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| I am a novelist, poet, interviewer and lover of story. Welcome to my blog. |
w00t! Tis 1 October time and you know what that means!
Yup, you got it: it’s time for my next Supernatural Underground post on Worldbuilding in Fantasy.
This month it’s lucky post #9 and I’m featuring another master worldbuilder, the impressive Kate Elliott. Not least because I’m honing in on not just one world, but many…
To find out more, click on:
Tis that time of year again: just as the Northern Hemisphere (NH) year is “closing in” to autumn, with all its colour, followed by winter (yes, indeed-y, “winter is coming” for NH folk) we are starting the swing into spring.
Although last Wednesday, rather than any business of future arrival, the temperature gauge suggested summer was well and truly here!
Since then, the weather has generally reverted to vernal, while remaining mild where I live, but everywhere I look we’re well into spring, especially on the blossom front. And my daffodils have been and gone…
The cherry blossom walk, in Christchurch’s Hagley Park
For today, I’m sharing a few pics of cherry blossom in Hagley Park, but also of kowhai, which is a NZ native tree, and also endemic to this country. In addition, I have a recent photo of a rhododendron, in a misty shot of Christchurch’s residential red zone (i.e. deliberately de-populated post the 2010-2011 earthquakes.) Plus some end of winter / early spring flowers from the garden.
Kowhai, which is a forest fringe plant
Just as a change from writing and/or reading books, genre in literature, television, or film, and—of course, though I’d much rather not—Covid 19. 🙁
Kowhai flower detail
Speaking of the dread Covid, it’s great to be back in Level 1 here in Christchurch.
Rhododendron in the mist…
Although given some of the continuing mysteries, but also the latest resolves, around the recent Auckland-based outbreak, I think the observation of Devi Sridhar, Professor of Global Public Health at Edinburgh University, that “If an indoor setting is poorly ventilated, crowded, and no one is wearing face coverings it’s best to avoid it”, is wise advice. Including for us, here in NZ, in order to minimise future outbreaks, as well as the UK.
Flower power
Assuming one can, of course. :-/ By which I mean, “avoid individually”, although it could equally well refer to minimising societally. 🙁
And on that cheery note, whether you are experiencing spring or autumn, or in more equatorial regions where the changes are less marked, enjoy your week.
UK/AU/NZ
The About The Characters post series focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, in large part because:
“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”
~ from my Legend Award Finalist's Interview, 2013
Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daughter of Blood — in alphabetical order, of course!
At present, we’re still very much in Daughter of Blood territory, and yes, still hanging in there with “K.” Today’s minor character, Koris, is one of those currently returning in WALL #4 (working title: The Chaos Gate) — just btw. 😉
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USA
Koris: a marine in the escort of Lord Nimor, Sea House envoy to the Houses of Blood and Night
The plain remained a blank, even the near-distance opaque with haze. The hounds were alert, although Kalan still retained doubts over their reliability. They’ve brought me this far, he thought—and turned at the first ring of hooves against stone to find Tehan and two of her fellow marines, Koris and Tymar, accompanying Aarion. “By Lord Nimor’s order,” Tehan said.
~ from © Daughter of Blood, The Wall of Night Book Three: Chapter 42 — The Empty Plain
Faith Lehane: last week’s rogue, mostly lovable… 😉
So-o, last week I logged my thirteenth(!) Having Fun With Epic Fantasy post (sixteen if I count the [first] three posted on the late, great SF Signal — woo-hoo!)
If you checked in last week, you’ll know that post #13 featured that great archetype the “lovable rogue.” One interesting realization (among many, I hope 😉 ) was that while male lovable rogues are numerous, female lovable rogues are much harder to find, both in Fantasy storytelling, but also among the myth and legends, folklore and fairytales that are the genre’s bedrock.
They’re also comparatively rare in the mainstream, underlining my reflection that this archetypal gap “…may reflect on the extremely narrow place occupied by women in traditional societies — a narrow scope reflected in storytelling and with no “halfway” houses, such as the “lovable rogue”, between “good” and “bad.””
