Bump in the Night - Sci-Fi & Fantasy

First of all, I want to say that I really appreciate everyone who reads and comments on this blog. Without you, after all, it’s pretty much just me rambling to myself on the internet…

Now, in regards to comments, I’ve been getting a lot of spam lately (probably around 2,000 or more spam comments each week). Some of these comments are difficult to distinguish from real comments by real readers. I would HATE to accidentally delete a genuine comment (my apologies to anyone who has suffered this fate). So to make things a little easier, I would appreciate it if you could post with a simple first name (or first name and last initial) or a recognizable alias like “dragonrider.” Most of the spam comments I get post under a random string of letters and numbers or a combination of words that are not immediately recognizable.

Thank you for your patience! A review of “The Hunger Games” is below.

Hey there, fellow teens of this site! How are you? Well, now I am kind of miserable since I have this sore throat, but I’m still kickin’! I have a story for you all to read, and it is not so long: maybe 1,200 words?

It’s called Fate, Love, and Lies. It is of a preacher named Dawn who falls in love with a man: Dahlia Valentine who secretly follows a life of temptation. Here it is and leave a comment!

February 12

“Love is the master key to the gates of happiness. Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with your heart. Love is but the thought of being into the arms of your lover. Love is but two things: The lovely scent of a glistening, luminescent crimson rose and a sharp arrow shot from Cupid’s bow embedding into one’s back, thus being subject to an endless pit of forever romance. There is only one happiness in life: To love and to be loved. Love is a potion of the soul itself, and it is of the same nature as the celestial breathing of paradise. Let love be unto you…” were the words of a beautiful blonde-haired preacher to the people of the church of around five-foot-four named Dawn, who herself was a kind soul if you will. The words uttered from Dawn’s lips were the words of many famous authors, famous figures, and such; William Shakespeare, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Marcus Antoninus, Samuel Adams. and many, many more. And this was all because of Valentine’s Day was just two days away from this one. Not only that but Dawn was a wandering lone valentine with the thought of “Be mine, oh how I obsess for you. my valentine.” that kept prowling and preying on her mind. But pretty soon, her preying mind was soon to be fulfilled of its desires.
It was one o’ clock, the time that the church ended. Everyone was going about their business, but most of all contemplating on their loves. Dawn had walked and wandered through the city in hopes that she’d find her soul mate, smelling the February air. Luckily she had spotted upon a man of immense beauty ——- like that of a rose. His hair was a smooth, unkempt crimson red. Same for everything else on him that he wore, and his eyes too. His face and skin were a beautiful pearl white, almost as white as an angel’s graceful wings. Dawn became subject to an endless pit of forever romance, much like the speech she gave. She came to him, delivering yet another speech about love.
“Did you fall from the sky, my angel? Do you wonder from world to world, my lost soul? You have won the affections of my heart and you stole my thunder. You were made perfectly to be loved. What be of your name?”
The man’s cold hand held Dawn’s cheek caressingly. “Dahlia Valentine.” he responded with a smile, his eyes ripening with the red fruit of passion. Standing at a tall six-foot-eight was Dahlia. He kissed her, but little did Dawn know, Dahlia was a puppet of temptation’s clutches. His past was not of cheery intentions of finding a valentine, but deep, dark, and far beyond a story of finding true love’s kiss within a preacher. You see, in his past, he had been manipulated to drink the Black Nectar of Sins. This nectar can corrupt the hearts of valentines. And the particular reason why Dahlia kissed her? To cover up the secret that could break up his and Dawn’s relationships.
