#tolkien's childhood influences

[arda-marred]

Regarding the fictional Sam Gamgee’s link to the First World War, Carpenter’s Biography quotes Tolkien as saying, “My ‘Sam Gamgee’ is indeed a reflexion of the English soldier, of the privates and batmen I knew in the 1914 war, and recognized as so far superior to myself.” A batman, in military parlance, was a soldier who (as well as being required to fight) was tasked with looking after an officer’s kit, cooking, and cleaning. Tolkien’s phrasing in the letter sent to Minchin is different, and very interesting too: “My ‘Samwise’ is indeed (as you note) largely a reflexion of the English soldier—grafted on the village-boys of early days, the memory of the privates and my batmen that I knew in the 1914 War, and recognized as so far superior to myself.” It gives the extra dimension that in portraying Sam, Tolkien had also drawn on memories of lads from the rural outskirts of Birmingham, where he had lived between the ages of three and eight. This dovetails well with his statement elsewhere that the society of the Shire is “more or less a Warwickshire village of about the period of the Diamond Jubilee” (Letters p. 230)—that is, a village like Sarehole in 1897, Queen Victoria’s 60th year on the throne and Tolkien’s fifth on earth. Amid all Tolkien’s astonishing inventiveness, and alongside the vast knowledge of matters mythological and medieval that he poured into his legendarium, this is a point too easily overlooked: contemporary life, especially the life he knew in his formative years, was a powerful well-spring of creativity in The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien’s comment to Minchin also provides support for a point I have made in various talks on how the Great War shaped The Lord of the Rings. By silently linking his hobbits with the boys of 1901, who had grown into the young men of 1914, Tolkien was able to draw directly upon the war into which he and those men were then hurled. He had seen, and felt, how war could change those who went through it. Many of the dangers he describes in The Lord of the Rings may be fantastical, though many are not and others are only symbolically so. But the fear, the resourcefulness, the demoralisation, the courage, the sorrow, the innocent laughter in the face of dreadful odds: all these things he had known, and he infused his fiction with them. This, and memories of those rural roots, bring the hobbits vividly to life.

[autumnhobbit]

really hoping the flannery o'connor movie is a dark comedy with some surrealist elements because tbh flannery was a pretty odd duck & her life & escapades were often funny

[callipraxia]

Brian Jacques definitely counts! I still have all those books. I read Lewis as a kid but didn’t enjoy his books until I was an adult. My next influences were T.A. Barron (I can’t remember a single thing about the plots of his books, only that I loved them), Lloyd Alexander (Prydain, of course, but also some of his single works, and I liked the Westmark trilogy a bit better than Prydain), and breaking the vaguely-aimed-at-my-age-group pattern, Robert Jordan. Reading Winter’s Heart (yes, nine books into the series with no context - I’m a reckless reader) was, in a real way, a game-changer moment for me in life.

Of that list…I got into Mercedes Lackey as a teenager (reading the Exile Duology backward, because of course I did), and went through the whole of Terry Pratchett in a single academic semester in my sophomore year of college, three books a week (my grades noticed). Lewis and Tolkien also became friends of mine around my senior year of college. I know I read some Diana Wynne Jones in late elementary school/early middle school, but like with T.A. Barron, I have only the foggiest memories of what they were about.

well, I just got polls and thought I would experiment with what that's like and now I regret my choices because now I actually want to know the real answers

(also I would personally choose Patricia C. Wrede as a gateway despite having been read Lewis and Tolkien before I turned seven on the grounds that Wrede was what made me want to read more of my own accord)

[transsexualhamlet]

insanely specific tolkien thought of the day: linguistic shift in Quenya

or: Aragorn's no-good very-bad five dialect Quenya soup

I have often found the concept of how language changes over time when its speakers are immortal quite ridiculously interesting (for example, if Finwe and Thingol were brought together during the years of the trees, would it be the absurd equivalent of watching ur grandpa reunite with his childhood buddy and all of a sudden start speaking incomprehensible old english, what it would be like to spend hundreds of years writing with a system that your cousin/brother/child came up with when he was a teenager, things like this).

It's clear that despite the undying nature of its speakers during the years of the trees, there was still enough of a linguistic shift between Sindarin and Quenya during the Years of the Trees that they became completely different languages, so I was sent on somewhat of a thought experiment of how the language was changed over time and how ridiculously comedic that change can be when dealing with immortal beings.

So my thought is that following the return of the Noldor to Beleriand, Quenya began to be split into a few different dialects, which over time because of the immortal nature of Only Elves, created some strange occurrences. These were the three types of Quenya which arose:

Mainland Quenya in Aman. Although there are probably some dialectical differences between for example, the Vanyar and the Teleri on Tol Eressea, but in general it seems to act as a whole due to the ease of travel between places. As this is the only language spoken on Aman other than Valarin, and it has basically zero contact with the outside world, all its interior changes are probably sort of strange and incomprehensible tumblr speak to outsiders.

Noldor Quenya in Middle Earth. It would start out the same as Mainland Quenya, but obviously as soon as it is cut off the changes become different. It firstly took all Feanorian influence with it, which I imagine due to his insanity was basically its own dialect already. Then, there came the changes due to its being outlawed by Thingol and very rarely spoken for like. 400 years. In this case, even those survivors that managed to escape unscathed from the war of the jewels probably lost some of the original way they spoke the language, and most children born during or even after the ban were probably not taught to be fluent in Quenya, or even taught at all. After Thingol's death, Quenya could be spoken again, but those who learned it afterwards from old texts would have little context as native Sindarin speakers basically never learned Quenya, and by the beginning of the second age, most of the Quenya spoken in Middle Earth is likely a sort of pigdin between Sindarin and a now-antiquated half-remembered version of Quenya with a heavy Feanorian bias.

Numenorean / Dunedain Quenya. The Numenoreans actually have a much more recent connection with Mainland Quenya, as for much of the second age there was good communication between at least the Tol Eressea dialect of Mainland Quenya, as well as the Vanyar's dialect (equivalent I imagine of the Queen's English) as they were also visited by Eonwe. This dialect was then cut off by the later line of Numenorean kings, and the Numenorean's knowledge of that version of Quenya was then reliquated to a few families and texts that were destroyed in the fall of Numenor. This knowledge was then passed down through the lines of the Dunedain, though I imagine over time became corrupted with influence from Gondorian and Westron as the Dunedain were not immortal. At the same time though, it may not have changed as much, as it was treated like the equivalent of Latin where it was used only for naming and ceremonial purposes and not surviving as anyone's first language.

This to me is extremely humorous, because as immortal holdouts of various versions of the language continue to exist, you imagine several things:

Aragorn, being raised in Rivendell by Elrond, speaking Elrond's bastardized Feanorian Quenya, being baffled by his own Dunedain line's Quenya texts, as well as jumpscaring Galadriel and being vaguely unintelligible to the average Noldo born after the first age

Moriquendi who studied up on Quenya before sailing to Valinor realizing that they cannot understand anyone at all upon arriving there, and Galadriel cannot help them

The Istari by the third age remembering a different version of Quenya than literally anyone else on Arda

[calling-cthulhu]

I just got back from a viewing of Kenji Kamiyama's 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim'. Hoo boy.

I first have to admit I completely forgot this movie was going to be a thing until today, when I saw the poster on my local theatre and thought 'Fuck it, I got time'.

I must secondly admit I had no real expectations going in. I wasn't expecting to hate it, mind, nothing about it's advertising raised serious red flags like the likes of Rings of Power or Shadow of Mordor did, but neither did I expect to be particularly wowed.

Anyway, thoughts.

The movie is ultimately... fine. Not unentertaining, but it felt a bit conflicted with itself at times. You definitely feel like there's almost two movies here, one of a grounded localized conflict in Rohan, and a J.R.R. Tolkien™'s The Lord of the Rings™ movie where there's shots of recognizably iconic Middle-Earth™ things for their own sake.

The best characters are ultimately Helm himself, Wulf, and somewhat unexpectedly, a character called 'General Targg'. No really.

