"A government for hire at a combat site."
Beautiful.
Thanks Angie.
Randy Lindsay |
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In response to this month's question for the Apocalypse Panel Angie Lofthouse offered what I think is probably the best response that could be given. I admit to being more than a little bit jealous that I hadn't thought of it.
"A government for hire at a combat site." Beautiful. Thanks Angie.
1 Comment
No fanfare this week. I’m going straight to this month’s question for the Apocalypse Panel. What defines an apocalyptic story? The easy answer is that an apocalyptic event at the center of the story is what defines entries to this genre, but is that really the case? More importantly for me, how far can I twist the setting of the story before it no longer falls neatly into the genre? Most of the classic apocalyptic stories have a distinct science-fiction bent to them, giving me reason to wonder if this might provide the defining aspect. Damnation Alley involves the last of the Hell’s Angels crossing the post-war America and facing giant Gila Monsters, mutated cockroaches, and rogue biker gangs that rule the countryside. That is what comes to my mind whenever an apocalypse is mentioned. Then you have stories such as Fred Saberhagen’s Empire of the East which is set in a future where, through science, a nuclear war is averted and magic is introduced into the world. Even though that sounds like science-fiction the first book reads like fantasy. Is this an apocalyptic story? If you want to pick nits, then yes. Unlike the movie Wizards, which has a strong blend of science and magic to create its apocalyptic world, I feel that Saberhagen’s novel rests squarely in the realm of fantasy. Reign of Fire is clearly an apocalyptic story set in the modern age, but is caused by the resurgence of dragons. Perhaps my thoughts that stories in this genre must have a sci-fi element are ill-conceived. What makes this movie work in a genre that seldom features fantasy? During recent years, a new element in the genre has risen in popularity. Zombie apocalypse stories have brought clear horror elements to what was once a sci-fi haven. World War Z uses a science-fiction storyline, but treats it as a horror story. Don’t get me wrong, I love this. Blurring genre lines opens all sorts of wonderful options to the creative writer. With fantasy and horror both represented as part of viable apocalypse stories, perhaps the key element that defines this genre is—us. Only those tales that place us in the path of disaster seem to fit. Either in the present or in the reasonably near future, as long as our society can be recognized amid the destruction that ensues it appears to qualify as an apocalyptic story. Now that I have that resolved, maybe I write an article on blending some non-traditional elements into an apocalyptic story. Doesn’t that sound fun? Oh, I can hardly wait to experiment with that concept. See you all next time. Last week I discussed:
What is the most important element in an apocalyptic story? Here are the responses from the rest of the panel. Tim Malone offered an excerpt from his upcoming book, Red Sky, that involves meteors striking the Earth. I felt that the following section summed up an important element of an apocalyptic story. “There won’t be any help,” David said when Stan came back. “What do you mean,” Cynthia said. “There are way too many scenes like this all over the city. Think of the movie theaters, the restaurants and pizza parlors. What about the malls, the people at the baseball game, in the hotels, the homeless on the streets, the tourists and the private homes? Any decent apocalypse is going to leave people in a position where they have to save themselves. And maybe that is really the heart of this genre—self-reliance. That’s scary if it were to actually happen to us, but it makes for great reading. I recommend that you follow the link over to Tim’s blog and read the rest of the excerpt for yourself. Wayne Roux suggests that it is the “reminder of the insignificance of man.” Wow. That’s some pretty heavy thinking right there. Are apocalyptic stories just updated fairy tales that teach the proper place of man in the universe? Man may think that everything revolves around us, but the truth is that we are just one small speck in the cosmos. I think Wayne did a great job of answering the question on his blog. Check it out. Angie Lofthouse summed it up in one word – Hope. And that is certainly the reason I wrote The Gathering: End’s Beginning. During the troubled times we are currently facing and will be facing, I want people to have hope. Check out what Angie had to say on her blog. I think you’ll enjoy it. What do all of you think? Feel free to leave a comment that answers this month’s question. I’d love to hear a few extra thoughts on the subject. Have I mentioned that I love apocalyptic stories? Fractured worlds of high imagination. Unique societies built on the bones of fallen civilizations. And the well applauded end of reality television. It almost makes you root for horrible disaster on a scale never before seen. Maybe not. But