On Twitter, Elizabeth Knox responded that “maybe” there were more examples to be found in Children’s storytelling, such as Pippi Longstocking and Little My (in Tove Jannson’s Moomin books.) I’m inclined to agree with this, as in the children’s ‘verse the “lovable rogue” overlaps the “urchin”/”larrikin”, which is a territory occupied by both male and female characters.
Lyra Belacqua
Think Huck Finn and Jo March, for example, as well as more contemporary, and younger, examples such as Lyra Belacqua in the Golden Compass series and Peri (in Patrica McKillip’s The Changeling Sea.)
Commenting directly on the post, Andrew mentioned The Robber Girl, a 1980s short story from the DAW anthology Amazons II. I’ve since read the story and agree with Andrew: the titular robber girl is indeed a lovable rogue. She’s also a “what happens after” reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Robber Girl from The Snow Queen. (Another children’s story…)
Reflecting further myself, I did realise that the folk/fairy-tale character of Baba Yaga has trickster qualities, although she is more fearsome than lovable. I also realised that I had missed a character that I believe may count as Fantasy’s preeminent female lovable rogue, but also heroine: Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games fame.
I know, how could I have overlooked Katniss? My only excuse is that Katniss’s heroic qualities obscured that she is, in fact (or so I maintain and averr), a “rogue” character — and also a very lovable one. An obvious folklore comparison would be Robin Hood…
Katniss Everdeen
Looking beyond Fantasy, Markus Zusak’s Liesel, in The Book Thief, is also a lovable rogue — but when I cast my mind back twenty more years, I recalled what I consider the quintessential female “lovable rogue” of recent times: Susan, in the film, Desperately Seeking Susan — a role made memorable by Madonna in her rise to fame.
Susan, imho, ticks all the “lovable rogue” boxes: like Han Solo, she’s “cynical and mercenary and out for…[herself]…until the chips are down, at which point…[she]…comes through for…[her friends.] Again like Han Solo, Susan “also has considerable charm” while being very much a trickster, albeit at the mischievous and light-fingered end of the spectrum.
Susan: an iconic ‘lovable rogue’
I had to rewatch the film, just to confirm that I was right in my view—and found it stands up to the test of time, and is still a lighthearted but also subversive—and very appealing—romp. According to Wikipedia (so it must be true 😉 ) “The film captures the feel of the underground Bohemian/new wave scene of the early to mid-1980s New York City…” Either way, if you’ve never seen it, I’d recommend checking it out.
Capturing the era…
And that, for now, concludes my dealings with lovable rogues, at least on this blog. 😀
It’s been a year for putting the shutters up…
In this time of Covid, I’ve frequently joked that the writing life is “naturally self-isolating”—and although speaking in humour, it’s also true, by and large, since one of the key ingredients for writing (for most writers, although I’m sure there are exceptions) is uninterrupted writing time.
The corollary of this, of course, is that storytelling and literature spring from observation, interaction, and the hurly-burly of life. So although writing may need blocks of uninterrupted time, it also needs human interaction, from coffee and catch-ups with friends, to spending some time in market-places and crowds. Imho, anyway—all of which I’ve canvassed previously, most specifically in the May 28 post titled “Naturally Self-Isolating.” 😉
Mmmm, delicious…
One of the reasons why I always wanted to live a writing life, is not only because I love storytelling, and books, and the magic of language and words, both written and spoken, but also because I love engaging with others about the wonder and glory of storytelling, books, and the language of both. If I can slip in some home-baked goodies, a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine with that, then all the better. 🙂
Consequently, there are not many things I like better than the opportunity to catch up with friends who love doing the same, many of whom are fellow writers, and all of whom are keen readers and ‘viewers.’ Not infrequently the good talk about books spills over into TV shows and films and games, focusing on what we *heart* and what doesn’t spin our wheels quite so much. And quite often with plenty of laughter to go around.
There is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much worth doing as putting one’s feet up with a book… 😉
It doesn’t happen nearly as often as I would like, because we all have our own commitments, writing and otherwise—but when it does happen, it’s definitely one of the “ups” of the writing life. Especially when everyone votes to stay “just a little longer”, or as once happened, the first arrival declares that all through a very busy morning at work, she has been looking forward to an afternoon where she can “really be herself.”
