ScarletWeather vs. Biblical Monsters · 4:37am Jul 30th, 2016
Hello, everyone.
Yesterday, I returned from a spiritual journey of sorts, and appropriately enough, the rising-star blogger ScarletWeather posted an excellent article about the most personal of my stories.*
"Biblical Monsters" is a horror story, but it's also a morality fable. Not only does it have a point it wants to make, that point is specifically about the human moral condition. And it makes that point through the creation of complex, human characters in a very compressed word count, as well as through the use of applied realism.
It's Southern Gothic as applied to the whole human race.
When I wrote that story, how could I have known what it would cause? First, it set off a chain of events that would land Scribbler--yes, that Scribbler--a boyfriend.** Second, my own subsequent meltdown set me on a long path of self-improvement, which seems to have successfully concluded with the journey I just got back from. Third, it has gotten people to think and talk about important themes, even three years later.
I've always wanted to go professional, but even if that dream never comes to be, I am at least assured my amateur efforts have not been in vain.
Not to mention, if ScarletWeather is right, I wrote a Southern Gothic story and didn't even realize it. It seems the universe has an odd sense of humor.
Cheers,
HV
*Unfortunately, seemingly at the same time, imgsafe decided to delete everything I had put there, so the visual companion is useless again. Does anyone know of another good image host?
**In short: Scribbler makes audiobook; makes mistake with scene order; adds extra scenes in radio play format to patch up mistake; realizes she's good at writing radio plays; writes her own; asks ReverBrony to compose the music. ReverBrony develops crush on Scribbler; eventually confesses. Voila: grimdark pony fiction causes real-life romance.
It really is one of the best dark stories in the fandom. I don't see why you're surprised by any of this.
That's pretty cool on the aside. The things that ripple from one story. It's really nice to hear that some ripples are good to have.
I'm not sure about the Southern part of that Gothic. I mean, to be honest with you, for all of it perfectly fitting into Gothic literature in every way... isn't it in New England?
That being said.
Otherwise, it fits perfectly. Even in how it revolves around power and the balance of terror. What motivates the brutal murder of a nice alien pony? Is it God (another southern/regular gothic element) is it madness? Blind fear? Some sort of sexual frustration?
Nah. It's the realization of the absolute and inescapable power imbalance. Twilight and her kind are more powerful and can just do whatever the fuck they want, in the eyes of these two men. They twist her natural use of her own talents into somethign that's almost an abuse/unfair, in that they have no counter or recourse.
Still a great tale. I 100% could not have written Alien Suns without out it. Hell, it might as well BE it.
I often use PostImage. I don't know if it has features you're looking for, but it's a suggestion.
Great to hear about your success. I long ago accepted my role as a B-fic writer.
Dat romance tho. :O
Yeah, Biblical Monsters is the one I think of when I think Horse Voice. It deserves the fame.
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I'll trust your judgement on all things Southern, but it's funny you should guess at a New England location. Others have guessed it was a British lighthouse, or perhaps in a fictional country. Only PresentPerfect figured out it takes place on Vancouver Island, albeit with the place names changed.
Welp, time to start reading Alien Suns.
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Thx, I'll check it out. And hey, don't sell yourself short. Your stories are fun, and if fandom isn't fun, you're doing it wrong.
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I accidentally Scribbler's personal life. Lulz. Gotta love the Internet, no? :3
4122151 ooooh. When I think lighthouse, my first thought is Maine. My second is New Foundland. Of course, when I think "north west pacific coast" I think: ?
Never got much closer to Vancouver than Montana. I wanted to go to Canada for our senior trip but got outvoted. We went West instead. Which is nice. Except for west Texas which is full of nice people trapped in a featureless wasteland that God forgot
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I would be able to fix that if my visual companion hadn't just been wrecked.
As a temporary substitute, here are a few photos of the station and environs on which the story was based.
1.bp.blogspot.com/-wuim3gtQMX0/T_uCCQnpQrI/AAAAAAAABaY/7dVxxqe7Hes/s1600/Blog04.JPG
lighthousefriends.com/nootka9_2009.jpg
ianlaval.com/nootka/images/nootka1c.jpg
images.marinas.com/med_res_id/129926
I knew those two were an item, but not that your fic was responsible. That's awesome!