More of the Joys of Mixing Genres

Art:  "Dragon" by Raymond Minnaar

The idea of genre-crossing stories has always intrigued me.   I first wrote about it in a post entitled "Mixing Genres in Spec Fiction - Some Pros and Cons."  Some of the most influential movies and books that I loved in my youth were those that mixed genres.  Movies like "Alien," which brought science fiction and horror together so masterfully, and books like "Mirror of Her Dreams" and "A Man Rides Through," which mixed science fiction into a fantasy world - these were the sorts of influences that really crystallized my ideas of the boundless nature of all these genres.  Then of course there is art like "Dragon" by Raymond Minnaar, which feels right at home in the area between horror and fantasy.

This piece of art has made its way onto my blog via my business card.  As I was looking for art to help me represent my current efforts, I came across the gallery of Raymond Minnaar, who has pieces both on deviantArt and his own official website.  I enjoyed seeing the breadth of speculative genres represented in his portfolio, and I got it into my head that his art would be a perfect match for my own current place in literary space and time.  After working with the artist, I now have this particular piece of amazing art to grace my new business card.  

It is an interesting sort of commitment, and a strong statement, what one chooses to put on their card.  After all, you want a card to be something you are proud of, something that reflects on your interests as a writer, and something that will be remembered.  This is also a darker piece, which I wanted because my stuff seems to be largely cross genre horror at the moment, particularly the poetry. 

When I began writing, I was surprised and baffled to find that people drew hard lines between genres.  Science fiction over here.  Fantasy over there.  Literary books someplace else completely.  That was the hardest to swallow - the idea that my novel couldn't be a genre novel and also literary.  Seemed to me like a solid, character driven story with a crisp plot and an inventive setting (my definition of good novel in most any genre) could be as literary as anything else.

That was before I'd even come across the term "Speculative Fiction."  Just to have found that term was an immense relief, since some people were concerned about an author who wrote different genres in different books, let alone in the same book.  I found and happily embraced this term, finally feeling like it was a way to fit myself into the picture without too many constraints.  (For those who want more info, here's a wikiattack: Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history.)

Since I wrote my last post on the subject, I've seen more interest in work that crosses genres.  When a mixed genre becomes popular, say like urban fantasy, steampunk, or slipstream, it can expand the idea of what is included under the speculative fiction umbrella.  Some publications are specifically calling for mixed topics, settings and perspectives.  These kinds of opportunities are something I love to see - watching the literature adapt and grow.  I think it increases both the chances for bringing in readers, and the chances of something really new and interesting being available to read in the first place.

Pax, All 

Image Credit:  "Dragon" by Raymond Minnaar at deviantArt.  

If you are interested in commissioning art from Raymond Minnaar, he is available, and has his full portfolio and prices available at his website.

Prompt the Muse #34 - Speculative Writing Prompt

Photo: Two Aliens

Two of your characters have entered into an unconventional romance.  There are at least three issues that make the relationship unusual within their cultures.  What are the three issues?  Do you think your characters will remain together, or will these issues create a permanent division between them?  Write your ideas in 200 words.

Photo: Science Fiction Museum Restroom Signage, marcin wichary on flickr via Creative Commons, CC 2.0

Prompt the Muse #33 - Speculative Writing Prompt

Art: Painted Wood

Ancient art has been found depicting a creature that only exists in myth.  Some people believe this art was made before the creature went extinct, while others dismiss the art as whimsy.  Describe this ancient creature, and how the art supports one of the previous points of view.  Take 200 words for your writing.

 

Image Credit:  Smithsonian American Art Museum, Baby Dragon, 1985 Barton Lidice Benes

Silent Energy Creeps Into Niteblade

Image: Logo for Niteblade Fantasy and Horror Magazine

My poem "Silent Energy," which was sold to Niteblade Fantasy and Horror Magazine, has now been published in their June 2012 issue Carnivoyeur.  Niteblade is the kind of small-press magazine that reminds me of the periodicals I was reading in the 70's and 80's - the sort of mags that got me hooked on the genre in the first place, right down to the internal line art.  The issues have a bit of a retro feel, and the stories and the poems tend to more straightforward forms of storytelling.  I love reading and writing the surreal, but I still enjoy reading the kind of stuff I can actually understand from the very first sentence.  There are times you want to focus on the question "I wonder what is going to happen?" rather than "Why does nothing that is happening make any sense?"  Niteblade delivers genre entertainment that feels both authentic and enthusiastic.

