A Qala Story

I have completed a semi-polished draft of a fantasy short story, The Road to Tesra, the ‘origin story’ (of sorts) for my character of Qala the Pirate Queen. Probably not suited to publishing (on its own) so I’m making it available at my primary blog. It is the longest short story I’ve ever written, just slipping over the border into novelette territory.
https://eggshellboats.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-road-to-tesra.html

Beast Men

The ‘beast men’ Malvern and his band of Mora encounter in ‘Valley of Visions’ are probably what some call heidelbergensis—the stock that split to become Neanderthals, Densisovans, and modern humans. I say ‘probably’ because they exist in another world and, even if their ancestors came from this one, there could be considerable change and interbreeding over the several hundred thousand years since.

The mighty sorcerer Hurasu named them the First Children. Early in his long life in Exura, he lived for a while among them and fathered offspring. That he could should be expected; if moderns and Neanderthals were mutually fertile, then so should be those from whom both are descended.

By the time of the novel, a small tribe lives in a high mountain valley, the ‘Shrouded Valley,’ somewhat under Hurasu’s protection. Are there other First Children elsewhere in Exura? It would seem likely but we’ve seen none in my other books. Of course, they definitely exist ‘elsewhere’ in infinite existence.

Physically, they look little different from us. Except for their heads—there, the heavier brow, the lower brain-case, the lack of chin, mark them as another people. But perhaps our own species, none the less? If Neanderthals are Homo sapiens, then so would be heidelbergensis. I’ll leave that for others to argue. But they are intelligent, perhaps little less so than we, on average.

We encounter quite another sort of primitive human in ‘Warrior of the Moon.’ These, living on a somewhat remote jungled island, are some variety of Homo erectus. They seem much less ‘human’ than the First Children, though still recognizable as such. I made no mention of language (Um-um-um, the First Children girl who attaches herself to Malvern’s band, chatters constantly) but suspect they have some. They also have the typical tools and skill sets of erectus, though they use them to unfriendly ends when others visit their home!

As an aside, though I’ve not said so outright (in the fiction), it is implied that dwarfs and trolls are at least partially Neanderthal in ancestry. Those Neanderthal (and possibly Denisovan, as well) ancestors would have passed from our world to Exura via the gate in the Ural Mountains. As would pretty much any land-dwelling animal (except birds, to be sure) up until sea-going vessels appeared and the Pacific Gate became a viable portal for humans and whatever animals they might carry with them.

By the time of ‘The Walls Between the Worlds,’ set some two thousand years after Malvern’s adventures, the Shrouded Valley is empty of the First Children. The encroachment of civilization, of modern humans, made it no longer a safe haven. Did they find their way to other, more isolated refuges? That is not something I have explored, as it has little bearing on any of my stories, finished or still in progress. But maybe we’ll find some of that folk again somewhere. Exura is pretty large world.

A Decade of Donzalo

This year, 2023, marks the tenth anniversary of the publication of my first fantasy novels, the four books that make up Donzalo’s Destiny. The first half (approximately) of the first book, ‘The Song of the Sword,’ was written as a more-or-less standalone novella and I followed that template for the rest of the continuing story though, admittedly, some of the sections stand on their own better than others.

This was not my first novel. I had previously turned out the mainstream Young Adult title, ‘The Middle of Nowhere.’ I still consider it a decent effort but I made more compromises than I preferred, and kept it rather conventional on the advice of publishing professionals. It was also the only book I wrote in longhand, before the advent of computers!

The Donzalo books are a bit self-consciously ‘literary.’ I’ve tamed that a tad in the work that has followed. There’s a fair amount of what is termed ‘free indirect style’ and shifts in tense as we go in and out of characters’ thoughts. I stand by all that and still use such devices, though perhaps with a little more circumspection now. I could say I got it out of my system; that may or may not be true, nor does it particularly matter.

Donzalo’s Destiny could be seen as one epic novel of over 200,000 words but I chose to publish in four shorter books. The tale revolves around young Donzalo Rosam, who remains a relatively static figure and certainly less interesting than some of the other characters. This is not to say he doesn’t grow, but he is a more down-to-earth sort, providing a stable center for the narrative. That narrative takes place in a world resembling, more than aught else, Central Europe of the Late Renaissance (the 16^th Century). The last thing I wanted to do was write another pseudo-medieval fantasy! So we have muskets and canons and wheel-lock pistols, and the incipient capitalism and nationalism of that era, the growth of centralized power and the weakening of the feudal system and economy.

