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Lurking Musings

~ Musings of a newly published writer

Lurking Musings

Tag Archives: Vampires

Missed Opportunities: An obituary for Rachel Caine

02 Monday Nov 2020

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Obituaries

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Morganville Vampires, Rachel Caine, Soft Tissue Sarcoma, Vampire Month, Vampires


I recieved the sad news today via both Facebook and email that Rachel Caine, author of the Morganville Vampires among other tales, had sadly passed away. She had been battling with a particularly rare and aggressive soft tissue sarcoma and had announced not too long ago that it had become impossible to treat and it was only a matter of time. The full announcement can be seen here on her fan page.

I never met Roxanne Conrad, the author who used the name Rachel CaineRachel Caine - Home as her pen name, but she had an influence on my life and my writing work in more than one way. In the height of ‘Twilightmania’, she was publishing novels about vampires that were refreshing and unique. The town of Morganville was something akin to what could exist in White Wolf’s World of Darkness – a place ruled by vampires – and it contained a bunch of entertaining characters and stories that I could not stop reading. It represented for me the epitome of urban fantasy writing. Few authors have the nounce to not only make Oliver Cromwell a character but also to hide him under an assumed name and leave it up to readers to work out who he actually is (by working it out from his birth date given in one of the books…). Oh and not to mention one of the characters might possibly be Merlin… sort of…

I read some of her other works (Ink and Bone, the Weather Warden Series and the Revivalist series) and saw a great talent in her work. She twisted tropes, played with concepts and seemed to have a never ending pool of great ideas that she seemed to churn out at an alarming rate compared to my pedestrian writing speed. However, it was always the Morganville series for which I will always remember and thank her for.

In the past year, I had become aware of her on Quora where, like Mercedes Lackey, she had been making a name for herself as someone who gave sensible advice to upcoming writers. I was even honoured on a number of occasions to have had an upvote from her on some of my answers. For a fan that is an epic form of recognition.

Glass Houses: The bestselling action-packed series (Morganville Vampires)  eBook: Caine, Rachel: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle StoreThe missed opportunity I mentioned in the title was that I have always said that I would have loved to have had her doing a piece for Vampire month. Sharing her ideas about vampires and urban fantasy in general. I never had the guts to ask and now I will never get the chance. I guess this is an appropriate time to remind you all to carpe diem while you can because things can change so quickly and chances disappear.

Anyway, I urge you to check out her books if you haven’t already. You can find them all on Goodreads/Amazon right here… And if you have any interest in Vampires at all and are sick of all the many tropes about them, I strongly suggest you check out Glass Houses, the Morganville Vampires book 1.

 

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) A tongue-in-cheek analysis by Steve Van Samson



16 Friday Oct 2020

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Guest posts, Musings, Reviews, Vampire Month

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I am legend, Last Man on Earth, Omega Man, Richard Matheson, Vampire Month, Vampires, Vincent Price, Zombie horror, zompires



Amazon.com: The Last Man on Earth [VHS]: Vincent Price, Franca Bettoia,  Emma Danieli, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Umberto Raho, Christi Courtland,  Antonio Corevi, Ettore Ribotta, Carolyn De Fonseca, Rolando De Rossi,  Giuseppe Mattei,First, a little history…