So although I love the AS Byatt quote, “that the writer wrote alone, and the reader read alone, and they were alone with each other”; and although the writer may of necessity write alone, getting together and having some fun is also an important part of fueling the life creative.
People, books, fun — it makes the writing world go around 🙂
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Previous Inside The Writing Life Posts:
Han Solo the quintessential “lovable rogue”
Long before fantasy-dom began adopting anti-heroes as main characters (in my mind, Michael Moorcock was an early adaptor, with the Elric novels), the “lovable rogue” was an established, some would say essential part of the canon.
Very often, the lovable rogue overlaps with the sidekick, characters that (as discussed in Post #12) sometimes morph into central, point-of-view (pov) protagonists in their own right. The single best example I can think of when it comes to both archetypal lovable rogues and assuming greater importance within the story, is Han Solo in Star Wars.
In the best lovable rogue tradition, he’s cynical and mercenary and out for himself—until the chips are down, at which point he comes through for his ‘band of brothers.’ He also has considerable charm and a similar “broth of a boy” mojo to Shakespeare’s Mercutio, although not quite so manic. (While duly noting that Mercutio is not in the fantasy genre.) Most importantly, viewers love him — also in keeping with the lovable rogue tradition — an enthusiasm that gave Han Solo a prominent place in the initial film trilogy and the Stars Wars canon.
Loki, from Marvel’s “Thor”
So why do we love the lovable rogue characters, pretty much wherever they appear? I believe it stems from the strong overlap to both the ‘sidekick’ and ‘band of brothers‘ traditions, although the rogue can, of course, also be the main character. (They may also end being heroes, but it’s not the way they primarily present.)
Their appeal is also strongly grounded in the trickster archetype, which is ancient, and based on a pantheon of gods, heroes, and folklore characters. Loki is one of the most famous, along with the North American Coyote, and Polynesian Maui. Puck features in English folklore (and Shakespeare), while in Greco-Roman myth we have both the god, Hermes/Mercury, and that wily seafarer, Odysseus/Ulysses. Just to name a very few examples!
Maui, in Disney’s “Moana”
The trickster pantheon can be capricious and cruel, and they’re frequently up to no good, from mischief to outright wrongdoing, but when the chips are down they also come up with cunning plans to either aid the hero(es) or outright save the day. In my view, the trickster celebrates the attributes of cleverness, wiliness, and cunning that are a significant part of humanity’s competitive advantage in the universe. Much as we admire strength and courage, sincerity and idealism, we recognize that guile and invention are equally, if not more, significant if a ‘band of brothers’ is to carry the field and the day.
In part because they are so tricksy (which as Loki’s relationship with his Asgard peers illustrates, can be annoying at best) the rogue must also have lovable qualities: like their wiliness and wit, it’s a survival trait. So they are not infrequently charming and quixotic in their loyalties (such as they are), as well as useful in a tight corner. Sufficiently so to ensure their companions put up with their less endearing qualities and keep them around.
Enfants terribles
Another element that I believe makes the ‘lovable rogue’ character both enduring and endearing is that they reflect our humanity, i.e. they’re so clearly not perfect. We see this with Merry, and particularly Pippin in The Lord of the Rings.
They are the closest to lovable rogues among the fellowship, although they’re more in the nature of enfant terribles: more mercurial and irresponsible sidekicks than steadfast Sam, but far more human and relatable than the noble but overburdened Frodo.
Even enfants terribles must grow up
Merry and Pippin also supply another appealing aspect of the lovable rogue — the redemption arc. Both, but particularly Pippin, have to give up their careless ways and come through for the fellowship and their friends, just as Han Solo comes through at the end of the first-made Stars Wars film.
The lovable rogue provides audiences, whether readers, viewers, or listeners, with the reassurance that redemption is possible, while at the same time epitomizing all we may frequently long for in terms of being footloose and without a care (or, not infrequently, terribly many moral scruples) in the world — in itself epitomized by Spike, in Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Spike arrives in Sunnydale…
But maybe, as audience, we also quite like that feeling of moral superiority the lovable rogue affords, whereas with the heroes we may admire and aspire, but feel that such a high level of courage and integrity is beyond our everyday grasp.
