Circa24's Blog - Posts Tagged "silent-consent"
Is Silent Consent Really Science Fiction?
Science fiction has come a long way since the mid-20th century. Then, the words conjured stereotyped images of technological futures, bug-eyed monsters, and spacecraft written predominantly by white males. But even then, Sci-Fi struggled to break free from those narrow constraints with stories like 1984 and Brave New World. Pioneering women authors like Ursula Le Guin explored anthropology and gender identity (e.g., Left Hand of Darkness) and wish fulfillment (Lathe of Heaven) and blurred the boundaries between Sci-Fi and Fantasy worlds, and Octavia Buttler explored plagues, immortality, and mind control (Seeds to Harvest)
The writers and topics have become increasingly diverse. Authors like Mary Doria Russell have explored cultural misunderstandings (The Sparrow), and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) has provided what may be the most chilling dystopian tale of the future since 1984 by Orwell. The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull used the medium to explore the experience of colonization by others, and Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason's Ill Wind explores how a random act can begin a chain of events that collapses civilization.
So, is Silent Event Sci-Fi? Yes, it is a novel of an ecological collapse that looks at the potential consequences of an extreme depletion of fuel reserves by overuse. The surviving society has had to find solutions to its energy crisis and deal with the depleted lands and toxic wastes left by their ancestors. It may not have the bug-eyed monsters and spaceships of some of the better-known works, but it falls well within the genre of dystopian worlds.
The writers and topics have become increasingly diverse. Authors like Mary Doria Russell have explored cultural misunderstandings (The Sparrow), and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) has provided what may be the most chilling dystopian tale of the future since 1984 by Orwell. The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull used the medium to explore the experience of colonization by others, and Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason's Ill Wind explores how a random act can begin a chain of events that collapses civilization.
So, is Silent Event Sci-Fi? Yes, it is a novel of an ecological collapse that looks at the potential consequences of an extreme depletion of fuel reserves by overuse. The surviving society has had to find solutions to its energy crisis and deal with the depleted lands and toxic wastes left by their ancestors. It may not have the bug-eyed monsters and spaceships of some of the better-known works, but it falls well within the genre of dystopian worlds.
How did you come up with the term "Harrie?"
I recently received a question asking how I decided to use the term "Harrie" as a degrading term for the Nameless in Silent Consent.
The pejorative use of a universal name for an underclass or group of workers happens in multiple traditions. In the United States, African American railroad porters were called "boy" or "George." Irish maids were called "Bridgettes" in the US and England, and Irish men were often referred to as "Patties." (Think of Patty wagons, which may refer to the frequency of Irish arrests in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.)
It struck me that several oppressed populations around the planet were referred to with a word beginning with the letters "Har--." Remembering the above and how Irish women bristled at being referred to as " My Bridgette" by their employers, I was off and running.
Yes, the term is used by all characters, including the Nameless themselves and their allies. Such use and self-depreciation are common among the severely oppressed, and when I tried to write it out of their vocabulary, it felt forced and diminished the story of oppression. I had to include it.
The pejorative use of a universal name for an underclass or group of workers happens in multiple traditions. In the United States, African American railroad porters were called "boy" or "George." Irish maids were called "Bridgettes" in the US and England, and Irish men were often referred to as "Patties." (Think of Patty wagons, which may refer to the frequency of Irish arrests in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.)
It struck me that several oppressed populations around the planet were referred to with a word beginning with the letters "Har--." Remembering the above and how Irish women bristled at being referred to as " My Bridgette" by their employers, I was off and running.
Yes, the term is used by all characters, including the Nameless themselves and their allies. Such use and self-depreciation are common among the severely oppressed, and when I tried to write it out of their vocabulary, it felt forced and diminished the story of oppression. I had to include it.
Who is your favorite character in Silent Consent?