These days, the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse can hardly be considered jaw droppingly original. With such beloved properties such as THE WALKING DEAD (2010), NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) and about a million in between, the zombie hoard concept has staggered and moaned its way into our hearts. Funny thing is, boil ‘em down to their component parts and you’ll find there are essentially two types of zombie films: Pre-Apocalypse and Post. But in the early 1950s, the idea of a world where mankind had been put on the endangered species list was unheard of. Lucky for us that in 1954, genre master Richard Matheson penned a novel that changed all of that.
In the world of Science Fiction and Horror, “I Am Legend” is kind of an important book. It inspired not only what is considered by many to be the quintessential zombie film (Romero’s NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, 1968), but also three direct adaptations (including THE OMEGA MAN, 1971 & I AM LEGEND, 2007) and essentially an entire subgenre of horror. In other words, if the Zombie Apocalypse compels you to write a thank you note, it should probably be addressed to Richard Matheson.
But enough of that…
Tonight’s film is not only the first to adapt the story “I Am Legend”, it also happens to be the most faithful to the source material.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) is constructed of three distinct acts, beginning with a series of aerial shots depicting a sprawling, if barren metropolis. As these progress, the shots become more and more grim, eventually depicting dead bodies strewn over sidewalks, streets and stairs as well as a church’s marquee which boldly proclaims that THE END HAS COME. The sequence comes to its conclusion on a sleepy street, which would surely be charming if not for all the bodies.
It is here that through a broken and boarded window, we catch the first glimpse of our hero. Starring as Dr. Robert Morgan we have the great Vincent Price (HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, 1959, THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES, 1971). Initially asleep, Robert is jarred awake to the shrill sound of an alarm clock. And like many of us are apt to, he greets the morning with all the excitement of getting a root canal, as he shuffles off and into the business of the day.
“Another day to live through. Better get started.”
With this haunting line, so begins the film’s first act.
For quite a while, the movie trudges along as a sort of one man show–depicting a typical day in the life of the titular LAST MAN ON EARTH. Initially, all of the film’s dialog is delivered via an inner monologue–providing vital insight into the mind of our protagonist, as well as establishing the ins and outs of this post-apocalyptic world. Apparently it has been three years since Morgan inherited the Earth, though by his own account if feels quite a bit longer.
After checking his calendar and adding oil to the ole’ generator, Morgan steps outside to greet the morning sun as well as some fresh dead folk on his lawn. These he regards with all the awe one typically reserves for the first glimpse of the morning paper. It is about this time that we begin to learn about the film’s so-called monsters. Though I have thus far likened these infected humans to “zombies”, this is not entirely accurate. While the infecteds are certainly zombie-esque (given their apparent penchant for moaning, shuffling, blank stares, etc.) they also share quite a few similarities with another classic monster–the vampire.
We soon learn that Morgan has fortified his home with such oddities as strands of garlic and mirrors. According to this film’s mythology, mirrors can be used to repel the infecteds who have a serious hate-on for their own hideous reflections. Of course later when we are treated to the limits of the makeup department, this fact becomes quite silly since the monsters (zompires?) look about as monstrous as the average post-bender collegiate.
But I digress…
After a few more steps in the morning routine, Morgan packs his kit with some freshly made stakes, loads up the car with two bodies from the lawn and hits the road. Better get a move on, Morgan–you’ve got a full day of errands ahead of you and daylight, she’s a burnin’.
After a quick fill-up, the good doctor’s first stop is “the pit”. Basically a perpetually burning gorge of insinuated bodies (insinuated since we never actually see any besides the ones Morgan tosses in). Admittedly, out of the many daily functions we have seen Dr. Robert Morgan perform so far, throwing dead zompires into the mouth of hell is probably the most exciting. The sequence ends with Morgan chasing the bodies with a whole can of petrol and a jumbo novelty torch–just to let the we the audience know that they the filmmakers were also wondering what was keeping this pit thing going.BlueisKewl: The Last Man on Earth 1964
Stop number two on Morgan’s crazy Saturday adventure is a visit to the local supermarket. Surprisingly, he passes through aisles stocked with cans and boxes of viable food, ignoring the lot. The item he’s after today is garlic since his home supply has apparently lost its potency. A good thing indeed that the market’s freezer is still working and there is a large supply of the stinky vampire repelling bulb inside. After stocking up on all the garlic he can carry, Morgan moves on to the really fun part of the day… FULL THROTTLE ZOMPIRE KILLING SPREE!!!
The score blares, all brass and swagger as we are treated to a montage of Vincent Price kicking in doors, hammering down stakes and feeding “the pit” with some freshly slain zompire folk. Then wash, rinse, repeat–it’s all very exciting. Eventually though, the sun starts to get low in that western sky. Noticing this, Morgan decides he had better head home, batten down the hatches and hunker in for another long night. And so he does. One safely settled in, the zompires appear almost at once, planks of wood in hand–they assault the doctor’s home, even calling him by name!
“Morgan… Come out Morgan…”
Fortunately for the good doctor, his zompire assailants have the approximate upper body strength of Spongebob Squarepants. After three years of nightly onslaughts, they have yet to set as much as one wormy toe into his fine, upper middle class home.
At its core, the point of act 1 is to show us a typical day in the life of THE LAST MAN ON EARTH. The mundanities feel mundane for a very good reason–Morgan is running on fumes. He exists simply to exist. Filling his time with the self appointed purpose of exterminating as many zompires as possible–making sure not to die in the process so he can do it all over again the next day, and the next… and the next.
The Last Man on Earth 1964: 15 things you didn't know! | Spooky Isles
Act 2 appears pretty much out of nowhere and is basically one big flashback. In it, we are able to glimpse a portion of Morgan’s life prior to the human race’s nigh-extinction. We get to meet his lovely wife and adorable young daughter, as well as his best friend Ben (who we’ve already met as the hero zompire who endlessly calls Morgan by name). These are the early days of the disease and they aren’t pretty–what with all the panic and hazmat suits and dead kids getting hauled away in trucks. The sequence is certainly interesting enough and adds some depth to our main character.
With the flashback over, we smack headlong into act 3. The final portion of the film takes what we think we know about the world and turns it on its head. Without giving too much away, I will say that the conclusion does a good job of providing an alternate look at Morgan’s unique outlook and situation.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH (1964) is admittedly something of a sluggish affair. It’s production is low and it features some seriously terrible audio quality as well as glaringly looped voice overs.–however, the film is certainly not without its charm. Price’s character, while incredibly disillusioned and apathetic, is fascinating when juxtaposed against the dystopian world just outside his door. We come to understand that Dr. Robert Morgan is a shell of his former self. A man resigned to continue the business of living–somehow finding balance in day to day survival, but perhaps without knowing why. And somewhere along the way, he became something unrecognizable.
I think Nietzsche probably said it best.