It was the lateness of night, Dawn and Dahlia were in the luminescent moonlight, dancing. Dahlia’s red orbed-eyed had concentrated on Dawn’s looks. She closed her eyes and giggling at the fact that she had found her valentine. After the brief dance, Dahlia had spotted the Black Nectar of Sins just a couple feet away from him and Dawn. A voice of temptation had called from inside of him. The darkness in him was about to take over him. He approached the nectar.
“Is something wrong, my dear?” asked Dawn.
Dahlia turned to her silently, kissing her and chiding her from his secret.
February 13
The daylight broke through Dawn’s window in an unusually deep shade of red, which reminded her of two things: One, the fact that the daylight was but a harbinger that hinted to her that Valentine’s Day was only less than twenty-four hours away. And two, of Dahlia’s hair, though the daylight was actually much, much lighter than his hair, which was as dark as a garnet. Dawn had found two things from atop of her ivory dresser hat she hadn’t noticed yesterday, a heart shaped portrait of Dahlia to remember him by, reading “From yours truly. May my hugs and kisses be with you.-Dahlia Valentine” and an envelope with a seal on it. Dawn opened it, seeing it was a love letter that Dahlia had left for her.
Dawn,
There is a valentine soul that resides in each of our souls. My soul urges me to love, thus it makes me romance for yours all day and all night long. My heart roars like a fire for you. It burns with the flames of desire. I long to provide you with infinite kisses. Will you be my valentine on this day? For you see, each day I love you more. If beauty were a kind of flower, then you would be a rose. If beauty would be a minute then you would be an hour.”
-Dahlia
And at the end of the note was a crimson, heart-shaped inkblot that was still fresh. The inkblot dripped to the edges of the note, staining Dawn’s white bed covers.
* * *
Dahlia had woken up, still with his past engulfed in temptation haunting him. The burning passions that housed in his soul diminished from the temptation that had eternally poisoned his mind. To the left of him was a portrait of Dawn with a note of “I long for you.-Dawn” in an opened silver locket and an envelope with its heart seal. He had opened it:
Dahlia,
Oh, how must I confess to you my sweet-nothings to you? Let me count the ways: One, your smooth hair which I would want to run my fingers through. Two, the fact that fate attaches us in the chains of love. Three, of the soft caress you gave to me…
-Dawn
This note, unlike the one Dahlia left had black ink, which very well made him reminisce of the Black Nectar of Sins. His past came to him before, and he didn’t want to break up with Dawn because of the darkness from tempting that grew from his soul. But breaking up with her was the only way. But how would he? He didn’t even think about breaking up with Dawn because in this relationship, she had a lot going for her. Would he even sadden her with his secret? Dahlia shuddered to even think about doing so, but it had to be done.
February 13, 11: 58 PM
It was two minutes until Valentine’s Day. Every building around the church and even the church itself had been draped in pink banners. Dawn had waited for Dahlia just outside of the church’s entrance.
“Dawn…?” Dahlia’s voice called from behind her. Dawn turned to him. seeing his face was looking like that of a forlorn lover. “I’m sorry. The truth is, I’m a puppet of temptation’s clutches. I only kissed you just to make up for my wrongdoing. But as I can see now, just as we entered this relation, temptation had to take it upon itself to break us up in a twist of fate, love, and lies.”
Dawn’s tears fell from her like miniature waterfalls. Dahlia departed from her into the darkness, just as two minutes quickly passed…
(Quotes of this story can be found on www.yuni.com)

Note: Since I couldn’t post at all last week, I am posting twice this week to make up for my truancy. The post beneath this one revisits my “Ten Rules of Magic” to respond to the comments that some of you have made.

A few weeks ago, I challenged you – and myself – to get involved in NaNoWriMo. In that spirit, I bring you the first two pages of the novel I am currently working on. To share your writing or discuss your progress with others, check out this thread on the Teen Ink Bulletin Board: http://www.teenink.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22871 (I promise to make a thread more specific to sci-fi/fantasy once my bulletin board registration gets approved!). And now, an excerpt from The Twilightlands…

