Circa24's Blog - Posts Tagged "dystopian-novels"
Is Silent Consent Really Science Fiction?
Science fiction has come a long way since the mid-20th century. Then, the words conjured stereotyped images of technological futures, bug-eyed monsters, and spacecraft written predominantly by white males. But even then, Sci-Fi struggled to break free from those narrow constraints with stories like 1984 and Brave New World. Pioneering women authors like Ursula Le Guin explored anthropology and gender identity (e.g., Left Hand of Darkness) and wish fulfillment (Lathe of Heaven) and blurred the boundaries between Sci-Fi and Fantasy worlds, and Octavia Buttler explored plagues, immortality, and mind control (Seeds to Harvest)
The writers and topics have become increasingly diverse. Authors like Mary Doria Russell have explored cultural misunderstandings (The Sparrow), and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) has provided what may be the most chilling dystopian tale of the future since 1984 by Orwell. The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull used the medium to explore the experience of colonization by others, and Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason's Ill Wind explores how a random act can begin a chain of events that collapses civilization.
So, is Silent Event Sci-Fi? Yes, it is a novel of an ecological collapse that looks at the potential consequences of an extreme depletion of fuel reserves by overuse. The surviving society has had to find solutions to its energy crisis and deal with the depleted lands and toxic wastes left by their ancestors. It may not have the bug-eyed monsters and spaceships of some of the better-known works, but it falls well within the genre of dystopian worlds.
The writers and topics have become increasingly diverse. Authors like Mary Doria Russell have explored cultural misunderstandings (The Sparrow), and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) has provided what may be the most chilling dystopian tale of the future since 1984 by Orwell. The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull used the medium to explore the experience of colonization by others, and Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason's Ill Wind explores how a random act can begin a chain of events that collapses civilization.
So, is Silent Event Sci-Fi? Yes, it is a novel of an ecological collapse that looks at the potential consequences of an extreme depletion of fuel reserves by overuse. The surviving society has had to find solutions to its energy crisis and deal with the depleted lands and toxic wastes left by their ancestors. It may not have the bug-eyed monsters and spaceships of some of the better-known works, but it falls well within the genre of dystopian worlds.
Who is your favorite character in Silent Consent?
I love them all, but Garry, Charlie, and Vera have a slight edge. Charlie, in particular, refused to bend to my will and took control of the story, driving it in directions that kept altering my universe. Initially, I wanted to write a short story, and Garry ensured that didn't happen. Each time I tried to wrap up his story, he'd nudge me and let me know he wanted people to learn more about him. And Vera's response to her bullies inspired me.
My fondness for the above does not diminish my affection for Jimmy and Carmin. It's fun to construct villains, but the adventure begins when they see themselves as heroes.
And no, I'm not hearing voices. Something happens when you're writing. The characters reach a point when their backstories coalesce into solid personalities. At that point, when they cease to be outlines, you're obliged to treat them as partners if you want their stories to ring true.
My fondness for the above does not diminish my affection for Jimmy and Carmin. It's fun to construct villains, but the adventure begins when they see themselves as heroes.
And no, I'm not hearing voices. Something happens when you're writing. The characters reach a point when their backstories coalesce into solid personalities. At that point, when they cease to be outlines, you're obliged to treat them as partners if you want their stories to ring true.
If you could travel to any fictional book world, where would you go and what would you do there?
My father used to say that if everyone could put their troubles in a large pile and we could choose which ones we wanted, most of us would take back our own. I think that goes for fictional worlds, too. Interesting ones have lots of drama or absurdity in them, and few make for places we'd really like to live.
Endured By The Gods is now available on Amazon!
Endured By The Gods, the second book in the Silent Consent series is now available on Amazon. Due to a weird glitch, the Kindle Version is not yet linked to the hardcover and paperback versions, so I've posted both links below. If you enjoyed the first book, you will probably also like the second. This parallel story follows Erin (=Tissi) and explores the same world through her eyes. You will encounter some of the characters from Silent Consent, including Diego and Garry, but in secondary roles, supporting a new cast who support or torment Tissi as her experiences as a first transform her.
Celebrating The Release of Endured By The Gods
I'm celebrating the release of my new book, Endured By The Gods with a GiveAway! One Hundred Kindle Copies of Endured By The Gods will be given away between January 7 and February 6, 2004.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
This is the second book in the Silent Consent series. This parallel story looks at the dystopian universe through the eyes of Erin Prax. She's a talented young Gen embarking on a promising internship at her district's most prestigious medical center who finds herself ensnared in a familial arrest. Cast down to the status of a No-name, she becomes the target of brutal treatment and degradation at the hands of sadistic Centurion guards, including Sal Mallory.
Reduced to a mere "energy unit," destiny has sealed her fate as a nameless machine in a centurion facility along the perilous border of the western frontier—until a dangerous skill places her on a work detail that could prolong her life just enough for the emergence of the inner strength needed to endure.
