Book Review: Chuggie and the Desecration of Stagwater - by Brent Michael Kelley

Quick review - Highly original, well written, intriguing, and above all, fun to read!

  Summary from Amazon: In the first installment of Mischief Mayhem Want and Woe, Brent Michael Kelley unleashes the horrors of Desecration on Stagwater.
  Norchug Mot Losiat, Chuggie to his friends, is Brother Drought. When, in his rambling, he stumbles upon the remote city of Stagwater, he finds love, temptation, and treachery. He fights against men, demons, and his own nature to battle the sinister forces threatening the city. 

  But Chuggie? All he wants is a boat.

Paperback: 338 pages

• Publisher: Omnium Gatherum Media (November 29, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0615571042
• ISBN-13: 978-0615571041

I'm going to admit that, based on the cover alone, I probably wouldn't have bought this book. Not that the cover is bad, it's actually quite charming. But looking at it gives me the impression of a YA novel, with the crayon-like colors and the pumpkin-headed things approaching the horn-headed protagonist who appears to be chained to a tree. But the book was recommended so I gave it a go...and I am very glad that I did.

I don't know if Kelley does this, but when I write a book sometimes I imagine a particular actor, celebrity or even a friend as a character when I'm writing them. It just makes it play out in my head better. I also do this when I'm reading a book. So, I can't say for sure who Kelly had in mind when he was writing Norchug (Chuggie) but I can tell you who I imagined: Tom Waits. Except with horns. And it worked perfectly for me.

Despite being as old as the world itself, Chuggie is a pretty simple fellow. Unfortunately, he lives in a world full of ulterior motives. Chuggie's motivation is simple: he just wants to live a simple life...whatever that means for a living embodiment of a force of destruction. Stuff keeps getting in the way, like a town run by three evil bastards: Stagwater. Though Chuggie's plans there are rather simple (he wants a boat...he's already got the anchor) all the power players there have other plans for him. Some want him dead, some want to recruit him, a couple want to marry him. Chuggie doesn't want any part in this, but he gets pulled in  against his better judgement. 

Chuggie is an entertaining character, kind of an O, Malandro rogue. He's as old as the world itself, but still seems to fit into it somehow. As the avatar of drought, Chuggie is always thirsty and, if he wishes, can drain the liquid out of everything. He's not particularly comfortable with this ability, so he doesn't enjoy using it. Still, it's always there in the background, haunting him. He learned a while back that being drunk quiets the voice, so he made that permanent--which apparently he also has the power to do. Chuggie is therefore drunk at almost all points in the book. As such, people tend to assume he's just a common drifter, and he likes it that way. Unfortunately, those in the know see him for what he really is, or at least can tell he's more than that. 

The story is compelling: Chuggie tries to enter Stagwater to buy a boat for a trip to a warmer place. All he has is a bag of junk, the clothes on his back, and an anchor (in the shape of a lady) at the end of a chain he wraps around his body. Chuggie uses the anchor as a flailing weapon at several points in the book, which is hilarious because getting hit with an anchor WOULD HURT SO MUCH! If you're like me, you'll laugh out loud the first time he tosses the anchor into someone. Anyway, Stagwater lets him know he isn't welcome and tries to send him north, even using magic to try and compel him to go there. They definitely don't want him going south, or entering the town. So, Chuggie goes south just to piss them off. That's where he meets a woman living in the forest, a witch seemingly imprisoned by a magical spell, but attended by an army of animated scarecrows (no, they don't sing). Chuggie, who has been alone most of his life, falls in love with the witch and is motivated to free her. She sends him back to Stagwater to look for an item that can save her. And that's where things start to get complicated.

The most entertaining part of the book are Chuggie's dialog, both internal and external. Chuggie is creative with his profanity, using terms like "slime tits!" and "goat rammin frog dicks!" Chuggie's biggest flaw is that, despite his age, he's relatively naive and trusting. Despite living in a world full of people who don't care about anything but their own agenda, Chuggie takes people at their word a lot and that's what leads him to almost getting killed a lot. But it's understandable that he'd be that way. Chuggie is a simple creature: a force of nature, more or less. The world is far more complicated, and Chuggie's outsiderness makes him ill equipped to operate in it with the same level of guile as those around him. He gets along best with other characters with similar, simple motivations; two city guards who only care about their families, a child who just wants a home, and a conjurer who just wants to practice her art. I enjoyed watching Chuggie maneuver through whatever they threw at him, always on the very edge of losing everything. It was very endearing.

