| ALLURE |
| "Allure" in "Animal Magnetism", Parham, S.A. & Race, W. Olivia editors. Animal Magnetism Charity Anthology, 2005. |
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| This is one of two charity anthologies to which I contributed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, having always had a weak spot for so hedonistic a city as New Orleans. The stories, largely science-fiction, horror and fantasy, are all thematically linked in that they involve an animla (or animal-like entity) as the protagonist or central feature of the story. The book is now available from Lulu.com as either a trade paperback (here) or an e-book (here); it is also available from Amazon.com here. All proceeds are donated to Noah's Wish, a charitable organization that does its work with animals. One of my goals in writing for these anthologies - in addition to trying to help out hurricane victims in my own unique fashion - was to challenge myself to tell a story which I wouldn't normally be involved with. In this case, I decided to try my hand at writing a coming-of-age story. This is a theme that I was seriously sick and tired of seeing by the end of my high school career, as educators insisted on jamming these types of stories down our throats, probably in the belief that we would find it relevant. Unfortunately, speaking only for myself, I found it essentially impossible to relate to these whiny, hyperemotional characters gushing pseudo-angst all over the page. It's just the perpetration of an incredibly narrow worldview that inflates minor difficulties into soul-crushing probkems, and massively selfish considering the |
| Webmaster: trent_roman@yahoo.ca |
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| crap that most people have to put up with one a day to day basis in this world. That being said, I was thinking that the theme itself was not unsalvageable - it needed only be rescued from the mundane tar pits into which it is usually sunk. Step One in "redeeming" the coming-of-age story was to transpose it away from a contemporary setting. Here there are no teens lusting after the unreachable girl, no anorexic cheerleaders, no cool kids who pine for authentic friendship. Instead, the story is set in my metafictional fantasy setting of Great Torus; more specifically, in a pseudo-Indian realm. The story itself revolves, immediately, around a young therianthrope's (that's shapeshifter, yo) discovery of her were-side, and at a wider level with thematics of cultural norms, self-awareness, individuality and belonging. And because I enjoy being subversive, the story runs constant subtext of which the 700 Club would surely dissaprove; most obviously, the onset of transformation as an allegory for puberty, but also sexual and queer themes. Overall (if I may permitted the hubris of the comparison) it's a sort of "Ginger Snaps" meets the "Ramayana". Both Animal Magnetism and Southern Comfort are illustrated throughout, and because of thematic similarities, "Allure" was "mated" (so to speak) with a most excellant piece of art by Alida Saxon. You can find more of her work at her website here. |
| Cover design and photography by Barry "Bear" Smith |