Yes, I touch on these things in the story, though I don’t lecture on them. They add a certain reality. But the novels aren’t about that sort of thing. World building is only a means to an end, after all, and that end is to write a story that both entertains and makes one think. Think in the broad sense; I have no agendas to which I write, only questions that take my interest.

And I will point out that there is no ‘big bad’ villain, no world-threatening power. My primary antagonist (unless one counts the evil god who gives him the occasional assist) is a powerful but deluded—we might say mad—sorcerer who operates on a relatively small stage. I am far more interested in him as a character than as a danger (though he is certainly a danger to Donzalo).

The four Donzalo’s Destiny stories are, in order, ‘The Song of the Sword,’ ‘The Shadow of Asak,’ ‘The Sign of the Arrow,’ and ‘The Hand of the Sorcerer.’ All four are available in print from Arachis Press in newly typeset editions and distributed to most online booksellers (though it can sometimes take a while for the new print editions to show up everywhere). The ebooks are also at the Arachis Press site as free downloads in both EPUB and PDF formats.

I have written quite a few novels in the decade since they first appeared, some fantasy and some not. Among the most recent of these is ‘The Plain of Silver,’ the first book of Destiny’s Daughter, a sequel to the Donzalo epic. It too is out in a brand new edition.

Donzalo’s Anniversary

This year is the tenth anniversary of my first fantasy novels (not my first novels of any sort, however), the four books of Donzalo’s Destiny. Therefor, Arachis Press is issuing new editions, including free ebooks. A post with links is at the AP blog: http://arachispress.blogspot.com/2023/09/celebrate.html

Donzalo was followed by the Malvern Trilogy, which took my fantasy in a quite different direction. Maybe we’ll celebrate them in a while.

Asak’s Dogs

The Hounds of Asak that appear in THE SONG OF THE SWORD are related—but not identical—to the hounds kenneled by the cult of Dekata in northeastern Lorj. The beasts that attack Donzalo are not from his world, but drawn from another by the sorcerer Radal. From Asak’s realm itself, perhaps, though Asak would have little interest in raising such creatures.

The goddess Dekata might, and she dwells in that same world as her father, the world of the Ildin gods. Those hounds from another world could have any origin. There might even be divine blood somewhere in their ancestry (deities are known to have sex with just about anything). It is certain that blood is shared by the packs of both world. Someone would have taken one or more of the dogs through a gate, one direction or the other. Or both; there could well have been breeding back and forth. But the Dekatan dogs of Exura, the world of Donzalo and much of my other fantasy fiction, are much more like the canines we know—ultimately and simply, dogs.

Thus, it is not surprising that Marana befriends a couple and takes them home with her at the conclusion of THE JEWELS OF THE ELEMENTS. The heritage of those dogs is spread widely over the centuries to come. I suspect some of it is to be found in the ‘warden dogs’ of Count Mussago, including the one named King he gifts to Donzalo’s son.

As to the Dekatan kennels, it is likely the dogs there were dispersed after the Great Devastation, and their lineage melded into that of other breeds. And, now and again, those pale green eyes that mark that heritage would show up and make their owners wonder.

Cabell

J.R.R Tolkien did not care for the work of the popular (in his day) writer of fantasy, James Branch Cabell, dismissing it as boring. Now I can find criticisms enough of my own for Cabell’s writing; I would also have to admit my forays into fantasy owe more to him than to Tolkien.

It is true that I might never have discovered Cabell at all had not the popularity of Tolkien, and fantasy in general, led to the reprinting of many classic fantasy novels in the late Sixties and the Seventies. Dunsany, Eddison, Morris—all perhaps left their mark on me. Dunsany, in particular, who is a far more subtle writer than Cabell.

Of course, I do love ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit.’ They are great novels in themselves and have some of the best world-building ever behind them. Tolkien set the bar for epic fantasy.

