FIRES OF MAN
You won't want to put this book down, an epic of the finest proportions, filled with people, characters, dilemmas and questions in a world so real you forget the one around you.
If you haven’t grabbed your copy of this fantastic book, read Dan Levinson’s guest post today to find out why you should! He speaks to the subject of why Sci-Fi, Fantasy and other Speculative Fiction are compelling to the modern audience. That's us!
If you haven’t grabbed your copy of this fantastic book, read Dan Levinson’s guest post today to find out why you should! He speaks to the subject of why Sci-Fi, Fantasy and other Speculative Fiction are compelling to the modern audience. That's us!
The Power of Speculative Fiction -
Why Sci-Fi and Fantasy Matter
Why Sci-Fi and Fantasy Matter
By Dan Levinson
What is it that draws you toward speculative fiction? Is
it the incredible battles waged with uncanny powers? The unfamiliar,
fantastical landscapes? I started reading fantasy novels as a boy, drawn in by
the tales of sword-wielding heroes, of magic and dragons, of worlds in which
what is impossible in our reality only scratched the surface of what both
saviors and villains alike could achieve.
As a fantasy lover, it comes as no surprise that I am
overjoyed to see HBO’s Game of Thrones—based on George R.R. Martin’s epic A
Song of Ice and Fire series—ascend to the zeitgeist of today. Many are those
who have never read a whit of fantasy themselves, yet find that they are drawn
in to this land of blood, and tragedy, and betrayal, and, yes, dragons. What is
it that holds their interest so?
Martin has confided that he was inspired by the Wars of
the Roses—a bloody battle for England’s throne that saw the rise and fall of
multiple monarchs over a decades-long period in the latter half of the 15th
century. Though the names and locales may be of Martin’s own invention, the
themes that run throughout his stories are universal; they echo down from the
past, and they speak to our hopes and fears for the future.
There’s often an instinct to lump speculative fiction, as
a whole, into what some would call “popular” fiction, or “commercial” fiction.
There’s no doubt plenty of it falls into this category, which is not to say
there’s anything wrong with that. There’s something delightfully scrumptious
about reading a great book that was written for pure entertainment value. Be it
YA, paranormal romance, or a fast-paced techno-thriller, these books bring joy
to readers around the world.
Yet it’s when speculative fiction brings in deeper themes
that it truly shines, elevates itself beyond the trappings of its genre. It’s
interesting to me to see the massive success of a property such as The Hunger
Games and think about how it speaks to our basic humanity. It deals with issues
of freedom and oppression, of the heavy cost of working toward a “greater
good”; issues of loss, of family, and what we would do for the ones we love.
Despite its dystopian sci-fi trappings, or its classification as “young adult,”
The Hunger Games shines a light upon our own society, and provokes thought and
conversation both, in readers old and young alike.
The foreign landscapes presented in most speculative
fiction are often what most separate those worlds from our own; and yet I
cannot help but feel that it is that distance which makes our efforts as
writers to evoke a sense of familiarity all the more effective. Literary
fiction is often set upon a pedestal, reflecting both the joyous and the
tragic, exploring both the small and subtle turns and the earth shattering
moments that impact all of our lives. At its heart, I think the greatest
misunderstanding in regards to the gap between literary and speculative fiction
is that the former is a facsimile of real life, while the latter is a departure
from it, but this is not necessarily so. In the best of speculative
fiction—though the stakes may be grander, and rife with fantastical
elements—the conflicts of the characters reflect common, universal human
experiences.
Nevertheless, there has grown between the two
designations a vast chasm, across which only the flimsiest of bridges has yet
been built. As analysts wail and decry the death of brick-and-mortar
bookstores, of hard copy literature, there is an extraordinary movement
growing—a symbiotic relationship between the literary and entertainment worlds.
Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Game of Thrones . . . All of these properties
exemplify the growing appreciation audiences have for the powerful thing that
is speculative fiction.
We, as writers of sci-fi, of fantasy, horror, dystopian,
paranormal—whatever you write, and however you wish to classify it—are entering
a golden age, and with it comes great opportunity. Ours is the literature of
today, and though it may be “popular” or “commercial,” we have a chance to
elevate it beyond such labels. We have a chance to craft deeper stories, tales
that speak to our readers every bit as much as the exceptional pieces of
literary fiction that have brought us smiles and tears through decades and
centuries. Literary fiction and speculative fiction are not mutually exclusive,
I feel, and we are now gifted with the chance to raise our work beyond mere
entertainment, just as Rowling, Collins, and Martin have begun to do.
We have a voice—a voice that the industry now eagerly
wishes to hear. So let us tell stories that speak truth, that illuminate the
human experience in which we all take part. Let us build the bridge between the
literary and speculative, and let our stories echo down through the ages.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Supposedly, the war between Calchis and Orion ended
decades ago. But upon reporting to an isolated Orion army base for basic
training, Private Stockton Finn learns the war still rages, only the weapons
have changed--most disturbingly of all, Finn has been selected to become one of
those weapons.Across the border, young Calchan farm boy Aaron Waverly learns all too well just how determined his country is to win the war when he is abducted from his family's property by a sinister government operative known only as Agent. Finding himself trapped in dreary new surroundings, learning deadly skills he's never before imagined, Aaron struggles to reconcile his ephemeral faith with his harsh new reality.
As the two nations hurtle toward a resurgence of open hostilities, Finn and Aaron, along with their new friends and mentors, must rush to prepare themselves for the inevitable clash. All the while, a new archaeological find in the frozen tundra far to the north hints that the brewing conflict may only be the first of their worries...
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Born and raised on Long Island, NY, Dan grew up
immersing himself in fantastical worlds. While other kids dreamed of being
astronauts and cowboys, all he ever wanted was to be a novelist. Now, he’s
living his dream.
FIND DAN AT:
Website: http://www.danlevinsonwriting.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ReadDanLevinson
Goodreads: Dan Levinson Goodreads Author Page
FIND THE BOOK - click on the links.
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