Hera, Daughter of Helm, unfortunately feels... stock? Like, forget the cultural warrior whining about 'Strong Female Protagonists', Hera honestly spends a shocking amount of time getting put in positions of distress and very rarely actually wins a straight fight. Unfortunately compared with fearless death-seeking Eowyn, she comes off as a bit more Disney Princess, and doesn't really change all that much as a character. She's not bad, per se, but is just serviceable, and is unfortunately surrounded by characters more interesting than her.

I admit I'm not the biggest into the Rohirrim, Gondor all the way baby, but for the most part as an adaptation of what's essentially a Tolkien sticky note, nothing about it struck me as an egregious case of 'Writer Trying To Make It Their Own'-itis, unlike certain other works I could name. If you're even slightly familiar with the events, there are no big twists or turns, the plot is incredibly straight and narrow with everything be telegraphed from a mile away. Whether this is a good or bad thing, I leave up to your personal discretion.

The biggest alteration I'd say would be the inciting incident, namely the circumstances in which Helm kills Freca. There is actually a lot in the incident that is true to the text, mind, such as Freca insulting Helm's age, who returns with jabs about his weight, but there seems to also be an attempt to justify some of Freca's marital ambitions by him claiming Helm's too influenced by Gondor as he wants to marry Hera, our protagonist, with a Gondorian prince (Sir Not-Appearing-in-this-Film). Freca is... Actually right, Helm absolutely wants to marry his daughter off to Gondor. I actually kind of like this, as right away we have the contrasts between Theoden and Helm. Helm is kind of an imperious, more moral Bobby B type, very used to getting what he wants by his word alone.

And yes, he destroys Freca in a single blow... But I have to deduct points off this, because rather than the premeditated straight-up murder of the text, this is more of a formal brawl where Helm accidentally loses his temper due to Freca's insults, which honestly is kind of funny as Helm clearly expected Freca to get back up after smashing his face in.

Another change I'm not really fond of is that Freca and Wulf actually do seem to have Dunlending blood. While in Tolkien's work it's fairly easy to read as it being an unsubstantiated rumour used to discredit an influential rival, here Wulf straight admits he was discriminated against due to his ancestry, and even uses his heritage to become 'High Lord' of Dunland.

Anyway, Wulf amasses an army, including 'Variag mercenaries' who are clearly just Haradrim, but whatever, and beats Helm. I won't go too much into detail, but the battle itself isn't incredibly impressive, imo, clearly trying very hard to emulate Jackson's Return of the King.

Speaking of Wulf, marketing kind of painted the picture of a kind of badboy former childhood sweetheart of Hera turned evil. He is... not that. Very little of his childhood relationship with Hera is actually explore. Instead, Wulf instead channels more Macbeth or Captain Ahab. An incredibly bloodthirsty and ambitious warlord who is ultimately undone by a combination of hubris, lust for vengeance and a complex over his own inadequacies.

Frankly, the only reason he doesn't fall faster is thanks to, again seriously, 'General Targg', his Dunlending advisor. Not that you would be able to tell he's a Dunlending, being clean shaven and having close-cropped hair... He looks like he's just a Roman strategist plucked out of time, like an Africanus or even Caesar. His main job is to tell Wulf to please stop being dumb and take his Ws, such as when Helm straight up offers to surrender the crown for the life of his last son. Wulf for his part never actually listens, however, cumulating in him spending the last of his gold building a giant 'siege tower' (Think the Warwolf if its only job was to fall over and provide a big bridge for soldiers to march up the undefended walls of Helms Deep) and he promptly stabs Targg once the man gets fed up of Wulf being a complete failure of a king.

Lastly, my biggest criticism of the movies is probably that a lot of the Tolkien elements feel very incidental and solely there for the sake of the intellectual property. The Mumak and the 'Variag mercenaries' show up for one battle and are never mentioned again. The Watcher in the Water appears once and quickly disappears again. There's one scene with Orcs that only exists to foreshadow that Sauron is looking for rings, but it's completely irrelevant to the story proper and mostly exists so Helm can have a Batman moment saving Hera from a troll. Saruman pops up at the end to wink at the camera, and perhaps most egregiously of all, they pull a Battle of the Five Armies, where Hera rides off into the sunset after she says a wizard wishes to talk to her, who 'in the common tongue is Gandalf'. I have no idea where this is going to lead and can only pray Philippa Boyens isn't trying to make Gandalf a kind of fantasy Nick Fury who is gathering heroes from all across the land for another movie...

In terms of rating, from a bottom-barrel The Rings of Power to a lovely The Lord of the Rings Online, I rate it a Fellowship of the Ring (2002). That's a 5-6/10 for you boring people. The animation itself isn't bad, but it's not quite your name or Mononoke Hime level. It's an entertaining enough one-time watch, but I don't foresee being it much of a repeat classic like it's forefathers. Overall a decent but unambitious foray into Tolkien, which given the current competition, may not actually be an insult...

[honourablejester]

With all the discussion going around about kids and reading again, and just because I’m in a nostalgic and reflective mood, I thought I’d have a quick look back over books that had an influence on me over the years. You know. I trawl back through my childhood and later memories for those books that stuck out. Not necessarily because of quality, but because they had something that stayed with me, for one reason or another.

Rambling below the cut:

The Shannara trilogy, by Terry Brooks. The original one, so Sword of Shannara, Elfstones of Shannara, and Wishsong of Shannara. Plus the prequel, First King of Shannara. For a lot of people, Lord of the Rings was their first big fantasy series, but mine was Shannara, because my parents were big fans. We wore those books out. Wishsong and Sword, in particular. The copy of First King we had was a hardback, so it held up better, and Elfstones for some reason was everyone’s least favourite, so it got read a bit less, but the other two were in tatters from everyone reading them. I can’t even remember how old I was reading them, but it was pretty young? Less than 10, for sure. I loved Wishsong in particular so much as a kid.

The Knight of the Word (Word & Void) trilogy, also by Terry Brooks. Again, my parents were big fans. I remember this one, though, because I bounced off it as a kid, and had to come back to it later when I was bit older. Because KotW is much more … adult than Shannara. Not in the sense of more sex and violence, but in the sense that it was set in the real world, and there were a lot of adult topics in there that I didn’t get yet. Things like towns slowly dying as the money dried up, and complicated family dynamics, and bigotry, as well as the more fantastical elements of the demon hunting Nest and the apocalypse looming behind John Ross’ dreams of the future. I had to come back to this trilogy as a teenager, when I had a bit more framework for it. It’s been merged into Shannara as a prequel in the years since, but honestly I never really agreed with that. Knight of the Word was its own vibe, its own bitter, dying, small town fantasy of damaged bloodlines and slow decay. I think, of all the books I read as a kid, this one probably had the most long-term influence on my writing. There’s a tone in it that feels like it comes back to me sometimes.

Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien. It wasn’t my first fantasy, or my most formative, but our house also went through several copies of this trilogy too. I actually miss them, we got new ones after the movies came out, but those one just don’t look or feel as nice as the ones we wore out. I do have an absolutely gorgeous illustrated copy of the Hobbit, though, and it is a prized possession.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle. My dad had a massive green hardback collection of the stories, so big that I could barely lift it as a kid, and I loved it. He still has it. I’ve got my own fancy leatherbound copy now, a Christmas present, but that big battered green hardback is such a piece of my childhood. Reading the Holmes stories young has had weird influences here or there, some odd context for history learned later, and a willingness to read older fiction.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne. It was the first book I ever got out of the library. I remember it so clearly. I was seven when my mam first got me a library card, and I remember being so overwhelmed by the number of books around me that I just sort of ran in, grabbed a couple nearly at random, and ran out again. The two I picked were this one, and a book called ‘The Tribe With No Feet’, which I can’t remember the author of, but it was about the indigenous americans meeting white settlers for the first time and calling them the tribe with no feet because they wore shoes (again, I have no idea who wrote this, but this was the mid-90s). I don’t remember much else about that book. But I remember Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Most specifically, I remember the expedition climbing down through the tight caves at the start, and I remember the subterranean prehistoric sea. Which. I feel like people might recognise as an influence for a few things? Heh.