So, having talked Han Solo and Spike, along with Merry and Pippin, some of the lovable rogues that populate the pages of fantasy literature include:
The Dread Pirate Roberts
That’s just an off-the-top-of-my-head list, although it’s still just a sampling: I’m sure you can think of many more to add. 🙂
Faith, also a vampire slayer — & a rogue
But Where Are The Women?
In doing so, I hope you will have a few more women’s names to add to my list. Currently there are only 5 out of 21 in the running and no pics — although I’m about to remedy that! In case you’re wondering, they’re Shallan, who certainly has a rogue alter ego; Jobber; Lila Bard, Livak, and Nahri.
All of which led me to search a little more widely on the internets, where the cited lovable rogues, like their templates in myth, legend, and folklore, are overwhelming male. Initially, I struggled to think of a TV show or film contender in the Fantasy genre, but then, fortunately, I remembered Faith from Buffy. And although Faith is also a superhero, she also fits the “(mostly) lovable rogue” mould.
It did make me think, though, because the lovable rogue isn’t a prominent female archetype: traditionally (ie in fairytale and myth, folklore and legend) women rogues are either outright villains, or debased by their roguery. And when women feature on the positive side of the storytelling ledger, there doesn’t appear to be a lot of scope for roguery, however lovable. I suspect this may reflect on the extremely narrow place occupied by women in traditional societies — a narrow scope reflected in storytelling and with no “halfway” houses, such as the “lovable rogue”, between “good” and “bad.”
Inara: a ‘companion’ with a heart of gold…
The female archetype that comes closest to the “lovable rogue” is the “whore with the heart of gold”, with contenders such as Gaie Sebold’s Babylon Steel, along with Elizabeth Bear’s Karen Memory, who is definitely a whore, and something of a rogue, and I think her heart’s in the right place, so I feel *probably* fits the archetype.
Spring Rain, in Guy Gavriel Kay’s Under Heaven, however, is a courtesan and has a good heart, but is not a rogue—which is pretty much true of Inara in Firefly, as well.
So as you can see, there’s plenty of scope to come up with more examples in the comments, both of female “lovable rogues”, and “whores with hearts of gold.” If I’ve considered them but feel they don’t fit, we may even have a conversation. 😉
And As For My Own Books…
In this Having Fun post series, I always end with a quick look at my own books, so I won’t break tradition. 🙂
Although there are no prominent lovable rogues in Thornspell, Sigismund’s acquaintance-cum-friend, Ban, skirts this territory among the secondary characters. So, too, do the horse-copers, Fulk and Rafe.
The minstrel, Haimyr, presents as an archetypal lovable rogue in The Heir of Night, and several sidekick characters in The Gathering of the Lost also overlap the lovable rogue, chiefly Raher and —of course!— the hedge knight, Raven.
I did, briefly, consider Malian herself, because of her Shadow Band training and facility for illusion and disguise, but although she can be both “dark and light”, Malian is far too steadfast in her duty to ever qualify as a rogue, lovable or otherwise.
The guard, Dab, may have some of the lovable, enfant terrible characteristics in Daughter of Blood, but he’s definitely not a rogue. And although he’s a broth-of-a-boy, Mercutio style, neither is Tirael of Stars. The only character I believe really qualifies as “lovable rogue” in Daughter is the Sword warrior, Kelyr. Unless, of course, I count the warhorse, Madder—but “lovable and/or faithful animal companion” is another archetype and therefore another post. 😀
Conclusion:
For today, I’ll leave you with a recap of my thoughts on Master Shoka, from CJ Cherryh’s The Paladin:
“The character of Shoka … is a patchwork of experience and disillusion, self interest, guile, and reluctant integrity, that is perhaps best ‘caught’ by a companion’s summation toward the end of the book: “It was him, in all that glitter. Same eyes, same mouth. Same conniving scoundrel.” “
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Introduction: Having Fun With Epic Fantasy—Meet the Tropes
Instalment 1: Having Fun With Epic Fantasy Tropes: A Farm Boy/Gal Goes On A Journey…
Instalment 2: A Prince/Princess Finds A Destiny
Instalment 3: Dreams and Portents, Prophecy and Destiny
Instalment 4: “Apocalypse Now”
Instalment 5: Meet The Big Bad
Instalment 6: The Sweep Of Time & Its Twin, War Without End
Instalment 7: Fortunately There was A Portal
Instalment 8: We’re All Going On A MacGuffin Hunt
Instalment 9: Artefacts of Power—And Doom—And Where To Find Them
Instalment 10: The Alchemy Of Numbers
Instalment 11: The Mentor
Instalment 4: The Sidekick
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1. “Making the Grand Tour” (aka the Road Journey);
2. .”The “Band of Brothers”; and the
3. . “Soul-Sucking Sword.”
