Eneh Akpan Writes

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Stephen King's 'Greatest' Achievement

With Tabitha (wife) & Owen (son)
Photo: loc.gov

Stephen King has sort of become a staple wherever the horror genre is discussed. It's almost impossible to not think of King when the terror-inducing genre crosses your mind. Whether you are a fan of the genre, of the writer or a torrid critic of either the form of writing or the writer. And a reviewer said, "Stephen King polarizes writers."

His name, craft and career are yet to fossilize in a stint that spans nearly five decades. From the 70s when he was known as the Prince of Horror right into the 21st century, the King of Horror has pretty much maintained up in the game that seems to be constantly undergoing organic mutation at the turn of each decade.

Stephen King who once said of himself, "I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries" has thrown in a good measure of his genius in development of the genre for which he is widely celebrated. And his works have had immeasurable influence on hundreds of writers including yours truly repping the ministry of fear in Nigeria.

I think I'll go out on a limb and say Stephen King seems to have achieved a feat possibly, no other writer has aspired to or come close to accomplishing; he converted members of his family into a fear factory.

Tabitha King

King met his wife in the late 1960s at the University of Maine where he wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper. Tabitha is quoted as saying jokingly, "He married me for my typewriter." Tabitha published her first novel, Small World at age 32; a fantasy about a mad scientist and his evil device. Stephen King was on his eighth published novel and seven years into his writing career at the time. The nonfiction book Danse Macabre had just been released.

Tabitha King has gone on to release over eight novels and two nonfiction books so far. Wikipedia lists her genres as horror, science fiction and fantasy. Seen any connection with the style of the Master?

With Joe Hill (son)
Photo: nerdsburgh.com

Joe Hill

Joe Hill, Stephen King's first son decided he wanted to succeed on his own merits rather than as Stephen King's son. Even though, online speculations about his link to Stephen King abounded since 2005, it was not until 2007 that Joe Hill acknowledged his kinship with the Horror meister. And only after he achieved considerable success on his own.

His first book, 20th Century Ghosts, a collection of 14 short stories was published in 2005 and won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection including a British Fantasy Award for Best Short Story for Best New Horror. His first novel, Heart-Shaped Box (published February, 2007) reached #8 on the New York Times bestseller list. Hill had gone on to collaborate with his dad on at least one project.

Joe Hill writes horror, dark fantasy and science fiction. Second convert towing the same line with the master.

Owen King

Owen King is the last of King's children and even he has chosen to follow his father's obsession. His first book, We're All In This Together: (A Novella and Short Stories) was published in 2005. Since then, he has published another collection Who Can Save Us Now? he has published a debut novel, Double Feature (2013). He co-wrote a screenplay with his brother Joe Hill titled Fade Away.

Owen King has had several of his stories published in anthologies and magazines and won several awards. Although, several of his stories feature what might be termed horror as one interviewer said, "Owen King's approach is more literary, and any terror contained in his stories is wholly inspired by real life." (Does that mean more gore or less gore?) His stories focus on broken families or strange relationships and edge on redemption and forgiveness.

It's an amazing story, yes? The influence, and I might add positive inspiration a man can execute over the life and career of his family. With the Kings writing is indeed a family business. You think you ought to go and do likewise?

Keep your pen bleeding!

Akpan

Thursday, January 24, 2013

The Top 10 Bestselling Fantasy Book Series

Updated June.13.2015

Enter a world where anything is possible. Step into all that's pure magic and sorcery, a universe of damsels in distress, of dragons and dungeons; of faeries and myths; of legends and stories of forever afters.

Enter the realm of (drum rolls please) fantasy.

Fantasy has accomplished much through the ages and the bigger the volume the better its impact on lives of readers. What you have here is a collection of ten of the best selling fantasy series only. That means if your favorite fantasy book happens to be just one volume, rest assured, you wouldn't find it among these. Even if it sold over a billion copies. While there may be one or two series still being written, many are over and done with.

But whichever one of these bestselling books you choose for your next reading assignment, the magic is guaranteed to take your breath away!

10. Shannara by Terry Brooks

Beginning with The Sword of Shannara in 1977, the plot of this epic fantasy series stretches over 20 books and still counting. The stories combine magic and primitive technology and the setting is in the Four Lands which is sometimes, identified as a burned out Earth long after civilization has been destroyed in what the books call the Great Wars.

The protagonists in the series are of a noble family called Shannara.

This epic has sold over 21 million copies worldwide and it gives me great pleasure to present it to you as #1o of the highest selling fantasy series.

9. The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind

A young man, Richard Cypher is the protagonist. He is a Westland woods guide whose simple life is forever changed after he becomes the Seeker of Truth, a responsibility to uphold justice in the world is thrust on his young shoulders in an instant.