The Famous Five series, by Enid Blyton. In case anyone gets the idea that I was reading mostly fantasy and classics as a kid, nah. Like I said, I got a library card when I was seven, and I read a lot. A lot of what the library had were older books, this was again small town Ireland in the 90s, so they tended to prioritise long series and older series. I read Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Goosebumps, the Babysitters Club, you name it. I also, perhaps more weirdly, read some of the Chalet School series by Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. Because for some reason our library had a lot of british children’s series from like the 50s? Hence, again, Famous Five. But I did enjoy them, so I don’t know what that says. It also meant that Harry Potter was nothing particularly new to me, because I had read a lot of the old boarding school series that it was somewhat inspired by.

A couple of other kids books that have stuck with me:

Strange Hiding Place, by Graham Marks. Kid’s sci-fi about a kid finding a crash-landed alien on the run from a war and trying to help him. I mainly remember the bit in the first book where they’re camping, and Dez (the kid) does the old camping prank of spinning in the dark with his torch pointing up at his face to scare the alien, and Yakob (the alien) having a complete meltdown because he’s a traumatised guy on the run on an alien world where nothing is familiar and can you not do that, please and thank you! And Dex realising that this adult alien is stressed to fuck and scared and in real danger, and realising a bit more genuinely that he needs to help him.

The Luvender trilogy, by June Considine. I don’t remember too much of the plot of these, but they were just spooky as hell in such a cool way, and I loved them. The basic plot is kids in an old seaside town called Merrick having to deal with an evil sorcerer and his minions (the titular Luvenders), and there were possessed dolls, and the ghost of a girl who was a champion against him a hundred years ago, and then a massive mudslide that nearly wipes out the town and the old wrought iron town gates being carried away by it. I got those books out of the library many times.

The Giltspur trilogy, by Cormac MacRaois. I seriously you doubt you can get these outside of Ireland these days, or even within Ireland, but they were just my favourite casual kids fantasy as a kid. Irish mythology, spooky scarecrows, and brave kids. I loved them.

The Forbidden Game, by L.J. Smith. As we got a bit older and graduated from Goosebumps to more young adult fair, one of my sisters and I were obsessed with the Point Horror books. We tried a bunch of them, but easily our favourite, and the one that stuck longest, was the Forbidden Game trilogy. Which is actually a love story masquerading as a horror book, about a girl who buys a game from a beautiful young demon boy and then has to play it for her and her friends’ lives, while also falling for said demon. Despite this, I was still shocked when I found out, literally just now, that the author went on to write The Vampire Diaries. Huh. But, you know. Still a great trilogy!

Then, as I got a bit older:

Discworld, by Terry Pratchett. One of my dad’s friends heard I liked fantasy (again, Shannara, LotR, but by this stage I’d also started reading the massive fantasy tome series out of the library) and loaned me Guards Guards, and the rest is rather history. Shannara was my first, LotR not long after, but despite arriving late when I was a teenager, Discworld stuck hardest. It’s the one of all of them that I reread most often. I adore this series, and I will cheerfully fight people over it.

Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Wars of Light and Shadow by Janny Wurts. When I say I’d started reading massive doorstopper fantasy series out of the library … I actually don’t mean these two. They came later, when I started buying my own books, mostly out of second hand shops. I still have a massive stack of Wheel of Time books in the bottom of a wardrobe somewhere. I never actually finished the series, but then neither did Robert Jordan? I … I’m not sure if I recommend Wheel of Time, in hindsight there’s a lot of … he definitely had a weird view of women, and relationships, but it was a pretty formative step in my independent reading. And Janny Wurts … Okay. Do you enjoy potentially overwrought whump fic? Read Janny Wurts. I also somewhat blame her for my over-reliance on italics when writing. But. If you would like a doorstopper fantasy series about a beautiful fantasy prince tortured by his (quite literal) empathy while mired in a war with his half-brother by a curse, have I got the series for you!

More Than Human, by Theodore Sturgeon. As you may have gathered, I haunted the sci-fi/fantasy section of the library as a kid. And a lot of the books I read went over my head. This one was a bit like Knight of the Word when I’d been younger, I did not get it. I mean, I read it, I understand all the events that happened in it, but it was one of those books that didn’t actually mean anything to me until much, much later. But it stuck, and I’m still not sure why. But if anyone wondered why telepathy is a theme in some of my work, it does probably go back to this book.

Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. I have read … a fairly eclectic selection of classic novels over the years. Random ones here or there, starting from Sherlock Holmes as a kid. But Les Miserables was probably the second most influential of them. I heard the musical first, again because of my parents, but when I went to college and got access to the college library, it was the first time I got to read the book. Or the brick, if you prefer. And I really, really, really loved Javert. So.

It was also via the college library (and the classics shelf of the bookshop in the college town) that I ran into both the Arsene Lupin stories by Maurice Leblanc and the Fantomas stories by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre. Which, if you enjoy early French pulp crime stories? Excellent choices. The college library also let me watch the early (as in 1910s) Fantomas silent movies, which I also definitely recommend! (I do think Verne being such an early influence inclined me a bit towards French genre fiction for a bit).

Also in college, I discovered that I really love short horror fiction. I love ghost stories. I have several hardback collections of classic ghost stories on my shelves these days, because if I’m in the mood to buy a book, but not in a specific mood, I usually can’t go wrong with one of those. And college was also were I discovered Project Gutenberg, an online archive of classic works, which introduced me to some weird and wonderful classic horror fiction. A particular one of which that I remember was the Carnacki the Ghost Finder stories by William Hope Hodgson, an early entry into the paranormal investigation/weird fiction genres. As in, again, 1910s. They’re weird, and very early-20th-century, but they’re also fascinating and cool. For example, Carnacki made a lot of use of multicoloured electric light tubes as warding materials, because they were new and fascinating in the 1910s. The stories are on Project Gutenberg still, definitely give them a shot. Unfortunately, that version doesn’t have my favourite of the stories, The Hog, which has the most weirdly terrifying demonic pig you will ever encounter in a story.

The Flashman series by George McDonald Fraser. I had read his book The Pyrates before, my dad loved it, and the bookshop in my college town had large chunks of this series, written in the 60s-80s, about a cowardly British soldier during the Imperial conflicts of the Victorian era. So I read them. Again, Sherlock Holmes as a kid laid a bit of groundwork. And … They’re not for everyone. Flashman, the title character, is a horrible man, though Fraser quickly backs off from some of his more horrific qualities in the earlier books (he rapes someone during a battle in I think the second book?). But. They’re pretty well written and historical fascinating, and I learned a lot about a lot of the darker and smaller conflicts of the British Empire through them. Which I remember because it actually came up in class, and made me sound like I’d done a lot more of the reading than I had. We were discussing Lebensraum and the concepts of national expansionism in a lecture, and the lecturer was asking why the land routes through Russia and Asia were considered so important to many European countries, and I was there with Flashman’s experience of British India and Afghanistan floating in my head, so I piped up ‘British navy’. And he was all, yes, thank you, someone’s done the reading. Which, uh. I decidedly hadn’t. Or at least not the class reading. Heh.

Honor Harrington series by David Weber. Somewhat linked to the previous, by way of things like the Hornblower and Aubreyverse books in a similar vein of ‘military historical fiction’, I also discovered military science fiction as a genre via second hand bookshops in college. And Honor Harrington was the one that stuck, mostly because of several characters (mostly Havenite, a couple Manticoran) that I latched onto hard. The series starts out very obviously as ‘Hornblower in space’, but after the first four books or so starts to swerve hard and picks up much more of its own identity.

The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold. Again, somewhat linked to the previous. As a kid, it was the fantasy half of the science fiction and fantasy section that fascinated me. Later on, I started to venture more into the sci-fi side. And Vorkosigan, like Harrington, has a lot of the bitey, toothy, ‘the bonds and ravages of loyalty’ themes that have rather stuck with me. When you weigh your honour and your loyalty on the scales of war, how much of them, and you, comes out intact? Again, you might recognise some themes I enjoy here.