it is time for the Apocalypse Panel’s next question. What is the most important element in an apocalyptic story? The obvious answer to this is—character. At the heart of any great story is a protagonist with passions, principles, and a problem. We experience the story through the characters. But since this applies to stories of any type I will pick something else. Another important element in any story is—setting. It provides the peculiar flavor for the tale being told. Some days I might be in the mood for a good zombie apocalypse, full of dark city streets clogged with the animated husks of humanity. Or I might crave a journey among the mutated remnants of mankind a thousand years after the world is ravaged by atomic war. Setting is the main selling point for a novel since it will determine what differentiates this story from all the others in the genre. I think that the key element of an apocalyptic tale is how the disastrous event has molded the society in which the story takes place. A good author will reflect on the nature of the apocalypse and infuse its very essence into the plot, into the characters, and even into the voice of the story itself. As weird as this might sound, each disaster has a unique personality of its own and affect all the other elements of the story. Next week we will see what the other authors on the panel have to say. The post is a couple of days late this week. Did that make you wonder if the Apocalypse had started? Probably not, but maybe next time you should. Okay, on to this month’s question. Other than your own stories which is the best apocalypse movie or novel out there? Angie Lofthouse, who I had the pleasure of meeting at LDStorymakers last month, listed the best novel of an apocalyptic nature as Folk of the Fringe, by Orson Scott Card. If it wasn’t also one of my favorite stories on this genre I might wonder if it had anything to do with Card being the keynote speaker at the conference. The truth is that Card put together a wonderful story of hope as normal people have to face catastrophic aftermath of a nuclear and biological war. I happen to have an autographed hardback of it that is the prize of my book collection. So, good job Angie. Margot Hovley sent me this response: This is a really hard question for me! Instead of trying to pick an overall best, I'd like to mention three works I read as a child that really influenced me. The first has come to be known as The Tripods, a trilogy by John Christopher. The second I'll name is A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engel, and the lst The Giver by Lois Lowry. I'm not calling these out as the best ever--or that they are even examples of apocalyptic stories--just that I happened to read these particular books while a young girl--by chance--or good luck--or ? These books made me think a lot about how I would react if caught in an apocalyptic situation--about how I hoped I'd react. Reading these while young sparked my imagination and got me thinking about what might happen in our future. Since I lived very close to a nuclear facility, growing up during the Cold War, I spent a lot of time worrying about a possible apocalypse. It seemed like it weighed heavy on everyone's mind. Between the drills at school and the frantic gathering of food storage in my Mormon household, I felt pretty much on edge. I was fascinated by the history behind the War of the Worlds radio program and thought it fascinating that it caused such an uproar as people assumed it was portraying a real occurrence. I thought it so interesting to see how people would react in a situation like that. Now, when I read stories that are attempting to describe post-apocalyptic settings, I find myself being overly critical, perhaps. I watched the TV series Revolution with a lot of enthusiasm at first, but finally gave up on it, as the violence really wore on me. And books like Divergent, while wildly popular with others, hit an off note for me because I couldn't picture government evolving into something like what's described there. As much practice as I've had with suspending reality (after all, I love Star Trek, etc.), I just couldn't get past the unbelievability of that political setup. Obviously I'm a minority on that. Wow! I didn’t even know anyone else knew about the Tripod series by John Christopher. Good choice. I loved it as a kid. I am reading it to my children now. Written for youth, it an apocalyptic tale of alien invasion set many years after Earth has been conquered by a strange race of three-armed, three-legged aliens. A really great response from Margot. I had the chance to meet Margot for the first time at the LDStorymakers conference. On her website she blogged about teaching classes at the conference. While not the end of the world, it is an interesting read none-the-less. Unfortunately, the rest of the panel were MIA this month. In Wayne’s case I hope that is not because an ancient virus has been let loose in South Africa. But since there hasn’t been any news about such an event in the media we’re probably safe. Or are we? Last week I presented our second question to the panel.
