Deby Fredericks's Blog, page 86

The Gellboar on Lisa Burton Radio

I’m super excited to be making a blog visit today. C. S. Boyack is hosting me for an episode of Lisa Burton Radio on his blog, Entertaining Stories.

Well, technically, it will be Dan Forster, the main character of my dark fantasy novelette The Gellboar, who will be visiting Boyack’s character, Lisa Burton. They’ll talk about Dan’s situation, what exactly a Gellboar is, and much more.

I hope you’ll stop by Entertaining Stories and leave your comments and questions. Cheers!

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More Quotes About Dragons

Well, the holidays got the best of me! But to make up for my lateness, here are a few more quotes about dragons.

“So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings.” –J. R. R. Tolkein, The Hobbit

“Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.” –G. K. Chesterton, Tremendous Trifles

“Confidence is like a dragon where, for every head cut off, two more heads grow back.” –Criss Jami, Venus in Arms

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Dragon Eyes

[image error]Here’s an awesome thing I never knew existed: dragon eyes!

They are contact lenses, of course. Serious costumers can wear them at Hallowe’en or during SF conventions. These would really give your outfit a kick.

I’ve never worn contact lenses. I don’t know if I’d like them. But don’t you just want to stick these in and frighten people going down the street?

You can buy them online at Spooky Eyes and a few other places.

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Tis the Season…

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For inflatable dragons? They’re been turning up in stores all over.

Who knew dragons could be so festive!

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A Few Quotes About Dragons

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”     — Neil Gaiman, Coraline

“Sleeping on a dragon’s hoard with greedy, dragonish thoughts in his heart, he had become a dragon himself.”     — C. S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

“The Doorkeeper, smiling, said, “He has done with doing. He is going home.” And they watched the dragon fly between the sunlight and the sea, till it was out of sight.”     — Ursula K. Le Guin, The Farthest Shore

 

Dragons of Yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park is one of the most amazing places in the world. The pine forests are peaceful and the mountains are majestic — but right in the middle are these stark white, barren plains where the wind carries hot mist and an infernal stench. The park features dozens of hot springs and geysers. Some remain anonymous, while others are named and well known.

Two sites are named for dragons. Both are found in the Mud Volcano area and have been known since early exploration in the 1870s. (That is, exploration by white people. Natives of the area must surely have been aware long before.)

The Dragon’s Mouth is a prominent spring where the churning of hot water has dug a cavern back into the hillside. Dragon’s Mouth is not the hottest spring, but steam builds quickly in the confined space. This results in a continual series of steam explosions. The constant surging and roaring makes for an impressive display.

The Black Dragon’s Cauldron is a relatively new feature. Hot water emerged on the surface sometime in the winter of 1947-48 and quickly created a visible cauldron. The water is high in sulfuric acid, killing nearby trees, while iron in the soil turns the water black. Interestingly, this spring has continued to grow as the subterranean hot-spot slowly migrates. The main eruption area is now in the south end of the cauldron.

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Book of Dragons

Glancing through Kickstarter, what should I see but an intriguing game seeking support. Book of Dragons, if funded, will offer an amazing deck of dragon cards with open-ended rules of play. Here’s the opening paragraph of their pitch:

“Book of Dragons is not just a card game, but a game system. It includes a deck of large, tarot-sized cards, beautifully illustrated by world-renowned artist Kerem Beyit. Think of it as a modern deck of playing cards, but instead of playing poker, blackjack, and other traditional card games, a host of designer games utilizing a plethora of modern design mechanics can be played.”

According to their plan, a number of independent game designers have created their own games to play with the same set of cards. Theoretically, you could play for weeks with this one deck. Or, you could just spend time ogling the artwork, which is indeed lovely.

So if you’re seeking a gift for someone who loves games, or dragons, or both, you might want to support this Kickstarter.

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A Brief Commercial Announcement

For those who celebrate the American Thanksgiving Day, I trust you had a wonderful time with your family and that your Friday is not at all Black. I hope you don’t mind me taking just a moment to remind you about my books. You know, in case you might wish to give one as a gift!

Newest Releases

I currently have not one but two fantasy novelettes available for just $.99.

