Fiction

The 12th Demon

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Darrick Dean

I don’t get the fantasy subgenre of paranormal/supernatural fiction’s obsession with vampires and werewolves. It’s always been around, but has exploded in recent years and now commands whole sections of bookstores. Then, I guess, there are people who don’t get people like me who like epic fantasy like Tolkien, Lewis or Terry Brooks. Nonetheless.

So here comes Bruce Hennigan’s The 12th Demon: Mark of the Wolf Dragon, which is a pleasant departure from high school age vampires who are all starting to look and act a lot alike. Hennigan’s infusion of demons and their sinister evil with the vampire theme actually moves this book closer to horror and a not-so-cute version of Twilight. It also has some tinges of supernatural fantasy, giving it a wide appeal in the hybrid world of fantasy-paranormal-supernatural fiction. It is also fast paced, I read it in an afternoon (less, actually). I have lost patience with books that read like one is moving through tar.

This is the second book in the series chronicling Johnathan Steel’s battle with the world’s 13 worst demons. As in any good sequel, Hennigan has upped the ante and topped his last outing. There’s a lot in here: Action, secret cults, religion, history, science. But what makes it more unsettling at times than the horror books that rely on gore and shock, is the depiction of evil lurking among the shadows. Like Poe, Lovecraft and Hitchcock, this is far more effective.* People find it weighs on their minds far longer than a fake, contrived blood and guts scene in a movie.

Perhaps, I suppose, some part of their mind, whether they realize it or not, recognizes evil exists.

* Not that those writers never used violence, just not at the level in what passes as “horror” today. And when combined with what I’m talking about here, watch out (Poe fans may want to check out the recent movie inspired by his works, The Raven).

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Orwell or Huxley? Who was Right?

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Darrick Dean

George Orwell and Aldous Huxley wrote two of the most prophetic warnings in fiction, 1984 and A Brave New World, respectively. Orwell foresaw a world where classic government oppression would erode democracy. In Huxley’s vision, he depicted humanity controlled by pleasure and distraction. It would seem that, to our dismay, they both got it right. Orwell’s Big Brother government is increasingly a reality at the same time Huxley’s populace’s lives are controlled by the trivial and consumerism.

They wrote their books as warnings. Most people weren’t paying attention.

If there are two books you should buy in the coming frenzied shopping sprees, and read, it’s these two.

If you are someone who wanders through life day-to-day, driven by wherever the winds blow you, these books are for you. If you are someone who thinks the elite few who run the governments are out there upholding your rights and looking out for you, first, where have you been? Second, these books are for you.

And if you are someone who thinks about the legacy we leave to generations yet to come, unlike our rulers who think election to election, these books are for you as well.

When fiction becomes fact, it is not always a good thing.

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Man’s Fascination with the End

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Darrick Dean

We saw it around Y2K. The End was near. Now it’s 2012. I’m surprised this hasn’t reached 2012 proportions yet. Even if you didn’t fall for Y2K, or 2012 is just another year, many are still fascinated with fictional depictions of the End.

Perhaps it is because disasters bring out the best, and worst, in people. Such fiction becomes a look into the minds of men. They also become cautionary tales. Stories that tell us to be prepared and not go through life like zombies glued to our cellphones.

I recommended a few weeks ago One Second After. After an EMP attack is launched against the U.S., all the power goes out. Chaos ensues and one town tries to survive. All too real of a disaster. One that many say we are not prepared for. NBC’s new show Revolution depicts a similar event, though the exact details have yet to be revealed.

In Book of Eli, we see the world in the aftermath of some civilization. In the stark, wasted land, books are a prized possesion. Knowledge is at a premium. Think about that if all your references are electronic.

So we turn to fiction to learn. To be reminded about man’s nature. To be warned.

Are people listening?

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Enoch: The Merging of History and Fantasy

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Darrick Dean

There are but a handful of vague references to Enoch in the Bible. One of those is one of the most enigmatic passages in the Bible, for it states Enoch was taken by God and did not die. That, combined with the non-canonical book I Enoch and its writings on the Watchers (another little-explained item in the Bible), has made Enoch long the center of speculation. Who was he? What did he do? Brian Godawa attempts to answer these mysteries in the second volume of his epic-ancient-history-based series, Enoch Primordial.

In his first book, Noah Primeval, the premise was, what had the world degenerated to that required its destruction? In that world the Nephilim controled the world, filling it with their evil corruptions. In Enoch we see how those beings rose to power and the first rebellions against them.

