Dark YA Blogfest - Week 2

This week for the I Love Dark YA Blogfest I had to write a flash fiction piece of 500 words or less based on this picture:

Thankfully, I had more time to work on my post this week now that my edits are, for the time being, finished, and the second draft of my manuscript in my agents hands. I had some real fun with this one. Check it out . . .

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Fairy Scary Tales - Who Knew?

By S. L. Hennessy 

I hate running. Always did. I used to fake all sorts of medical conditions to get out of track during gym class. I’m sort of wishing I’d practiced a bit more, now that I’m running from the hellish monster intent on using me as the human sacrifice for some sort of dark, ominous spell. Unfortunately, hindsight isn’t as constructive as foresight. And so here I am, my white sacrificial dress irreparably torn, my dainty slippers – which are completely inappropriate when fleeing for one’s life – scuffed and destroyed, wondering where it all went wrong.

I guess I might have made a few mistakes here and there. Looking back, exploring the woods on my own, despite explicit instructions to the contrary . . . might not have been my best plan. Even if my evil stepmother was making my life miserable. It seemed harmless enough at the time. In the daylight. With birds chirping and all that other feel-good atmospheric crap designed to make unsuspecting, angst-ridden teenagers feel completely at ease amongst the dense trees. Guess I should have paid more attention to the meticulous design of it all. And where I was going. Woops.

Upon retrospective, when thick, black mist comes creeping through the branches and silences those sweet, put-you-at ease little birdies – well, maybe that was the time to kick in high gear and get the hell out of there. Live and learn.

It occurs to me now, as I’m being hunted by some indescribably dark creature, that my copy of The Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales might have been more of a field guide than a set of silly stories my dad used to read me at bed time. I usually associate them with princesses and other such nonsense, but the depictions of wolves, cannibalistic witches and way more gore than little kids should be exposed to at young ages are starting to come back to me.

Fairy tales are real. And they’re dangerous. Who knew?

Dark YA Blogfest

It’s officially November, which means that it’s time for the I Love Dark YA Blogfest:

Rules:

1. Put the I LOVE DARK YA badge on your sidebar or at the top of each of the posts you do for the fest. Make sure you link it back to the YAtopia linky sign-up.

2. Visit blogs of your hosts and other participants if you can. Interact. Make some friends. It’ll be more fun!

3. Your blog post needs to be up on Wednesday. You can post early if you want, but people will be hopping on Wednesdays.

Themes:
WEEK ONE...
November 2nd: Blog about your favorite dark YA book(s).

WEEK TWO...
November 9th: Write a 500-word or less flash fiction piece inspired by this picture—

WEEK THREE...
November 16th: Music and Movie Fun—Take a dark YA book and build a soundtrack for it or cast characters for a movie version.

WEEK FOUR...
November 23rd: #YASAVES—Blog about how a dark YA book made an impact in your life.

WEEK FIVE...
November 30th: Waiting on Wednesday—What dark YA book are you most looking forward to?

So, here it is . . .

For the answer to week one's discussion, my favorite dark YA book (or in this case series) is The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor. Inspired by one of my all-time favorite books – Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll – it depicts a darker, more sinister version of Wonderland, recovering from a civil war between the White and Black imagination. I won’t reveal too much of the plot for fear of spoiling it, but needless to say it is an amazing YA retelling of a classic childhood tale. If you have't read it, check it out!

A Remembrance for Lost Souls

October 31st, the day many know as Halloween, is the first night in a three-day celebration honoring the dearly departed. Many people know that Halloween draws its name from the original All Hallows Even (or All Hallows Eve); however, its true origin lies much further back in the Celtic holiday Samhain. Marking the final night of the Celtic calendar, it represents the last night of the harvest and the transition from the light half of the year to the darker half. The Celtic people believed that on this night, a time in which plants began to wither and die and animals were slaughtered to provide food for the coming winter, the veil the separates the living from the dead became thin, allowing those who have passed on to walk among us. Oftentimes people would gather together in the village for a feast, building a great bonfire and celebrating as one. It was customary to leave milk or food out for the returned spirits to appease them, as there was a threat of being abducted by fairies or dark spirits during that evening. People sometimes even dressed up to avoid notice, starting a tradition that we still practice today.

