“Give me enough dynamite and snoose, and I’ll build a
railroad to Hell!”
-Michael J Henny-known as the Irish Prince of the Alaskan
Rails, builder of the White Pass and Yukon Route and Copper River and Northwestern
Railways
Engine at the Borax Museum, Death Valley, CA
As promised, here is my review of McGuire’s second story in his Tombstone shorts. A novelette that combines Western Lore, Indian Legend, and Manifest Destiny along with the Iron Horses of the 1800’s.
Growing up in the southwest, the history of the westward expansion and the rails was always of high interest to me. The perspective that the desert (or the plains in McGuire’s story) from the perspective of strangers are empty or devoid of life is fascinating to me. I’m sure the native people who inhabited these lands long before the Europeans set foot upon them would have highly disagreed. I know that the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe (they call themselves the Tumpisattsi), who inhabited what the white people came to call Death Valley, CA, referred to their land as “The Living Valley.” The Shoshone knew how to find water and food in what seemed to be an inhospitable land. The European Miners struggled to find a kind death.
Rail Station in the ghost town of Rhyolite, NV on the border of Death Valley. One of the last remaining buildings left standing after the town was abandonded
All these themes play heavily in McGuire’s story. Like his previous offering, McGuire spins a short, visceral, fast-paced tale. We view it from the perspective of young Timmy, the engineer’s helper on Emily, the Iron Horse galloping across the empty plains, toward what is clearly the doom of everyone on board. McGuire’s descriptions of the massive iron and steel contrasting with the emptiness with of the plains sets paints a vivid scene. Through the eyes of Timmy we are introduced to the entire cast, from the rich and pompous Mr. Robert Moore, who is determined to push the rail through the “Dead Gorge,” a canyon that was once a Cheyenne burial ground; to the lowly hobos at the caboose, Tibbets and Cotton, who are the voice of reason, but as always in these sort of stories are ignored until it is too late.
As with McGuire’s previous tale, he does an excellent
job foreshadowing. It is not a question of: are things going to go bad for the
characters? It’s more, how bad is it going to get? And will any, even our hero
Timmy, survive the train’s passage through the “Dead Gorge?”
Abandoned rail trestle. Part of the Copper River Railway that once connected Kennecott Mine to Cordova, AK
This is a highly enjoyable, suspenseful, old-style
horror story. It’s very reminiscent of my favorite show from the 90’s: Tales
from the Crypt.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did. I look forward to his next offering in the Tombstone Shorts Series. Stay tuned for my next reviews. I will be posting for Rownea Tisdale’s The Heart Could Forget, and Shawn Burgess’s The Tear Collector.
A genre in literature that seems to be really popular at the
moment is “Time Travel Romance.” I think everyone has answered the question,
“If you could go back and meet one famous person from the past, who would it
be?” I think that is the beauty of not only the idea of time travel, but
Historical Fiction in general. The chance to imagine what it would have been
like to meet the heroes of the past. We cannot travel back in time, so we use
our characters as a means to interact with our heroes and idols vicariously. In
my current work in progress, a Historical Fiction titled A Drink of Darkness, I
do some of this. I detail some of the history and people of the Yukon Gold Rush,
having my fictional characters meet with real people from history.
I had the great fortune to beta read Danielle Ancona’s By Immortal Honor Bound, a Historical Romance last March (now available, see link below). Her novel puts a twist on Angels, Gods, Demi-gods, and Alchemy. Danielle and I met via social media, and both have a strong interest in STEM. I promise that my detailed review will be coming soon.
After reading her novel, I asked if it would be okay if I wrote a short piece inspired not only by her work, but one of my heroes from the past. Here is my take on her male protagonist, Malachi meeting a famous character in history outside of Danielle’s novel.
She beamed one last broad smile at Malachi as Fred extended
his hand to help her onto the Electra’s silver wing. She mouthed, “Bye!” and
climbed up.
“Goodbye Amelia, may Hermes and Nike bless your journey, and
see you safely to Howland Island,” he whispered to himself as he smiled and
waved his goodbye in return.
The steady 10 knot wind whipped their flight suits in the
morning sun as they climbed in the plane. Everyone moved away as the Lockheed’s
engines roared to life. The propellers blurred and hummed in the morning wind.
The plane bounced along the rough tarmac, making a brief
circle, then picking up speed for its take off. The heavily fueled plane
gleamed in the sun like a silver coin as it lifted from the ground, speeding
the two brave souls within eastward on their historic journey.