This book is actually a prequel to the first. I suspect the author released his story on Noah first because he is better known. In esoteric circles, Enoch is at the center of speculation on the nature of the Nephilim, The Watchers and Sons of God. In the appendix to the first book, Godawa delves into the biblical and historical backgrounds of these enigmas and also draws from the myths of contemporary cultures to the ancient Hebrews. The question is posed, what if those myths, and the Nephilim of the Bible, were references to the fallen beings of heaven?

That premise underlies Enoch and Godawa creates an action-laced adventure full of fantastic beings and battles that draws on the whispers of history. The early pre-Abraham chapters of Genesis have the feel of great antiquity – almost an outline of the distant past, short of detail. While Godawa’s book is fiction – and perhaps the best example of a new sub-genre of fantasy sometimes referred to speculative fiction – he has managed to piece together a story that is not only gripping, but with more hints of truth than all the oddball, esoteric “nonfiction” writers out there.

In the appendix he gives more background detail to his story. I generally don’t like when authors start explaining things, but here it adds to the story, making one wonder where fiction ends and fact begins. His stories are set during the Late Bronze Age or thereabouts. I would argue that these stories are much older and far removed from us. Nevertheless, whatever or preconceived notions are about a novel that draws from biblical accounts, if you are a fan of fantasy or historical adventure, this series should be on your must read list.

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The Telling

Posted on August 18, 2012 by Darrick Dean

Small quiet town. Dark secrets. Mysterious, strange people. Terrifying legends. Unspeakable experiments in shadowed places. Hideous beings. Evil ready to take over. Sounds like an H.P. Lovecraft story? (If you said Stephen King, well, he was inspired by Lovecraft, too.) No, this is Mike Duran’s book The Telling.

Definitely in the vein of Lovecraft, but set in the Southwest rather than New England. A story of how evil manifests in the least likely of places because that is the last place people would expect it to. The novel explores the idea that some are called to stand against the worst of evil. And some of those who would make the strongest stand are the most attacked and suppressed.

I like how Duran gives just enough detail to let your imagination take off. Some authors overwhelm us with every little minutia. Their books become tedious to read because our minds are given nowhere to go. Others lecture us and try to impress us with all their years of great research. Depending on your interests, some readers of The Telling may wish the author elaborated more on the government conspiracy or the science of dimensional portals (yep, there’s a little of everything in there). But that’s what sequels are for. And this story would be a prime candidate.

I would label this a horror novel, but the publisher labeled it suspense. I suspect that this is due to the modern perception of horror being gory and graphic (thanks to movies) and that this was published by a Christian publisher (not a niche known for horror). Fans of Lovecraft, Poe or Hitchcock know this not to be what all horror is about. Others may label this book the sub-genre of supernatural fiction. Though when does horror (or fantasy) become supernatural? Or vice versa?

Of course, you might be wondering why there is a special Christian fiction section in bookstores. That’s another discussion, but this book breaks down any stereotypes. It’s not about sermons or Bible verses. Most all writers bring their religion, or worldview, into their works one way or another. Duran’s book is like most of those, allowing his beliefs to inform and inspire his writing. There are those who want nothing contrary to their beliefs in a book. Others want explicit confirmation. Nothing wrong with these, everyone has a preference. I find Duran’s approach more realistic.

So if you are looking for a creepy diversion, or just something new, then take a look at The Telling. It cuts a path between the norm in secular and religious fiction of this genre. Part of a new trend? Time will tell.

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Mars: A New Hope

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Darrick Dean

NASA’s most ambitious Mars probe is set to land late today (or early tomorrow, depending where you live). NASA is one of the few government programs that actually invests in a major — and important — industry that supports high-tech jobs and science and technology advancement. However, the geniuses in Washington has been throwing NASA under the bus as of late. They’d rather bailout unsuccessful ventures. But I digress. At least NASA is finally relying more on the commercialization of space. Now if they only would do that with the International Space Station.

Man’s obssesion with Mars has been detailed by many authors in great fiction. Ray Bradbury’s classic The Martian Chronicles showed us the ruins of a dying world.

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ swashbuckling John Carter series is an amazing adventure series decades ahead of its time.

Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy is a detailed epic on man’s settlement and terraforming of the Red Planet.

There are many others, but these are of the best. Even though Mars is a dead world, it still draws us to it as one of the most dynamic — and mysterious — worlds in our Solar System. As unfolds in Robinson’s novels, it’s the most likely world for humans to colonize if we can ever begin to look further than next week. Robert Zubrin’s The Case For Mars explains the reasons and means for exploring the Red World.