Samhain celebrations began on October 31st and lasted all the way through the following day. This coincides with All Saints Day, celebrated on November 1st, the second day honoring the dead. For Catholics it is a holy day of the Church honoring all saints, known and unknown, who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven. It is also known as All Hallows or Hallowmas, ‘hallows’ meaning to make holy or sacred, to sanctify or venerate. While All Saints Day focuses on the dead that have reached Heaven, the following day, known as All Souls Day, shifts our focus to Purgatory. It is a day to pray for the holy souls in Purgatory undergoing purification of their sins before entering heaven. Either praying for saints or sinners, these first nights in November are set aside to remind us of those who have passed and honor our dead.

Last but not least, November 2nd is known in the Hispanic culture as the Day or the Dead, or El Dia de los Muertos. Despite its focus on those we’ve lost, it’s considered a day of celebration. It is a time for reminiscing about happy memories of those who are no longer with us, and encouraging visits from their departed souls. Alters or shrines are sometimes built, and houses are filled with candles and mountains of food and offerings for the dead. The day is often celebrated with bright colors and sugary treats in the shape of skulls, merrily concluding the three-day celebration of the dead.

This remembrance of the dead is an interesting mixture of the pagan, spiritual, and the religious, an amalgamation which blends different beliefs from across the globe. Whether acting as a reminder to lead a more spiritual life or a way to honor those we’ve lost, October 31st through November 2nd is a special time in which the chasm between the living and the dead fissures and cracks, allowing departed spirits, at least for a short time, to walk among us.

Happy Haunted Halloween

I’m sorry to say that with a deadline looming tomorrow morning, I’ve been too busy editing my manuscript to post these past two weeks. But I couldn’t let Halloween pass without so much as a BOO!

So on this auspicious night of ghosts and goblins . . .

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Family Pumpkin Carving 

Roommates Haunted Gingerbread House

My Halloween Costume:

Alice from Resident Evil 

And from the Houston Museum of Natural Science 

Halloween Party:

 Me and Julie 

(Check out her wonderful blog http://thebookmemoirs.blogspot.com/) 

Me and my ladies - Tina, Annie, Shelby and Kaiti

Julie and Rob (aka. Chuck and Sarah)

My favorite judge and Muppet (minus the head from his costume) - Andy and Sami

Zombies vs. Vampires vs. Werewolves

Last night my roommate and I were watching Halloween Wars on The Food Network and the challenge was Zombies vs. Vampires. I found really interesting since you most often see vampires in contention with werewolves rather than their flesh-eating brethren. This got me thinking – of the three species, who’d come out the victor in the Undead Battle Royal?

Let’s check out the contenders . . .

Vampires:

Over in the right corner of our triangular boxing ring we have the vampires. Now, there are many different myths about vampires, so there’s some debate when it comes to their strengths and weaknesses (Note: I will be referring to their traditional descriptions rather than their modern, occasionally sparkly counterparts). They are typically gifted with incredible strength, speed and a seductive quality that draws in their prey. Furthermore, in some mythologies (such as the progenitor of their species – Dracula), they can both scale walls and shape shift into other forms, something which would come in incredibly handy in the battle of the undead.

However, vampires do have several handicaps. Most notable is their sensitivity to the sun and inability to come our during daylight hours. They also need to feast on human blood to survive or they fall into a weakened state that would inhibit their fighting abilities. And while their seductive techniques might help them with werewolves when in their human forms, I highly doubt it would have any affect whatsoever on the mindless zombies.

References: Dracula, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Blade, Underworld, True Blood and The Vampire Chronicles.

Werewolves:

Next up are the anthropomorphic, shape-shifting werewolves. They are incredibly strong and savage beasts, and a match for any undead foe. Their superior sense of smell and tracking abilities would give them a distinct advantage were the fight to take place in the darkened woods. Though they are allergic to silver, that shouldn’t pose a problem as zombies aren’t cognizant enough to use it against them, and vampires are similarly affected, so it’s unlikely either species will use it as a weapon (other than the liquid bullet form seen in Underworld of course).

Unfortunately, werewolves do have one very unique shortcoming – they can only turn into their hair-covered, predatory form three nights a month when the moon is full. So unless the battle took place on one of those nights, the werewolves would be goners. However, considering that vampires are nocturnal creatures as well, the probability that the fight would occur during the necessary evenings greatly increases.

References: The Wolfman, And American Werewolf in London, The Howling, Underworld and True Blood

Zombies:

Last but not least are the zombies. Now, though they’re a member of the Homonus Undeadicus, they maintain more of their human weaknesses than their undead rivals. For example, zombies are not typically very fast, nor do they have superior strength or agility. They are typically mindless creatures searching for little more than human brains to consume, and therefore lack the cunning skills of either vampires of werewolves. And though they are able to walk in the daylight, neither of their adversaries can, making it unlikely that a battle would take place at such a time (and therefore nullifying this as an advantage). However, were to begin in the night and last until sunrise, zombies would of course emerge victorious.