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© Helen Lowe
USA
The About The Characters post series focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, in large part because:
“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”
~ from my Legend Award Finalist's Interview, 2013
Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daughter of Blood — in alphabetical order, of course!
At present, we’re still very much in Daughter of Blood territory, and the realm of “K.” 😉
—
UK/AU/NZ
Kolthis: a guard in the House of Blood’s Red Keep, a follower of Huern of Blood
Myr kept applauding even when the winner raised his visor to salute them and she realized it was Kolthis. Of course, she told herself, her smile grown stiff: he wants the advancement and need only suffer my service again for a short time to achieve it. And because Kolthis served Huern now, that almost certainly made him one of her brother’s candidates, not just for a place in the guard, but for Honor Captain.
~ from © Daughter of Blood, The Wall of Night Book Three: Chapter 21 — The Field of Blood
In commencing this post, it was in my mind that I’d read a couple of other Kate Atkinson novels, Life After Life and Started Early, Took My Dog “really very recently”, only to realise — gulp! — that Life After Life was 2015, while Started Early, Took My Dog was a 2012 read: oh, my!
All of which proves that it was high time I read some more Kate Atkinson, since as will be clear from my earlier posts, she’s a writer I enjoy reading.
The oddity in the reading selection I’m discussing today is that Case Histories and Big Sky comprise the first and fifth (most recently published) novels in the Jackson Brodie series (which are crime/detective tales), i.e. they’re at opposing ends of the series…
That’s because I began reading the Jackson Brodie books in the middle with When Will There Be Good News, before following on with Started Early, Took My Dog (as above.) I enjoyed them, but having now read Case Histories at last, I believe I missed a lot of character context that would have made me appreciate the mid-series’ books even more. At the end of Case Histories, I certainly felt I ‘grokked’ the character of Jackson a lot more, and of course he’s the key to the series, although each book has its own diverse range of fascinating characters.
In fact, I believe “character” is the key to all Kate Atkinson’s writing, both in terms of her keen eye for the light and shadow, rough and smooth of individuals, as well as their interactions with the warp and weft of society. This is just as true of her detective novels as it is of any of her contemporary realism or recent-historical (World War 2) books.
So the ‘story’ is always about Jackson’s inner (and outer) life, the interconnecting lives of all those affected by the central crime (or not infrequently, series of interconnecting crimes), and the society they — and we — live in.
At any rate, I really enjoyed Case Histories and then galloped through Big Sky, as well, which was equally good. For those of you who are Jackson Brodie series’ fans and loved Reggie in When Will There Be Good News, she’s back in Big Sky…In terms of new characters, look out for Harry, Vince and Crystal.
Transcription, the third novel in my mini-binge of Kate Atkinson reading, is from the same recent-historical (World War 2) stable as Life After Life and its companion, A God In Ruins, only without the time-shift/overlapping lives elements. Transcription is straight-out historical fiction, centered on the WW2 counterintelligence operation to effectively “corral” UK fascists, i.e. the traitors and potential quislings thought they were gathering intelligence for the SS but were delivering it to MI5 operatives.
Transcription follows a series of fictional characters involved with the sting operation: during the early stages of the war, in 1950 as the Cold War really starts to bite, and in 1980-1, (very loosely) paralleling the 1979 exposure of Anthony Blunt as the fifth man of the Cambridge Five.
Once again, Kate Atkinson’s novel is a tour de force of characterization, juxtaposed with the historical and political events of the era. I also really liked that although there is a twist, quite a profound one in terms of the story, I really didn’t twig to it until close to the very end. That’s because, in addition to characterization, Ms Atkinson is also a master of misdirection, a mastery I thoroughly heart — particularly in a story of this kind.