I submitted my work to Niteblade for a host of reasons, one of which is that they are now on Issue #20 of a quarterly magazine.  That's practically tenure for a genre publication these days.  So many genre mags and ezines don't make it past the second year.  Twenty issues is a sign that both the creators and the readers have a long term investment and interest in the magazine.  So another reason I submitted here was that I wanted to support them.  We often think that the only way to support a publication is to buy it.  That is naturally a great way to offer support, but sending a magazine a piece that they think their readers will love is another way to make them happy. 

I also like their strategy for selling issues.  They ask a nominal ($2.49) price to download the current issue in pdf until they have reached their financial target.  From their site - "The web version of each issue initially offers only teasers of the stories and poems for free. With each issue we set a monetary amount that is a portion of the hard costs of producing that issue. Once we reach that goal through advertising, sales and donations, we will release the entire web-based version of the issue to everyone for free."  I do most of my own reading online these days, so I love a site with stories that are freely available, but of course a magazine has to find a way to get an income stream going or they won't last long.  Niteblade's financial model allows them to do both.  Best of all, their issues are completely ad-free.

Many thanks to Niteblade for buying and publishing my poem!  You can support them by downloading the issue (before financial goal if you have a couple of extra $, or after if you don't), linking, blogging, donating, and by spreading word-of-electronic-mouth.  You can support my writing by following and commenting on this blog right here, following my twitter @grierja, and of course, reading my pubs.

Pax, All

Prompt the Muse #32 - Speculative Writing Prompt

Art: Absinthe

A new substance has been discovered that causes bizarre dreams and visions.  A character has partaken of the substance, and had a vision of becoming an evil villain.  Is the vision real?  Does the character think it is real?  Does she or he tell anyone?  Write your answers to these questions in 200 words.

Image Credit:  Absinthe, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

Eclipse of the Sun - Always Amazing

Somewhat "kludgey" image taken
with an iphone through
eclipse filter glasses

I was lucky to be in the right place (Japan) at the right time (about seven in the morning) to see another solar eclipse.  It is something I never get tired of seeing - something that never feels jaded.  A solar eclipse is a great astronomical event to witness, for a whole variety of reasons.   

The event takes time to unfold, so it gives the viewer an opportunity to observe it in detail.  The effect is dramatic, so there is no wondering if you "saw it" or not.  A shooting star, for example, can happen so fast and can be so faint that you might second guess if you spotted it at all.  Also, it is easy to have a group viewing and sharing a solar eclipse, which adds to the fun and sense of community.

This first image was taken by a friend at my location in Niigata, and we were both surprised it worked as well as it did.  He was pointing his iphone through one of the eyes in a pair of mylar filter eclipse glasses.  We were off of the center of the eclipse path, so our Sun always appeared to have a bite of smaller or larger size taken out of it.  The eclipse was more complete in Tokyo, with the sun becoming a ring (i.e. this was an annular eclipse, not a total eclipse.)  There a friend saw large crowds of people snapping away photos while standing in the street.  (Sure hope they had filters of some kind ... )

Of course there is more than one way to "view" an eclipse.  One unique way is described on the Cliff Mass Weather Blog.  The post shows a sequence of images from a National Weather Service satellite looking down at the clouds of Earth.  Each image shows the shadow of the Moon on the clouds below.  Looking at the images quickly, one after another lets you see the shadow sweep over the Earth.  A really different way to look at an eclipse. 

Crescent suns through
oak leaf 'pinholes'
focused on wooden wall

The most impressive way I've ever seen a solar eclipse was through the branches of a huge, very leafy tree.  I was not looking up, but down at the ground.  The leaves of the tree were so dense they were only letting light through as tiny beams.  In fact, the leaves were acting like little pinholes in a pinhole camera.  They focused the image of the sun, with a huge bite out of it, all over the ground.  There were thousands of little crescent suns all around me, on the ground, the trunk of the tree, and even on me.  It was amazing.  A friend caught a similar image from today's eclipse (but this is only an inkling of what I saw that one time, just to give you the idea ...)