The narrative unfolds, tracing her journey from the days of being a self-entitled Geneol through her arduous struggle and gradual awakening, though not an acceptance, of her harsh reality as inevitable.
In this story, you will encounter some of the most beloved and hated characters from Silent Consent, as well as a host of new conflicted heroes and villains. Some friends betray her, but others strengthen her courage and help her endure.
Although Silent Consent sets the stage for the universe and its attributes, you will soon pick up the slang and understand the dangers that lurk for Erin as she struggles to survive.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
This is the second book in the Silent Consent series. This parallel story looks at the dystopian universe through the eyes of Erin Prax. She's a talented young Gen embarking on a promising internship at her district's most prestigious medical center who finds herself ensnared in a familial arrest. Cast down to the status of a No-name, she becomes the target of brutal treatment and degradation at the hands of sadistic Centurion guards, including Sal Mallory.
Reduced to a mere "energy unit," destiny has sealed her fate as a nameless machine in a centurion facility along the perilous border of the western frontier—until a dangerous skill places her on a work detail that could prolong her life just enough for the emergence of the inner strength needed to endure.
The narrative unfolds, tracing her journey from the days of being a self-entitled Geneol through her arduous struggle and gradual awakening, though not an acceptance, of her harsh reality as inevitable.
In this story, you will encounter some of the most beloved and hated characters from Silent Consent, as well as a host of new conflicted heroes and villains. Some friends betray her, but others strengthen her courage and help her endure.
Although Silent Consent sets the stage for the universe and its attributes, you will soon pick up the slang and understand the dangers that lurk for Erin as she struggles to survive.
Why Sad Stories Sing to Us.
Fiction provides powerful frameworks to explore and understand the experiences and viewpoints of others in a way not possible in our daily lives. Although it does not provide factual knowledge, it immerses us in the minds and lives of characters, including ones you’d never encounter in reality. Thomas Harris’ Hannibal series, for example, dives into the mind of Hannibal Lecter. This character, who would terrify us in life, becomes someone we can understand as we see the world through his eyes, and in a macabre way, we empathize with him. Throughout Fiddler on the Roof, we watch Reb Tevya grapple with a changing world as he bends his cultural and moral compass, wondering when he will reach his breaking point and refuse that one last compromise.
Horror, like Predator, and dystopian novels, like The Handmaid’s Tale, provide a means of confronting our fears. Through them, we imagine and rehearse scenarios. Although exaggerated beyond anything we are likely to encounter, a well-written horror story lets us wonder about how we might react, not just in extreme situations but in the more moderate challenges that could confront us in our daily lives. The dark threat over our horizon may not be an invisible monster but a domineering boss or that unknown car that seems to follow us on the highway.
Books that explore humanity’s dark side let us experience the world from the perspectives of both the victims and oppressors. Some, such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, have had the power to help change the world. The profound appeals of Charles Dickens and Victor Hugo tugged on the conscience of 19th-century society as they pled for social reforms.
Sad stories also provide an emotional release. They let us explore sadness and depression in a controlled, distant, selective, time-limited environment free from the ongoing repercussions of actual events. We can experience a catharsis and resolution, emerging unharmed and enriched by the experience. When we engage in the pain and sorrow of a heart-breaking novel, our lives brighten through the comparison. We realize that given a chance to trade places with characters, we would choose our own realities over theirs. Tragedies can also deepen our connections to our own pasts, sending our minds back to those difficult times that, in retrospect, were often the most fulfilling periods of our lives.
Horror, like Predator, and dystopian novels, like The Handmaid’s Tale, provide a means of confronting our fears. Through them, we imagine and rehearse scenarios. Although exaggerated beyond anything we are likely to encounter, a well-written horror story lets us wonder about how we might react, not just in extreme situations but in the more moderate challenges that could confront us in our daily lives. The dark threat over our horizon may not be an invisible monster but a domineering boss or that unknown car that seems to follow us on the highway.
Books that explore humanity’s dark side let us experience the world from the perspectives of both the victims and oppressors. Some, such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin, have had the power to help change the world. The profound appeals of Charles Dickens and Victor Hugo tugged on the conscience of 19th-century society as they pled for social reforms.
Sad stories also provide an emotional release. They let us explore sadness and depression in a controlled, distant, selective, time-limited environment free from the ongoing repercussions of actual events. We can experience a catharsis and resolution, emerging unharmed and enriched by the experience. When we engage in the pain and sorrow of a heart-breaking novel, our lives brighten through the comparison. We realize that given a chance to trade places with characters, we would choose our own realities over theirs. Tragedies can also deepen our connections to our own pasts, sending our minds back to those difficult times that, in retrospect, were often the most fulfilling periods of our lives.