So there you are, not one but three Kate Atkinson novels, and all well worth your time (imho.) 🙂
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Disclosure: I read the most recent paperback edition, 414 pp, of Case Histories, borrowed from my sister (who’s also a very keen reader.) Big Sky and Transcription were both hardback editions, 357 pp and 337 pp respectively, both borrowed from Christchurch City Libraries.
The first of the month has rolled round again, and that means not only my Supernatural Underground blogspot, but time for another post on Worldbuilding in Fantasy.
This month, I’m featuring a master worldbuilder, fellow NZ-er, Elizabeth Knox.
Elizabeth has written eleven books, but the world I’m featuring is “Southland”, the setting for all three YA novels: Dreamhunter, Dreamquake, and Mortal Fire.
To find out why I like it, click on:
This is the third in my post series to feature a NZ author, so next month I may have to cast my geographic net a little wider. 😉
#YoW YearOfWorldbuilding #WiF WorldbuildingInFantasy
USA
Last Thursday, I discussed writing the ‘transitions’ between each section of my books (because I’ve just been writing one, hey-hey!)
In replying to Kristen B’s comment, I also noted that even when I think the transition is done, it often pays to reflect a little before diving into the next section. This isn’t just because (as duly noted last week) transitions can be “tricksy”, but because—for me anyway—the entry trajectory for a new section is never about “what” will happen. I always have a pretty clear idea about the “what.” The challenge is “how” to best deliver on it.
And sometimes, having a really clear idea, or ideas, about the start of a section compounds the entry trajectory rather than making it easier. A good example is Part VI No Man’s Land, in Daughter Of Blood, which opens the second half of the book.
I had two really clear visions for the opening: one involving Kalan (one of the series’ two main characters) climbing a hill and seeing a bridal caravan below him. The other was of a stranded wagon and a much smaller party of travelers. It may all seem obvious now when one reads it, but it took me five rewrites to pull those two visions together. O-o…
I also had to modify my original vision of the stranded wagon, which involved a flooded river, because upon reaching that point in the story, I realized that “of course” floods are a very rare occurrence in the semi-arid world of the Wall and the Gray Lands. And although flash floods do sometimes occur during Wall storms, generally the Derai avoid traveling in numbers during the main storm season. Hence, no flood!
UK/AU/NZ
All of which lends credence to my observation that it pays to reflect a little before diving in. This process usually involves “doodling” notes and ideas, as well as running a few “what if” scenarios, all in the hopes of rendering the path ahead more straightforward. A not-unusual outcome of this process is that I sometimes get insights into what I’ve just written, too—and how it needs to change slightly (yep, very grrgh-aargh!) for the next section to happen effectively. Fortunately, they’re usually not big changes in terms of time and effort, although they can be for making the story work.
Sometimes, though, I do get lucky and a section pretty much writes itself. Daughter of Blood Part II: Shadow of the Wall (aka Kalan in Grayharbor), is a good example of a sequence that flowed from beginning to end. As I recall, though, it was the only one—testament to the multiplicity of possible “how’s”, no matter how firmly engraved the “what” of the story.
But as my editor Kate likes to say: “Onward!” 🙂
Jacket art by Greg Bridges
The Gathering of the Lost: USA Cover (Harper Voyager) - Read More Here!
"A richly told tale" -- Robin Hobb
"A vividly imagined world" -- Juliet Marillier
"This is an author with a gift for fantasy” -- Catherine Asaro
To read reviews, click Here.
Jacket art by Greg Bridges
The Heir of Night: USA Cover (Eos) - Read More Here!
The Heir of Night: UK/AU/NZ Cover (Orbit) - Read More Here!
HEIR won the international Gemmell Morningstar Award 2012 for Best Fantasy Debut.
"THE HEIR OF NIGHT by Helen Lowe is a richly told tale of strange magic, dark treachery and conflicting loyalties, set in a well realized world."--Robin Hobb
Jacket art by Antonio Javier Caparo
Thornspell is my first novel and is published by Knopf (Random House Children's Books, USA). It won the Sir Julius Vogel Award 2009 for Best Novel: Young Adult and was a Storylines Childrens' Literature Trust Notable Book 2009.