The In Death series by JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts). Completely different, now, but … these were more my popcorn books, the ones I got out of the library in college and even still when I just want something more low-effort to read, but they’re not bad for all that. They are very much romance fiction tropes in an urban sci-fi coat, but they’re eminently readable for all that. Heh. The main romance is questionable, especially in the early books, but it settles into something more equal and less potentially-skeevy as it goes, and the crime plots are actually pretty interesting here or there. They very much are ‘Law And Order Twenty Minutes In The Future’, with a healthy skeleton of Mills & Book underlying that, but if you want a book to read in an hour or so, you can do a lot worse.

The Charlie Parker series, by John Connolly. If you want horror crime instead of science fiction crime, definitely try these. And by that I do not mean urban fantasy ‘detectives and vampires’, I mean horror crime. As in gruesome crimes where something dark and supernatural lurks around the edges of the world. The books get increasingly bogged down the further into the series you get, but the early books have a spectacular atmosphere to them.

The Philip Marlowe books by Raymond Chandler. Now. Most of the reason I love noir as a genre was because of Batman: The Animated Series as a kid, and then the odd movie here or there later (L.A. Confidential, The Big Sleep, Casablanca), but libraries are a girl’s best friend, and when I stumbled across these, I gave them a shot. And it was definitely worth it. Chandler has a really light, pulpy style that’s quick and snappy and fun to read, and there is definitely a mood and an atmosphere in his work. If you want to see what all the noir parodies were referencing, do try him, he’s excellent. (I never tried the other big pulp hardboiled author, Dashielle Hammett, and I keep meaning to).

… Reading this back over, it’s so obvious that I was a genre kid. It’s all fantasy, science fiction, horror, crime, and then hybrids thereof. Heh. And I’m also noticing a lot of older fiction, as a result of reading what was available to me in a small town in the 90s as a kid, and then being willing to chance older stuff as a result of that as I got older.

Another thing I’m noting is that I read a lot of books that I didn’t get, because while I had the reading ability for them, I decidedly didn’t have the experience or context for them. But the thing with those is, they often stick longer when you do gain the knowledge or experience or understanding for them later on and go back.

Anyway. Apologies for the random trip down memory lane and through my childhood and later influences. Carry on!

[adventuresofalgy]

People I'd Like to Know: Tumblr Tag Game

Algy was tagged by his friend @edinburgh-by-the-sea in Scotland's beautiful capital city, whom he thanks very kindly for choosing him. Algy wasn't sure whether his friend really wanted to know about his own fluffy bird tastes or those of his assistant, so he has answered for both 😀

Algy's current obsession: finding his way home in time for Christmas 🎄 His assistant's current obsession: maintaining health and finding time and energy to produce exciting new work for Algy's assistants' new collaborative tumblr blog @novelties-and-notions in addition to assisting Algy with his adventures every single day…

Algy is looking forward to: Christmas, Hogmanay (a tumblr party?), and his 13th tumblr birthday on 13th March 2025 (definitely a tumblr party!) Double 13! 🎄🎉🎁 His assistant is looking forward to: all kinds of new adventures in creativity

Last book Algy read: The Oxford Book of English Verse. As many of Algy's followers will know, Algy loves good poetry and has his own Algy-sized collection of volumes of verse. Last books Algy's assistant read (re-read): The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, in translation, and Joy in the Morning by P G Wodehouse.

Algy's assistant is sometimes asked for reading recommendations. She spent much time on her own when young, and therefore started reading, and learned to love books, at a precociously early age… there was nothing else to do! Significant influences which persist to this day include, roughly IN THE ORDER ORIGINALLY READ from early childhood: Beatrix Potter and the Winnie the Pooh stories; many classic collections of fairytales (esp. collected by Andrew Lang and the Brothers Grimm) and the works of Hans Christian Anderson; The Wind in the Willows; fairytale/fantasy works by George MacDonald; Peter Pan; the Dr. Dolittle stories by Hugh Lofting; Lewis Carroll; The Cuckoo Clock by Mrs Molesworth; The Secret Garden and The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett; works by Rudyard Kipling; C S Lewis; J R R Tolkien (first read at the age of 9 but only occasionally since); P G Wodehouse (20th century master of the use of English and of humour – a lifelong indulgence in reading); Charles Dickens (his descriptive powers have rarely if ever been equalled); Arthurian Romances; and all works by Jane Austen, Henry James, Thomas Mann, Kurt Vonnegut, Joseph Heller and – beyond fiction – Ludwig Wittgenstein. And of course Shakespeare, who inevitably has some influence on anyone who has ever studied English, plus many, many other more forgettable writers in various genres.

Although many of the titles above were written as fiction for children, she has continued to re-read those works over the years, as may be evident in Algy's adventures 😀

And for those who have asked for reading recommendations, especially those folk of an older generation who have not yet had the opportunity to read very much – and also for aspiring writers – she would say that if you have not yet read much literature, but wish to, then don't waste precious time on lesser authors but read the very best stuff first 😊

(And anyone who wishes to "be a writer", in no matter what kind of genre or style, is advised to first of all master the use of language – and the best way to do that is by reading past masters extensively. Like any other highly skilled activity, if you want to mess around with it and make it jump through hoops, you have to thoroughly master the basic skill set first.)

Last song Algy listened to: When the red, red robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along 😀

Last movie Algy watched: Mary Poppins (the original 1964 movie) Algy is fascinated by the incredible animation with live action sequence, and by the remarkable Dick van Dyke, who has just celebrated his 99th birthday! Last movies Algy's assistant watched: W C Fields' International House and the Marx Brothers The Cocoanuts… Why a duck? 🤣

Last TV show: Algy and his assistant NEVER watch televsion, though they do watch movies. They have better things to do with their time than watch TV 😀 Algy's assistant's family didn't have a television until she was about 10 years old, and much of her adult life has been spent without television too.

Sweet/spicy/savory: Not really. 🌰🍏🍉🥦🍓🧀🥕🍚🍅🥛🥒🍞

Favourite colour: Green and yellow and orange 💚🧡💛😀

Last thing we googled: Google Translate – for help with communication with tumblr friends who don't speak English ☺️ And Google Maps to find out where is where, as Algy has followers all over the world. His grasp of geography is fluffy, and his assistant's is not much better!

Relationship status: Algy is of course in a fluffy relationship with his rather incompetent assistant, who is permanently united with her lifelong partner and spouse.

Tagging: Algy understands that he is supposed to tag friends to prompt them to play too, but he suspects that the folk he would most like to know about might feel too shy or unduly pressured to do this. So he invites ALL his friends to play this game, and leaves it up to them. He would love to know more about you 😍

[senlinyu]

Hey Sen, do you find any classical literature has had any impact on you? I know you were inspired by wuthering heights, but was there anything else that peaked your inspiration?

A lot of my reading growing up was Victorian and Edwardian. I didn't have much access to contemporary literature. Most of my childhood books were the books from my parent's childhood in the 50's and 60's. So I was very passionate about mythology, especially Greek, because it was the most scandalous thing I could get my hands on.

Once I was older than ten, I mostly read things like Doyle, Dickens, Alcott, Montgomery, Burnett, Aldrich, Porter, Wilde (I'm not sure how he snuck in), Christie. In my teens, I was allowed read the Bronte's and Austen because I was old enough to 'appreciate them' according to my mother (however Shakespeare was a potentially dubious influence so I was only permitted limited quantities).

I used reread all those authors a lot because I simply didn't have much access to other books. And my parents had very conservative religious ideas about fantasy unless it was a religious allegory or had christian undertones ( eg Lewis and Tolkien only).

Because of that, my literary knowledge comes from a sideways angle because what I did have access to was literary analysis and studies on literary tradition and history since my parents liked to collect very pretentious looking academic anthologies and keep them as decor in our living room. But I would read them even though I didn't necessarily have access to the works of literature they were about.

I personally have always found it fascinating to follow the evolution of things, like language or literary tradition or culture or etiquette back to it's source to see how it shifted and the impact it had. It made me think about writing and reading in very different ways I suspect, so a lot of my inspiration comes from my pleasure in the concept and traditions of writing and story-craft, themes and metaphors, rather than a specific primary source.