The Gellboar is my latest. In this urban fantasy, a man goes to great lengths to hide his forbidden magic.

The Weight of Their Souls is my swords & sorcery tale. Refugees from a great battle discover that not all of the enemy were destroyed.

Aunt Ursula’s Atlas is a collection of original fairy tales from the pen of Lucy D. Ford. You can get it as an e-book or in trade paper.

Already read them?

Wonderful! Please take a minute to post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and your favorite blog. It really does make a difference.

Sign up for my newsletter and win a free E-book, The Weight of Their Souls. Just to go my Facebook page, AuthorDebyFredericks, and click the link on the left that says “Join my mailing list.” Easy, right?

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The Lady of Langho, Part 2

This tale of The Lady of Langho (a.k.a. The Daughter of Hippocrates) is a really interesting exercise in distinguishing fact from fiction — if that could apply in the case of a mythical beast like dragons. The tale comes from a 14th-Century book, The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, which itself has uncertain origins. Allegedly it details the adventures of an English knight, Sir John Mandeville, who traveled through exotic lands like India and China.

However, records show there never was a Sir John Mandeville. In some ways, the book resembles Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, which is also a collection of stories framed as a travelogue. It seems that The Travels was widely distributed and translated, since copies have been preserved through the centuries in a number of languages.

One fun part of this origin is to pick out some of the anachronisms that “Sir John” wrote into it. Hippocrates lived in the 4th Century B.C.E., after all. There’s no way there were knights running around in that era. The Knights of the Hospital, referred to in the tale, wouldn’t even be founded until the 12th Century. You could as well expect pirates yelling “Arrr” or gangsters with tommy guns.

The Lady of Langho legend could be viewed as a proto-horror story, in which a hapless young woman is transformed against her will and everyone who might help runs from the sight of her. Some, however, have interpreted the story in a more sophisticated way. The Hospitaller attempts a rescue on his own but is killed due to lack of preparation. The common sailor who impersonates a knight shows his true colors when he flees from the lady in her cursed form.

It’s suggested that perhaps the Lady of Langho was better off in the shape of a dragon than if she had bound her fate to either of these two.

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The Lady of Langho

Long ago, in ancient Greece, the physician Hippocrates (originator of the Hippocratic Oath), had a daughter who was so lovely that she rivaled the denizens of Olympus itself. The goddess Diana became jealous and transformed the daughter into a terrible dragon. The girl’s curse could only be lifted if she found a knight who was brave enough to kiss her in her horrifying state. Even then, it was foretold that she would live only a short time longer.

Shunned by all, the unfortunate young lady retreated to the island of Langho. There she was regarded as a sovereign ruler, but languished alone and hopeless. An old castle was her dwelling. She could reclaim her human form just three days each year, and as a dragon never harmed anyone who didn’t attack her first.

As word of the lady’s condition got out, a few knights turned up hoping to save her and become lord of Langho. First was a Knight of the Hospital from nearby Rhodes. Alas, before this knight had a chance to approach, his horse caught sight of the dragon. It bolted in panic and carried him right over a cliff.

The second to attempt wasn’t a knight at all, but a sailor whose ship had stopped to get supplies on Langho. While on shore leave, he wandered into the lady’s castle and was struck by the sight of her in her dressing room, surrounded by a hoard of treasure. Not knowing of the legend, he for some reason assumed she was a prostitute and, um… asked to be her lover.

Remembering the terms of her curse, the lady demanded to know if he was a knight. He admitted that he wasn’t, so she told him he must go and be knighted before he could kiss her. Returning to his ship, the sailor persuaded his captain to “knight” him and came back the next day. Alas, the lady’s one day as a human was over. When the sailor saw her true form, he fled from her. Wailing in despair, the lady pursued him, but he reached his ship and sailed away, leaving her forlorn.

So, we are told, the Lady of Langho remains trapped in her bestial form until this very day. If only a true and noble knight would be brave enough to kiss a dragon, she might be freed from eternal torment.

Sign up for my newsletter and win a free E-book, The Weight of Their Souls. Just to go my Facebook page, AuthorDebyFredericks, and click the link on the left that says “Join my mailing list.” Easy, right?

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