Chris Dietzel's Blog - Posts Tagged "apocalypse"
Write The Book You've Always Wanted To Read
While thinking about the type of book I wanted to write, I knew it had to be something that took place in a world full of imagination and possibility—the type of story I enjoy reading myself—but I also wanted it to be realistic, something I could envision actually happening. I wanted to write about the end of the world, but I didn’t want to create your typical apocalyptic book, which always seem to be filled with marauding gangs, children with special powers, and so on. Instead, I wanted to focus on simple things such as looking back on life and regretting how time was spent, about the importance of family, and about the everyday things we take for granted. In short, I wanted to write about the magic and mayhem of the apocalypse, only without any magic or mayhem!
To do this, I focused not on the fantastic and supernatural elements of mankind’s impending extinction, but of the human elements—people growing older each year, the human population slowly fading away. Instead of zombies terrorizing everyone or battles for the few remaining resources, my story has people reminiscing about the final movie they watched, the final vacation they took.
In my book, there is no hope for a better tomorrow, but there is still the marvel of realizing which few things in life are truly important. And although there are no warlords or flesh-eating zombies, there is still the quite human havoc of rats and spiders taking over basements, of water dripping through ceilings, of people feeling overwhelmed with day-to-day life.
When you read The Man Who Watched The World End you won’t be given a gift-wrapped happy ending in which the teenage hero has rallied against some grand villain. You won’t have the immediate satisfaction of an invasion being prevented. After all, my book is science fiction without the magic. It’s the apocalypse without the mayhem. But in place of a feel-good story or a climactic battle, my hope is that you’ll find a story about real people and real concerns, and because of that, the story will remain with you long after you’ve read it.
Originally posted at: http://www.mayhemandmagic2.blogspot.com/
To do this, I focused not on the fantastic and supernatural elements of mankind’s impending extinction, but of the human elements—people growing older each year, the human population slowly fading away. Instead of zombies terrorizing everyone or battles for the few remaining resources, my story has people reminiscing about the final movie they watched, the final vacation they took.
In my book, there is no hope for a better tomorrow, but there is still the marvel of realizing which few things in life are truly important. And although there are no warlords or flesh-eating zombies, there is still the quite human havoc of rats and spiders taking over basements, of water dripping through ceilings, of people feeling overwhelmed with day-to-day life.
When you read The Man Who Watched The World End you won’t be given a gift-wrapped happy ending in which the teenage hero has rallied against some grand villain. You won’t have the immediate satisfaction of an invasion being prevented. After all, my book is science fiction without the magic. It’s the apocalypse without the mayhem. But in place of a feel-good story or a climactic battle, my hope is that you’ll find a story about real people and real concerns, and because of that, the story will remain with you long after you’ve read it.
Originally posted at: http://www.mayhemandmagic2.blogspot.com/
The Evolution of Inspiration
Rarely does the original inspiration for a story remain static as a book is written. More often, the first idea for a story evolves into something slightly different. A few examples:
- After having a son very late in life, Cormac McCarthy wanted to write a book about a boy who would have to grow up without his father. That idea transformed into The Road, the tale of a father and son who survived the apocalypse.
- Ray Bradbury was horrified by the idea of people becoming mindless zombies in front of TV sets. The thought morphed into Fahrenheit 451, a world of book burnings.
- Aldus Huxley was frightened by the mass consumerism and group mentality that was emerging in his time. That fear evolved into Brave New World, about an entire society that was drugged into a mindless existence.
- And my own example, that mankind’s end would be more interesting if the final people had to care for the afflicted masses rather than fight them or each other. That was the original inspiration for The Man Who Watched The World End, the story of a man reflecting on the life he could have had if mankind hadn’t faded away.
If you’re planning on starting your own book, don’t force yourself to write about any one specific idea. Instead, just sit back and write and embrace whatever story emerges. Some of the most powerful and impactful stories have taken that approach and it has worked out well for them. After all, no matter how good your original idea might seem, when you let it morph into something else, your true interests and passions sneak out onto the page and your writing sounds more honest.
- After having a son very late in life, Cormac McCarthy wanted to write a book about a boy who would have to grow up without his father. That idea transformed into The Road, the tale of a father and son who survived the apocalypse.