Malachi stood with the assembled group of workers,
reporters, airmen, even local New Guinea tribesmen watching as the Electra
became nothing more than a dot on the horizon. Malachi’s own back throbbed, as
his angel wings ached to span and soar into the sky after her. To be free on
the morning wind, gliding over the deep blue Pacific. His heart swelled with
pride, watching these brave humans achieve something that made both the
Celestials and the Seraph jealous, the techniques and skills of flight.
Something in the past reserved only for the birds and immortals.
Though Amelia wasn’t the soul he had been searching for these last four centuries, it had been a true pleasure meeting and getting to know the bold and charming female aviator. He had many reservations about this plan to fly around the world at the equator, especially after her last crash in Hawaii. But he couldn’t dissuade her.
A peal of familiar laughter on the wind raised his hackles. A shiver ran down his spine. He turned to see
Gideon standing behind him, silver eyes scanning the skies as he shook his head.
“When will these foolish mortals learn,” Gideon asked,
toying with a length of something in his hands. “Flight is only meant for those
who can take the fall.” The rage that had been boiling in Malachi’s guts turned
to ice when he recognized what Gideon held in his hands. A length of antennae—from Amelia’s plane? No!
Malachi looked back to the sky, heart pounding. The silver
Electra was no longer visible against the broad expanse of blue. Malachi sent
out silent prayers not only for Amelia’s sake, but to Thot and to Raphael,
letting them know of Gideon’s presence on Lae.
“What have you done?” Malachi demanded.
“Me—nothing. It’s
not my fault the tarmac here is so rough. Or that you had to just get involved
with and bring your curse upon her
mission. And it’s not my fault she is so eager—so desperate to be the first
that she left behind the CW Transmitter equipment in Miami to save fuel. It’s
her own pride that will be her downfall, like so many zealots. Not. Me.” His
smile smug as he twirled the antennae like a baton. “Go ahead, Malachi the
Fallen. Do it. Draw your sword. Try to strike me down here in front of all
these people,” Gideon challenged.
Malachi seethed, hands itching to either draw his sword or
materialize flame against the leader of the Seraph. As it was, they were
getting sidewise glances not only from some of the remaining airmen on the
tarmac, but several of the local tribesmen. They whispered in low voices in
their unique dialects, pointing at the two angels as they squared off in the
morning sun.
“You won’t win this, Gideon,” Malachi insisted. “When will
you see that all of your Seraph plans to stifle human innovation have failed? I’m
not the Fallen, you are.”
“Please. Your arrogant Celestial leaders are green with envy over human flight. When DaVinci dreamed up his flying machine in the Renaissance, even they hoped he was just a one-off.”
“They were obviously wrong, as are you,” Malachi said, hands
on his hips.
“Well, good luck scouring the Pacific,” Gideon said, tossing
the antennae in the air. Malachi caught it as Gideon turned and melted away
into the nearby foliage.
Malachi clutched at the piece of wire, heart aching. Amelia, no. He thought to himself as he scanned the skies once more. Head hanging low, he walked toward the ocean, willing Thoth and Raphael to meet him.
Is it my fault? Is she
going to die now because I reached out to her, hoping she was the one? Should I
have backed away when I realized she wasn’t?
He crouched down near the water’s edge watching the waves
wash back and forth.
“It will be alright, old friend,” a voice said, as a hand
touched his shoulder. He looked up to see Raphael standing over him. “This is
not your fault.”
“I want to go after her, at least help her,” Malachi said,
broad muscled hands motioning eastward.
Raphael closed his eyes. Malachi’s heart sunk.
“Her fate was cast long before you met her,” Another voice
answered in his stead, “I know it hurts, but you may not intervene.” Malachi’s
head swiveled to see Thoth standing to his other side, but not in his usual
form, with his hooked Ibis beak-head. He stood before him, as a human Guinea
tribesman shaman. Crimson, blue, black and white paints obscuring his face,
dark skin gleaming in the bright sun.
Malachi dug his fingers into the wet sand, biting his
tongue. He looked skyward once more.
The elaborate bracelets adoring Thot’s wrists rattled as he pointed
his hand in the direction Amelia’s plane had disappeared. “Fear not. You
answered Gideon correctly. While Amelia will perish, her spirit will not. Her
legend will live on. Men and women alike, will be inspired to innovate and take
to the skies.” His voice softened. “Nike will smooth her passing, and escort
her personally to Hermes who has already built her a throne so she can sit
beside him in the heavens.”
