too much away, so I'll just mention that Chasing Danaera features several of my hallmarks - buckets of supernatural creatures and a dangerous forest among them - so despite the different angle, my readers should feel at home. There are pesky sprites and cannibal wights and oversexed rusalki (or fauns, if fauns are more your thing.)
Okay, maybe I'm giving a lot away. But to find out how all this fits together, you'll have to read it!
Chasing Danaera is tentatively scheduled for January 11 2020 on Kindle (USA/Canada/U.K.) I'm still working on the paperback release which may or may not be simultaneous. More news to come!