“Apprentices up! Come on, let’s go. Move it!”
Nate Varoski groaned and rolled over in his bunk. It felt like only minutes had passed since he had fallen asleep. Surely it couldn’t be six o’clock already? He cracked open an eye, squinting at the silver dial on his nightstand. The short blue hand pointed to the three.
“What’s going on, Marti?” he asked the boy in the bed next to his.
“The light degree is off again. There are Nightsiders throwing fits in the street!” The apprentice’s voice held an edge of anticipation. “Maybe we’ll finally get to see some action!”
“That’s enough!” barked the apprentice Overseer. “Stop chattering like a bunch of old women and get dressed!”
Nate reluctantly peeled off his sleeping shirt and pulled a midnight blue training tunic out of the chest at the foot of his cot. Like shadows in the night, fleet and sure and light. The nightingale motto drifted through his sluggish thoughts. “The light degree is off again?” he whispered, once he was sure the Overseer couldn’t hear.
“That’s right.” Marti’s tan skin flushed pink with excitement. “Check your wristwatch.”
With a hurried glance towards the Overseer, Nate reached into the bottom of his chest and retrieved the watch. Nightingale apprentices were supposed to wear their Light Sensitive Wristwatches, or LSWs, at all times, but Nate had begun to take his off after-hours once the light degree had started to rise. It was almost impossible to sleep when an omen of impending doom kept ticking in your ear.
Nate felt an uneasy shiver crawl up his back as he snapped the band around his wrist. His watch was a near replica of the clock on his nightstand, with one obvious difference. In addition to the two blue hands that measured Standard Time was a small, black hand that now hovered near the seven. No, wait - seven? He rubbed his eyes sleepily. When he looked back down, the LSW had begun to beep softly, the face of the dial pulsing with an intentionally alarming crimson light.
“That can’t be right. Marti, is your LSW registering a –“
“Seven?” The other boy nodded. “Yep. It’s not a malfunction.”
Nate swore under his breath and hurried to fasten his sandals. He had never heard of it being so light on the Nightside before. The regular nightingales must be overwhelmed.
“All right boys, time to go! Hope you’re dressed, or the Marshal won’t be amused.”
The old nightingale pushed open the barrack doors and led the disheveled apprentice Flock outside. Nate blinked as the too-light air prickled against the bare skin of his arms and blurred the edges of his vision. The sky was an unhealthy bluish-grey - far from the ideal midnight black. His wings bristled as his dark blue feathers pulled in tightly around his body like a protective cocoon. Nightingales did better than most Nightsiders in semi-darkness, but even their thick copper skin would break into a painful rash after too long of an exposure.
The meeting hall was only a few yards from the apprentice dormitory, but it felt more like miles to the young nightingales who stumbled thankfully into the darkened room. Four small torches, one at each corner of the hall, cast shadows on rows of long wooden benches. Although nightingales possessed acute night vision, they still required a trace of light to focus their eyes. Fire, like the moon and the stars, was one of the few forms of luminosity Nightsiders could tolerate.
“Take a seat,” bellowed the Overseer. “The Marshal is on his way.” A ripple of disgruntled muttering swept through the Flock. Slowly, the nightingales separated into groups of three or four to discuss the night’s events.