Interview: L. Marie Wood

13 Tuesday Oct 2020

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Musings, Vampire Month

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Interview, Ira Levin, L. Marie Wood, Slay: Stories of the Vampire Noire, Vampires


In our first special ‘itinerant Vampire Month’ post, we welcome L. Marie Wood into the special vampire interrogation chair (the one with all the gothic skulls and weird spikes) to answer questions about herself, her work and in particular her story in Slay: Stories of the Vampire Noire.Picture of L. Marie Wood

L. Marie Wood is an award-winning author and screenwriter. She is the recipient of the Golden Stake Award for her novel The Promise Keeper, as well as the Harold L. Brown Award for her screenplay Home Party. Her short story, “The Ever After” is part of the Bram Stoker Award Finalist anthology Sycorax’s Daughters.  Wood was recognized in The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror, Vol. 15 and as one of the 100+ Black Women in Horror Fiction.  

The questions…

What is the earliest memory you have of writing? What did you write about?

I was 5 years old and I wrote a horror story about a woman who was being chased.  She encountered all kinds of things that were creepy to my young mind and then, at the moment when she would either have to fight or die trying, she woke up!

When did you decide to become a professional writer? Why did you take this step?

In the middle of that very first story – yes, at age 5 – I decide that writing was what I wanted to do forever.  Writing is something that is as much a part of me as my eye color or my height.  I truly feel that I was born to do this and to ignore that would be to live life unrealized.

What would you consider to be your greatest strength as a writer? What about your greatest weakness? How do you overcome this weakness?

My greatest strength is that I can find ideas anywhere and everywhere.  Considering that my genre is psychological horror, I often am intrigued by what could be going on in someone’s head.  That allows for an endless supply of material – ideas can be generated by taking a walk or waiting at a stop light in the car.  Cover of The Realm by L. Marie Wood

My greatest weakness is the concept of boundaries – though, not the way you might think.  I used to not read when I was writing.  When I was working on my first novel, I thought that was the best way to keep other people’s ideas out of my head and keep my writing pure.  I found that limited the amount of reading I did in a year and if you are like me, the consumption of fiction is as important to you as air or water – well, almost.  😊  Because I write a lot, I found that I read less and less and that just bothered me.  So, I tried writing a few short stories while reading a novel that had been on my list for some time… and it worked!  I found that I didn’t actually need to keep the two separate at all – that I can actually walk and chew gum at the same time.  I take this approach with all boundaries, whether within the writing or from my daily life.  The way I overcame the weakness was simply to try it and see what happened. 

Tell us about the place where you live. Have you ever derived any inspiration from your home or from anywhere you have visited?

My town is like any other suburban town – same stores, same restaurants… some streets even look like ones in neighbouring states.  This is the perfect place to get inspiration.  I write about the lived experience – the mundane is my playground.