I love them all, but Garry, Charlie, and Vera have a slight edge. Charlie, in particular, refused to bend to my will and took control of the story, driving it in directions that kept altering my universe. Initially, I wanted to write a short story, and Garry ensured that didn't happen. Each time I tried to wrap up his story, he'd nudge me and let me know he wanted people to learn more about him. And Vera's response to her bullies inspired me.
My fondness for the above does not diminish my affection for Jimmy and Carmin. It's fun to construct villains, but the adventure begins when they see themselves as heroes.
And no, I'm not hearing voices. Something happens when you're writing. The characters reach a point when their backstories coalesce into solid personalities. At that point, when they cease to be outlines, you're obliged to treat them as partners if you want their stories to ring true.
My fondness for the above does not diminish my affection for Jimmy and Carmin. It's fun to construct villains, but the adventure begins when they see themselves as heroes.
And no, I'm not hearing voices. Something happens when you're writing. The characters reach a point when their backstories coalesce into solid personalities. At that point, when they cease to be outlines, you're obliged to treat them as partners if you want their stories to ring true.
If you could travel to any fictional book world, where would you go and what would you do there?
My father used to say that if everyone could put their troubles in a large pile and we could choose which ones we wanted, most of us would take back our own. I think that goes for fictional worlds, too. Interesting ones have lots of drama or absurdity in them, and few make for places we'd really like to live.
Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock: A New Giveaway has made its way to GoodReads
📚 Get ready for a literary treat this November! Starting on November 2, we're kicking off an exciting Goodreads Giveaway featuring my debut collection of short stories, "Thomas Hardy Was an Optimist."
📆 Join us for a month-long journey and celebration of the power of hope, resilience, and optimism. The Giveaway concludes on December 1, World AIDS Day, also known as "The Day Without Art." I lost many friends to that pandemic, and for me, withholding the results of this Giveaway until after the remembrance is a way to commemorate its impact.
Don't miss your chance to win a copy of this collection and delve into its emotions and experiences. Join us, spread the word, and make November a month to remember.
📆 Join us for a month-long journey and celebration of the power of hope, resilience, and optimism. The Giveaway concludes on December 1, World AIDS Day, also known as "The Day Without Art." I lost many friends to that pandemic, and for me, withholding the results of this Giveaway until after the remembrance is a way to commemorate its impact.
Don't miss your chance to win a copy of this collection and delve into its emotions and experiences. Join us, spread the word, and make November a month to remember.
Who is your favorite villan in other author's books?
A good villain can spice up a story more than a sympathetic hero. Literature includes so many outstanding ones. In Robert Graves’s “I Claudius,” the semi-fictionalized portrayal of Livia stands above the others for her cunning and intrigue. For the banality of evil and the cold-blooded use of others, Iago (Othello by Shakespeare) and Commander Waterford (The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood) stand out. For self-righteousness, Conner Brooks’ rationalizations of his actions drive the story forward in “Ill Wind” by Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason.
Of course, these top my list in my mindset at this moment. Catch me again in a month or when I’m in a different mood, and I’m likely to give you a different list.
Of course, these top my list in my mindset at this moment. Catch me again in a month or when I’m in a different mood, and I’m likely to give you a different list.
Thirteen days left in my Giveaway
Only 13 Days remaining in the GiveAway for "Thomas Hardy Was an Optimist."
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...
Endured By The Gods is now available on Amazon!
Endured By The Gods, the second book in the Silent Consent series is now available on Amazon. Due to a weird glitch, the Kindle Version is not yet linked to the hardcover and paperback versions, so I've posted both links below. If you enjoyed the first book, you will probably also like the second. This parallel story follows Erin (=Tissi) and explores the same world through her eyes. You will encounter some of the characters from Silent Consent, including Diego and Garry, but in secondary roles, supporting a new cast who support or torment Tissi as her experiences as a first transform her.