[healerqueen]

I responded to the booklist question! I'm sure I forgot some but whew it still took forever to write.

What about you? What are some of the books youve read the most?

Good question! I finally started keeping a list, so I have something to work from. That way I won't draw a blank.

My top five or six favorite authors and series are: J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, C. S. Lewis's Narnia books, Rosemary Sutcliff's Dolphin Ring series (beginning with Eagle of the Ninth), Enemy Brothers and The Reb and the Redcoats by Constance Savery the Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, and The Mysterious Benedict Society (original trilogy and prequel) by Trenton Lee Stewart.

There are many other books and authors I love. I listed several of my childhood influences in this post featuring my 50 favorite children's books (focusing on ones I grew up with as a young person).

Here's my list of favorite books I've read the most or ones I think are worth rereading: The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye (a delightful original fairytale about a princess who refuses to stay in her tower)

The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo (romantic comedy fairytale retelling, with an emphasis on the comedy) Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien (adventure about a mother mouse seeking to save her family) The Gammage Cup by Carol Kendall (middle grade fantasy adventure)

Dragon Slippers and Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (original fantasy in the style of fairytales) Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (fantasy adventure and coming-of-age story about a group of girls who attend school for the first time)

The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart (urban light fantasy with dystopian elements) The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (middle-grade, post-apocalyptic dystopian) The Arrival by Shaun Tan (a wordless graphic novel that conveys human experiences through surrealism)

The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright (vintage contemporary about a lively family) Derwood, Inc. by Jeri Massi (modern contemporary mystery about another boisterous family) The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (quirky vintage mystery with an interesting cast of characters) Historical Fiction: Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham Caddie Woodlawn, Family Grandstand, and other books by Carol Ryrie Brink Rebecca's War by Ann Finlayson Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher Knight's Fee by Rosemary Sutcliff

The Lost Baron by Allen French The Wheel on the School by Meindert DeJong By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman A Single Shard and Seesaw Girl by Linda Sue Park The Bronze Bow and The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare The Secret Garden and A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell A few books I discovered more recently that are now all-time favorites: Seventh City by Emily Hayse, The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt, Valiant by Sarah McGuire, Out of the Tomb by Ashley Stangl, the Mistmantle Chronicles by M. I. McAllister, Escape to Vindor by Emily Golus, Chase the Legend by Hannah Kaye, The Key to the Chains by Allison Tebo (sci-fi), Rebel Wave by Tor Thibeaux (undersea dystopian) Historical fiction: Listening for Lions and Angel on the Square by Gloria Whelan, Courage in Her Hands by Iris Noble, Victory at Valmy and Word to Caesar by Geoffrey Trease, historical fiction Westerns and mysteries by author Elisabeth Grace Foley

Mystery/suspense: The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman, The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart

[gryficowa]

Interesting fact: The author of "Witcher" sued the game company because he wanted money (And he wrote books mainly when he was short of money, yes, that's a funny fact)

And because people thought he wrote the books based on the game

Sapkowski doesn't like it being said that he wrote books based on the game, although in Poland it is a meme that he wrote books based on the game

"

In 2016, during an author's meeting at Polcon, the writer commented ironically - negatively - on the impact of CD Projekt RED games on the sale and reception of books, the gaming community reacted to the words with a kind of boycott of Sapkowski[16]. The author defends his view by saying: that from his observations - his titles with covers with computer graphics - were perceived by some readers as the so-called game related, i.e. a book based on a game, which in turn translates into perceiving the work of the writer from Łódź as secondary, unoriginal"

Yes, Polish Wikipedia has no mercy

In October 2018, the writer called on CD Projekt to pay an additional PLN 60 million, over and above the remuneration specified in the contracts between him and the company, for the use of the world of The Witcher in games, citing Art. 44 of the Act on Copyright and Related Rights. CD Projekt described this demand as groundless and stated, that he validly and legally acquired the rights to Sapkowski's works[21]. On December 20, 2019, the company concluded an agreement with the writer, the provisions of which were kept secret"

Hey guys, I found it now:

"Photo - Andrzej Sapkowski Andrzej Sapkowski(1948-06-21) - (still) Andrzej Sapkowski. The most popular author of short stories and fantasy novels in Poland. Andrzej Sapkowski - biography, life and work Andrzej Sapkowski was born in 1948 in Łódź. He is an economist and trader by education.

Andrzej Sapkowski: the witcher He gained popularity thanks to a series of stories and novels about the witcher Geralt. The Witcher is a mutant, a hired killer trained from childhood to fight monsters, but this training has not deprived him of his internal ethical code. At once cynical and noble, he is compared to Chandler's Philip Marlowe. World, in which the action of the Witcher story takes place, draws a lot from Tolkien, but also contains references to Slavic mythologies.

Andrzej Sapkowski: characteristics of his work Sapkowski's fantasy works are characterized by, apart from the fast-paced action taking place in an imaginary world populated by people, typical of this genre, elves, dwarves, etc., with a specific colorful language somewhat reminiscent of Sienkiewicz's Trilogy and a kind of humorous game with the reader consisting of hundreds of references to the world canon of fantasy novels (Conan, Tolkien, Dune, etc.), as well as references to Polish classical literature (especially Sienkiewicz and Słowacki) and traditional Germanic, Celtic and Slavic legends. However, under the guise of jokes and fast-paced action, there is often a deeper reflection hidden.

Andrzej Sapkowski: awards Andrzej Sapkowski is a multiple winner of all the most important Polish awards for fantasy works, and his books are constantly on the bestseller lists. In 1997, he received the POLITYKI PASZPORT award granted by this prestigious weekly to creators who have the opportunity to promote Polish culture in the world. Andrzej Sapkowski: controversy Andrzej Sapkowski lost the sympathy of some of his fans by coming to meetings with them under the influence of alcohol.

In 2005, a scandal was caused by Sapkowski's statement that "a white man should work three hours a day. After all, God created other races - Jews, Gypsies, to work for him…". This statement took place during the National Convention of Fantasy Lovers "Polcon", in Błażejewko near Poznań, on August 27, 2005. According to comments in the press, it was a racist statement, but most of the comments of the convention participants indicate that it was only an ironic provocation.

"Sapkowski has a phenomenal gift of narrative, inventing sensational events, creating a suggestive mood, grading tension. And a dazzling, slightly cynical sense of humor…" (Jacek Sieradzki, "Polityka")"

"The creator of the fantastic world, Andrzej Sapkowski, was inspired by, among others, Slavic traditions and folklore. There are also elements of contemporary Poland in computer games and the latest TV series"

I don't know if this thing about sequels is a meme, or if he actually wrote new books because he was running out of money, actually, I don't know.

Still, I don't know if people abroad know who the author of this series is

[brb-on-a-quest]

felt-tip, stapler, stamp, scrapbook

felt tip (describe your aesthetic): "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats - the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill - The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it - and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining-rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage." (Tolkien took my aesthetic and gave it to biblo, minus the hole in the ground). Think like... soft and cozy and a bit academic and warm and inviting and there's always a pot brewing for you and we can sit and do nothing or go on an adventure together dearie.

stapler (who you're closest to): shout to the bestie of seven years at this point!! (shaking crying how has it been 7 years already, hopefully get to spend the rest of my life with her 💜). We've had so many weird adventures together, and she has wonderfully influenced my life.

stamp (pick a special date and why is it special): I don't really remember things most of the timeunless its like...certain people's birthdays (and that's really most of the time unlikely) so not really any date special but Dec 13 this year I will be officially done with higher level education (part one) and I finally get first graduation (thx covid) May 10th. Will they remain special to me? Probably not. but they are special to me now and later in life I will have new special events to commemmerate that will actually be important and I will celebrate those :)

scrapbook: the ocean. I miss the ocean so much. i used to live 15 minutes (or less) away from the beach my entire childhood and now it's been like almost 10 years since I've seen a real ocean. I loved finding sea glass or sand dollars (used to have a collection of them (rip because we moved a lot). I love being in the sand and being in the water and having it push back on you playfully like it's alive, i love when the water is more tranquil and you can just deadman's float face up and let the sun warm your face as you experience actual peace for the first time. I miss being a menace and splashing my siblings (they deserved it). Do not miss Red Tide but Eh win some lose some.