My very first writing prompt here on the blog was about eclipses.  They are a great source of writing inspiration.  We live in unique circumstances, where the angular size of our only satellite is close to that of our primary star, and their orbits allow the satellite to occasionally pass in front of the star.  What might have been different for us if solar eclipses were more common, or if they never happened at all?

Image Credit:  Top, photographer, Andrew Rivkin.  Bottom, photographer, Leonidas Moustacas. 

Prompt the Muse #31 - Speculative Writing Prompt

Image: Supernova Remnant

Your characters have found a boundary before them.  It was not put there intentionally to bar their way, but nevertheless, it blocks their path.  They cannot break, destroy, or banish the boundary.  How do they pass by or through it to continue on their way?  Write your thoughts in 150 words.



Image Credit:  NASA Hubble Heritage, Supernova Remnant 0509-67.5

Prompt the Muse #30 - Speculative Writing Prompt

Image: Prismatic Spring

A strange substance has been found in a protected natural area that could be very valuable.  Obtaining the substance might destroy the area.  Describe the point of view of someone involved in the dispute, in a way that highlights your chosen genre (sci-fi, horror, fantasy, etc.) in 250 words.

Image Credit:  Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

Becoming Real in Modern Myth and Future Fables

A Fada Azul - The Blue Fairy
Priscilla Tramontano - noprips

A common trope in myths, fables, and fantasy is that of the construct that becomes "real."  This theme is compelling to us for two reasons.  The first is the desire of every artist to see their creation truly come to life (figuratively if not literally).  The second is the desire of every person to transcend a certain condition (flaws, flesh, etc.) and become something greater.  This second idea is related the concept of salvation, that base mortality can somehow be transcended to perfection.

There are many ancient religious stories that have this theme.  An obvious example is in the Bible, where God fashions man out of clay and breathes life into him.  This is often read to be a portent or promise, where after death flesh itself will be transcended into an existence even more real.  In one version of the Prometheus myth, it is he, a Titan, who fashions mankind out of clay, and Athena who gives it the ability to reason.  It is no surprise that humans, who are so creative, would want to see their own ideas take shape and life.

As with the Biblical account, many stories have a supernatural entity of some kind who provides the actual power for changing what humans have created into a living creature.  In the myth of Pygmalion, it is Venus who turns his statue into a woman.  In the Disney version of Pinocchio, it is the Blue Fairy who first animates the wooden toy, and then later turns that toy into a real boy.  The Velveteen Rabbit becomes an actual rabbit the moment he is kissed by the Nursery Magic Fairy.  However, in each of these cases the driver for the creation to become real is the love of another person: Pygmalion, Geppetto, and the boy who owned the rabbit. The supernatural force provided the power for change, but only after a human already loved the creation.

In more modern times, it is science fiction that has grappled with this theme.  In science fiction, the trope is often that of humans seeking the power to create life, themselves, without the need for supernatural influence.  Frankenstein and Metropolis are two examples of humans attempting to create something like a living person, and meeting with mixed success.  I would suggest that both these stories underscore the idea that love still matters.  If a creature is created without love, or is not loved after creation, it cannot truly become human.

Of course the idea has been taken in any number of directions, including the movie Weird Science and in the character of Data on Star Trek.  I think it is particularly interesting to note that Roddenberry's intention was for the Data character to become more and more human throughout the series, but not quite get there.  A major part of this transformation was Data's acquiring a chip that allowed him to feel and express emotion.  I have this idea that Data did become fully human the moment he made his ultimate sacrifice to save others.  Again, love was what was required.

Which of course brings up the question of where this trope can and will go in the future.  I really like the idea that the real power to become human lies with the creation itself, not with any supernatural force, nor the direct creator.

What are your ideas?  What is the next incarnation of this theme in speculative fiction?

Pax, All

Image Credit:  A fada azul by noprips, Priscilla Tramontano on deviantArt.  Tramontano is a Brazilian artist who has been on deviantArt for eight years.  Of this piece, the artist comments, "Consider this as my own version of “A fada azul”, or, "the blue fairy", the good lady who had turned Pinocchio into a real boy. Wooden boys are sooo last century. But Robots? Yeah, now we are talking."  This amazing piece is used with permission of the artist.  I found this image captivating from the very first time I saw it.  The expression on the robot's face is somehow so plaintive.  And the concept of the "fairy" being in a space suit is so unique.