Nate and Marti sat down next to a cluster of apprentices huddled near the podium. A slim nightingale girl cast a wary eye in their direction, then moved over to allow them into the group. “Hello Nate. Lovely time to be dragged out of bed, don’t you think?”
“They’d better have a good reason why the regular night’ngales couldn’t handle it,” grumbled an apprentice from one of the senior Flocks.
“I heard there was a riot down on Oleander,” said Marti, a glint in his pale blue eyes.
“Oh, nonsense. You just like making up stories.” The apprentice girl glared at Marti, who stuck his tongue out in reply.
“It’s worse than I ever thought I’d see it, Kira,” Nate whispered. “My skin started burning just on the walk over here. Imagine what the more light sensitive Nightsiders must be going through.”
“That’s why it’s our job to take care of ‘em.” Marti’s chest swelled with pride. “Like shadows in the night, er…something something light.”
“You can’t even get the words to our motto right,” said Kira. “I doubt very much that you could take care of anyone.”
“It’s all those damn Dawnies’ fault,” huffed the older apprentice. “That’s what my pa says. Do away with the Dawnies and we’d have all the darkness we could ever want.”
“Quiet down!” roared the Overseer. “I don’t want the Marshal to think I’m raising Flocks of crows.”
“You don’t need to worry,” Nate muttered. An uneasy hush was already beginning to fall over the meeting hall, a silence that rode on the memories of snapped belt buckles or the damp smack of wood on flesh. Or faces pushed in the mud at two in the morning. Nate’s hands clenched unconsciously as he watched the Marshal’s shiny brown loafers strike a measured path towards the podium.
“Good evening, apprentices.” The jagged scar on the Marshal’s left cheek coiled and jumped like a spring when he spoke. Was it weariness that added an extra rasping note to his voice, or merely impatience? “I’m sure you’re wondering why you’ve been woken up at this hour. Although, seeing the present condition outside and knowing how apprentices gossip, I’m sure many of you already have some idea.”
A group of young nightingales at the back of the hall chuckled uneasily. The Marshal glared at the crowd, his strict, emotionless gaze instantly smothering the hint of nervous laughter.
“The Nightside has become steadily lighter over the past few months,” he continued, clearing his throat, “but today, for the first time, we are officially in a state of emergency. Those of you who actually wear your LSWs –“ his watery grey eyes met Nate’s blue ones, and he gave the boy a tiny, malicious grin – “know the light degree is at a level more often seen in the Twilightlands. Nightsiders all across the city are suffering, and panicking as a result. Earlier today there was a riot downtown, near Oleander Street. Several nightingales were injured while trying to hold back the crowd.”
“I told you so,” whispered Marti.
“Be quiet, Stupid!” hissed Kira, glancing towards the ruddy faced Overseer.
“I have decided to discharge you before things get too far out of hand,” said the Marshal. “Go back to your homes and calm down your families. Tell them whatever it is they need to hear. This situation will be dealt with,” he pounded his fist against the podium for emphasis, “but we cannot handle widespread panic among our own civilians.”
There was a moment of silence, and then the hall burst into discord.