Celebrating The Release of Endured By The Gods
I'm celebrating the release of my new book, Endured By The Gods with a GiveAway! One Hundred Kindle Copies of Endured By The Gods will be given away between January 7 and February 6, 2004.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
This is the second book in the Silent Consent series. This parallel story looks at the dystopian universe through the eyes of Erin Prax. She's a talented young Gen embarking on a promising internship at her district's most prestigious medical center who finds herself ensnared in a familial arrest. Cast down to the status of a No-name, she becomes the target of brutal treatment and degradation at the hands of sadistic Centurion guards, including Sal Mallory.
Reduced to a mere "energy unit," destiny has sealed her fate as a nameless machine in a centurion facility along the perilous border of the western frontier—until a dangerous skill places her on a work detail that could prolong her life just enough for the emergence of the inner strength needed to endure.
The narrative unfolds, tracing her journey from the days of being a self-entitled Geneol through her arduous struggle and gradual awakening, though not an acceptance, of her harsh reality as inevitable.
In this story, you will encounter some of the most beloved and hated characters from Silent Consent, as well as a host of new conflicted heroes and villains. Some friends betray her, but others strengthen her courage and help her endure.
Although Silent Consent sets the stage for the universe and its attributes, you will soon pick up the slang and understand the dangers that lurk for Erin as she struggles to survive.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
This is the second book in the Silent Consent series. This parallel story looks at the dystopian universe through the eyes of Erin Prax. She's a talented young Gen embarking on a promising internship at her district's most prestigious medical center who finds herself ensnared in a familial arrest. Cast down to the status of a No-name, she becomes the target of brutal treatment and degradation at the hands of sadistic Centurion guards, including Sal Mallory.
Reduced to a mere "energy unit," destiny has sealed her fate as a nameless machine in a centurion facility along the perilous border of the western frontier—until a dangerous skill places her on a work detail that could prolong her life just enough for the emergence of the inner strength needed to endure.
The narrative unfolds, tracing her journey from the days of being a self-entitled Geneol through her arduous struggle and gradual awakening, though not an acceptance, of her harsh reality as inevitable.
In this story, you will encounter some of the most beloved and hated characters from Silent Consent, as well as a host of new conflicted heroes and villains. Some friends betray her, but others strengthen her courage and help her endure.
Although Silent Consent sets the stage for the universe and its attributes, you will soon pick up the slang and understand the dangers that lurk for Erin as she struggles to survive.
The Endured By The Gods GIveaway is about half-way through its run.
I am thrilled with the positive reception of my latest writing venture, Endured By The Gods. There are 100 Kindle copies being given away, one hundred copies that someone has to win. The contest ends on Feb 6, so please, if you enjoyed Silent Consent, I hope you will take this chance to read the sequel with a free book!
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
This story runs parallel to the events of Silent Consent, unfolding in the early days of the Energy Crimes Unit. Where the first book focuses on Central and Homeland 7, this one takes place in District 5 and a Centurion camp along the Western border and follows a young woman who suffers because of a familial demotion that relates her to the status of the Nameless. It delves deeper into the lives of the public No-names in the founder states and the strength it takes for her to survive.
While some founding members of Central’s Energy Crimes Unit appear, the spotlight focuses on the struggle of a new protagonist, Tissi, who must survive under the control of a Harrie-hating base commander with the aid of allies, not all of whom see the No-names as human.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
This story runs parallel to the events of Silent Consent, unfolding in the early days of the Energy Crimes Unit. Where the first book focuses on Central and Homeland 7, this one takes place in District 5 and a Centurion camp along the Western border and follows a young woman who suffers because of a familial demotion that relates her to the status of the Nameless. It delves deeper into the lives of the public No-names in the founder states and the strength it takes for her to survive.
While some founding members of Central’s Energy Crimes Unit appear, the spotlight focuses on the struggle of a new protagonist, Tissi, who must survive under the control of a Harrie-hating base commander with the aid of allies, not all of whom see the No-names as human.