Despite it's kind of playfulness, the book has an undercurrent of darkness and horror. There are evil, unspeakable, disgusting things lurking in the woods north of the city. Terrible things happen in the city, too. Evil and destruction is present in all forms, from undead abominations, greed, lust, envy and revenge. Ironically, Chuggie is the only power player in the field who doesn't want to destroy anything. 

I highly recommend this book to fans of fantasy or horror. The world is compellingly built, giving just enough details about thing and place outside the immediate sphere of the narrative to make you want to hear more. The characters are attractive and deep. The writing is good. On the downside, there were a couple of parts where POV was murky, but it doesn't throw you out of the story. Chuggie, in particular, is one of the most endearing characters I've met since Tyrion Lannister from the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I couldn't get enough of him. And I think you'll enjoy him too. 

From Formspring: How are your books coming along and when can I get one?

From sagetherage, 5/23/20010

The books are coming fine, thank you. I've completed books 1-4 of The Dragon's Blood Chronicles, which comprises the first story arc for that series. I've also finished my first draft of book five, but there are several things I want to change about it so I don't consider it completed. I've also finished Max's first book, a paranormal mystery I'm tentatively calling Moth. I've started work on Max's second book, which I haven't come up with a name yet. All of the Dragon's Blood Chronicles have long, elaborate titles so I'm thinking for Max's series they'll have one word titles. This is all subject to publisher approval, though. They sometimes what you to go with a different title.

As far as when you can get them...well, my agent and her senior partner are working very hard to secure a good publishing deal for me. We're in frequent contact, and the process is slow going but I expect good things soon. Believe me, as soon as I know, you'll know. I can say that my work is in the hands of several excellent publishing houses, some of which have already requested full or partial manuscripts to review for publication. They can't be rushed, they have to make the decision on their own time. If I thought harassing them would help, I'd probably be very annoying right now. All we can do is wait.

This is a nerve wracking process, and the publishers are taking their time because of the economy, but as I said I'm confident we'll know something soon. I'm as excited to get these out as everyone else. These books have been a lot of work for me, and I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from people who have read the manuscripts. Just keep your fingers crossed.

And...if you happen to be friends with the editor at a publishing house, you might lean on them a little for me. I don't want to come off as desperate here, but I'm willing to donate kidneys if anyone at the publisher needs them. I've got two...and can get more.

What Kind of Book Have You Written?

This is probably the most common question I get asked right after people ask what I do. Or when my friends, sick to death of my tireless self-promotion, ask with feigned shock, “You wrote a book?!?” That just never stops being funny, you loveable bunch of jackasses…

In general, people want a short, understandable answer when they ask what a book is about. If I was writing about cowboys, for example, they’d want me to say, “It’s a western.” If I wrote space battles and stories about meeting aliens, they’d want, “It’s kind of like Star Trek.” Or they want a hybrid example, combining two things that heretofore haven’t been combined in a memorable way. Like if I wrote a zombie thriller set in the Old West, I could say it’s like Tombstone meets Dawn of the Dead.  Unfortunately, I’m not very good at defining my own work in these terms. When I try, I usually come off as a prick. For example, I once told someone that my first book is like a cross between Laurell K. Hamilton’s Guilty Pleasures and Cormac McCarthy’s The Borders Trilogy. Yeah, see what I mean? Really prickish…just writing it makes me want to kick my own ass.

I could just say my book is about dragons—since they are the focus of my main series; the word Dragon is even part of the series title!—but that doesn’t really do the trick. Sure, my book is about dragons, but so are a lot of books: everything from children’s books to erotica. When most people hear that your book is about dragons, they assume you’re writing traditional fantasy. Not that I have anything against that genre, but it isn’t what I write. There are many fine authors who do; I’m just not one of them.

I could tell them it’s a love story, but that makes it sound like a romance novel. Again, nothing against that genre, it just isn’t what I’ve written. Yes, there is romance in the books, especially the first one, but the focus of the story is much bigger than that. I could say it has vampires in it, but then they think I’m writing a vampire book. Yes, there are vampires, as well as other monsters like demons and werebeasts, as well as sorcery and so on, but they are just part of the whole world I’ve created for my books—a parallel world that, on the surface, looks just like ours but contains far more than we know about. That is the essence of writing fantasy, but the contemporary setting takes it out of the traditional fantasy genre. So I could say it’s an urban fantasy, but not everyone knows what that means.