That’s all for now. I hope to have a website soon with a synopsis, etc. so stay tuned…

Light and Darkness
By Genevieve Marie Noling

Chapter 1

It was dark outside, despite the time, and Leaf Olson couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t the cold, though that probably had something to do with it. The eerie silence that was always left when her sister wasn’t there also probably had something to do with it, however, even though she didn’t like to admit it, it was kinda freaking her out. It probably had more to do with the fact that her stomach was growling so ferociously, due to her not eating dinner, that she was sure that there was a lion in it. But that was just plain ridicules, for how could she swallow a lion? She’d have to cut it up to eat it, but then it wouldn’t be able to say anything! Sighing, she sat up, turned on the light, and, blinking tiredly at the sudden brightness, she got up and went downstairs for a midnight snack, dragging her feet as she walked.
Leaf was a very beautiful girl (even with her hair messed up and wearing her blue polka dotted PJ’s), who basically looked good in everything, but her favorite color was blue. She had a different shirt with a different shade of blue for all 365 days of the year, and she had dyed her hair to match. She always wore the same type of jeans during the day, and at night wore one of 180 pajama outfits, all in different shades of blue as well.
To match these outrageous dressing habits was Leaf’s mother, Kasha. Only difference was that Kasha wore………pink. Leaf hated pink. She hated it more than anything else. Likewise, Kasha hated blue. They were always bickering about which color was better, and dragging Leaf’s dad, Train, and twin brothers, Roy and Ricky (who’s real name is Ricardo), into the brawl. The only annoying (and slightly amusing) thing was, they liked to battle it out. They enjoyed shouting at each other, calling each other names, dragging the rest of the family into the fight. They considered it to be a game. They never went so far as to get violent, but they never let the fight get boring either. They would try to confuse the other by using long and complicated words and sentences. However, the only conclusion they ever managed to make was that they would have to continue the fight some other time. Then the whole process would start all over again.
Leaf yawned widely as she opened the fridge and got out the milk. Still yawning, she took out a cup and poured herself a drink. Holding it in her hands, she stared tiredly at the floor a few feet in front of her, not really seeing it. Finally, she drained her cup, put it in the sink, and walked back upstairs to bed. The last thing she saw before sleep took hold of her was the little dragon figure on her bedside table as it looked straight at her.
****************************************
“Morning mom, morning dad, morning Cat.” Said Leaf tiredly the next morning.
“Morning Leaf!”
“Morning honey.”
“Good morning, Leaf.”
“Well, I hope I do well on all these tests today. I’ve got a test on every subject, all in one day.” Said Leaf unconcernedly. “If I don’t ace all of them I might not go on to the next grade.”
“I know! It’s the same for me!” cried Leaf’s little sister, Cat (her real name was Catalia, but everybody called her Cat for short), piteously.
“ Well, they don’t call it Test Day for nothing, do they?” laughed their mother.
“Yeah, but all in one day?” asked Leaf before her sister could say anything. Then, as her dad opened his mouth, “I don’t really care either way, ‘cause I’ve been studying for weeks, and I’m fairly confident on getting all the answers right. Besides, who can worry about tests at 5:30 in the morning on a Monday? Hey, what’s the date?”
“It’s October 27, 2005. Oh, what are you doing? Heeeey!!!” said Cat, as she saw that Leaf was looking over her notes. “You said that you weren’t worried about the tests. If that were true then why are you looking over your notes?”
“It can’t hurt to have another peek while I can. Anyway, we’d better go. Come on Cat!” Leaf picked her backpack up and threw it over her shoulder. With a last, longing look upstairs toward her bedroom, she walked out the door, not waiting for her sister, who was putting her shoes on.
“You know the least you could do is wait for me.” Said Cat unhappily once she had caught up with Leaf at the bus stop.
“Sorry, I just want to get today over with, it’s not your fault. Really, I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
“I guess. But that’s a week worth of Fanta from the school vending machine.”
“Alright, alright!” Leaf threw her hands up in defeat. “By the way, did you study at all?” she asked innocently. Leaf wasn’t going down so easily.
“Ugh! Can I borrow you – “
“No.”
“You won’t even hear me out!”
“I don’t need to hear you out. There’s no excuse for not studying. If you fail all your tests, that’s not my problem. But….” Lily looked slyly out of the corner of her eye at her sister.
“But?” Cat asked hopefully.