“Can I at least—see—” Malachi began to say.
“No,” Thoth, God of Judgment decreed. “You must trust in
this.”
Malachi nodded, biting his lip so hard he could taste blood. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked out over the ocean. He and Raphael stood vigil together on the beach until the rest of the world heard the news they already knew. Amelia Earhart’s plane had lost radio contact, and had never reached Howland Island.
I have always admired Amelia Earhart. A true pioneer, and a
woman far ahead of her time. More than 80 years after her plane disappeared
over the Pacific Ocean on the last leg of her attempt to circle the globe at
the equator, it is still one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the 20th
centuries.
Inspiration for this particular scene came from a video of
her last take-off from Lae, New Guinea on July 2, 1937. This video shows both
Amelia and Fred fit and smiling as the board the plane and take-off. Through
analysis of the video, there is some thought that she may have lost her belly
antennae mast during the take off over the rough runway. There were reports
that a length of antennae was found on the runway sometime after. This would
have potentially contributed to her inability to receive clear voice radio
messages. She also left behind critical CW transmission equipment, as she and
her navigator were not proficient in its use, in an attempt to save fuel. These
and other factors contributed to their inability to reach Howland that fatal
July.
I first read about the analysis of the video here on the Tighar Project website, but the video was difficult to view/download.
My favorite Amelia Earhart tribute song from when I was a teen. Hey, had to include this as it fits with both Danielle’s book and my article. Enjoy rocking out.
Thanks for reading everyone. My own flight of imagination, The Dark Land is available on Amazon.
The Legend of Alaska’s Headless Ravine is steeped in blood. Its hunger for human flesh never sleeps, even in the deepest cold of winter. Courage, skill and love will be stretched to the limits on the isolated boundaries of The Dark Land.
Sometimes, there’s nothing like a good, old-school tale of
something dark and sinister lurking in the woods. You know, the kind of story
you sit around and tell each other as kids. Feeling wicked and bold, you sneak
your parents’ liquor around the fire and laugh as you think of the goriest,
nastiest things you can come up with. Afterwards, there’s a chill up your spine
when the fire dies. You now realize you have to walk back to the cabin or tent
alone with nothing to shield you from the darkness. Oh…maybe you have a
flashlight. Or even a weapon—a gun or knife, perhaps? What good are such
weapons against the forces of evil, the supernatural?
Did cat-like, glowing eyes just blink in the trees?
Was that a whisper in the night for help?
Did something just brush the skin of your neck?
Those were the kinds of tales I both loved to tell and read
as a kid. It’s what draws those of us who are fans of the horror genre time and
time again. I’m not speaking of the prevailing trend of “torture porn” or extreme
gore, that doesn’t do anything for me. What I am speaking of is that visceral,
pounding fear that makes you afraid to turn off the light, put the flashlight
down, or look over your shoulder.
SD McGuire’s short story/novelette, The Final Cut, set in
the shadow of Chernobyl, falls into this category. A simple yet visceral tale
of the old versus the new. The brush of the modern world and the hazards it
brings, versus ancient evils lurking within the woods that science and
technology deny.
I regularly enjoy SD McGuire’s snippets and poems of gore,
horror and sci-fi, so I was intrigued to see what he could pull off in a short
story.
But first, lets delve into the setting, and how it plays a
role in McGuire’s story and creating expectations, or rather derailing them.
The Chernobyl Disaster
A strange thing happened in on April 28th 1986.
Radiation alarms went off at the Forsmark Nuclear Plant in Sweden. It was
quickly determined that the radiation came from somewhere else. Through
analysis of the contamination, they knew culprit was the Soviet Union. The USSR
denied it at first, but soon acknowledged that an accident had occurred at the
Chernobyl Power Plant, near Pripyat, Ukraine two days prior on April 24th.
The Soviet Government did everything to down play the seriousness of the
incident, but could not conceal the severity of the damage. It is considered to
be the worst nuclear accident to date and still haunts the world to this day
with its images of Pripyat turned overnight into a decaying wreck. Lives ruined
and wrecked by poor reactor design and inadequate safety. If you would like to
read more on the disaster, please see the link below:
I served in the US Navy as a Nuclear Electrician’s Mate. I have
also now worked as an electrical engineer in almost every sector of the power
and energy industry. I can honestly say, there is an incredible amount of fear
and misinformation about not only nuclear energy, but electricity in general.
It is a true tragedy, and I worry sometimes as we try to move forward and
progress as a society, out lack of understanding of technology will be what
keeps us mired in the past.