Which book, if any, would you consider to be your greatest influence and inspiration?

Not a book, but an author.  Ira Levin’s comfortable flow really spoke to me wheIra Levin (Playwright, Author) | StageAgentn I was trying to find my own voice.  He connects with readers in a way that makes you feel like you are chatting with him over a drink on a casual Sunday afternoon.  That ability to engage readers, to unsuspectingly get into their space and under their skin, has influenced my style considerably.

What drove you to write about Vampires?

They are the most human of the horror antagonists and their motivations just make sense to me.  The embodiment of excess regardless of what emotion is being displayed, vampires are excellent antagonists to use in psychological horror.

What do you think is the attraction for Vampire fiction? Why is it such a popular topic?

Vampires are sexy!  Vampires are misunderstood.  Vampires do what we wish we could and dare someone to levy a consequence.  Vampires are who want to be times 1000.

In a fight between all the greatest Vampires of fiction, who do you think would come out on top?

The smart ones.  The Lestats of the genre, impetuous as he is.  The Armands.  The ones who know there is more to the whole thing than just the taking of blood.  If I had to pick one, I’ll say Lestat.

What about in some other contest such as sexiness or dress sense? Who would win that one?

Same… I mean, just look at Lestat!

How well do you think one of your characters would fare against the winner(s) of the above?

Nah, there’s no competition in dress and style.  My characters are nowhere near as flashy as Lestat, however, they would give him a run for his money once he turned a little catty!

Tell us the basic premise behind your story in this anthology.

The short story in SLAY is a discovery tale that happens in a contemporary setting.  It is fast-paced and really dives into the internal turmoil that can exist when one’s humanity is staring back at them in the mirror.

You can find out more about L, Marie Wood on the following links:

Website:  www.lmariewood.com

Twitter: @LMarieWood1

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/lmariewood

Amazon Author Page

 

 

[Vampire Month] Scarlett Flame interview

18 Monday Mar 2019

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Vampire Month

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50 Shades of Grey, BDSM, Dracula, Scarlett Flame, Twlilight, Vampires


This week in Vampire Month we have Scarlett Flame who is here to suffer the painful interrogations of the Vampire month interview. Scarlett is a Manchester based writer who dabbles in many genres from Steampunk to Paranormal but all with a sexy, erotic twist. She is also the organiser of the Manchester Author signing and gig event that takes place every year in August. Details here: Manchester Author event and gigManchester Author event and gig

A ModernGothin

1)      What is the earliest memory you have of writing? What did you write about?

This is a hard one to answer really. I always kept a diary or journal from a young age so that is probably my earliest memory of writing anything significant. It was just about what happened for day to day in my life.

2)      When did you decide to become a professional writer? Why did you take this step?

I made the decision in 2013 after a discussion with friends that I used to chat to on Twitter. They were, for the most part writers and authors. on evening my friend John was talking about a book he was writing and I happened to mention that I had been writing secretly. I actually kept the writing in my bottom drawer of my chest of drawers in my bedroom.

He said to send me what I had written so I send him the first chapter of a story. A paranormal Steampunk story and he said it was pretty good and worth pursuing. Between about five of them they then came up with my author name. I loved to write so I thought, why not give it a shot.

3)      What would you consider to be your greatest strength as a writer? What about your greatest weakness? How do you overcome this weakness?

My greatest strength I think is my ability to communicate with others and drive a story forward. My greatest weakness is procrastination. I am easily distracted. Like the dog off Up that can be distracted by the word and thought of squirrels.

A Gothic Romance teaser 5.png4)      Tell us about the place where you live. Have you ever derived any inspiration from your home or from anywhere you have visited?

The place I live is a very small village on the outskirts of Manchester. It is close to moss lands and very rural. Despite being close to the East Lancashire Road. I live in a pretty mining cottage.

In my steampunk book i mention a number of places including Wales where most of my family live and my latest book is set in Whitby. Lots of inspiration came from a holiday there and witnessing the most amazing sunset with the abbey ruins as a backdrop. In fact the cover of the book shows the view I had that evening.

I derive inspiration from here and the many places that I have visited or my family has lived.

5)      Which book, if any, would you consider to be your greatest influence and inspiration?

There are a number but I think Dracula was very inspirational. I love a good vampire novel

6)      What drove you to write about Vampires?