- Ray Bradbury was horrified by the idea of people becoming mindless zombies in front of TV sets. The thought morphed into Fahrenheit 451, a world of book burnings.
- Aldus Huxley was frightened by the mass consumerism and group mentality that was emerging in his time. That fear evolved into Brave New World, about an entire society that was drugged into a mindless existence.
- And my own example, that mankind’s end would be more interesting if the final people had to care for the afflicted masses rather than fight them or each other. That was the original inspiration for The Man Who Watched The World End, the story of a man reflecting on the life he could have had if mankind hadn’t faded away.
If you’re planning on starting your own book, don’t force yourself to write about any one specific idea. Instead, just sit back and write and embrace whatever story emerges. Some of the most powerful and impactful stories have taken that approach and it has worked out well for them. After all, no matter how good your original idea might seem, when you let it morph into something else, your true interests and passions sneak out onto the page and your writing sounds more honest.
The end of one world, the beginning of another
When I first set out to start writing about the end of the world, I had an exact vision of the story I wanted to tell: the last normal human, forced to care for the plagued masses. As I started writing The Man Who Watched The World End, the story quickly morphed into an old man taking care of his brother in an abandoned neighborhood. But the world of the Great De-evolution was born. From there, I wrote a completely different type of story that took place in the same world of mankind’s slow and quiet decline. A Different Alchemy gave a fuller view to the world I had created. It’s only fitting that now, in my third and final Great De-evolution book, The Hauntings of Playing God, that I end the ‘quiet apocalypse’ by telling the story I first envisioned: the story of the last human, alone, overwhelmed with the task of caring for the afflicted masses. I can’t think of a better way to conclude my take on the end of mankind.
While I’m done writing about the Great De-evolution, it’s not cause for me to be sad. It’s the end of one thing, but the beginning of another. I’m already deep into a series of books that take place in a completely different type of dystopian world. I’m not sure what worlds I’ll create after that, but whatever does come next, I hope readers of my previous books enjoy them. There is no time to be sad at the departure of one world because there are always new worlds to create and new stories to fill them with. So while The Hauntings of Playing God is the end of one part of my writing life, another will soon begin. The journey always continues.
While I’m done writing about the Great De-evolution, it’s not cause for me to be sad. It’s the end of one thing, but the beginning of another. I’m already deep into a series of books that take place in a completely different type of dystopian world. I’m not sure what worlds I’ll create after that, but whatever does come next, I hope readers of my previous books enjoy them. There is no time to be sad at the departure of one world because there are always new worlds to create and new stories to fill them with. So while The Hauntings of Playing God is the end of one part of my writing life, another will soon begin. The journey always continues.
Magic and Mayhem... without the magic and mayhem?
Before I ever wrote my three books about the end of the world (The Man Who Watched The World End, A Different Alchemy, and The Hauntings of Playing God), I knew they had to take place in a world full of imagination and possibility—the type of stories I enjoy reading myself—but I also wanted them to be realistic, something I could envision actually happening. I wanted to write about the end of the world, but I didn’t want to create your typical apocalyptic books, which always seem to be filled with marauding gangs, children with special powers, and so on. Instead, I wanted to focus on simple things such as looking back on life and regretting how time was spent, about the importance of family, and about the everyday things we take for granted. In short, I wanted to write about the magic and mayhem of the apocalypse, only without any magic or mayhem!
To do this, I focused not on the fantastic and supernatural elements of mankind’s impending extinction, but of the human elements—people growing older each year, the human population slowly fading away. Instead of zombies terrorizing everyone or battles for the few remaining resources, my Great De-evolution stories have people reminiscing about the final movies they watched, the final vacations they took.
In my books, there is no hope for a better tomorrow, but there is still the marvel of realizing which few things in life are truly important. And although there are no warlords or flesh-eating zombies, there is still the quite human havoc of rats and spiders taking over basements, of water dripping through ceilings, of people feeling overwhelmed with day-to-day life.