McGuire uses his setting to play well on the mystique and
tragedy of the Chernobyl incident. Serge, a man who once worked at the plant is
now tainted by the incident and carving a living as a woodcutter on the brink
of the “exclusion zone.” Since the Chernobyl incident, there have been multiple
horror and sci-fi type movies playing on the fears of radiation and mutation
from the incident. McGuire starts down this route, making the reader believe he
is going to play upon this theme, but then he diverts. It’s clear from the
beginning, something in the woods stalking our ex-Chernobyl engineer Serge. As
he labors, the woods grow eerily silent, causing Serge to pause, reminding him
of a tale his father told him in his youth. A tale of a disappearance of close
friends. A man of modern science who has been forced to return to a simple
existence because of science gone wrong, he wants to brush off this occurrence.
There must be a logical explanation. It must be wolves, or some other creature.
Serge is native to this area, and knows it well. McGuire sets up Serge’s fatal
flaw early on in the story. Serge’s overconfidence in his size, strength and
knowledge of the modern world will be his undoing. You can feel his doom
lurking in the woods.
This is something older, predating the tragic nuclear incident.
It defies logic and modern science. An ancient primeval creature lurks in this
forest, preying on human flesh, smelling of decay. This is a creature that
doesn’t care about morality, or whether its victims are good or evil. Its only
impulse is to feed. In a full-length novel, we typically demand a complex
villain with deep motives. In the short, visceral horror fiction, the
antagonist with no reason other than carnal instinct fills us with dread. The
victims can’t reason a way out with the antagonist in these stories.
Many tales play upon the darkness lurking in the woods. The
Brothers Grimm, with their tales gathered from Germany’s Black Forest, abound
with dark and terrifying creatures. They are now synonymous with children’s
stories, but were never meant as such. They were cautionary tales, warning
people of the dangers lurking beyond civilization. As the layers of
civilization strip away and the primal roots are exposed, what lurks beneath is
man vs nature, man vs beast. These are the things humans left behind as we left
our nomadic lifestyles for farms. Abandoning caves and tents for great cities.
But the night and the woods are still there beyond the great lights and fires.
Writing Style and Characters
McGuire does a good job of pace setting in his story. He strikes a decent balance of both showing and telling. Drawing the reader in with a mixture of simple domestic joys between a couple trying to forget that they once had so much more, and a terror lurking in the woods beyond. His style of writing is gritty and direct.
From the beginning, you are wanting to shout to Serge, “Run, you idiot!” But yet, you can’t wait to see what’s going to happen to him. You hope that somehow, he will come out on top. McGuire gets the reader to invest in his characters in a very short space, making them human and relatable. All the while the sinking feeling is there. There’s no doubt these characters are doomed.
It’s not a question of: is going to get bad? The real question is: how bad is it going to get?
Big Spoiler Alert!
You will not find flowery, over the top prose in McGuire’s
writing. Also, a fair warning about McGuire, he is a writer of classic,
visceral horror. There will be blood, guts and gore. If you are looking for the
sweet, happy ending where the hero saves the day, you’re going to be
disappointed. If you are looking for that creeping-up-your-spine sensation
ending, reminiscent of Tales to Tell in
the Dark or even the Twilight Zone, this
is more your speed.
Part of me felt he could have drawn the suspense of Serge’s
encounter with the creature in the woods. Make the reader hope that Serge might
survive, then dash it to bits. And he does draw it out somewhat, but appears to
have been impeded by word count and pacing. Drawing this scene out too much
would have potentially run counterpoint to the real apex of the story and
interrupted the fast pace he set.
McGuire has set the stage for the wife and children to be
next on the menu, with Serge having left a map to show the wife and kids
EXACTLY where he was working (and exactly where the monsters would be). As
manly Serge is ripped to shreds, you are biting your nails, knowing that more
is coming. If Serge cannot stand against this monster with his powerful axe,
what chance does a pregnant woman or her innocent children have?
Having read McGuire’s other snippets and short works online,
I was surprised to not find more of his typical dark humor in this tale. His
writing is usually full of dark jabs that make you think, I’m such a bad person. I really shouldn’t be laughing at this right
now. Especially considering this is a tale set in Eastern Europe, formerly
Soviet Union. Their tales are known for their dark humor and twists. But this
makes me look forward to reading some of his other Tombstone Shorts, to see the
different angles he will take on the horror genre.