I simply love vampires in their many guises. Dracula, From Dusk till Dawn and of course Twilight.

7)      What do you think is the attraction for Vampire fiction? Why is it such a popular topic?

I think vampires and sex are synonymous. Who could resist a sexy vampire tale of love, lust and blood?

8)      In a fight between all the greatest Vampires of fiction, who do you think would come out on top?

I think Dracula would have to come out on top.

9)      What about in some other contest such as sexiness or dress sense? Who would win that one?

Hmmm the Vampire Louis has to win on sexiness from Anne Rice’s The Vampire Lestat. I love the books by Anne Rice. As for dress sense that would have to be Dracula and his over the top dark cloaks.

10)   How well do you think one of your characters would fare against the winner(s)InstagramCapture_e8cd6ef1-7764-43ed-8c46-02db0b04b899 of the above?

I think my vampires would fare well against any other vampires as they are superstrong, fast and have other powers too.

11)   Tell us the basic premise behind your latest novel.

The story begins with a young woman visiting Whitby. Visiting her grandma in fact, on the outskirts of Whitby not too far away from the ancient Abbey. There she finally meets the resident vampire, Xander.

This is the story about how their relationship progresses and about the heroine – Ellenor, finding out that her life is about to change in ways beyond her imagination.

In magical ways and the ways of the Lifestyle. The Lifestyle being that of BDSM, bondage and spankings.

Very much 50 shades meets Twilight in some respects.

[Vampire Month] The month that never dies…

01 Friday Mar 2019

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Guest posts, Interview, Photos, Vampire Month

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March, Vampire Month, Vampires


It is March and loyal followers of this blog all know what March means. That’s right – Vampire Month. That random idea I had many years ago to create a themed event because, one March, I happened to have four Vampire authors just itching to get some guest posts out there… Then, for some insane reason, once I had laid it to rest at the end of March I decided to bring it back for another year… and another… and another…Vampire

A lot has happened since then but Vampire month has managed to be released on time every year, no matter how busy or distracted I get. This year is no exception with regards to the distraction. I’ve started working on some educational resources (first one published recently, the other two still in production) and also been trying to work on several new projects, including a Vampire based story of my own for an upcoming anthlology to follow up the Over the Top Alphas collection (https://www.amazon.com/this-world-Alphas-Brynn-Burke-ebook/dp/B07MMVY2LK). This is unusual for me because I do not normally write about Vampires. Well, apparently now I do…

All of this distraction has meant that I have not been able to  get hold of four Vampire authors to do spots this year. So, this year I have opted for a more freeform approach. Instead of the traditional ‘guest post and interview’ combo for all participants, this year contributors are free to submit what they want – guest posts, interviews, photos, flash fiction, anything that fits the theme. I am also going to do a couple of posts myself. One on a Vampire photoshoot I went on recently and the other on the short I am writing for the anthology.

So, expect the first post sometime early next week…

[Review] A Change of Heart by Mark Benjamin

03 Monday Oct 2016

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Review

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A Change of Heart, Mark Benjamin, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, YA


A change of heart by Mark BenjaminA Change of Heart is set in a standard Urban fantasy milieu where vampires rule in the shadows and humans are largely unaware of their existence apart from a few who are in the know – either because they serve the vampires or are actively trying to destroy them.

The central tale of this novel follows the story of Gabriel, a geeky university student who gets caught up in the hidden supernatural world when he is bitten by Lucas, a vampire Royal. You follow the changes that  occur to him as he transforms  – improved strength and speed, better night sight and all the other benefits of immortal blood, including a psychic link to a ‘dark beauty’ who is actually Lucas’s sister, also a powerful vampire. How he copes with this and how it affects his day to day life makes an interesting story, albeit one rather tropetastic with themes that have already been explored to death in other settings, including Peter Parker in Spider-Man (with the compulsory ‘weedy hero beats up the bullies’ scene in there for good measure). This thread is entertaining despite being heavy on the cliché – basic geek wish fulfilment stuff – and would make the basis of a strong novel by itself.