When you read The Man Who Watched The World End, A Different Alchemy, or The Hauntings of Playing God, you won’t be given gift-wrapped happy endings in which the teenage hero has rallied against some grand villain. You won’t have the immediate satisfaction of an invasion being prevented. After all, my books are science fiction without the magic. They are the apocalypse without the mayhem. But in place of a feel-good story or a climactic battle, my hope is that you’ll find stories about real people and real concerns, and because of that, the stories will remain with you long after you’ve read them.
Originally published at the Magic&Mayhem blog site.
To do this, I focused not on the fantastic and supernatural elements of mankind’s impending extinction, but of the human elements—people growing older each year, the human population slowly fading away. Instead of zombies terrorizing everyone or battles for the few remaining resources, my Great De-evolution stories have people reminiscing about the final movies they watched, the final vacations they took.
In my books, there is no hope for a better tomorrow, but there is still the marvel of realizing which few things in life are truly important. And although there are no warlords or flesh-eating zombies, there is still the quite human havoc of rats and spiders taking over basements, of water dripping through ceilings, of people feeling overwhelmed with day-to-day life.
When you read The Man Who Watched The World End, A Different Alchemy, or The Hauntings of Playing God, you won’t be given gift-wrapped happy endings in which the teenage hero has rallied against some grand villain. You won’t have the immediate satisfaction of an invasion being prevented. After all, my books are science fiction without the magic. They are the apocalypse without the mayhem. But in place of a feel-good story or a climactic battle, my hope is that you’ll find stories about real people and real concerns, and because of that, the stories will remain with you long after you’ve read them.
Originally published at the Magic&Mayhem blog site.
The Role of Dogs in the Apocalypse
Almost every apocalyptic story you can think of features a dog as a key element in the story. In One Second After, a pair of dogs needs food, just like the people struggling to survive. In Oryx and Crake, the evolved equivalent of dogs have adapted to changing circumstances. In I Am Legend, The Dog Stars, and The Wall, a dog provides the only companionship the main character has. And in The Man Who Watched The World End, a dog gives the main character reminders of life before the apocalypse. So, why are there so many dogs in end-of-the-world stories? The answer is that they have benefits from both the reader’s perspective and the writer’s.
For the reader, dogs act as a sort of anchor, a reminder that while the main character may have lost the world around them and everyone they love, they haven't lost their humanity as long as the family pet is still there. It's a way of allowing readers to connect with the character because even if the apocalypse has occurred, the protagonist still loves his/her dog like we all love our pets. It makes the character more human, more relatable.
This is critical because no matter how bleak the scenario in the apocalyptic setting, no matter if the story can't have a happy ending, the relationship of the protagonist and their dog brings the entire story back to something simpler and more pure. Zombies or a plague are causing human extinction? The author provides a scene of the main character talking to their dog, taking care of their dog, etc., and then the next time the scene switches back to the cause of the apocalypse, it seems even more horrific because you've just seen the innocence of man's best friend. The reader becomes more invested in the struggle by way of seeing the core innocence of the animal.
For the writer, the dog gives them a chance to use dialogue with a character who might otherwise be all alone in the world. With this approach, it doesn't matter that the animal can't talk back. The author can convey thoughts/ideas/moods by "showing" them in the things the main character says to the dog. Without the dog there, the writer would either have to come up with a much more complicated way to offer this stuff, thus slowing the story down, or else just "tell" it.
Authors can use dogs as a tool to make the next plot point arrive (think of a dog running outside and the main character having to sacrifice his/her own safety by chasing after it), or let the audience know exactly what the main character is thinking without switching perspectives (think of a main character explaining their situation to his dog), or the author can have a dog add suspense to a scene by having it be more adept than its owner (think of a dog growling after getting a sniff of something it considers to be a threat while the owner is still oblivious).
For as long as there have been stories about the apocalypse, there have been dogs in those stories. And now you know why. Man’s best friend gives the reader a more relatable story and it gives the author a way to tell the story more effectively.
*Originally posted in the ‘Apocalypse Whenever’ Group on GoodReads.*
For the reader, dogs act as a sort of anchor, a reminder that while the main character may have lost the world around them and everyone they love, they haven't lost their humanity as long as the family pet is still there. It's a way of allowing readers to connect with the character because even if the apocalypse has occurred, the protagonist still loves his/her dog like we all love our pets. It makes the character more human, more relatable.