What draws you to write apocalyptic stories? And here are their responses (just follow the link to their articles): Daron Fraley I love the picture Daron used in his post. It really helped drive home his response, which is that apocalyptic stories allow him to make effective use symbolism. And I think he is absolutely correct. Stories of our doom are like fairy-tales set in the future. Daron also mentions an element of speculation. And really, who doesn’t at some point wonder how the events that have been foretold by religious leaders and men of vision will actually transpire? Wayne Roux Wayneis able to sum up his answer in a single word. Thankfully, he expounds on that word a bit so there’s a whole article to read along with it. And even though his word is not the one I used in my answer I think our two responses are closely related. My word would be – explore. I find apocalyptic tales a wonderful genre for exploring concepts about death and what is important to us as individuals and a society. Move the story beyond the point of apocalypse and you have a wonderful vehicle for exploring a new world. A world that has been significantly altered from the one we know. Just thinking about the possibilities is exciting to me. Angie Lofthouse I have to admit that Angie offered a confession in her response that rattled me a bit. It’s located in the first line of her answer. For the moment, I’ll try to bury the memory of that response away from my conscious mind and emotional center and instead focus on the perfectly acceptable reason she wrote Defenders of the Covenant. In a way, Angie reverse engineered her story. I had never considered starting with the answer or situation and then deciding to put it to the ultimate stress test. But now that she has started my mind percolating I’m all tingly with the excitement of possible stories. Anthony E. Larson Anthony gave a short and sweet sort of response in the comments section of my article last week. He said: “What drives me? A thirst for knowledge. Understanding the past (which is where my research is based) helps me sort out the present and know the future. Pretty simple.” That certainly sounds better than when I tell everyone I write apocalyptic stories because their “cool.” Good for you, Anthony. Tim Malone Tim also responded in the comments section of last week’s article. This is what he had to say: “I am driven by a desire to share knowledge and my perceptions of human nature in desperate or catastrophic situations. It brings out the best and the worst in people. Science Fiction or more precisely, disaster fiction is based on ideas that have truth in them. From HG Wells War of the Worlds to 2012 The Movie, we are intrigued by the idea of the end of the world or at least of great destructions before the end of the world. We put just enough science in there that readers are willing to suspend disbelief long enough to be entertained. And while we seek to entertain, we teach. My personal desire is to share scriptural evidence of the last days, end-times or of the apocalypse (the unveiling) through entertaining stores and believable characters. I write to connect with my readers in an imaginary world that all too soon could become catastrophic reality.” This is perhaps the most noble of all reasons to write any story – to teach and share knowledge and insights. And as I mentioned previously, an apocalyptic setting provides an excellent environment for that. As I was putting together all the response for this article, I noticed that each answer held true for me as well. I am drawn to the symbolism in tales of the apocalypse. I love the chance to explore the myriad of “what ifs” that are tied to the world we live in now, making them the world we could be living in tomorrow. I want to share my insights about the world with others and hope that will help them with the present and the future. And I jump at the chance of taking a concept to an extreme and then turning that into entertainment. Wow! I can hardly wait to see next month’s question and how the panel will respond to it. If you have any questions that you’d like us to explore you can post them in the comments below or use the contact section of the webpage. We are also open to adding a few more members to the panel. So if you are a doom-writer and would like to participate go ahead and let me know. It’s been a month since the Apocalypse Panel started and the world is still here. Oh well, who knows what could happen during the next thirty days? And if the answers to our first question are any indication then we could be facing horrible destruction from a rogue planet, the outbreak of a long-frozen virus, collapse of the dollar, or World-War III. Maybe even a scenario where the passing of a large planetary mass cracks open a glacier, releasing a dormant virus that creates a murderous rage in people, that then results in a war and causes the collapse of all economies. Yeah, that is probably taking it a bit too far. Let’s just move on to this month’s question for the panel. What draws you to write apocalyptic stories? For me, it has been a lifelong interest in the genre. My favorite book is Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny. I read it when I was ten. I’ve read it five more times since then and I don’t generally read books more than once. What is it that I like about that book? Giant, mutant Gila Monsters. Murderous biker gangs roaming the countryside. And making a trek across the ruined landscape of America in armored all-terrain vehicles. That’s what I call entertainment. However, all of those are just the trappings of the genre. At the heart of almost all the post-apocalyptic stories that I’ve read is the desire to put things back together. It is the never-give-up attitude of human heroes as they fix our broken society that makes those stories special. My reason for writing The Gathering was that I saw the potential for great calamity in our future and wanted to write a novel that gives people hope. If disaster strikes the United States, I want people who have read my story to be able to say to themselves, “If the Williams family can make it through this, then so can my family.” That