However, that strong story is  somewhat swamped in the rest of the novel which is overambitious in its attempt to encompass the entirety of the world building. There are chapters and chapters in which many PoV characters weigh in, most of them with very little to actually contribute. Each of the main vampire characters, many more minor vampires, some of the human servants of the vampires, each of Gabriel’s friends, several of the modernised Knightly order of Vampire hunters and many other characters all get a shot in the spotlight and most of them waste it without actually progressing any of the plot. Some of these sections are very short – a paragraph or two – and if those chapters had been removed I do not think anyone would have noticed. At most, this needed four characters in the spotlight (Gabriel, his mortal love interest, the ‘dark beauty’ and the leader of the vampires) and could have done very well with only Gabriel’s point of view – allowing the reader to explore the mystery of the new world he has fallen into. A whole novel could have covered the transformation of Gabriel, the effect this has on his life and relationships and ended with him and his friends meeting the Knights (something that occurs about half way through the book) and leading into a second book where more of the politics of vampire society and the nature of the knights is revealed. Pared down like that, cutting out the extraneous fluff and pumping up the scenes with Gabriel, this could have been a great YA urban fantasy novel with a lot of potential for sequels.

I guess the issue here is the author is trying to portray a complicated political situation with conspiracies and secrets and is making the mistake of thinking that the reader needs to see all that immediately. As a writer myself I know the temptation is there when faced with this and I think the solution is to strictly limit point of view – the reader sees what the character sees and therefore may well be oblivious to the plots in the background but will see evidence of it in other character actions. It is a hard trick to pull off well (and I am by no means an expert at it myself).

Overall, a good story that manages to entertain marred by an over ambitious plot that needed a subtler approach to manage well.

The nature of myths

16 Friday Sep 2016

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Musings

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Greek myths, Homer, Iliad, Legends, Myths, Odyssey LRP, Photos of Egyptians, Photos of Greeks, Photos of Romans, Trojan war, Troy, Vampires, writing


This topic has been on my mind recently because a few weekends ago, the LRP event I used to be a major part of (Odyssey LRP – which I have talked about in the past on here) came to a satisfying end. Through seven years of ongoing story, many of the characters worked through story arcs which matched those seen in mythology. Several found themselves ascending to godhood or higher, others emerged as political leaders of their people. There was glory, honour and tragedy; with much of the plot driven by the inevitable heroic fatal flaw. All in all it was an emotional finale.black-and-white-stand

As part of the preparation for this event we listened to some podcasts on myths and legends. In particular, one on the Trojan war by Paul Vincent which I feel highlights the problem (or maybe the advantage) with mythological heroes – heroes are idiots. Seriously, have you actually looked at that story? They make massive mistakes in tactics and common sense which lead to what should have been a very quickly settled dispute into ten years of constant siege. I am fairly sure that they were suffering from the age old problem of the self fulfilling prophesy in that the gods decided that there has to be a war and it must last ten years so the mortals channel their stupidity to ensure that a) the war happens and b) it carries on as long as the gods say it should.

zodiacblurredfightBut that issue is only part of what I want to talk about here. The main focus of this post is that weird transition between myths and history. The events in the Iliad and Odyssey, for example, combine elements of both. Archaeological evidence points at the existence of Troy, there is a good chance that there was indeed a war there between Greece and Troy. There have even been attempts at working out the exact date of this war by use of dating techniques and evidence of bodies buried near the ruins of what is believed to be Troy. The podcast also talked about how many of the historic kings of Greece claimed descent from the (in)famous kings described in these myths. Though it is unclear whether they actually were descended from those people (assuming they even existed) or were just legitimising their claim to the throne.

I think the problem here is actually based on lack of actual historic evidence coupled with biased oral history reporting. Stories passed down for generations from a time when little was actually recorded which are embellished in each retelling by individuals who have a good reason to amp up the exploits of their ancestors or excuse them their sins by blaming them on fate or the gods. The result is a bizarre merging of myth and reality where the actual exploits of individuals get exaggerated to the point where they take on a supernatural air. Cultures like the  Celts have been  shown to have added  a creative and boastful bent to their oral storytelling – where a story of one man defeating two becomes the same man defeating ten and ultimately hundreds of enemies. The ancient Greeks would likely to have had the same tendency and it is easy to see how many famous warriors became demigods. Chances are they were good – good enough to make a name – and their fame spread and grew and their stories were embellished and added to until they were legends.

psychopomp

A character at Odyssey LRP enters the underworld (with a little help from photoshop).