[utilitycaster]

Reverse Hot Take ask game: a weird book you read as a child that many people don’t seem to know about?

Okay so I don't actually know what other people were into, reading-wise, as children; I was a child in the era of Peak Harry Potter who happened to also really love other fantasy, and for some reason I ended up reading a lot of other British fantasy which means sometimes I'm like "man I didn't know anyone else other than my siblings who was into this" and it's because it was a book series that was very popular in the UK and not the US.

ANYWAY I am on my way back from my childhood home where I was visiting family, and I was struck with a powerful desire to reread The Dark Is Rising series by Susan Cooper, which is influenced heavily by the folklore of the British Isles, especially but not limited to Arthuriana, and I feel like I haven't seen it talked about a lot and I don't recall much about it other than it was GREAT. Unfortunately I couldn't find it so I'll have to purchase or take it out of the library or something.

I read a lot of Arthuriana as a child, actually and didn't continue it into adulthood nor did I watch the BBC Merlin series, and I truly don't know why; I think I probably gave it up for Tolkien in my early teens and then I was in my asshole Only Sci Fi era for quite a while. Anyway, as a kid, I read most of a series called the Lost Years of Merlin but there was a really long period between two of the books during which I sort of aged out. I also read a bunch of books by Gerrald Morris, which were humorous retellings, and I feel like that neither of these series were something my classmates were reading nor that I've seen people talk about much online. I loved them both a lot and they very much influenced my fantasy tastes and aesthetic. Love a weird cursed forest.

[lancely-blog]

Journeys in Creativity—My Path as a Writer, Musician, and Content Creator

All text copyrighted ©️ 2024 by Lancer Gareth Bailey

Every word I write is a step on a journey that began in my childhood, a path that has shaped not only my stories but the person I’ve become. My passion for storytelling began in childhood, when I would fill spiral notebooks with short stories. As a teenager, I was fortunate to have my work recognized with several awards, which encouraged me to keep pursuing my creative interests. At 17, I was honored to become a published author after winning a college writing competition while still in high school.

Since then, I’ve followed a multifaceted path, exploring various creative outlets. Building on my early literary achievements, I’ve had the opportunity to grow as a record-producing musician, a self-published novelist, content creator, and business owner.

I’m thrilled to share my journey with the readers of the Authors’ Lounge. Writing has always been a deeply personal and transformative experience for me, and I’m excited to take this opportunity to reflect on the path that has brought me to where I am today. From my early days of scribbling stories in notebooks to my current endeavors as an author and creator, each step has been a part of a journey I’m proud to share with you.

I began writing at age 15, but my journey to becoming a writer started a bit earlier, rooted in a challenge I faced during Middle School. My teachers believed I was lagging behind my classmates in reading development and wanted to place me in a remedial reading class. The truth was, I wasn’t struggling with reading itself—I was struggling with anxiety.

I was a slow reader, easily distracted, often needing to re-read paragraphs multiple times before continuing. The thought of reading aloud in class terrified me. My mother, a middle school teacher and writer, recognized what I was going through. Instead of letting the anxiety define me, she encouraged me to read more, and she also bought me stacks of notebooks to write in.

Writing quickly became my refuge, a way to channel my anxieties into something creative and constructive. I discovered that I had a natural talent for creative expression, and in many ways, my writing became an act of defiance against the anxieties that once held me back. What began as a way to cope with my struggles soon blossomed into a passion that continues to drive me today.

My writing style has evolved significantly over the years, influenced by my changing interests and life experiences. I started off writing suspense and horror short stories, heavily inspired by the books I was reading at the time—authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Michael Crichton. These early works were dark and intense, reflecting my fascination with the unknown and the macabre.

As I progressed through high school, I began to explore new genres, venturing into the realms of science fiction and fantasy. Reading J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Philip Pullman, Roger Zelazny, and H.G. Wells opened my mind to new possibilities in storytelling. My narratives began to incorporate more fantastical elements, blending the real with the surreal in ways that allowed my imagination to run wild.

In college, my studies in Archaeology and History further enriched my writing. I became deeply interested in weaving historical and archaeological elements into my narratives, grounding my stories in real-world settings while still allowing room for speculative fiction. This academic background added depth to my work, enabling me to create stories that were not only entertaining but also thought-provoking and informative.

Coming out as gay at the age of 19 was another pivotal moment in my life. Over the years, as I embarked on a journey of self-discovery, I realized that the most authentic expression of my creativity came when I combined all these elements—horror, fantasy, history, and personal identity. My writing became a way to explore not only external worlds but also my internal one, allowing me to tell stories that resonate on multiple levels. Each story I write is a reflection of my experiences, my influences, and my journey toward understanding myself and the world around me.

As I moved into adulthood, I began branching out and experimenting with other forms of creative expression. In my mid-20s, I joined a band and immersed myself in the world of music. This new venture was a significant departure from my earlier focus on writing, but it allowed me to explore creativity in a completely different medium. I taught myself to play several musical instruments and poured my writing skills into drafting song lyrics and composing music.

While our band didn’t achieve widespread success, we did manage to release an album before eventually going our separate ways. This experience was pivotal, not just in terms of creative growth, but also in my ongoing battle with anxiety. Standing on stage, performing music I had helped create, was an intense and often nerve-wracking experience. But it was through these challenges that I began to conquer the personal obstacles that had been holding me back for so long.

This process of self-discovery and creative experimentation profoundly influenced my writing. It gave me new tools for expression and a deeper understanding of how to convey emotion and narrative in ways that resonate with others. Ultimately, it was through these experiences that I was able to claim victory over many of the personal barriers that had once seemed insurmountable, unlocking my true potential as a writer and creator.

Since those years, I have returned to my truest passion: writing stories. My newest book Lost and Found in the Andes is now available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle eBook on Amazon’s website at:

https://a.co/d/0fX0xNh8

Embark on an exhilarating journey with Carmelo Quiñones De La Cruz, a celebrated gay romance novelist writing under the pseudonym Cameron Quinn, and his enigmatic companion Alejandro (Alex), as they plunge into the enigmas of an ancient Incan treasure hidden deep within the majestic Andes Mountains of western Argentina.

The adventure begins when Carmelo’s sister is abducted just as a cryptic map surfaces, believed to have been crafted by the legendary Spanish Conquistador Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera. This discovery ignites a thrilling escapade fraught with peril, deception, and unexpected passion. As Carmelo and Alex decode the arcane symbols on the map, they unravel a saga of conquest, avarice, and the relentless pursuit of supremacy, taking the reader on a gripping journey through treacherous landscapes and the intricate dance of trust and betrayal.

Throughout their journey, the past and present collide as Carmelo and Alex confront their own burgeoning emotions. Navigating the challenging currents of desire, they find themselves drawn closer together, even as the trials of their expedition threaten to tear them apart. Guided by the whispers of history, they race against time to unlock the secrets of the Incan treasure before it falls into the wrong hands.

But their quest isn’t just about riches; it’s also driven by a deeper, more personal mission: rescuing Carmelo’s kidnapped sister and bringing justice to those who seek to harm them. Will their journey yield the fabled riches of the Andes, or will they discover a different treasure altogether—a love that transcends time and trials?

Lost and Found in the Andes is an enthralling tale of discovery, adventure, and the redemptive power of love amidst the echoes of a forgotten past.

If you find a few of the plot points familiar, that’s because the inspiration for my book traces back to one of my favorite movies from the 80s, Romancing the Stone. That classic film, with its adventurous spirit and romantic undertones, captured my imagination and sparked the idea to create a story that embodies similar elements. However, I wanted to bring something new and original to the table.

My goal was to infuse the story with LGBTQ+ themes and address some of the issues and plot holes I felt were glaringly present in the film that inspired me. By blending the thrilling adventure and romance of Romancing the Stone with a fresh perspective and a focus on diverse representation, I aimed to create a narrative that resonates with modern readers while paying homage to the classic adventure genre.