Still, zombies do have two chief assets in their favor. One, they don’t really need anything to exist. Unlike vampires, who must feed on human blood, and werewolves, which need the same nourishment as ordinary humans when in their non-furry form, zombies do not require sustenance. They of course long for the tasty delight of flesh and brains, but don’t require it for survival. And second, they have but one singular drive or purpose – attaining the desired flesh and brains. Unlike vampires and werewolves, zombies do not crave power, dominance or companionship. They merely long for the taste of blood-soaked guts, whether they be male, female, vampire or werewolf. This single-minded devotion to their goal would prove a powerful advantage in the battle ring.

References: Zomieland, The Walking Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later and Resident Evil

When it comes to a Battle Royal between the living dead, it’s hard to say who’d emerge victorious. If I were a bookie taking bets, who would you place your money on???

Pay It Forward Bloghop

Well, it’s finally arrived – the Pay It Forward Blogfest! 

For those participating, we’re supposed to spotlight three (or in my case, five) blogs we enjoy reading and think others would enjoy as well. So, without further ado . . .

Missed Connections – I’ve already written an entire post about Sophie Blackall’s fabulous blog (check it out here), but thought I’d share it again for those who missed it. An incredible artist, Blackall illustrates the “Missed Connections” section of Craigslist, creating lovely and poignant odes to lost love.

Mina Burrows – A blog devoted to the paranormal, Mina Burrows and I share a love of Joss Whedon’s work and the creepy classics. She gives incredible reviews of Gothic literature, such as The Fall of the House of Usher and The Turn of the Screw, and constantly brings new (and classical) paranormal books to my attention.

Another Slightly Scary Story – I actually came across Draven Ames’s blog through this very blog hop (he featured my blog a few days ago). He features interviews and short stories, as well as tips about the book publishing industry. He’s already introduced me to more than a few great sites. Check it out!

Wicked and Tricksy – Yet another of the blogs I’ve only recently come across, this one is hilarious! From the moment S. B. Stewart-Laing, one of this blog’s five writers, mocked human/vampire relationships (“Didn’t your momma tell you not to play with your food?”), I was hooked.

From Pen to Paper – Last but certainly not least, my good friend Julie Tuovi’s blog. She’s a witty, YA novelist who discusses movies, reading and the perils of writing. She’s definitely worth checking out!

Thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for hosting this amazing blogfest. I hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I do!

A Gothic Weekend

October is one of my favorite months, bringing with it an interest in the fantastic and paranormal. Every year around this time I always turn to of some of my favorite Gothic pieces of literature, enjoying their focus on the supernatural. Edgar Allen Poe often reigns forefront in my wind with his The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat, and legendary The Raven. And of course I always revisit Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

However, arguably the best pieces of Gothic literature all derive their origins from the same weekend nearly two centuries ago. In the summer of 1816, George Gordon Byron, better known as the famous Lord Byron, rented the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva, Switzerland. There he played host to several guest, including his personal physician John William Polidori, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, Shelley's future wife Mary Godwin (aka. Mary Shelley), and her stepsister Claire Clairmont. 

Bored and closeted inside due to near incessant rain, the group spent their time reading horror stories and discussing the possibility of corpse reanimation. They decided to have a contest in which they would write their own ghost stories to entertain one another. Inspired by a dream, the eighteen year-old Mary Shelley wrote a short story that would later be fleshed into Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, one of the greatest examples of Gothic fiction of all time and a time-honored piece of classic literature.

For his own contest submission Lord Byron wrote a short, uncompleted piece which was vampiric in nature. Though it was quickly abandoned, this piece would later inspire John Polidori’s The Vampyre, a novel with an obscure history. Unfortunately, when published in the New Monthly Magazine in 1819 the piece was accredited to Lord Byron rather than the unknown Polidori. Despite the fact that Byron wrote of his personal dislike for vampires and published his original “Fragment of a Novel” in an attempt to clear up the misunderstanding, the tale remains strongly connected with him, an association made stronger by the fact that the main character, Lord Ruthven, resembles the Lord Byron himself. Despite its hazy origins and initial lack of recognition, The Vampyre goes down as the first British vampire novel and one of the progenitors of vampire literature, eventually inspiring Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

It continues to amaze me that one dreary weekend in 1816 would found two such important pieces of Gothic literature, paving the way for an explosion of writings and interest in the supernatural genre. To this day Frankenstein’s monster and the night-roaming vampires inspire constant fascination and allure.