 

 

So, how does this apply to a writer? Well, it is an insight into the nature of story in general and myths specifically and can be applied other things to0, such as faerie tales. Many Urban Fantasy novels play with ideas of myths and legends – whether they are vampires, werewolves, fey, wizards or similar. Thinking critically about the stories you are playing with can help to make these more believable, especially if it is removed to a modern setting. What is the real reason why vampires do not show up in mirrors? Is this even a real thing in your world or is it just a confused story based on the recollections of survivors of vampire attacks whose perception of the events may not have been fully reliable due to stress? What about all this stuff about garlic and crucifixes? If I were an ancient undead creature trying to survive, I’d probably consider spreading some rumours about things that can kill me in the hope that the prey would turn to them when attacked instead of investigating more reliable methods. Then I could laugh at their pathetic attempt to kill me with a spear made of garlic while killing them, making sure no one knows the garlic failed. Or maybe there was a vampire who was actually allergic to garlic or one who really hated the church to the extent of reacting badly to any symbol from it and the story grew from there?* What about all the legends of fey and the rules associated with them? Can we apply a rational rule to these too? Probably.

img_5056Also, I guess you can say there is precedent (Classical Precedent at that, you cannot get much more venerable that Homer***) for allowing your characters to be idiots. Always a good way to progress a plot and make readers shout ‘No! Don’t do that, you idiot!’ at the page while they read.

Ian Stewart** said that we are Pan narrans (the story telling ape) rather than Homo sapiens (the wise man). Telling stories is our strength but sometimes the way we tell them mutates them. Understanding this can help a writer produce more unique ideas, or at least present old ones in a new way.

*It is worth pointing out here that AFAIK (correct me if wrong) the earliest example of vampire being repelled by crucifix is Dracula but since then every single one seems to have that weakness. Could it be that Dracula merely had a personal grudge against Catholicism due to their perceived betrayal and other vampires are perfectly fine with it? What about atheist vampires or those of other religions?

**In The Science of Discworld series, which is well worth a read for many many reasons. It has been invaluable to me as a science teacher for the way it interprets and describes scientific theories and challenges preconceptions. They’re also great fun, and not in the way science teachers (like me) often say ‘this is going to be fun’.

*** Not that ‘Homer’ apparently existed. Evidence suggests it was a name given to a story teller so the Iliad and the Odyssey are actually collections of folk tales. Probably the most popular versions of those tales. So again we have the oral tradition getting involved.

Blood Secrets by Elizabeth Morgan

06 Friday May 2016

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Musings, Vampire Month

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Blood Secrets, Cranberry Blood, Elizabeth Morgan, Vampires


Those who follow this blog will know I am unashamedly a huge fan of Elizabeth’s writing. I reviewed the first novel in the Blood series, she is a Vampire month alumni and I had the pleasure of going with her to a number of events, including the Yorkshire comic con. Where she met Gambit…

Therefore I have absolutely no qualms about recommending Blood Secrets which is the second book in the series that begins with Cranberry Blood… I hope to be able to read and review this myself sometime soon. Until then please read this extract…

gambit2

Gambit meets Elizabeth Morgan

Blood Secrets
Blood Series: Book Two

Blurb:

When your life is messed up to begin with, how much worse can it really get?

Heather Ryan’s life has never been simple. The latest in a long line of descendants who have made it their mission to hunt down and slay the Ancient Vampire, Marko Pavel, she is also the first born Infected. Up until recently, the biggest downside to living with the Vampyrric Virus was simply that she craved blood, but after receiving a DVD from her deceased Grandmother Sofia and being kidnapped with friend and so called guardian Werewolf, Brendan Daniels, she quickly discovers that she is also the inspiration behind the Vampires’ attempt to create a whole new breed of super monsters—Hybrids.

12799081_1023635497696916_1922083712313817560_nThe truth comes at a cost, but how much does one have to sacrifice to gain success?

Following the breadcrumbs left by her psychic Grandmother, Heather and Brendan find themselves in new territory. Venice is where Heather hopes to find Marie, the second Bloodling of Marko, along with Brendan’s three taken Pack members. But an old Peace Pact between the Italian Pack and the Colony means they are left hunting blind, and due to the Italian Alpha’s reluctance to believe their story of kidnap and experimentation on Loup-Garous, time is running out. So when help comes from an unlikely source, they have no choice but to accept.