Cabell wrote anti-epics. His protagonists launch quests in pursuit of illusions. This is not to say he was cynical (or not too cynical); he seems rather fond of those illusions, of chivalry, of romantic love, while not taking them quite seriously. They provide a foundation on which he may build his witty tales and expound his sometimes dated (and sexist) views. But he is just as interested in exploring the fundamentals of existence as Tolkien—just on a more personal level.

Though all that is of interest, it is style and structure that more attracted me to Cabell’s fiction. There are complexities beneath the text that can be explored (though they needn’t be for enjoyment), anagrams, word games, intricate allusions to sources both real and invented. Some of his stories in actual historic settings veer close to the sort of thing Woolf did in ‘Orlando’ (or maybe vice-versa?).

If I were to make one great criticism of James Branch Cabell it is that he tended to write around ‘ideas’ and a bit of an agenda, rather than starting from the story itself. He can seem to be focused on illustrating and proving some point. That is rarely conducive to great writing, but he managed to keep it from getting too much in the way. None of his novels are, perhaps, ‘great’ but several are quite good.

Which ones? The famous—and infamous—‘Jurgen,’ of course, the novel that made his name. ‘Figures of Earth’ might actually be better, though a bit similar. His retelling of the Sleeping Beauty tale, ‘The High Place,’ is, to me, his strongest offering as a cohesive story, as well as being perhaps the most humorous. ‘The Cream of the Jest’ hasn’t as much of a plot but is conceptually complex, epitomizing his worldview. Almost all his work, incidentally, is available free from Project Gutenberg.

Some might label Cabell’s books frivolous or superficial. I suspect Tolkien did! They are also very American, which separates him from the important British fantasists of his time—even the humorous ones such as Bramah. Ultimately, he is a bit peripheral to the fantasy mainstream, yet he has certainly influenced many who followed (such as Gaiman). My own writing would not be the same had I not discovered and read Cabell when relatively young. Yes, he’s one of those ‘early influences’ all writers have.

I do recommend investigating a title or two, whether one is interested in fantasy—either reading or writing—or not. James Branch Cabell is a moderately important figure in Twentieth Century American literature, a popular author in his time and acclaimed by the intelligentsia before they moved on to the next fashion. I moved on too, but his work remains a part of my foundation.

MEF

MEF stands for Modern Epic Fantasy. Yes, I invented it. It also conveys my feelings about most of it. ‘Mef,’ I say, when perusing a book by Martin or Sanderson. If those ridiculous movie poster-style covers don’t keep me from opening it in the first place. I might say even worse things than ‘mef.’

But we won’t use those here. I don’t write MEFs. The closest approach would be the four books of Donzalo’s Destiny. Some might call them an epic, but they are not as expansive as most books with that label, nor is there the world-threatening evil one frequently finds in such novels. My fantasies are really every bit as character-driven as my mainstream work, and the magic and world-building is always secondary. Or tertiary, or some further remove.

Perhaps this is why I find myself writing more of that mainstream fiction these days. I don’t need fantasy to say what I want. This does not mean I do not enjoy it and its writing. And yes, the magic and world-building.

The truth is, despite all those novels I’ve churned out, I do consider myself first a poet. This does reflect in my prose; of this I am quite aware. I prefer the lean yet imaginative language of good poetry. I like metaphors and ambiguities. Unlike the typical plodding MEF!

People of Color in Exura (and my stories)

Quite a few of the characters in the stories that make up the Annals of Izan—both in the world of Exura and elsewhere in the infinite worlds—are ‘people of color.’ I’ll not speak now of gods and fay and such who might came in variety of hues, some not at all what we might consider normal. Rather, allow me to speak of the mortal humans of Exura, where most of the tales are set.

There are black people, or what most might call black. It should be noted at once that these are not of African descent (except in the sense we all are) but have Oceanic and Australoid ancestors. These passed from our world through the gate located somewhere in the vast South Pacific. Melanesians, Papuans, Aboriginal Australians—all found their way through in small numbers, as did other Oceanic folk. Needless to say, there was plenty of mixing. The folk I name the Baxac (or Bazu) are definitely a dark people. They are also a people who spread widely. The mercenary general Ildor, father of the sorcerer Radal—the primary antagonist of the Donzalo’s Destiny books—was of Baxac ancestry, his immediate origin being the isle of Lorj.