Overall, a fun, short horror read. This is the kind you tell
around the campfire at night, then walk back to your tent with goosebumps rising
on your skin. You’re careful not to shine your flashlight too deep into the
woods, for fear of eyes in the darkness blinking back.
Can’t wait to read some of his other longer works.
Thanks for reading. Stayed tuned for more reviews, snippets
of my own writing, and adventures in Chicken, AK.
After reading Stephen Coghlan’s short story, the Last Ride of the Inferno Train, I was definitely eager to read more of his writing. When Kyanite Press announced the release of his “Dreampunk” novella, Urban Gothic, I added that immediately to my read list. Being a veteran myself, his story about a veteran suffering from PTSD, living a sedated, half-existence, immediately drew me in. I lost my cousin Patrick, to suicide a few years ago due to his poorly treated PTSD. It saddens me that his daughter will never know the fun person I grew up with. I suffer from PTSD as well. Not related to combat, but due to other issues from my military service (sexual assault, domestic abuse). I feel a deep empathy for our combat veterans of all theaters of war. I interned in college for the Vietnam Veterans of American and saw the toll unresolved mental health issues can take on a person’s life. While our society is becoming more and more aware of the criticality of this issue, I am glad to see it becoming more and more mainstream and not just brushed under the rug.
I have included a link to his website and an interview he did related to Urban Gothic below:
An ex-Army medic, Coghlan’s character is living a
court-ordered, drugged half-life as part of his probation after beating a mugger
to death in a fit of rage. He is so sedated that he is completely cut off from
his dreams. He works the night shift at the local hospital, mopping floors. He does
his best to forget the horrors of watching his buddies die in combat.
Then one evening as he’s walking to work, singing a song to
himself to drown out the sounds of the city. He turns down an alley to see
three creatures attacking a young woman. These creatures have the appearance of
crazed clowns (like something out of Stephen King’s IT, or the cult classic Killer Clowns from Outer Space). Part of
him wants to turn away, keep walking. But something inside of him snaps and he
kills her attackers and brings her to the hospital.
When he carries her to the hospital and then brings her into
a room, he realizes no one notices or sees him, no matter how much he tries to get
their attention in the ER. It is as if they are invisible. He steals a gurney
and supplies and treats her himself. When she awakes, she explains that she is
not of this realm. She is Veleda, from the “Dreamscape.” As long as he remains
attached to her, they cannot be seen. She urges him to leave her before he becomes
to attached. Alec decides to leave the “Banality,” Veleda’s term for the real
world and journey into the Dreamscape to help her.
Here is where I will diverge, as I had never heard of the
term Dreampunk, which is what Stephen’s novella is categorized. But as I read
it, I realized I knew what it was.
Dreampunk
While I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the definitions I
read off the internet, I can see now after reading his novel that yes, this
genre has been around for a very long time. Perhaps not clearly given a
title/name (because now of course everything has to have a title), but it has
been a driving force in literature for as long as humans can, well, dream. Dreampunk
can take on many iterations and themes, but reading Coghlan’s story, the
underlying theme is belief. The protagonist in his story needs to believe in
the dreamscape and let go of the Banality, the real world which holds nothing
but pain and suffering. If he cannot do so, he cannot win the ultimate battle.
Not only for the future of the Dreamscape, but for the future of mankind’s
dreams and his own self.
To better explain this theme, I felt it appropriate to delve
into a few examples from both classic and modern literature that tie in well to
what Coghlan touches on in this novella. Though not inclusive these give a good
cross-section.
One of my favorite examples (and possibly most well-read) would
be Louis Carrol’s much beloved Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking
Glass. Both examples of where a young girl slips either down the rabbit
hole or through a mirror into a surreal world where nothing is as it seems.
While Louis Carrol’s world defies logic, being just a little girl, she accepts
and makes her way through this bizarre world with much more ease than an adult
would. In Alice in Wonderland, she is merely in a quest to return home by the
proper time. In Through the Looking Glass, with its nod to the game of Chess,
Alice is on a mission to become crowned queen.
The next best example would be Peter Pan, by J. M. Barrie, where three children, Peter, John and Wendy are flown away to Neverland by Peter Pan and his fairy companion, Tinkerbell. In this land, children never grow up.
Stepping into the US, and into controversy, is the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Leaving aside the underlying political and racial issues with the story, on the surface it is about a naïve, young farm girl who is spirited away from her home of Kansas by a tornado to the magical land of Oz. She fights her way through witches and other fantastical creatures to find her way back to Kansas.