In short, when asked what my book is about, I tell them they are about dragons and other supernatural creatures who hide among humans, and a young woman who gets introduced to their world by accident when she falls in love with a dragon. Sometimes I mention the vampires, but only in reference to them getting their asses kicked by the dragons, or that they operate like criminals instead of aristocrats as in a lot of other vampire stories. I’m not putting down anyone’s work, I’m just pointing out how mine is different.

Sometimes I put attention on the action aspects of my book, if it seems like that is what the potential reader asking would like. Usually, younger male readers get more excited about the action elements of the book: the dragons fighting vampires, dragons fighting other dragons, etc. A lot of female readers like this aspect as well, but they also enjoy the romantic element: Meg and Garrett are established as a couple on the first page of the book, so it’s no mystery that they are going to get together, and that eventually Garrett will reveal himself as a dragon. The story that unfolds is how she deals with falling in love with someone who isn’t human, has never been human, and has a very faint idea of how to even act like a human or handle a relationship with an adult woman. The idea of a man being in love with a woman but having absolutely no idea how to act as a result is something with which most women can identify.

I sometimes get asked if there is sex in the book. Yes, there is sex in the book. The whole book isn’t sex-sex-sex, but there are a couple of love scenes: one big one and a few smaller ones scattered about. There isn’t as much sex as there is violence, but I rarely get asked about just the violence. I don’t know if people are just more afraid of reading the sex than the violence, or if they just really want a book full of sex. Either way, the book is written for adults so the violence is described with the same level of detail and color as the sex. It’s just how I write, and most people who have read it appreciate that. I’ve only had one person say they didn’t like the sex, and another who said there wasn’t enough of it. I figure I can’t make everyone like the book, so just write it the way I want.

And that’s what I do: I write the kind of book I would like to read. I try not to imitate anyone else and write what I think is a good story. And that’s what I tell people when they ask what kind of book it is. I say, “It’s the kind of book you could imagine me reading and really enjoying.” Take what you know about me, and pretend someone wrote a book for him. That’s what kind of book I have written. I hope a lot of you like it, too.

The March to Publication Continues...

Hey, all. I just got some great news! Another publisher has requested my manuscript! This is great! I can't say which one because publishers get annoyed if you talk about them being interested before they make an offer. But it's a good one, like the two before. I also got a rejection, but that's fine, especially since they don't typically publish my genre; but you never know when publishers may change their mind so it pays to cast a wide net. So far that's 1 rejection, 3 requests for partial or full manuscripts! All the thanks should go to my agent Cari Foulk and her senior partner Jonathan Clements! Very good news, and I'm very excited!

I'll keep everyone posted on the developments as they...develop...happen...whatever.

From Formspring: Are there draconic religious fanatics? Like Tiamat-ic fundamentalists? How well do dragons tolerate crime in their ranks? What would even be considered a crime among dragons?

I'm combining two Formspring questions into one since they are kind of related.

For the first question...the short answer is no. The long answer is no, with an explanation. The dragons don't worship Tiamat. She isn't a god to them, more like a mother to the race. Most dragons believe she is waiting for them in the afterlife. Some dragons don't care, but most do. These dragons believe that Tiamat observes and judges their actions, and that they should seek to make her proud. I guess it might be possible that there are dragons who get angry at non-believer dragons, but it's difficult to imagine they would do anything about it. Dragons don't really care what other dragons do, so long as it doesn't effect them. The skepticism of another dragon has no effect, positive or negative, on another so they aren't likely to care...unless the other dragon is being a dick about it. Then they might get violent.

As for the second question, yes there are laws. The dragons follow a code of conduct and honor called the Lex Draconic. Literally, the Law of Dragons. Most of these laws were set forth by Tiamat herself, but along the way other rules have been added. Most dragon laws concern interactions between dragons, but there are also laws concerning how they are to interact with other races, including humans. Dragons are not forbidden from killing humans, but they are forbidden from taking a position of authority over them. Dragons once did that very thing, and it didn't end well for the humans beneath them.

Similarly, the rules for how dragons resolve challenges is detailed. For example, it is considered an act of dishonor to attack another dragon that cannot possibly defeat you. This law is intended to protect very young dragons, who are hopelessly outmatched against older, bigger dragons. It goes without saying that damaging an unhatched dragon's egg is the worst crime any dragon can commit. Dragons reproduce so infrequently, with only three or four dragons born in a century. If unchecked, killing hatchlings or destroying unhatched eggs could easily lead to the extinction of the race.

