I discovered the anime/manga Berserk and it has become one of my favorite dark fantasy stories. In many ways it reminds me of Game of Thrones in that the setting is dark and full of despair while depicting morally ambiguous characters. Another similarity I noticed between this anime/manga and Game of Thrones has something to do with two of the main characters, Guts and Griffith. Traditional fantasy stories depict bad guys as wearing black clothing while good guys wear white clothing. Game of Thrones reversed this stereotype with the Night’s Watch and Kingsguard in that the Night’s Watch wears black and yet they are considered the “good guys” while the Kingsguard wear white and yet are corrupt “bad guys”. This is similar to Guts and Griffith in that guts wears black and yet he is heroic while Griffith wears white and is a savage villain. The main villains known as the God’s Hand remind me of the Cenobites from the Hellraiser films in that they are seen as angels to some and demons to others. This story definitely makes you question whether or not humans are fundamentally good or evil. I would recommend this story to anyone who is looking for a morally ambiguous story.
While looking into history, I discovered a sword known as the xiphos, which was a weapon of choice in ancient Greece. I like the xiphos because its leaf-shaped blade looks elegant. It looks like Frodo and Bilbo Baggins’ sword Sting. For my fantasy book, I am thinking of including a weapon that is similar in design to the xiphos.
My first book, The Young Guardians and the Genesis Spell, got a new five star rating today on goodreads.com. Now it has a grand total of three ratings: two five stars and one four star.
Among the subjects I have researched for my fantasy book, I found a number of sources of inspiration in Norse mythology; particularly the Norse gods. I am thinking of including features from the Norse gods into some of my characters. For example, Odin sacrificed his eye in order to gain wisdom and Tyr lost a hand while fighting a demon wolf. This will also give me a chance to reconnect with my Viking roots. I look forward to finding out more to use for my project.
I saw the alien science fiction film known as Life, which was like a combination between The Blob and Alien. A group of astronauts on the International Space Station are tasked with studying a sample from Mars. When the sample contained a dormant alien life form, all hell breaks lose. The creature reminded me in many ways to the real-life water bear in that it remained dormant for a very long time, started out microscopic, and was virtually indestructible. As the creature grew and evolved, it started out as a single-celled organism, then a starfish-like creature, then an octopus, and finally a stingray-sized monster that had tentacles, fin-like wings, and a head that resembled a rattlesnake skull. The ending of the film is not what you would expect. Overall, I recommend this film to anyone who is a scifi nut and loves scary thrills.
I watched the new Power Rangers film and it was an enjoyable visit to my childhood. When I was a kid I used to watch their show all the time. My favorite Ranger was the Red Ranger because red is my favorite color and his Zord was a Tyrannosaurus Rex, which is my favorite dinosaur. As for the movie itself, they made a few changes to the Blue and Yellow Rangers by making one autistic and the other a lesbian. I thought this was a great idea because it made the Rangers more relatable to a new generation of Rangers fans. I myself felt an instant connection with the autistic Blue Ranger because I have autism. The Rangers themselves were great and I loved the designs of their suits and Zords. They started out as a ragtag band of teenage misfits, but they band together when the world needed them most like true superheroes. In a mid-credits scene, you get a clear hint at the coming of the Green Ranger, who was my second favorite Ranger because his Zord was a dragon, which is my favorite mythical beast. Overall, if you are a Power Rangers fan and wish to visit your childhood as well as experience this brilliant reimagining of the franchise then this is the film for you.
Over the past week, I have written over thirty pages and four chapters in my fantasy book. I am on a serious role right now with this project. I have written about one sovereign rising and another undergoing trials. I have written the introductions of interesting characters as well as tensions increasing. On the upcoming seventeenth chapter, I will be introducing a powerful creature that I have been eager to write about. Whether this creature will be friend or foe will remain to be seen. Overall, the past week has been more addictive than any adrenaline rush and I am eager to get more of it. I will keep you updated on any further developments.
As a Tolkien fan, I engage with anything to do with either The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. Due to this, I have learned to speak the Black Speech inscription on the One Ring. I felt empowered speaking the language as though I was wielding the One Ring itself!
I had a interesting yet frightening idea today while researching the occult. What if there was a ritual that could transform thousands or millions of people into an army of darkness? When I think of an army of darkness, I am thinking of something more radical and intense than an army of orcs from Mordor or undead warriors in the White Walker host. Imagine an army of warriors who feel no emotion such as fear, feel no pain, they would not require food or sleep, and they would not tire. These beings would not be undead, but they exist in a different state of being that is unnatural beyond imagining. What would you do if you were confronted by such an enemy? I am thinking of including such an army in my fantasy book and they will be the terror of the Earth!
A had a sinister idea for my fantasy book. I am thinking that things will go so south for the main villain that they will become completely desperate to hold onto their power at ALL costs. Therefore, I am going to manifest this desperation in the form of a deal with the Devil. However, this deal will come with a steep price that turns this character into a soulless Dark Lord. I will be drawing inspiration from the occult in order to accurately portray the formation of this deal. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl since I can be very superstitious, but I must soldier on if I am to complete this book.
Grady P Brown - Author 