Forward into the future (and a favorite from my childhood, though it doesn’t seem to be wearing well with time) is the Neverending Story. Bullied, motherless school-boy Bastien, often loses himself in the world of books. One day he steals a magical book about the land of Fantasia that is being eroded by an evil called the Nothing. While reading the adventure of the warrior Atreyu, questing to save the world from destruction, he finds that he is somehow responsible for its ultimate fate, if he has the courage to keep reading.
Moving forward into the late 1990’s with one of my favorites, The Matrix. This movie crosses many genres, scifi, dystopian, a little bit of horror. But It does fall into dreamscape, as Neo Anderson wakes up with the help of Morpheus and Trinity, to realize that the machines have taken over the world and the computer simulated life he was living was completely fictitious. Will he regret taking the red pill?
I mention all of these because the underlying theme once
more is belief. Alice, a young child, very easily believes that if she tries
hard enough, in the first story, she can find her way home. In the second she
believes she can make her way across the imaginary Wonderland chessboard and
move from a pawn to a queen. In Peter Pan, it is about the belief in one’s self
and capabilities and dealing with the realities of growing up. While living in
Neverland with no rules forever sounds appealing, the children realize this is
not where they belong. In the end of the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy always had the
power to go home, she just had to believe. In the Neverending story, Bastien
struggles to believe that he could be important enough to change the story, to
save the world. Meanwhile Neo has to learn to believe that he is the one, he
has to move within the Matrix and bend the rules to his will.
Coghlan’s character, Alec struggles with some aspect of each
of these beliefs. Unlike Alice, who slips into the alternate reality with her
ease and innocence, accepting with grace her bizarre encounters along the way,
Alec cannot. Not only is he an adult, who has cast off his child-like
acceptance of the world of dreams, he has known true horror. Battered and
traumatized by his experiences in the military, he is medicated to the point
that he doesn’t dream anymore. When he first passes into the Dreamscape, he
becomes physically ill. Throughout the story (and Stephen does some great
foreshadowing) you get a sense that there is some other reason why Veleda, his
guide, came to him. But his inability to remember how to dream hinders him as
the move through the Dreamscape. This touches not only on the themes of the
Matrix where he must ultimately let go of the boundaries and rules he once knew
in the “Banality,” but like Neo, Dorothy, and even Bastien, he must believe the
power lies within him to do so.
*I really loved Coghlan’s
scene from the Library of Dreams. This would be a surreal scene to see as a
movie in an IMAX theater.
Characters and Dream Archetypes
I am desperately trying to avoid too many spoilers in this
review, but it’s going to happen. One of the things that I felt that Coghlan
does well in such a short novella is that he shows us some unique characters. Now
I don’t know if he did this intentionally, but he definitely played well on Jung’s
dream archetypes in this story. I will explain below.
Dream Archetypes
While science has proven that almost everyone dreams (except for some with extreme sleep disorders), not all remember their dreams. Of those that do, most share stories of strange dreams, inspiring dreams and frightening dreams. When you look at literature, across almost every genre, there is a fascination with dreams, both in fiction in non-fiction. We as humans want to know what our brains are trying to tell us as we sleep. The Quran, one of the most famous religious doctrines of all time was written based on the Prophet Muhammad’s “night visions” or dreams. In the Bible, there are multiple instances of dreams foretelling the future. Giuseppi Tartini’s, Il Trillo Del Diavolo (The Devil’s Trill) was purportedly inspired by a dream he had of the Devil playing the violin for him. One of my personal favorites is Stephen King’s, the Stand, where everyone dreams of either Mother Abigail or the Dark Man and come together.
*A side note, I loved
Nadine’s constant insistence, “Don’t dream!” and then her confession later in
her goodbye letter to Larry.
Meanwhile, I think we have all had this conversation around
the watercooler/lunch table at work:
“Wow, I had the strangest dream last night!”
Dreams are so prevalent in literature, it has become cliché
to start a novel with a dream sequence. It is one of the biggest tips you get
from literary agents and publishing houses. Why? It’s been done—a lot.
Coghlan’s book is based on the world of dreams, but his protagonist
can’t dream anymore due to his heavily medicated state. And really why would he
want to? His dreams are filled with nightmares of horror and death. But moving
into the Dreamscape, a world of imagination, he must confront his deepest
psychological impulses and his true self to survive and save the Dreamscape
from an evil King that has taken control and is bringing destruction to the
world of dreams.