Through Lost and Found in the Andes, I sought to explore not only the excitement of an epic treasure hunt but also the complexities of relationships and identity. The novel is a reflection of my desire to blend compelling storytelling with inclusive and meaningful themes, offering readers both a thrilling adventure and a story that celebrates diversity and love.

Lost and Found in the Andes has resonated deeply with readers, earning praise for its captivating plot, well-crafted characters, and vivid portrayal of the Andean landscape. One memorable review came from Katelyn H, who gave the novel five stars, calling it an “Interesting Read!” Katelyn elaborated by saying, “This is a mind-catching journey that merges suspense and emotional depths. Its complex plot keeps one on their toes…incorporating thrilling action scenes with emotionally tender moments. Lancer’s vibrant portrayal of the Andean landscape as well as his well-crafted characters lends a palpable feel to the narrative. Furthermore, themes such as resilience and truth-seeking support this backdrop that makes it unforgettable…”

Another stand-out review was from John, who shared his thoughts from the beautiful English countryside. He wrote, “I loved Lost and Found in the Andes. Two wonderful central characters; a glorious landscape; a sometimes terrifying threat looming over the guys—and a gentle romance. A thoroughly satisfying read.”

These reviews, along with others, affirm the impact of Lost and Found in the Andes on its audience, highlighting the novel’s blend of adventure, romance, and emotional depth that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

Being a writer has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Writing is more than just a profession or a hobby; it’s a profound part of who I am. Through the years, it has served as a vessel for self-discovery, a way to confront and conquer my personal challenges, and a means to connect with others on a deeper level.

The journey has been filled with countless moments of introspection, where I’ve been able to explore the depths of my own mind and heart. Crafting stories allows me to share pieces of my inner world with readers, inviting them into the universes I create. Each character, plot twist, and setting is a reflection of my thoughts, experiences, and imagination—offering a unique glimpse into how I see the world.

The impact of writing on my life goes far beyond the stories themselves. It has provided me with a sense of purpose, a channel for expressing emotions, and a way to process the complexities of life. It has taught me patience, resilience, and the importance of perseverance—lessons that extend into every aspect of my life.

Ultimately, being a writer has been about growth—both as an artist and as a person. I am continually evolving, learning, and adapting, and I’m grateful for the opportunities that writing has given me to do so. Whether through the triumphs of publishing a new book or the quiet satisfaction of finishing a draft, writing remains my greatest passion and the truest expression of who I am.

I’m excited to share a couple of projects in the works that I’ve been slowly crafting, each offering something unique and intriguing.

One of these is a cyberpunk adventure graphic novel titled Welcome to New Ultra City. This project is an exotic blend of cyberpunk sci-fi and dark, dystopian fantasy, set in a world where technology and myth intertwine. The story dives deep into a futuristic cityscape where the boundaries between humanity and machinery blur, and where the shadows hold secrets that could alter the fabric of reality.

Another exciting work in progress is my multidimensional fantasy story titled Destiny’s Twin. This epic fantasy spans the multiverse, exploring the timeless battle between good and evil. It’s a classic tale with a twist, serving as a powerful reminder that even the meekest among us have value and can change the course of history.

Additionally, I’m putting the finishing touches on a new novel titled P.O. Box 1142, which I anticipate publishing by the end of September. This historical fiction romance is set within a highly classified POW camp during WWII. The novel delves into the intense and secretive world of wartime intelligence, weaving a compelling story of love, duty, and sacrifice.

For those interested in getting a sneak peek, excerpts from Welcome to New Ultra City and Destiny’s Twin are available on my Tumblr blog. I’ll include the link below for anyone eager to explore these worlds before they fully come to life.

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported me on this journey. To my readers, your enthusiasm and encouragement are what keep me inspired to continue writing and exploring new creative horizons. Your feedback, whether through reviews or personal messages, has been invaluable in shaping my work and helping me grow as an author.

A special thanks to Authors’ Lounge for providing this incredible platform to share my story. It’s opportunities like these that allow writers like me to connect with new audiences and share the passion behind our work. Your support means the world to me, and I’m honored to be a part of this wonderful community.

In reflecting on my journey as a writer, I’m reminded of how far I’ve come—from filling spiral notebooks with stories as a child to publishing novels that resonate with readers around the world. My work, including Lost and Found in the Andes, is a testament to the power of perseverance, imagination, and the courage to confront one’s fears. Whether it’s through the thrilling adventures of Carmelo and Alex or the upcoming historical romance of Benjamin and Erik in P.O. Box 1142, my goal is always to transport readers into worlds where they can experience both the thrill of discovery and the depths of human emotion.

If you’ve enjoyed learning about my journey, I encourage you to check out my books and follow me on social media to stay updated on my latest projects. Lost and Found in the Andes is available on Amazon, and I regularly share updates, excerpts, and more on my blog and social media.

Links:

Lost and Found in the Andes - on Amazon

[chasingshadowsblog]

Review: Tolkien - Magical and Mysterious

Title: Tolkien Directed by: Dome Karukoski Written by: David Gleeson, Stephen Beresford Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Harry Gilby, Anthony Boyle, Colm Meaney Year: 2019

After watching this biopic I read that the Tolkien estate did not in any way endorse or authorise the making of it but the film is so inoffensive in its portrayal of the author that I honestly can't imagine why. Exploring his adolescence, his relationship with Edith Bratt, his university years and his time in the trenches, Tolkien is an entirely pleasant portrayal of a young man's world growing wider as the author strives to meet his ambition with the reality of his circumstances.

Not having the prime material to reference did not inhibit this story as much as it could have. Once it is clear to the viewer that they are watching the lead-up to Tolkien's creation of the The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and not its on-going creation (a project he didn't come to until he was in his forties), it is easy to settle into this film and watch the seeds of the ideas be planted - his childhood spent in rural England with a mother gifted at telling stories, his formative friendship with the TCBS (Tea Club, Barrovian Society), his burgeoning relationship with Edith Bratt, and the development of his passion for languages. If you are viewing Tolkien as a fan of the man's work it's an enjoyable watch and fun to find those connections; if you're a casual viewer then the story is gentle enough to simply sit back and enjoy the ride.

While I enjoyed Nicholas Hoult's performance I never got a feeling for the character of Tolkien himself. A short scene, late in the film, introduces us to Tolkien and Edith after they've been married and had their children; in it Edith implies that her husband hasn't been present at home recently because he's been so wrapped up in his work. I understand the function of this scene but don't believe it's earned, especially in this iteration of the author's life. In an attempt to get to the moment when Tolkien began writing The Hobbit, this scene of their later adulthood was added in after Tolkien's return home from war. This man, one supposedly consumed by his work, we only see evidence of in another very short clip showing him in his office. I understand the desire to connect to his great works as much as possible, but I prefered the more subtle nods and visual references; his obsession with his stories was evident in the hundreds of drawings that were tacked to the walls of his bedrooms. The film should have had the confidence to remain focused on the early years of his life and his relationships with his friends and professors that were so important to him. Because I found the characterisation of Tolkien so unsettled, I was more engaged in the likes of Edith and Geoffrey who were both brilliantly performed by Lily Collins and Anthony Boyle (I don't normally enjoy Lily Collins as an actress so I was pleasantly surprised by her portrayal of Edith and really enjoyed her as a character). The effect of the TCBS in Tolkien's life was also deeply felt throughout the film. This camaraderie with his friends, his love for them and Edith, his mentorship under his professor, all of these things are so well captured and leave a deep (and, I think, true) impression of ther influence on his life and work.

Other bits:

god those boys are so posh

It's always a pleasure to see Genevieve O'Reilly

I know it didn't work for some people but I really enjoyed the visual amalgamations of his time in the war with the fantasical images in his head

I didn't write about the war aspect of the film, because I think it's simply doing the same job as Edith and the TCBS in the film; Tolkien was adamant that his works were not an allegory for war and I don't think the film conflicts with this, however, I do think that the war left an impression on him and that traces of this can be found in his works - as much as his friendships and his fascination with mythology

Harry Gilby was such good casting as a young Nicholas Hoult, in fact, all of the young counterparts were really well cast

[smellyrottentrees]

Writerly Questionnaire

No one asked but my love language is infodumping so here we are.