There was plenty of mixing there, too, although Ildor was notably dark. All the more notably when he settled among the Sharshites! His granddaughter, Fachalana, daughter of Radal and the main protagonist of the Destiny’s Daughter series, is but a quarter Lorjam and not much darker than many of those about her. There is even less contrast when she strays across the mountains to adventure among the olive-skinned Lamans.

Now dark people did pass through the gate on the other side of both worlds. That is the one located in the Ural Mountains in our world and early Paleolithic individuals would have been drawn in—the first ‘modern’ humans to pass into Exura (we won’t count earlier Neanderthals, etc. though they certainly would have passed too). Genetic evidence suggests these were a relatively dark population, quite possibly ancestral to the people scattered across northern Asia, as well as Native Americans. They remain ancestral as well to many of the scattered peoples of Exura, at least in part. I have hinted at pockets of dark aboriginal people here and there in the stories but haven’t had reason to explore the idea in any detail.

The wizards Im and Na, of the Wizardry books, are as thoroughly black as anyone in their world. Their ancestry is Australoid and Melanesian with very little else mixed in—save for the genes of the very long lived and very prolific wizard Hurasu who ruled over the isolated valley of their ancestors. He hailed from a completely other world so we can’t call him anything other than an Atlantean. Urtu, the protagonist of The Walls Between the Worlds, is a son of Hurasu, so he does look a bit different than the typical valley dweller. Still somewhat dark though and we would probably refer to him as a person of color these days.

Incidentally, in Melanesian fashion, many of the dwellers in that Valley of Visions where Hurasu ruled had the combination of black skin and blond hair. That is rare among the Baxac.

Of course, other ethnic groups found their way through one gate or another. Culture after culture rose about or passed through the Urals over the ages, Turkic and Iranian and Slavic, on back to the Mal’ta-Buret’ and Yamna peoples. I have hinted that the Mura people have some of that early Asian ancestry and portrayed them as appearing rather like Siberians or Native Americans. The (retired) pirate queen, Qala, of the Crocodile Chronicles is of Muram blood. She’s certainly not ‘white,’ like the Sharshites among whom she retires to her country estate. And her son Zedos has a quite black father—who just happens to be a god. I might talk about those some other time.

I did not go out of my way to be diverse with my characters (nor with those in my non-fantasy novels). It follows naturally from the world building. Some of the earliest of that world building involved Polynesians and shipwrecked sailors, and that grew into the seven (so far) books set among the Mora. The very concept of Exura and its gates guaranteed variety.

Stones Release

Today, July 15 2023, is the official release date for my latest fantasy novel, STONES IN THE SEA. Here are the links for print and ebook at the Arachis Press store:

PRINT: https://www.lulu.com/shop/stephen-brooke/stones-in-the-sea/paperback/product-z2mrvk.html
PDF: https://www.lulu.com/shop/stephen-brooke/stones-in-the-sea/ebook/product-z2wzrg.html
EPUB: https://www.lulu.com/shop/stephen-brooke/stones-in-the-sea/ebook/product-z2wvvz.html

I’ve posted the cover and blurb before. Go back a few pages! The book may or may not be available at retailers yet. Distribution is what it is and we live with it, but STONES is definitely available from Arachis Press. And remember to check for their discounts on print prices, typically ten or fifteen percent off during weekdays. Those are usually posted at the AP blog.

NOTE: a few months later—the ebooks are no longer for sale. I have decided to give them away and will put up links here and elsewhere, as I get around to it.

Xuthal

The desert-lost city of Hirstel, in which opens my novel ‘The Ways of Wizardry,’ undoubtedly owes a debt to the Xuthal of R.E. Howard’s Conan story, ‘Xuthal of the Dusk.’ As it has been at least forty years since I last read that story, it should not be surprising I had completely forgotten it. I have been reading through all Howard’s Conan tales—the originals, none of the pastiche of Carter or DeCamp—and had reached Xuthal.

So there are similarities and there are differences. I used Hirstel only as a starting point for the ‘Wizardry’ adventure, lingering for a few opening chapters. The dreaming citizens of both eventually come to unhappy ends; different ends, to be sure, yet there is a shared madness perhaps.

The concept was not completely novel with Howard, but I do suspect it was his story, buried somewhere in my subconscious, that gave birth to Hirstel. I have referenced the city in some other stories and may well do so again. We’ll have to see about that.