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Reply Subj: There aren't enough authors with wings and bird feet these days... Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2012 at 12:24:19 pm EDT (Viewed 605 times) | |||||||
I can't recall whether I've mentioned my current writing project here. It's a commissioned novel called THE FALL OF BABEL. It's a murder mystery whodunnit set in the Biblical Tower of Babel. The twist is that the detective is King Nimrod the Hunter, barbarian conquerer of Shinar. He's Conan playing Conan Doyle. His partner-in-detection is Duanna, raised all her life to be a human sacrifice, unexpedly rescued and somewhat between careers. He's a warrior king. She's a sacrificial virgin. Together they fight crime. Because of the dress codes previously mentioned this may be the only whodunnit where the heroine remains naked for the entire novel. I'm having great fun juxtaposing the various mash-up styles of detective procedural, political thriller, religious drama, sword-and-sorcery action, and disaster movie. So far our detective has killed six of the suspects. The themes really write themselves. Babel's fall was because of the "confusing of language", which is really the basis of most modern ideological conflict, many arguments, modern politics and so many more features of life. But it's also the start of storytelling, of history, of fiction and imagination. It's where words began to define reality. Babel was also where men first tried to replace gods with technology, to insulate themselves from the punishments of God like the Great Flood, and even to invade heaven itself! There are plenty of modern things to say about Babel, and lots of motivations that couldn't happen in any other story set in any other place. Meanwhile, THE SPIRES OF MARS continues twice weekly at http://www.chillwater.org.uk/writing/blackthorn/spires.htm. All feedback or spontaneous print-edition cover images gratefully received! | |||||||