Dragons have a number of ways to deal with lawbreakers. The most obvious punishment is death, but it is very rare that a dragon ever does something heinous enough to warrant such a penalty--or, that he gets caught. Examples of crimes that would warrant death include destroying an egg, killing a hatchling, or murdering another dragon in anything other than an honest challenge (i.e. one where they at least stand a chance of survival).

More commonly, dragons are given punitive penalties. This may not sound like much, except that dragons are obsessed with their hordes and territory. Taking some of it away--or worse, forfeiting it all--is terrifying for a dragon. Remember that most dragons have been collecting treasure for hundreds, even thousands of years.

Regardless the amount forfeited, the dragon is also subject to a period of banishment. During this time, other dragons are forbidden from dealing with them. They essentially become invisible. If the dragon attempts to force an interaction--by challenging another dragon during his time of banishment--he puts himself at risk for greater punishment, up to and including death.

But perhaps the worst punishment for a dragon is the knowledge that he's lost the respect of his or her fellows. Dragons are very particular about their reputations among other dragons. They don't really care much what anyone else thinks, but to lose face to other dragons is simply more humiliation that most dragons are willing to risk. That isn't to say they won't do it, it just means they have to be careful about it...and the reward has to be HUGE in proportion to the risk.

The following are examples of rules almost no dragon will violate, even under the worst circumstances:

• Damaging or destroying an unhatched egg.
• Killing a hatchling or the killing of a dragon in a clearly unfair fight.
• Using sorcery or technology to kill another dragon, even a superior one.

The following are examples of rules most dragons won't violate, but might be tempted if they think it is in their best interest:

• Taking a formal position of authority over lesser races (i.e. humans).
• Excessive involvement in the affairs of lesser races.
• Killing a dragon who has already yielded. 
• Stealing from another dragon's horde.
• Spending an extended period of time in another dragon's territory without asking permission.

Tiamat

Tiamat - image source stenudd.com

The title of the first book in the Dragon's Blood Chronicles refers to a being by the name of Tiamat. If that name sounds familiar, it's because I didn't make it up. Tiamat is an ancient name, older than any god or deity worshiped on Earth by humans today. The name has a very specific and significant meaning in my books.

If you've read the book you'll notice that the dragons use the term "To the Shadow of Tiamat," as a benediction. Several dragons also use the term "Praise Tiamat!" or reference her in some reverent manner. This would usually lead people to conclude that the dragons worship Tiamat as a god.

In fact, they do not.

In ancient Babylon, Tiamat was an important part of their creation myths and the mother of all monsters. Ancient Babylonians did not specify that she was a dragon, but they believed in dragons and that she was their mother:

When the skies above were not yet named
Nor earth below pronounced by name,
Apsu, the first one, their begetter,
And maker Tiamat, who bore them all,
Had mixed their waters together,
But had not formed pastures, nor discovered reed-beds;
When yet no gods were manifest,
Nor names pronounced, nor destinies decreed,
Then gods were born within them. (Dalley 233)

In my books, Tiamat was a dragon...though a different kind of one. Her children were the dragons of Earth. They revere her as the mother of their race, and believe she will be waiting for them in the afterlife (the aforementioned "Shadow" is a reference to this) but do not worship her as a god.

Tiamat, band. Image source: 

Tiamat has been used in other forms of media as well. One of my favorite bands is called Tiamat: I've been listening to them since I was very young, and that is part of what sparked my interest in the name. Tiamat is also an important part of the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game, and even made an appearance on the old Dungeons and Dragons cartoon show. In this incarnation, she is depicted as a multi-headed dragon. She is also evil. My Tiamat is not evil, nor does she have more than one head. She is also depicted as being able to turn into a beautiful woman, particularly in the Forgotten Realms DnD setting (in Dragonlance, she is referred to as Takhesis). Since dragons in my world can assume human form, presumably so can Tiamat.

Apsu is not mentioned in the first book, but he was a dragon as well. He and Tiamat spawned the race. Where they came from is something you'll just have to wait to find out. The mystery of how dragons (and, for that matter, all otherworldly beings) came to be is answered over the course of several books. I can't just give everything away at the beginning.