won’t be the case if I write another apocalypse story I might use the genre as a canvas to explore death. Death of individual. Death of culture. Death of society. Even the death of mankind. More likely I’d use it as a backdrop for creation of crazy mutant creatures, bizarre political sects, and patchwork machines built from the remnants found in ruined cities. Beautiful stuff. What about the rest of the panel? What draws them to write about an apocalypse? Next week I will have links to all of their posts and a few comments of my own about what they had to offer. Let’s just hope the world hasn’t ended before then. Last week I announced the concept for the Apocalypse Panel and immediately deemed extremely cool and wonderful. Since that time I’ve had the privilege of interacting with the rest of the members on the panel. And that leads me to my next comment. Wow! I am convinced that fans of the genre are in for a real treat each month as the panel of doom-Sayers, I mean well-informed authors, weigh in on the various topics we will be discussing. Which brings me to our very first question: Which situation or event that is currently happening do you think most easily could result in the apocalypse? Me first. Me first. This is an easy question for me since some of the events during the last couple of weeks closely resemble my storyline in The Gathering. Even though the crazy weather the U.S.has had this winter fits with the topic the single situation that I think most easily could result in the apocalypse is military aggression by Russia. Specifically, the invasion of the Ukraine. With the United States showing weakness in its leadership and a propensity of down-sizing its military, Russia has the best opportunity that it has had in recent history to take what it wants by force and succeed where Germany failed in the last two major wars. Controlling the gas lines of Ukraine will allow it to put an energy stranglehold on Europe, forcing many of the nations to follow their lead or suffer. If Russia takes the initiative others will follow. Aggressive countries will see this as a chance to act without fear of U.S. intervention. And they will be right. The U.S. does not have the military might to respond to hostilities on the part of Russian, China, North Korea, and any number of Arab aggressors. Are we seeing the first steps of the last war? Probably not, but I certainly can put together an effective story around that concept. Now, for what the rest of the panel had to say. In most cases, I will only be posting a summary and a small excerpt from their response. Follow the link to their blogs to read the full article and any comments that have resulted. Margot Hovely Crazy people with nukes. When world leaders such as the dictator of North Korea have access to weapons of mass destruction, there are all sorts of scary scenarios to contemplate. In my two books, Sudden Darkness and Glimmering Light, the electrical grid is down because terrorists have exploded an EMP device in the atmosphere...basically a nuke at high altitude. If done correctly, a terrorist (or other crazy people) could take out the entire US power grid without ever stepping foot on US soil. I watched an interview by a government specialist who confessed he thought the probability of this occuring within ten years was 80-90%. Yikes! Margot also gave me a link to a great article along this line that uses the picture above. Feel free to find out what Serge Stevens had to say about it. Anthony E. Larson Rogue planet theory. Anthony actually posted his response as a comment in last week’s announcement of the Apocalypse Panel. You can go ahead and drop down to that post and read them, but here is an excerpt of what he offered. Feel free to follow the link to his blog to read more about this subject and see why he was such a great addition to the panel. What Joseph did say about the last days on another occasion is most telling. He said, and I paraphrase, (you can read it for yourself in his journal, History of the Church, volume 5, page 337) that the last days will be instigated or incited by a cosmic body. He used the words "comet" and "planet" to describe the "grand sign," thereby indicating that this astral orb will be planet sized, but that it would also have a great comet-like tail. Since I side with Joseph Smith's teachings, it's my view that the catastrophes of the last days will be directly attributable to an intruding planet, impinging upon the Earth. Rather than being discreet calamities, separated in time and location, each disaster prophesied for the last days is directly linked to one specific cause: the close approach to Earth of a rogue planet. Therefore, the distructions happen in rapid succession, one following immediately on the heals of the other, escalating in ferocity and extent, over a period of four or five months. Angie Lofthouse Global Thermonuclear Warfare (Or possibly alien invasion.) Did you know there are more than 17,000 nuclear weapons on the planet right now? That's just insane. And it's not like world governments are all that stable. *shudder* I'm sure I don't have to outline all the effects a nuclear war would have on the planet. We've seen enough movies, TV shows, etc. to already know Daron D. Fraley Collapse of the Dollar. Unlike the 1920s and 30s when we experienced the Great Depression, a financial collapse of that magnitude would devastate this country, and every country in the world. Millions and millions will die. Starvation, disease, crumbling infrastructure, civil wars, and military campaigns in an attempt to restore order . . . all of these will take their toll. Anarchy will reign in the population centers, and rural America will be seemingly cut off from the world. (Does anyone besides me, and Daron, see the evidence of this in our current situation?) Wayne Roux Frozen Virus. As for HOW? Well, let me count the ways... To be honest, in today's day and age there are hundreds of ways this could happen - nuclear war, asteroids, viruses... the list is endless and really only limited by one's own imagination. And seeing as we are a panel of authors, who probably have the wildest imaginations on the planet, let