On November 1, 2008, ABC Studios began a television series adaptation of the novels, titled Legend of the Seeker.

The Sword of Truth is a series of twelve epic fantasy novels began in 1994. Translated into more than 20 languages about 25 million copies of the franchise has been sold worldwide.

8. Guin Saga by Kaoru Kurimoto

A heroic fantasy series by the Japanese author Kaoru Kurimoto. Guin Saga is the longest continuing single-writer's work in the world with a total 130 volumes, the last four books in the series was published posthumously.

The main character is a warrior who goes by the name Guin. He is set against a dangerous world that's controlled by magic.

The total circulation exceeds 28 million copies worldwide.

7. The Dark Tower by Stephen King

This epic/high fantasy by horror writer, Stephen King follows the adventures of Roland Deschain in his quest for The Dark Tower. King says the series was inspired by Robert Browning's poem, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came.

There is a total of eight books in the series published between 1982 and 2012. Besides the eight novels that make up the series proper, many of Stephen King's other books relate to the story, introducing concepts and characters that come into play as the series progresses. King has described his fantasy series which incorporates multiple genres like fantasy, science fantasy, dark fantasy, and western, as "western spaghetti meets Lord of the Rings."

As of 2010 more than 30 million copies of the series have been sold in 40 countries.

6. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

The first time I watched the movie, Eragon I was hooked. Just like that. It was love at first sight. The movie which is a spin-off of the first book in the series of the same name was a masterpiece of the fantasy genre.

In the fictional land of Alagaësia, there was an order which oversaw the countries and brought peace to the world. This group was known as the Dragon Riders, for they rode dragons, at the birth of which a bond was formed in accordance with a pact made between elves and dragons millennia earlier. (Wikipedia)

The first book in the series was self-published by the family publishing company, Paolini International, and Paolini toured several educational institutions self-promoting his book.

Eragon was published in 2002 and became a New York Times bestseller. The four books of the fantasy series was published between 2002 and 2011 and has since gone on to sell over 33 million copies.

5. The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

This epic fantasy was originally planned as a six-book fantasy series but now spans about thirteen volumes with the latest book released on 8 January 2013. The series binds various elements of both European and Asian mythology like the cyclical nature of time found in Hinduism and Buddhism, the concepts of balance found in Daoism, and a form of the creation story similar to that of Christianity.

The original author, Robert Jordan passed away before the last book was written. The extensive notes he left behind was used by Wheel of Time fan, author Brandon Sanderson to develop an extra three volumes to the series. The eighth through thirteenth books each reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list.

The series has reached over 44 million copies worldwide.

4. Discworld by Terry Pratchet

The world called Discworld from which the series derives its name is a flat disc balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. As of September 2011, 39 Discworld novels have been published.

The first volume, The Colour of Magic was published in 1983 and the most recent Snuff which became the third fastest selling book in the first week of publication. The author has expressed his wish that he would be happy for his daughter to continue the series when he is no longer fit to go on (he suffers from Alzheimer's).

The series has achieved worldwide fame with over 70 million copies sold in 37 languages.

3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

A series of four vampire-themed fantasy romance novels. The series is most popular among young adults. The story is told from the POV of a teenage girl, Bella Swan who falls in love with a 104 year old vampire who goes by the name, Edward Cullen.

The first book in the series Twilight was released in 2005 and since then the books have become the favorite of millions of fans across the globe. The series has won multiple awards.

The series has sold over 116 million copies worldwide.

2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Published in London between 1950 and 1956, The Chronicles of Narnia is Lewis' best known work. A series of seven high fantasy novels set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic inhabited by talking animals. The books are considered a children's classic. The work treats multiple themes. Traditional christian themes are interwoven with Greek, Roman and Turkish mythology.

The series has sold over 120 million copies and has been translated into over 47 languages.

1. Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels. The series chronicles the adventures of a young wizard, Harry Potter and his two friends. The first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released on 30 June 1997. Since then, all the books have gained immense popularity and worldwide commercial success.

The book series has sold about 450 million copies and that makes it the best-selling book series in history. The Harry Potter franchise has been translated into about 67 languages. The last four novels in the series consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.

That's it, folks. Great fantasy book series to kill any dull moment. By the way, this list was made possible by information retrieved from Wikipedia. It's such fun to have limitless resource next door.

Akpan

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

3 Lovecraftian Character Archetypes

"The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents."

Lovecraft,

The Call of Cthulhu

The Cthulhu Mythos connoisseur created a little clutter of characters in his lifetime which became constant features in much of his fiction. A casual reading of Lovecraft's works would inform the mind of the recurrence of three character archetypes the master of horror employed as his protagonists. At least, it's what I believe, you might harbor a different opinion. It's allowed.

