Chris Jags's Blog - Posts Tagged "vampires"
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.
Town Crier: A Hybrid Fantasy-Horror-Superhero saga
When I began writing Town Crier, the pitch-to-self was "superhero saga set in a fantasy world". I envisioned epic battles between costumed humans, elves, and a multitude of other races.
As it turns out, someone else is going to have to write that (likely they already have), as my instincts turned, once again, to what I love best: horror-infused fantasy. What began conceptually as a jubilant cross between explosive superheroics and rousing high fantasy has become the dark and violent saga of a young woman imbued with a strange power which might be more of a curse than a blessing.
Vika is the city of Greenstone's first female town crier. An awkward waif with no known family, she's not well-loved by anyone, especially her boss, who has no concern for her safety as he sends her into even the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city to deliver the news.
One thing Vika does have is a powerful voice. A commanding voice. When she calls out, people listen. One evening, as she's finishing her rounds in the roughest district in Greenstone, she's accosted by some thugs. An old woman on the run from local law enforcement saves her. This woman, a witch, gifts Vika with a bizarre new ability. She learns she can temporarily command people to do as she says - but only if she calls out to them at the same volume as her town crier voice.
Testing her new power draws unwanted attention from a number of parties: a sadistic serial killer; a charismatic demon with undisclosed plans for Vika; and a vampire warlord, determined to drain every last drop of supernatural power from those who, like Vika, have been endowed with the witch's gift.
Can Vika survive this onslaught, learn to master her abilities, and dodge local law, who would have her burned as a witch? Will her gift save her or destroy her?
Find out in Town Crier, available on Amazon Kindle March 21st 2019!
I am also planning on releasing a paperback - more details closer to the date.
As it turns out, someone else is going to have to write that (likely they already have), as my instincts turned, once again, to what I love best: horror-infused fantasy. What began conceptually as a jubilant cross between explosive superheroics and rousing high fantasy has become the dark and violent saga of a young woman imbued with a strange power which might be more of a curse than a blessing.
Vika is the city of Greenstone's first female town crier. An awkward waif with no known family, she's not well-loved by anyone, especially her boss, who has no concern for her safety as he sends her into even the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city to deliver the news.
One thing Vika does have is a powerful voice. A commanding voice. When she calls out, people listen. One evening, as she's finishing her rounds in the roughest district in Greenstone, she's accosted by some thugs. An old woman on the run from local law enforcement saves her. This woman, a witch, gifts Vika with a bizarre new ability. She learns she can temporarily command people to do as she says - but only if she calls out to them at the same volume as her town crier voice.
Testing her new power draws unwanted attention from a number of parties: a sadistic serial killer; a charismatic demon with undisclosed plans for Vika; and a vampire warlord, determined to drain every last drop of supernatural power from those who, like Vika, have been endowed with the witch's gift.
Can Vika survive this onslaught, learn to master her abilities, and dodge local law, who would have her burned as a witch? Will her gift save her or destroy her?
Find out in Town Crier, available on Amazon Kindle March 21st 2019!
I am also planning on releasing a paperback - more details closer to the date.