Here is where we get into the dream archetypes and who Alec
meets along the way. I included this link I found that has a great and simple explanation
of Jung’s four archetypes. I will break them down further in the context of Coghlan’s
story, but please feel free to investigate further. All of the characters he
meets are crucial to his journey through the land of the surreal, as they are
all reflections and aspects of his own psyche. The things he both desires and
pushes away from himself.
Our deep darker drives and desires. These we tend to
suppress, yet we are innately fascinated by them. Freud might have called this
our Id.
The Anima/Animus
The reflection of the female image/soul in the male, or the
male image/soul in a female. Can manifest as almost a superhero or god-like
form. Jung theorized that this starts as a child as we project ourselves onto
our parent of the opposite sex.
The Persona
How we present ourselves to the world. Usually in direct
opposition to the shadow, and sometimes even to the self. It depends on how
much shame or pride we feel in ourselves.
From here, these four archetypes can manifest as the more
traditional cultural archetypes. These are the standard archetypes we find
throughout literature cultures (virgin/whore, hero/villain, maiden/crone, etc)
In Coghlan’s world of the Dreamscape, every human living in
the Banality, like Alec, is a “Creator.” Their avatars or “Doppelgangers” live
out fantasies, dreams, hopes and of course, nightmares in the Dreamscape.
In the Dreamscape are characters that are native to the
realm, like Veleda, Alec’s guide. She identifies herself as “A Seer. A seeker
of truth and a teller of lies. A princess and a peon.” Her family once ruled
the Dreamscape until the evil King took over. Now they are imprisoned and she
has reached out to Alec for help. She becomes both Alec’s guide and charge as
they move through their quest. Coghlan’s description of Veleda and her place in
Alec’s psyche as he struggles to find himself fits smoothly with the definition
of his anima, or the or the pure Platonic female reflection of his psyche that
he has repressed both through his normal life and his military service. You can
read in more detail about the anima/animus below.
Veleda represents his desire to seek the truth about
himself, a truth he has pushed away even before the assistance of medication. Coghlan
does a good job of alluding to the fact that Veleda has ulterior motives to
bringing him to the Dreamscape. That if she had to, she might even betray him. He
accepts her reasons for the betrayal, as they are part of his inability to let
go of the Banality and move forward. His interactions with his anima help him to
grow as a character and find ways to get back to his dreams he has forgotten.
Another interesting mesh of Alec’s anima, shadow and persona
emerges in the form of M’lanth. M’lanth is a Shadow-Knight, native to the Dreamscape
like Velda, and protector of the Doppelgangers that dwell in the surreal. M’lanth
is a feminine reflection of Alec’s deep desires of being a warrior. His dream
of joining the army and fighting for justice, good and hope. She protects the
Doppelgangers so that their Creators can live good lives. She feels their pain
when their Creator is hurt or suffering in the Banality. What makes her his
shadow, is that she also represents his darker desire to seek revenge, snuff
out suffering. A side of himself that society forces him to repress. M’lanth
seeks revenge on those through torturous nightmares when the Doppelgangers and
Creators she cares for are hurt by evil. She represents the vigilante, the Batman,
that dwells in all of us. The shadow in the night that seeks out justice for
those who are wronged. While they start off at odds, M’lanth and Alec come to a
mutual respect by the apex of the story. She also represents the Persona he
would like to present to the world, the Knight fighting for good and triumphing
over evil. When he emerges from the Library of dreams in his glowing emerald
armor, we are seeing this Persona shine through.
Next we encounter the Doppelganger of Alec’s Army friend
Fredrick. Fredrick is yet another mesh up of archetypes. Fredrick’s character
is living a double life in the dreamscape as his creator is stuck in a perpetual
coma, wrecked and burned body beyond repair. Dwelling in the world of dreams,
he is healthy and strong. What we also learn is the hidden love between Fredrick
and Alec that was never spoken. Fredrick takes on a representation of Alec’s anima,
in the sense that he appears over and over as almost the damsel in distress sub-archetype
for Alec to rescue. But in a sense, he is also Alec’s Persona, in touch with the
Dreamscape, and has fully let go of the Banality. He also drives Alec to push
past what they experienced so that they may hopefully have some sort of future
together here in the Dreamscape, away from the oppression of cultural norms and
expectations. This is a nod to Alec’s Shadow. Now the term Shadow has negative
connotations, but really it is just a reflection of the desires we suppress,
sometimes to fit into society. Coghlan uses this dream archetype in a great but
subtle way to show the toll the lack of acceptance society has toward
homosexuality can take on people and relationships.