Photo: david-j-west.blogspot.com

1. The Explorer

Probably, the most consistent character in Lovecraft's tales, this character usually sets off on a quest for the unknown driven by a whiff of information. A character who exhibits an investigative disposition and is fully aware and understands the consequences of such hideous adventure but decides to go ahead anyway.

The profile of this fictional character is summed up by the words of a peculiar Lovecraftian character who appears in the story, The Lurking Fear. In the story, this personality declares,

"I am a connoisseur in horrors."

Such characters take it as their responsibility to explore the unknown, to find the source of the terror and if possible, destroy it. There is a pervading sense of obligation to things of the macabre. The primary inclination of these fictional people is best explained by the words of another Lovecraft character;

"Burning curiosity began to displace all other feelings and I enlarged my investigations as best I could."

Lovecraft,

In the Walls of Eryx

"It is for this latter reason that I urge, with all the force of my being, final abandonment of all the attempts at unearthing those fragments of unknown, primordial masonry which my expedition set out to investigate. Assuming that I was sane and awake, my experience on that night was such as has befallen no man before. It was, moreover, a frightful confirmation of all I had sought to dismiss as myth and dream."

Lovecraft,

The Shadow Out of Time

2. The Victim

There is a prototype of this character portrayed in the Lovecraft story, Pickman's Model where the protagonist comes in contact with an artist bearing the titular name and his painting. Pickman is in the process of painting a monster that the main character misinterprets as the artist's imagination until he discovers the awful truth.

The Victims are secondary hosts who experience horror only through their association with a primary host who has made contact with some sort of paranormal activity.

"No, I don't know what's become of Pickman, and I don't like to guess. You might have surmised I had some inside information when I dropped him — and that's why I don't want to think where he's gone. Let the police find what they can — it won't be much, judging from the fact that they don't know yet of the old North End place he hired under the name of Peters."

Lovecraft,

Pickman's Model

Another example is one of Lovecraft's most famous works, The Call of Cthulhu. A character comes in contact with the papers of his great-uncle. Said papers seem to be possessed by the spirit which haunted a young artist and ultimately led to his death. It also led to the death of the main character's great-uncle and has likely rearranged the psyche of this character by the time the story turns for home. The displaced wanderer/traveler who finds haunted lodging also comes under this point.

"That was the document I read, and now I have placed it in the tin box beside the bas-relief and the papers of Professor Angell. With it shall go this record of mine - this test of my own sanity, wherein is pieced together that which I hope may never be pieced together again. I have looked upon all that the universe has to hold of horror, and even the skies of spring and the flowers of summer must ever afterward be poison to me. But I do not think my life will be long."

Lovecraft,

The Call of Cthulhu

3. The Inventor

"He no longer treated me so much like a friend as like an implement in his skilled and greedy fingers. I found him possessed of unexpected traits - little examples of baseness and cruelty, apparent even to the hardened Simes, which disturbed me in a most unusual manner. Often he would display extraordinary cruelty to live specimens in his laboratory, for he was constantly carrying on various hidden projects in glandular and muscular transplantation on guinea-pigs and rabbits."

Lovecraft,

The Disinterment

Lovecraftian tales like The Disinterment portray characters who are desperate inventors. The mad scientist persona is another popular feature in Lovecraft's tales. These inventors include alchemists and as a matter of fact, there's a Lovecraft work that goes by that name.
These set of Lovecraftian characters are usually involved in inventions bordering on insanity. These would stop at nothing to achieve their goals and often, perform experiments to alter natural processes like death.

Lovecraft's fictional people could possibly be classified under broader terms. This is just a personal shot at understanding the works of a master of the craft.
Hope you were inspired.

Keep your pen bleeding!

Akpan

Sunday, January 20, 2013

What's the Criteria for Classifying a SciFi Story?

Updated: June.15.2015

Science fiction is a genre of fiction based primarily on popular scientific principles and sometimes, on principles created especially for the story. Modern SciFi tales have witnessed a shift in the form of the genre and this change owes in large part to advancement in technology. Almost every story indulges in the application of complicated gadgets and sometimes exhibit science themes but these are not by classification science fiction stories.

For Science fiction nerds who deserve a hiatus from this confusing trend in fiction, it seems necessary to draw a line indicating the limit or extent of the SciFi genre. I have listed five peculiarities which most stories that fall under this genre exhibit. But rules are rules and creativity has been known to break them.

This is how you can identify a science fiction plot:

1. If it is Governed by the Laws of Science

There are exceptions as you will find out in 5. If the plot is in line with the laws governing the execution of scientific experiments, it is most definitely science fiction. If the plot of a story is driven by and depends solely on the limits and boundaries of set science laws then it is scifi.