If you looked closely at the names of some of the dragons in my books, you'll see some other familiar names as well. Many of the older dragons were worshiped as Gods or other great powers by primitive beings. Whether the humans based their gods on dragons with those names, or the dragons took their names from the mythology of humans they lived near, is up for the reader to learn...

...got Dragon?                                                    

From Formspring: How many easter eggs do you include in your books?

I like to write an entire series ahead of time, which allows me to plan things well in advance. The significance of certain details in the first book aren't revealed until much later in the series. I don't know that I've ever taken a count, but it's my hope that readers will find things in later books and remember, "Oh, that's what that meant!"

Of course, this only works in moderation. If you keep overloading readers with references to subtle details in earlier books, they will eventually stop reading you. I've been told one of the strengths of my writing is that it is involving, but approachable. You don't have to learn a new fantasy language to figure out what's going on, or consult a massive concordance or keep doing Wikipedia searches every few paragraphs. I know there are readers who actually prefer that level involvement with their books, and I think people who enjoy that will find much in my work to keep them busy. But, at it's core, I'm just trying to tell a good story.

I'm not Ernest Hemingway or Frank Herbert. They were titanic authors who wrote timeless stories. The mere presence of their name on a work of literature is enough to attract an audience. I'm confident about my work, but I'm not going to impose too much on my readers. In other words, I assume that I have to earn their interest; it's not just a given like one of the above-mentioned great writers. I think the worst thing a writer can do is fall too in love with their own work. It's important that a writer enjoy what they write, and write what they enjoy...but equally important is to remember you have to earn a reader's trust and respect with your writing. Make them work too hard for it, and you take the fun out of it. People don't mind reading James Thurber or Franz Kafka with a concordance or online encyclopedia nearby. They won't be so patient with a less known writer like me.

On the other hand, there are a few things in my books that I keep hidden from most people. I do this for fun, and also to see if anyone picks up on them. I'll admit that it will be quite a rush to see people try to figure out what a certain character's name means, or if there is any significance to seemingly innocuous details. Some of these secrets I may share when the books come out. Others, I may keep to myself and a small circle for my friends.

Why? Because it's fun, that's why.

From Formspring: If they made a live action remake of The Brave Little Toaster, who would you cast in the lead roles? And as who?

Good question.

I've put a lot of thought into this, and decided this would be a digitally animated picture, somewhere in the league of Toy Story or Wal-E. So, really all we have to cast are the voices. To that end, I humbly offer the following casting choices:

The Brave Little Toaster - Bobcat Goldthwait, though he'd have to start doing cocain again.
Donkey Moses - Ice-T. He has donkey acting experience. Also, I heard somewhere he's Jewish. I'm pretty sure that isn't true but...it's funnier if I pretend it is.
Hitler - Gary Burghoff. I think he's due.
RoboShark 3000 - Gary Busey. Don't question me on this.
Refrigerator Perry - As himself, though actually a refrigerator. Which, to my understanding, he is not in real life. It was just a nickname...which doesn't make any sense, because I've never known refrigerator's to be very good at basketball. He played what? Football? Whatever, I don't care. He has a funny nickname so we're using him.
Father Pickle - Glenn Danzig. I don't want to get sued by Veggie Tales for this, so I'm casting the exact opposite of someone they'd ever cast to voice a Christian cucumber.
Toobie, the Stuttering Pedophile - Orson Wells. I don't care if he's dead, just splice shit together from Citizen Kane!
Napoleon Dynamite - Jon Heder. Why is he even in this movie? Because Tiamat wills it, that's why! Who are you to defy Tiamat? Nobody, that's who. Now sit down and read the rest of the blog!
Corky the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Baby Cyborg - Toby Keith. I figure he is qualified for this, since he actually has fetal alcohol syndrome. Not sure about the cyborg part, but I hear he's made some movies so...we all know he can act. I mean, they don't just let any stupid jackass star in a movie, do they?
Megatron - Frank Welker. As it should always fucking be.
Rape Duck - We don't need an actor for Rape Duck, just a dubbed quack from an actual duck. It might be more authentic if we find a duck who has actually attempted to rape someone.
Mamma Bes - That lady from What's Happening? I don't remember her name and I'm too lazy to look it up on IMDB.
Teddy Roosevelt - We'd just use a computer voice for this one, because that is actually how he sounded. Not many people know this, but Teddy was a robot. Prove he wasn't. I dare you.

Blog Name Change

I decided to change the name of my blog. Why? Well, the previous name: Sean Writes Things struck me as a little presumptuous. I figured it would be better to name my blog something a little less self-important.