Now we get to the true Shadow, the evil King. Coghlan uses
great foreshadowing all along, so it is no surprise to find that the evil King
is no other than Alec’s Doppelganger. Severed from Alec, he has taken on every
dark aspect of Alec’s experiences and nightmares. Bent on taking over the Dreamscape
and controlling the human world of dreams he will let nothing stand in his way.
His plan was to lure Alec to the Dreamscape so they could merge together and he
would have ultimate power.
As the Emerald Knight and the Black-clad King square off in
this ultimate battle, the fate of human dreams hanging in the balance the question
is not just who will win, but how. In a nod yet again to the Matrix, we get
back to beliefs. Though Alec has relearned how to dream, and clad himself in
the armor of his Persona, can he bend the rules of the Dreamscape to defeat his
ultimate Shadow archetype? Though I have tossed a few spoilers out there, I
will leave this last one for the reader.
Coghlan’s “Dreampunk” was a fantastic, quick read. Writing that allows me to not only escape, but yet think at the same time is a true pleasure. My one beef with it, as with some other novellas I have read, was its brevity. There was enough material here for a full-length novel, if not two. Some of the transitions between scenes ended up being sacrificed for word count. I would have loved to read more. Coghlan definitely has the talent and capability to pull it off with rich surreal descriptions and intriguing characters. I look forward to his next venture into the “Dreampunk” genre.
Thanks for reading. My horror novella, The Dark Land, is coming to Amazon May 4th (pre-sale starts April 16th) if you sign up for my April newsletter by the 15th, you’ll get a sneak preview of a scene from the Dark Land.
My Alaska-based horror novella, set in the back country of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Coming in May, pre-sale in April!
Stay tuned for more writing excerpts, tales of Alaskan adventures, and of course reviews!
While I am on a writing binder at the moment, I do
occasionally take a break and treat myself to a new novel or novella from a
writer I stalk…uh…I mean—follow on Twitter. This month I decided to snag Sam Hendricks
What They Deserve.
This is a dystopian novella set in a post WW III Seattle. In
her story, Seattle has seceded from the Reformed United States and is under the
control of a dictator. According to what they have been told, everyone must
wear a special patch, the Inevix, to prevent the advanced weaponry from killing
them. Having lived in Seattle for six years after I got out of the Navy, and a
few of my own stories are set in this fun Pacific Northwest city, I was
instantly intrigued by her premise.
Seattle waterfront in Summertime
Sam weaves a very fast paced tale of a high-powered couple
in the regime. She paints a picture of a troubled and distant marriage, torn by
years of war, a son who has died and another who is not with them for other
difficult reasons (resisting spoilers as much as I can). The main character Summer,
works in the broadcasting industry, pushing the propaganda of the Republic of Seattle.
Sam never tells you Summer’s age exactly, but she does a great job of showing
you a woman who is on the older side and worried about her looks in front of
the camera and in public. Then her husband Max, the Republic’s Chief Technology
Officer is accused of murder on the night of the Republic’s big gala.
I enjoyed Sam’s characters. Sometimes I find that when I
read about tech, people tend to veer into stereotypes. Sam creates realistic,
relatable people going through tough situations. Her characters are battered,
somewhat beat-down and weary. From the very beginning you get the sense of a
group of people clinging to whatever good things they can, while going through
the motions of life. I hope she does a few prequels and spin-offs. I would like
to read more about Summer’s sister Wednesday. Both her activities prior to the
beginning of the story and what will she do after (Once again, resisting spoilers
with everything I have). I would like to hear more about her sons and her
mother. I think their stories individually would make great novels.
My only beef with the story is that in some places it is a
little too compressed, and the action gets a little confusing. In places it
jumps a little, making me say, wait,
what? Then I re-read, it and I’m fine. I felt that this story could have easily
been drawn out into a full-length novel. I would have loved to see more about
their movement through post-war Seattle. She does a great job incorporating
many Seattle elements and neighborhoods, so it would have been fun to stretch
it out and have her characters encounter some of the quirks of downtown while
they try to make their escape (the steep hills, the Seattle Under Ground, the
locks, the old South Lake Union Trolley). I felt Sam definitely has the talent
to pull this off. Maybe in a spin-off or sequel? Please?
Overall, an intriguing premise and a great, quick read. It
left me curious for more of the world and characters that Sam created. She
leaves you with the sense of: it’s over,
but it’s not.
Can’t wait to read more of her work. Below is a link to Kyanite’s Q&A of her Novella