2. If Conflicts Are Resolved Via Scientific Principles

In contrast to magic or sorcery in fantasy, the plots of a scifi tale must prove and uphold the power of science. Not of sorcery or religious belief or basically, the human emotion. If it must prove anything else it must have its root from a scientific viewpoint.

3. If the Plot Explores Science-Oriented Issues

There is a world of difference between a story with a science theme and a plot that explores scientific issues with intent to resolve it. The plots of scifi burrow deep into science and are only resolved when the scientific riddle has been solved. That's different from say a James Bond movie which only involves complicated technological gadgets but lack the drive for scientific research.

4. If there's No Trace of Supernatural Elements

I believe this one explains itself, effectively. Unless you're writing sword and sorcery or a religious book, science fiction plots do not explore the supernatural or things that cannot be solved with chemical formulas. Of course, there may be traces of religion in a scifi story, characters in the story may profess faith but the overall theme of the story is always explorations in science.

5. If it is Predictive in Structure

Because scifi delves into the unexplored realms of science, the structure of the genre is particularly predictive. When people use phones in movies today it is not so spectacular. But back when phones were still items of speculation, an author writing about a time when these gadgets would become available to everybody could be said to make predictions. Thus, predictions in science fiction is different from that of sorcery or divination.

Prediction in scifi is simply another way of saying speculation.

This discussion is open to debates why, it's science fiction, the literature of ideas. And there's definitely, other methods of identifying this genre besides these five. But if it works for any of you out there, my mission is accomplished.

Keep your pen bleeding!

Akpan

Parallels Between SciFi and Fantasy

In more recent times, the boundary between science fiction and fantasy has been almost completely erased from little to no trace of distinction left between the two genres. The shift in taste of modern day readers has contributed immensely and has helped widen the scope of the genres.

Despite the dramatic changes in approach, both genres maintain a level of credibility in setting and plot and of course, there are obvious (and sometimes, conflicting) parallels between the two forms of storytelling. Below, I have outlined these parallels and conflicts but you may have a different opinion or take issues with my ideas. It's a free world.

Photo: smashingshowcase.com

1. Magic
With all due respect, magic is exclusively an element of fantasy. Of course, there is a fantasy sub genre called science fantasy that burrows deep into the realm of science fiction. That said magic as an element of storytelling is strictly fantasy.

2. Parallel Universes
The concept of a parallel universe existing side by side with the present is a constant feature of both fantasy and science fiction. While SciFi may attempt to access this world through a Time Machine, fantasy's vehicle is usually a magic portal that opens up on another planet, world or realm.

3. Explorations in Science
Science fiction has got to indulge the basics of science or it cannot be science fiction. The plot of a science fiction story must be scientifically grounded and oriented and this is one of the strongest distinctions between the two genres. Fantasy depends on magic for its relevance; science fiction depends on science, naturally.

4. World Creation/Building
Both genres have laws that may survive solely in fictional worlds created especially for the story. This usually works well with fantasy but sometimes, the ideas in a science fiction story may not seem plausible at least, for the next gazillion years. World creation might be the author's only alternative to make his story plausible and relevant to his audience.

5. Space Odyssey
Space travel is an ingredient of science fiction and probably, has no ties with fantasy.

Photo: blackspeculativefiction.tumbler.com

6. Strange Language
The idea of creating a special language/dialect for fiction is most common with fantasy. Because of the idea of other-worlds that exhibit cultures quite different from ours. Science fiction tales sometimes, require a new tongue especially, where aliens are involved or people from the ancient past (in stories dealing with time travel).

7. Machines (Technology)
I almost left this to speculation, you know it's almost interchangeable with 3. Explorations in Science. But then. I fought against it. Thing is, you can't write a fantasy story where the knight uses a ray gun to pulverize the dragon. Or where the bride arrives just in time for the wedding via FTL. There ought to be an orderly, and consistent relation of parts.

8. Fictional/Weird Creatures
The idea of a world executing its own laws and culture and populated by a different specie of people demands the existence of strange creatures, as well. Both genres are prone to feature weird creatures as part of their plots.

9. Supernatural Beings
Fantasy reeks of elves, dragons, unicorns, werewolves and the likes. These beasts and supernatural beings are void in SciFi. Rather, there is Frankenstein's monster. dinosaurs and every sort of genetically modified creatures. The supernatural is the dividing line between genres. Like someone said, if the process can be explained by scientific formula, it's science fiction.

10. The Laws
All that explaining makes discussing this point at length almost unnecessary. But since there's a method to this madness, there are laws guiding the limits of both genres. Fantasy laws are more or less magical laws while science fiction ones are scientific formulas and laws.

But I suppose, I won't be excessively forward if I said the distinguishing line between fantasy and science fiction is fast diminishing and might be rendered obsolete and put out of use effectively, a few years from now. After all, science is the new magic.

Keep your pen bleeding!

Akpan