So, it's King of the Dragons. No presumption there.

Other possible choices included:

My Dragon can Beat-up Your Vampire (Still like this one...)
South of Heaven (Too Slayer)
Willkommen im Drachekopf (German for Welcome to the Dragonhead...I think.)
Face the Blog that Should Not Be! (Too Lovecraftian...not that that is a bad thing)
The Lex Draconic (Doesn't really make sense unless you've read the books)  


Anyway, it'll be King of the Dragons until I think of something more entertaining.

Anonymous Formspring Fun is Back...Mostly

Due to overwhelming (and persuasive) demand, I am now re-allowing anonymous queries through my Formspring account. However, there is a caveat: you must sign-in to leave a question, which you can do with your Facebook account--but you can ask questions anonymously. So, I won't know who you are, unless you choose to leave your name.

If the offending party returns and starts talking shit, I can block him/her/it even if I don't know who I'm blocking. This way, everyone get's what they want: my friends get to keep asking me if I'd ever have sex with a girl while dressed as Count Chocula; and I don't have to deal with trolls and morlocks who can't let things go after so many freakin' years.

To the latter I say, "Grow up and move on," and to the former I say, "I don't think I could get the teeth right."

So, let the goofiness resume!

No More Anonymous Formspring Qustions

I appreciate that my friends have all have a very weird sense of humor; that's why they are my friends. And the insane questions are pretty amusing...

...those are fine. Weird, but amusing. And I can usually figure out who is asking them based on the kind of humor indicative of a particular friend. For example, the pants question comes from my brother Joe, who is referencing an episode of The Simpsons  where Krusty becomes a smokey-stage comedian telling edgy jokes. He talks about how much he hates money, and then ushers his audience to burn their money. At his next show, Homer is excited because he hopes Krusty will ask them to burn their pants. When his bit starts and he doesn't immediately go to the burning of things, Homer shouts, "Don't you hate pants!?" This has become a running joke for us. Once, when my good friend Ross' band was playing, between songs I shouted, "Don't you hate pants?" No one seemed to get it, but Joe and I thought it was funny.

Unfortunately, strangers have begun asking hurtful questions. Not very often, but enough that it's getting annoying. So, I'm not allowing anonymous questions on Formspring anymore. From now on, you will have to sign in to Formspring with your Facebook account and leave your name. That way if you ask something I find offensive, I can block any further questions from you. I'm not going to lie and say these kinds of questions don't hurt my feelings a little, but that isn't the main reason why I'm doing it. I'm just tired of seeing them.

So, there is that.

I really do enjoy the Formspring questions about my books and writing, and hope those will continue. And I like the goofy questions from my friends. I even answer a few of them. Even the ones I don't answer, I usually find amusing. I'm pretty tolerant of quirkiness, but I'm also smart enough to know when I'm being asked a silly question by a friend, and an offensive question by a troll with nothing better to do than harass someone they don't know.

Sorry if this came off as preachy, but it had to be said.

From Formspring: Are there any human birth defects or diseases can carry over when a human becomes a vampire?

I haven't really thought about that much. I would assume that the regeneration ability granted by the transformation would heal the body up to the limits of it's ability. For example: vampires can't regenerate limbs, so someone without an arm who becomes a vampire wouldn't grow a new one. In contrast, any diseases they had, from the flu to AIDS, would be cured.

I'll say that it depends on the birth defect. Remember that this isn't a natural virus: it's a demonic virus introduced to humanity by creatures from the Void. It can be unpredictable, because it comes from a place of complete chaos. It isn't even possible to predict who will be susceptible to the virus.

Ask me anything

From Formspring: Where did you get your characters names from?

Some of the names I picked have cultural and mythological significance. I use a lot of resources for this, but one of the most valuable is the Encyclopedia of World Mythology by Arthur Cotterell. In addition to an exhaustive amount of information about mythology and folklore from ALL parts of the world, it is lavishly illustrated. Highly recommended.

For more mundane names, the handiest book I have for that is The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon. More than just a list of names, it breaks them up by gender, nationality and ethnicity. In addition, the opening text of each chapter explains how specific cultures go about assigning and structuring names. Not everyone does the First name + middle name + Family name, and anyone trying to construct realistic characters from those cultures are well served to research how they assign names. Plus, it has an index so it's fun to look up other people's names.

Ask me anything