Fall From Faith

[degringolade]

 

Art Nouveau / Frank Johnston/ The Fire Ranger

I’m annoyed with myself.  

My fiction writing has been, for the most part, a balm to my soul.  It keeps me occupied and my brain happy.  But lately, due to my compulsive need to be true to the “Canon” I have probably spent too much time re-reading the Weird of Hali books and right now the problem is an offshoot of the old saw about familiarity breed contempt.

Look, JMG did a fine job of creating something new from something old.  I enjoyed it immensely as what I refer to lovingly as “Absolutely top drawer trash” (By the way, this is in no way, shape or form an insult in my eyes, trash is a book without real meaning, read for pleasure alone, WOH fit that bill beautifully) I have a fond spot in my heart for pleasure reading.  

But, what I found out in the process of deconstructing it in order to fit my own derivative story into the idea is that, due to repeated reading and trying to understand the overall plot, I started disliking the characters and the motivations more and more.

So I tried to make the characters more “American”.  Because I am one and I like us.  Sometimes JMG makes the mistake of subtly sneering at the foibles of the run of the mill American.  I recognize their limitations and the furnace that forged them.  They is good folks.  I is one.  

So, I am going to spend another week pondering what I have written thus far and figure out where I want it to go.  Currently I have no idea.

Comments

Where is this writing?

[next_migration]

You have another blog for your fiction, but I can't find the URL offhand. Would you mind posting a link? Thanks!

Re: Where is this writing?

[degringolade]

https://lloigor.dreamwidth.org/

Re: Where is this writing?

[next_migration]

"Also remember that, per the Lovecraftian canon, Yhoudeh and Nyarlathotep are husband and wife."

Say what?! That distant "pop" was my head exploding....

I'm enjoying what I've seen of this. I have serious issues with JMG these days, but there's no question he's a brilliant fiction writer and the Weird of Hali series was the best twist ever on the Lovecraft mythos. There must be room for more stories in Mythos2, and the way that you're introducing new characters by connection to canon characters is nice.

Thoughts...

[emily07]

...to my not-native eye JMG's interst may have lain at the first subtle (tentacle on teapot) then full on contact with the biological strange (human-shoggoth love), along with his usual subjects of occultism and decline. To me his stories sometimes might let his aspergers on, which for me (having not read any Lovecraft et. al) often even makes the scary parts of the stories maybe a bit more flat than I'm used to from other writers.
That the Haliverse does only depict a certain part/class of America didn't quite occur to me maybe a product of too much movies, I think (Dr. Strange, anyone?) and might mostly reflect Greers experiences and ...what is the word...sensibilities (not writing on things he has not experienced/ tested firsthand e.g.)


FWIW, I really enjoyed your view on the Haliverse, and also how (all) the characters act and react.
Why not stick to the original plan and tell how Yhoundeh aquires for herself a pack that furthers her interest where she can't go?
Maybe follow Dion Fortune: if you are writing, you might as well have fun.

Oh and btw - thanks to the Haliverse-books and the Dr. Tavener stories I was able to refurbish my thinking and/or had stories to point out with to other people what might be goig on (in one case a (maybe subconscious) powerhouse.
And from your chapters I already was able to change my (mostly television formed) view on America/ns, so, already thank you for that.

Here's keeping my fingers crossed, that the cat will want to jump into the porridge...