All families have secrets, but blood can’t lie.

Caught up in an intricate and complicated scheme spun by the one she trusts the most and the friend of her enemy, Heather soon discovers that she is the pawn in a plan she would never have been able to conceive. But how many of her new allies were in on the game, to begin with?

This title contains explicit language, violence, and some scenes of a sexual nature.

Length: 127,000 words | Content: Urban Fantasy| Publisher: Elizabeth Morgan

** Download your copy of Blood Secrets (Blood Series: Book Two) at the celebratory release price $3.49. Thereafter it will revert to the price of $4.49. **

Buy Links:
Smashwords:
http://bit.ly/1VwXVL0
ARe: http://bit.ly/1W9We4s
Amazon US:
http://amzn.to/1Wb8S3b
Amazon UK:
http://amzn.to/1MDoLxP
iTunes:
Coming Soon
Kobo:
Coming Soon
Barnes&Noble:
Coming Soon

Blood Secrets will also be available in print from Amazon and Barnes&Noble in the next few weeks.

~ * ~

 

[Vampire Month] A nail in the coffin

30 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Musings, Vampire Month

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Coffin, EasterCon, March, Nails, Vampire Month, Vampires


Well, that is all for Vampire month for this year. Join us again next year for more excitement, adventure and creatures with big fangs and strange accents.

this is what they do look like

This is what they do look like

It has been an excellent collection of writers this month so please take the time to check out their posts and visit their blogs and so on. They have worked hard this month to entertain you (as have I, March is always more stressful for me) and so deserve some love in return. Give them all a huge round of applause.

This year our celebrations were only interrupted by Eastercon and there will be more on that very soon (once I finish processing the photos from the weekend…).

If you want to contribute to Vampire month (or indeed any aspects of this blog) feel free to get in touch – leave a comment, send an email or visit me on Facebook or twitter (links to the side of this blog post).

[Vampire Month] Mythic Proportions and Howling Voids by Ambrose Hall

10 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by D.A Lascelles in Musings, Vampire Month

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Achilles, Ambrose Hall, Chandler, emotions, epic tales, Kafka, Love is the Cure, Vampire Month, Vampires


Ambrose Hall is here now to talk about his favourite stories and how they have influenced his writing… Be prepared for sticky ends and maggots.

I’ve always enjoyed stories told on a grand scale, with the emotions writ large, the stakes high, and the amp cranked up to eleven. That’s why I enjoy the gangster genre in film—because everything is so big, so extreme, so much larger than reality. The emotionsBFD Wool Exchange and the motivations have the quality of myths; they have that do or die edge to them. It’s possibly why The Wire is one of my favourite TV shows, and Omar my favourite character in it. With a clear nod to Achilles, he pushes his revenge to the edge of insanity for his Patroclus. Characters in these stories tell themselves they have a code, that their world is run according to rules, but in the end, no one else is playing their game, and they meet tragic ends. It’s a hyper-real, exploded version of reality, of our emotions thrown up against the nonsensical blocks of existence. If we delude ourselves that there are rules, that we can feel so strongly without compromise, we’ll come to a sticky end.
At the other end of the scale, I like stories with big gaping holes at the heart. Like Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. I like stories that leave the horrors of the world unspoken, but still let you know that they’re there. Like Kafka, where the protagonists throws themselves against an unmoving horror of bureaucracy, over and over, until they slowly wilt and fail. I like characters who lose themselves amongst the labyrinth of existence, and never quite find themselves again. And those everyday scenes, in everyday cities, like Chandler’s LA, where you know if you chip away the first layer of the sun-bleached stucco, there’ll be nothing but maggots writhing there.
loveiscrowtreeI realised, when I started writing my vampire story, that there’s the potential to do either, or both. That writing gothic fiction can provide a larger than life mythic edge. But that, in the ambiguous potential of eternity, there could be one hell of a long time spent staring into the void.
Biography – Ambrose Hall

Ambrose Hall is a speculative and literary fiction writer who currently lives in the South East of England. He originally comes from Bradford, in West Yorkshire, where he fell in love with gothic decay and wild moors. Ambrose has had flash fiction published in Crannog and A cappella Zoo magazines, and recently published a gothic vampire novella, Love is the Cure, available on Amazon. You can find out more about his work, and read some free short stories here: https://mrvolpone.wordpress.com/

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