In an era where the politicians lack any vision, and most people wander aimlessly through life, maybe Mars will inspire a few to raise the bar.

Especially in this election year with the same empty promises and waves of deception, Mars could be just what we need.

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The Land of Shannara

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Darrick Dean

Middle-Earth and Narnia. Two of the best known worlds in fantasy. Are there others as good? After first reading Lord of the Rings and everything else Tolkien wrote, I was hooked and wanted something else. Someone recommended the fantasy series by Terry Brooks.

And that was it.

Starting in 1977, Brooks has written over 20 books in the series. Stand-alones. Trilogies. Prequels. Duologies. One could start just about anywhere, but I always recommend starting with the first, The Sword of Shannara, then work your way forward. Then go to the very beginning for what would become the prequel series, The Word and the Void (it was first written as a seperate series and later led to the Shannara books via five other volumes).

Some complain his first book was too much of a Tolkien clone. Maybe, but he quickly came into his own and created one of the great fantasy mythos. I have found them to be much more readable than some others in the genre. Those go on and on and often have massive, tedious books. Each of Brooks’ books, or groups of books, stand on their own, while drawing on others and leading you to a conclusion. Sometimes I wish the gaps in the timeline between each series weren’t so large, but from his perspective it makes it easier to create new stories and characters. Still, fans hope he will revisit some of the classic stories. Once you become hooked, buy the companion reference for a guide to this ever-growing world.

Will you choose to go on this adventure or continue on your boring path?

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Ray Bradbury, Legendary Writer, Dies

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Darrick Dean

Few authors write for as long or as much. Fewer still become legends in their lifetime and see their works regarded as classics.

Ray Bradbury, author of the classic Fahrenheit 451, unforgettable stories like The Martian Chronicles and Dandelion Wine and thousands of short stories, died yesterday at age 91.

In an era where many authors come and go, an American Original has been lost.

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Be Prepared

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Darrick Dean

If I may return to our fiction review for a moment, 2012 seems to be an apt time to take in an apocalyptic tale or two. I’ve previously discussed the amusement I have with the 2012 doomsayers, not unlike Y2K (over a decade ago already!).

First ask yourself this: What would you do if you were faced with a major disaster? In particular, are you prepared for what may happen tomorrow, next year or an hour from now? Tornado? Earthquake? Some man-made cataclysm?

We’ve become such a pampered society, we think buying bread, milk and toilet paper is how to prepare for a coming storm. Most have no idea what do do if their power went out for more than a few hours. They think the government will be there to save them (forget Hurricane Katrina already?).

This lack of common sense preparedness – the classic Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” said it best and simplest – will someday haunt us. That’s why I recommend folks give the novel One Second After a read.

It presents the most extreme scenario: An EMP attack on the U.S. renders nearly all electronics useless. If you don’t know what an EMP attack is, look it up. It is a real threat. Perhaps the government should worry more about this than meddling in our lives. In any case, William R. Forstchen paints a dire situation as a small town tries to survive until help arrives. It does arrive, over a year later. In the meantime, the realities of a collapsed society unfold in frightening detail.

Hopefully, we never see a disaster of this magnitude. Even smaller ones could push us to the brink. The Yellowstone supervolcano, the long overdue mega-earthquake along the fault near the Mississippi or some terrible nightmare set in motion by a depraved mind all lurk in the darkness. Then again, they may never happen.

This novel, entertaining as it is, will make you ponder what you would do. Though-provoking and perhaps extreme at times (we hope it is), it nevertheless may help snap a couple people out of their funk.

Don’t let laziness be the death of you.

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John Carter of Mars

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Darrick Dean

If you’ve seen the movie previews of John Carter and the name is not familiar, you’ve missed out on an epic sci-fi series. The classic eleven-book series from Edgar Rice Burroughs, written decades ago, was ahead of its time. During the era when Mars was still the subject of many a fantasy and full of life, Burroughs created this swashbuckling adventure. John Carter, earthling and Civil War vet, finds himself somehow on Mars (Barsoom) in the midst of a war. Fantasy, sci-fi and high adventure form these best of Burroughs’ works, even though he is often better remembered for Tarzan and The Land that Time Forgot. Hopefully, the film-makers do the first book justice and we can look forward to more.

All eleven books in four volumes: Books 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-11.

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