me throw my 'imaginary' hypothesis out there... Quite ironically, I read in a local newspaper yesterday that scientists discovered a 30000 year old virus in a frozen Siberian tundra, and REVIVED it! Tim Malone Rogue planet theory. Obviously, Anthony and I are in agreement as this reflects what he has already stated. Even when we talk about hundreds of thousands killed by earthquakes and tsunamis, the size of these catastrophes are nothing compared to what will happen when a “great mountain burning with fire [is] cast into the sea,” or “there [falls] a great star from heaven,” or the sun moon and stars are smitten so that the sun is darkened and the moon glows red as blood with heat. Catastrophic! Final tally: Idiots with nukes 2 Rogue planet 2 Collapse of the dollar 1 Frozen virus 1 Russian aggression 1 There you have it; the first round of answers for the Apocalypse Panel. What a grand variety of responses too. And who would’ve guessed that the Rogue Planet Theory would weigh in with two votes for the most likely cause. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to follow the link to each of the blogs. I think you will agree that it makes for some fascinating reading. And then while you are there, or here, you can post a comment with your thoughts on the topic. Which of the scenarios do you think is most likely? Which is the scariest? Which theory did we miss? Which of these do you think would provide the best setting for an apocalyptic panel? I have had a blast putting together this panel. If you enjoyed any part of it, please, let us know. Take a moment to leave a comment on any of our blogs telling us what you think. That informs us that we are contributing to the entertainment and education of our fans. With that sort of support I expect that the members of the forum will continue to contribute insightful discussions of the Apocalypse. (Which as Tim points out is not the end of the world, but rather a period of great destruction. Consider me corrected.) Do any of you have suggestions for next month’s question? What apocalyptic quandary would you like to see the panel tackle next? This week I am happy to announce the formation of the Apocalypse Panel. Why have just one author spouting crazy ideas about the end of the world when you can have seven of them? That’s right, I have been able to convince six other authors to join me in making all of you just a little more nervous about the current events we see on the news each night. What we plan to do is tackle a question each month that relates to the apocalypse. At first, these questions will come from within the group, but I am hoping that as the Panel gains popularity our fans will submit them instead. With seven us involved you can expect some interesting responses. Since you already know me let me introduce the other members of the Apocalypse Panel to you. Angie Lofthouse Angie went to school for particle physics, but ended up studying literature. This served her well in her career as a science-fiction writer. She lives in a little canyon and the base of the WasatchMountains and there plots the end of the world. Just in her books, not for really-real. Her stories have appeared in NFG AlienSkin, Amazing Journeys, The Sword Review, Dragons, Knights and Angels, Irreantum, and Unparalleled Journeys. However, it is her novel, Defenders of the Covenant, which landed her a spot on the panel. Wayne Roux Wayne brings an international element to the panel. He hails from South Africa and started writing when he was about 15. He has written two books and his novel, December Dead, depicts a mother and son fighting not only for their own existence, but that of the entire human race. He has two books out and a third on the way. Margot Hovely Margot was raised in Washington State, across the river from the Hanford nuclear facility. As a kid during the Cold War she had plenty of “duck and cover” exercises at school. So, she grew up thinking about the apocalypse more than your average child. Her first novel, Sudden Darkness, was published by Covenant in 2012 and the next the series, Glimmering Light, is due out later this month. Both of those stories had their birth when Margot wondered what it would be like if the Mormons made their trek back to Missouriwithout vehicles. Daron Fraley Daron is from Wyoming, but has moved around a bit since then. He has visited France, Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, San Juan, St Thomas, and the Bahamas. He describes himself as a writer by night and a Senior Data Center Engineer by day. It is rumored that he once fixed a gas clothes dryer with photocopier parts. A real-life McGuyver? You decide. He has two novels out Thirty-Six and The Thorn, but it is his novella, Son of Liberty, that landed him his spot on the panel. His focus tends to be on the political aspects of the apocalypse so expect some interesting insights in that area. Tim Malone Tim runs a blog that deals with a variety of LDS topics. His articles on The Last Days is the reason I asked him to participate in the panel. He is also working on a novel, Red Sky, that answers the question: what would we do if the sky actually fell? And for those of you, like me, who were wondering—Chicken Little is not the protagonist. Anthony Larson Anthony is a freelance journalist, a video producer, and a composer who brings something unique to the panel. He doesn’t write fiction. His books explain the relationship between science and the signs of the last days. And the Moon Shall Turn to Blood, describes the catastrophic changes that will occur during the upcoming apocalypse. These are connected to the prophecies dealing with the events of the last dispensation. It is the first book in the Prophecy Trilogy. That’s the panel. Now, for our first question. Which situation or event that is currently happening do you think most easily could result in the apocalypse? Check back next week to find out how everyone responded. And feel free to add your thoughts to the end-of-the-world smorgasbord as well. |
The ApocalypseHere are some of my recommendations for books dealing with the end of the world. Archives
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