This is critical because no matter how bleak the scenario in the apocalyptic setting, no matter if the story can't have a happy ending, the relationship of the protagonist and their dog brings the entire story back to something simpler and more pure. Zombies or a plague are causing human extinction? The author provides a scene of the main character talking to their dog, taking care of their dog, etc., and then the next time the scene switches back to the cause of the apocalypse, it seems even more horrific because you've just seen the innocence of man's best friend. The reader becomes more invested in the struggle by way of seeing the core innocence of the animal.
For the writer, the dog gives them a chance to use dialogue with a character who might otherwise be all alone in the world. With this approach, it doesn't matter that the animal can't talk back. The author can convey thoughts/ideas/moods by "showing" them in the things the main character says to the dog. Without the dog there, the writer would either have to come up with a much more complicated way to offer this stuff, thus slowing the story down, or else just "tell" it.
Authors can use dogs as a tool to make the next plot point arrive (think of a dog running outside and the main character having to sacrifice his/her own safety by chasing after it), or let the audience know exactly what the main character is thinking without switching perspectives (think of a main character explaining their situation to his dog), or the author can have a dog add suspense to a scene by having it be more adept than its owner (think of a dog growling after getting a sniff of something it considers to be a threat while the owner is still oblivious).
For as long as there have been stories about the apocalypse, there have been dogs in those stories. And now you know why. Man’s best friend gives the reader a more relatable story and it gives the author a way to tell the story more effectively.
*Originally posted in the ‘Apocalypse Whenever’ Group on GoodReads.*
Mark Your Calendars
I’m going to be doing two promotions from May 21-23.
FREE!!! The Last Teacher, my short story that takes place in the same world as my three Great De-evolution books, will be free. If you haven’t read it yet, now is your chance to get it for free! Always been curious what my end-of-the-world books are like? Now is your chance to find out. Did you love one of my books and wish your friends or family would read them too? Send them all free copies between May 21-23. The more the merrier.
$0.99!!! My third novel, The Hauntings of Playing God, will be less than a cup of coffee! If you read 'The Man Who Watched The World End' or 'A Different Alchemy' and wanted to read another story that takes place in mankind’s slow and quiet extinction, now’s your chance to get it for cheap.
Don’t forget!
FREE!!! The Last Teacher, my short story that takes place in the same world as my three Great De-evolution books, will be free. If you haven’t read it yet, now is your chance to get it for free! Always been curious what my end-of-the-world books are like? Now is your chance to find out. Did you love one of my books and wish your friends or family would read them too? Send them all free copies between May 21-23. The more the merrier.
$0.99!!! My third novel, The Hauntings of Playing God, will be less than a cup of coffee! If you read 'The Man Who Watched The World End' or 'A Different Alchemy' and wanted to read another story that takes place in mankind’s slow and quiet extinction, now’s your chance to get it for cheap.
Don’t forget!
June New Releases: Books and Audiobooks!
June is a huge month for me. All three books in my Space Lore trilogy will be released, as well as my Great De-evolution audiobooks! Whether you love epic space fantasy stories like Star Wars or enjoy listening to incredibly high quality and professionally narrated audiobooks, I’ve got something you’ll enjoy.
Star Wars meets Arthurian Legend
On June 7, the first book in my Space Lore trilogy comes out. The Green Knight is based on the classic, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” and retold as an epic space fantasy. I’m trying something unique with the trilogy by incorporating the Netflix ‘crash’ method where they release an entire series all at once. That means that Book 2, The Excalibur, comes out June 8. And Book 3, The Round Table, comes out June 9. All three can be pre-ordered today, and I guarantee they’re going to blow you away.
The Quiet End of Mankind
Also on June 7, my first ever audiobook is going to be released! I’m very excited for this. Podium Publishing, the same company that created the audiobook for 'The Martian' and a bunch of other bestsellers, has produced the audiobooks for my Great De-evolution novels. The first one, The Man Who Watched The World End, is the story of an old man recounting all the ways society changed as mankind slowly faded away. I’ve had a chance to listen to it and the narrator they found to do the voice is insanely talented. If you loved reading these stories, enjoy quality audiobooks, or want to read anything related to the apocalypse, this is a must. The second book, A Different Alchemy, comes out June 28. The third book, The Hauntings of Playing God, comes out July 19.