About You

When did you start writing?

I do not recall. When I was very young, probably not long after I learned to write at all.

Are the genres/themes you enjoy reading different from the ones you write?

Somewhat. I don’t actually read much high fantasy, I’ve never even opened a Tolkien. I dwell more in horror and sometimes mystery (think Stieg Larsson and Dan Brown) and gothic literature. I do like fantasy on occasion, and absolutely eat up books about ancient myths.

Is there an author (or just a fellow writer!) you want to emulate, or one to whom you’re often compared?

I read Madeline Miller and fell in love with her writing style. I like Stephen King’s quite a bit for the way he can present a horrifying thing and it actually make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I try to emulate the gothic style, very calm and rational and descriptive while monsters casually run amok. I don’t think I’ve been compared to many authors out there.

Can you tell me a little about your writing space(s)? (Room, coffee shop, desk, etc.)

I either write on my bed (comfy, but no neck support) or on my parents’ living room rocking chair (can be distracting)

What’s your most effective way to muster up some muse?

Go out and live. Some of my best ideas are born of very mundane days for myself when I have time to think.

Did the place(s) you grew up in influence the people and places you write about?

Probably more than I would admit. My childhood home was very rural, an isolated neighborhood surrounded by farmland. There were open expanses of grass to run around in for what felt like forever, with mountains visible from the bedroom window. Where I live now is very wooded, less rural but somehow almost more isolated. I’ve always found a sense of comfort in spaces where no humans dwelled. I hope my stories show that.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing, and if so, do they surprise you at all?

I think the idea that morality is somewhat nuanced and situational comes up a lot. Like, when is killing someone okay? Is it ever okay? Is the punishment suitable for the crime? Are people always either all good or all bad? Is true evil and true good real? That kind of thing. It does sometimes creep up on me a little, I sometimes subconsciously write morals into a story and then read it back later and go, “what the hell??”

Your Characters

Would you please tell me about your current favorite character? (Current WIP, past WIP, never used, etc.)

Arroti. There is no question. He’s just so weird and never what people expect Him to be.

Which of your characters do you think you’d be friends with in real life?

Khet. I like kind people with good humor, and he’s very kind.

Which of your characters would you dislike the most if you met them?

Yetova. There is, again, no question.

Tell me about the process of coming up with of one, all, or any of your characters.

Usually the world comes before the characters. Most characters start solely as art, then their personality and lore comes next.

Do you notice any recurring themes/traits among your characters?

I don’t know. Anxiety and depression seem to afflict a good number of them, but that’s just the name of the game when it comes to the things they’ve experienced.

How do you picture them? (As real people you imagined, as models/actors who exist in real life, as imaginary artwork, as artwork you made or commissioned, anime style, etc.)

I know I draw them a certain way, but that’s because my aspirations are greater than my current skill. I see them in my head as real people, though not people who already exist like actors. They simply are.

Your Writing

What’s your reason for writing?

I am a creator at heart. Writing is just another outlet for my creations. And isn’t it fun to have a world to share with your own?

Is there a specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating coming from your readers?

I haven’t gotten too many comments to know. One time someone on here called my writing style romantic and I rode that high for a week, though. Writers do love feedback!

How do you want to be thought of by those who read your work? (For example: as a literary genius, or as a writer who “gets” the human condition; as a talented worldbuilder, as a role model, etc.)

Just a guy, I guess. A guy with a lot of stuff in my head.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

My worldbuilding. It really fleshes out a story, in my opinion.

What have you been frequently told your greatest writing strength is by others?

I don’t share my writing much so I don’t get much feedback, but some people have told me they like my descriptions.

How do you feel about your own writing? (Answer in whatever way you interpret this question.)

Like anything, there is room for improvement.

If you were the last person on earth and knew your writing would never be read by another human, would you still write?

Yes. Before I had any social media, that’s basically what I was doing—art and writing for myself alone.

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely what you enjoy? If it’s a mix of the two, which holds the most influence?

The story itself is just what I enjoy. When it comes to formatting (e.g., when I decided to split my book into two arcs for easier marketability) I do sometimes make decisions based on what I feel others will enjoy. But the content itself is determined solely by my own whims and interests.

[rayless-reblogs]

20 Book Challenge

I saw this challenge on a post by @theresebelivett. The idea is you pick 20 of your books to take with you to a desert island, but you can only pick one book per author and series. Here are two further guidelines I set myself: They have to be books I actually own, as if I really am gathering them up under my arms and heading to the island; and I'm defining "book" as a single volume -- so if I just so happen to have 100 novellas squashed between two covers, it still counts as one book.

We'll go alphabetically by author.

Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre. An old standby, a classic, I can jump into it at any point.

Daphne du Maurier: Rebecca. Have only read it once, but loved it and I suspect I'll get more from it each time.

Clare B Dunkle: The Hollow Kingdom. If I can only take one book from this excellent and unusual goblin series that captivated me in the mid-2000s, it'd better be the first one.

William Goldman: The Princess Bride. This book had an outsize influence on my own writing. I can quote a lot of it, but I wouldn't want to be without it.

Shannon Hale: Book of a Thousand Days. I love the warmth and humility of its heroine Dashti. Plus, Shannon Hale very kindly wrote a personal response to a fan letter I sent her years and years ago, so her work always has a special place in my heart.

Georgette Heyer: Cotillion. I don't actually own my favorite Georgette novel, but the funny, awkward, and ultimately romantic Cotillion is definitely not a pitiful second-stringer.

Eva Ibbotson: A Countess Below Stairs. Countess was my introduction to Eva's adult romances, and she is the past master of warm, hardworking heroines who should really be annoying because they're way too good to be true, but somehow you just end up falling in love with them.

Norton Juster: The Phantom Tollbooth. I first read this when I was like eight, and even for an adult, its quirky humor and zingy wordplay hold up, no problem.

Gaston Leroux: The Phantom of the Opera. Can't leave without Erik, nope, the French potboiler has got to come. Perhaps I will spend my time on the island writing the inevitable crossover fanfic, The Phantom of the Tollbooth.

CS Lewis: Till We Have Faces. Faces is my current answer for what my favorite book is, so I'm taking that, though it feels criminal to leave The Silver Chair behind.

LM Montgomery: The Blue Castle. As much as I love Anne and Emily, it came down to Blue Castle and A Tangled Web, and I'm a sucker for Valancy's romantic journey.

E Nesbit: Five Children and It. Probably the most classic Edwardian children's fantasy, though still a hard choice to make. Nesbit is another author who had a huge influence on me as a writer.

Robert C O'Brien: Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. A childhood book I'm really sentimental about. I should re-read it.

Meredith Ann Pierce: The Darkangel. The first in the archaic lunar vampire trilogy. This will always be frustrating, only having the first in the series, but if I can only read the first, maybe I'll forget about how angry the third novel left me.

Sherwood Smith: Crown Duel. At one time, this swords-and-manners fantasy duet was one of my absolute favorite fandoms, and clever me has both books in one volume, so I don't have to choose.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl: Starflower. My favorite of the Tales of Goldstone Wood series. We'll have to test whether I can actually get sick of Eanrin.

JRR Tolkien: The Lord of the Rings. I've never actually read it through as an adult and, look at that, I have a three-in-one volume. Cheating!

Vivian Vande Velde: Spellbound. I've read much of VVV's YA fantasy and liked a lot of it, but none more so than The Conjurer Princess and its fast-paced tale of revenge. The Spellbound edition includes the prequel and a bonus short story, so I'm good to go.

PG Wodehouse: The World of Mr Mulliner. There are some hilarious novels I'm leaving behind here, including all the Bertie Wooster stuff. But there are some absurdly fun Mulliner stories and this edition is like three hundred pages. That'll keep me happy for a long while on my island.

Jack Zipes (editor): Spells of Enchantment. This is an enormous compilation of western fairy tales. I've owned it since 2004 or so, and I've still never finished it. Now, on my island, I'll no longer have the excuse.

Tagging anyone else who feels like doing this!