As with everything else I do, I would love to hear what you think of these stories. If you read my Space Lore trilogy or listen to the Great De-evolution audiobooks, definitely let me know what you think of them.
Star Wars meets Arthurian Legend
On June 7, the first book in my Space Lore trilogy comes out. The Green Knight is based on the classic, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” and retold as an epic space fantasy. I’m trying something unique with the trilogy by incorporating the Netflix ‘crash’ method where they release an entire series all at once. That means that Book 2, The Excalibur, comes out June 8. And Book 3, The Round Table, comes out June 9. All three can be pre-ordered today, and I guarantee they’re going to blow you away.
The Quiet End of Mankind
Also on June 7, my first ever audiobook is going to be released! I’m very excited for this. Podium Publishing, the same company that created the audiobook for 'The Martian' and a bunch of other bestsellers, has produced the audiobooks for my Great De-evolution novels. The first one, The Man Who Watched The World End, is the story of an old man recounting all the ways society changed as mankind slowly faded away. I’ve had a chance to listen to it and the narrator they found to do the voice is insanely talented. If you loved reading these stories, enjoy quality audiobooks, or want to read anything related to the apocalypse, this is a must. The second book, A Different Alchemy, comes out June 28. The third book, The Hauntings of Playing God, comes out July 19.
As with everything else I do, I would love to hear what you think of these stories. If you read my Space Lore trilogy or listen to the Great De-evolution audiobooks, definitely let me know what you think of them.
The Great De-evolution... Now on WhisperSync!
As you all know, my three Great De-evolution novels have all been turned into audiobooks by Podium Publishing. The Man Who Watched The World End, A Different Alchemy, and The Hauntings of Playing God can all be purchased at Amazon or Audible. Each sounds truly amazing so you should check them out. But there’s an added feature with the audiobooks that I didn’t even know about until Podium explained it to me.
Each audiobook is set up to be available for Whispersync. If you haven’t tried it before, you definitely should. It will blow you away. Whispersync has two great bonuses for readers/listeners. The first is that when you also purchase the Kindle ebook on Amazon, you’re able to switch back and forth between the written book and the audiobook without ever losing your place. The second is that if you purchase the Kindle version first, the audiobook is reduced to only $2.99, which is an 88% discount off the normal price. What does that mean? You can buy the Kindle version AND the audiobook version, never lose your place, and still save 70% off the regular list price of the audiobook. How great is that?
As a longtime listener of audiobooks myself, this is something I wish they would have created a long time ago. And now, if you also love audiobooks as much as I do, you can listen to three amazing stories for 70% off the normal price.
Haven’t listened to one of my audiobooks yet? Sign up to my newsletter this month and receive a free copy of the audiobook version of my apocalyptic short story, The Last Teacher.
Each audiobook is set up to be available for Whispersync. If you haven’t tried it before, you definitely should. It will blow you away. Whispersync has two great bonuses for readers/listeners. The first is that when you also purchase the Kindle ebook on Amazon, you’re able to switch back and forth between the written book and the audiobook without ever losing your place. The second is that if you purchase the Kindle version first, the audiobook is reduced to only $2.99, which is an 88% discount off the normal price. What does that mean? You can buy the Kindle version AND the audiobook version, never lose your place, and still save 70% off the regular list price of the audiobook. How great is that?
As a longtime listener of audiobooks myself, this is something I wish they would have created a long time ago. And now, if you also love audiobooks as much as I do, you can listen to three amazing stories for 70% off the normal price.
Haven’t listened to one of my audiobooks yet? Sign up to my newsletter this month and receive a free copy of the audiobook version of my apocalyptic short story, The Last Teacher.
The Great De-evolution: The Complete Collection
For the first time, you can finally get all three Great De-evolution novels in one volume.
The Great De-evolution: The Complete Collection presents all three of my apocalyptic stories. Be warned, these are not stories for people who need action sequences or pretty endings. But if you love introspective, reflective stories or want a different take on the end of mankind, these stories are for you.
In 2013, the first of three novels was released that depicted a quiet and bleak ending of mankind. ‘The Man Who Watched The World End’ provided a gradual and inevitable extinction without fighting or action, only people growing old and witnessing each aspect of society slowly fading away around them. Readers loved the unique take on the end of the world and two more novels set in the same reality were subsequently published.
The Complete Collection contains:
The Man Who Watched The World End – An old man, the final resident in the neighborhood of Camelot, recounts all the ways society changed as the human population continued to shrink.
A Different Alchemy – Following a senseless act of violence, one man travels north, toward forgotten lands, passing reminders of mankind’s impending extinction.
The Hauntings of Playing God – Alone and overwhelmed, will the final member of the human race be thought of as a caretaker or as a monster?
Critical acclaim for the Great De-evolution books:
“One of the best dystopian series to come out in a long time.” – Three Cats and a Girl
“[Dietzel] has accomplished something remarkable: he really has written a book that is one of a kind.” — Nancy Roberts
“All I can say is trust me and give this book a read.” — The Lazy Book Reviewer
“A true wakeup call to everyone… One powerful novel.” — Fran Lewis – Just Reviews
“Dystopian in focus yet incredibly human in its exploration and atmosphere… This is a book, a work, worthy of each and every one of those 5 star reviews.” — Mack Meijers – Authors on the Air
“One of the best books I have ever read… Plays on one of our deepest fears, something we all know will happen one day.” — Terry Reid – The Four Corners of Santerria
“A highly addictive book… A must read for everyone.” – The Reading Room
“Highest possible rating.” — OnlineBookClub.org
Get your copy today!
The Great De-evolution: The Complete Collection presents all three of my apocalyptic stories. Be warned, these are not stories for people who need action sequences or pretty endings. But if you love introspective, reflective stories or want a different take on the end of mankind, these stories are for you.
In 2013, the first of three novels was released that depicted a quiet and bleak ending of mankind. ‘The Man Who Watched The World End’ provided a gradual and inevitable extinction without fighting or action, only people growing old and witnessing each aspect of society slowly fading away around them. Readers loved the unique take on the end of the world and two more novels set in the same reality were subsequently published.
The Complete Collection contains:
The Man Who Watched The World End – An old man, the final resident in the neighborhood of Camelot, recounts all the ways society changed as the human population continued to shrink.
A Different Alchemy – Following a senseless act of violence, one man travels north, toward forgotten lands, passing reminders of mankind’s impending extinction.
The Hauntings of Playing God – Alone and overwhelmed, will the final member of the human race be thought of as a caretaker or as a monster?
Critical acclaim for the Great De-evolution books:
“One of the best dystopian series to come out in a long time.” – Three Cats and a Girl
“[Dietzel] has accomplished something remarkable: he really has written a book that is one of a kind.” — Nancy Roberts
“All I can say is trust me and give this book a read.” — The Lazy Book Reviewer
“A true wakeup call to everyone… One powerful novel.” — Fran Lewis – Just Reviews
“Dystopian in focus yet incredibly human in its exploration and atmosphere… This is a book, a work, worthy of each and every one of those 5 star reviews.” — Mack Meijers – Authors on the Air
“One of the best books I have ever read… Plays on one of our deepest fears, something we all know will happen one day.” — Terry Reid – The Four Corners of Santerria
“A highly addictive book… A must read for everyone.” – The Reading Room
“Highest possible rating.” — OnlineBookClub.org
Get your copy today!
Cover reveal for my next book!
My next story is coming out September 29 and is titled THE LAST VOTER. It’s a Great De-evolution story like the ones I’m known for. Check out the cover HERE
You can also pre-order a copy for only $0.99! Thanks for any support, and if you read it I hope you enjoy it as much as my other quiet apocalyptic stories.
http://chrisdietzel.com/2020/08/cover...
You can also pre-order a copy for only $0.99! Thanks for any support, and if you read it I hope you enjoy it as much as my other quiet apocalyptic stories.
http://chrisdietzel.com/2020/08/cover...