“But, if you were to do me a favor, then I might find that my notes slip, right into the hands of somebody right next to me.” Leaf voiced her words carefully. She knew how to handle her sister, and that was likewise for the both of them. They might not look even remotely alike, but they were twins, and knew everything about one another. Leaf was wearing a light blue/indigo shirt which she called “Blue Everon”, a pair of regular old jeans, and had dyed her hair the same shade of blue as her shirt. Cat was wearing a checkered pink and black skirt(it was only pink because she couldn’t find it in any other color), a punk-style top, and her silver chain belt had skulls on it. She had nine different earrings on each ear, two on her belly button, and one on each of her eyebrows and her tongue. Her pure black hair had red streaks in it, and she had a tattoo with a skull with black wings, and the words “if you only knew what I did to your boyfriend last night” right underneath it.
Leaf watched her sister carefully. She knew what was coming next, she was just having fun watching her sister puzzle out whether or not to do as she had asked.
Finally, “Alright, what do you want me to do?”
“I want you to write this report for me. That’s all.” Leaf smiled serenely at her sister.
“Fine. But I had better ace all of the tests, or I’m going to make sure that you get an F on this report. Got it?”
“Sure as rain. Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Said Catalia, just as the bus pulled to a stop to pick them up.
****************************************
“Ugh! I can’t believe we had an English test, math test, literature test, creative writing test, and a P.E. test one after another without a break!” moaned Cat as she made herself fall onto the bed that she and her sister shared.
It was a water bed, and luckily, too, thought Cat, watching her sister plop her school bag onto the desk across the room and begin pulling out her assorted things. Cat’s eyes were drawn to the little statue of a dragon that Leaf had had for as long as she could remember. There was something strange about that dragon that made Cat curious. But Leaf didn’t talk that much about it, so Catalia didn’t either.
But there really is something strange about that figurine, she thought wearily, and not for the first time either. Nor would it be the last, it turns out.
“Hey, by the way, how did you manage to finish the literature test in five minutes? Not to mention the English test that took you all of two seconds!” Cat’s mind was still partially on the dragon figurine, but she tried her best to pull it away from that.
“What, were you timing me, or something? Anyway, all I did was study, that’s all, nothing more and nothing less. It’s as simple as that. Now, where did I put it? Aha! Here it is!”
“What is it you were looking for?” Cat sat up, trying to get a better look at whatever it was Leaf was holding. It was a velvet purple bag, with a pale blue silk in lining. It looked expensive.
“I was looking for - this.” Leaf pulled something out of the bag and handed it to her sister.
“It’s just a regular old crystal.” Said Cat, puzzled.
“But look at its shape!” Leaf said excitedly.
Cat looked closer at the crystal. It was in the shape of a dragon was looking at its reflection in a pool of some kind.
“Well, I guess a dragon needs a companion, right? Here you go, little guy.” Catalia put the crystal dragon next to the other dragon and regarded them critically.
“Hey, you do realize that it’s your turn to set the table, right? Shouldn’t you get going on that now?” Leaf looked up at Catalia from her seat at the desk.
“Crap, I was hoping you would forget, and I could blame it on you. Then I wouldn’t have to do it.”
“Better get crackin’ to it or mom’ll be pissed.” Said Leaf idly.
“Good point. Hey can you come with me? It’ll go faster with someone to talk to.”
“Alright, fine. I was actually going down there anyway so I could get something to drink, so I suppose it won’t hurt to stay down there a bit longer than I intended.” Leaf got up and made her way to the door.
“Well, are you coming or not?” Leaf noticed that Cat hadn’t moved, but instead was staring at Leaf’s dragons as though she had never seen anything quite like them. “Come on, you.” Leaf grabbed her sister’s arm and dragged her downstairs, where they talked about this and that, though the talk was half-hearted, and not very interesting.
****************************************
“Hi mom. Hi dad.” Chorused the two without trying. It was twelve o’clock and the girls had just woken up…and were still tired.
“Hey sweeties.” Said their mom quietly.
“Hey, so the two of you finally woke up, huh? Did you sleep well enough? Cause you still look like you could use some sleep!” said their dad, laughing.
“Ugh.” Said Catalia.
“Ugh.” Agreed Leaf.
They looked at their father and said in unison, “Don’t remind us, dad!”
“Remind you of what?”
“The fact that we’re dog tired and – “ started Cat.
“That we have to go meet our friends somewhere.” Finished Leaf, sitting down next to Cat.
“Well, you guys seem to be in sync this morning. And when I say that, I mean more than usual.” Said their mom, laughing quietly.
“Indeed.” Agreed their father.
The two sisters looked at each other, then looked back at their parents. Finally they looked down at their plates full of pancakes and silently started eating.
Later that day, the two girls said goodbye to their parents, and left for the mall. They met up with their friends outside Old Navy and went inside to completely waste their allowances on clothes and accessories. When the two sisters had said goodbye to their friends, they headed straight for home and collapsed on their shared water bed. They were instantly asleep.
Quietly, two crystalline shapes made their way over to the bed to gaze down upon the girls, particularly Leaf.
“She’s so beautiful when she’s asleep.” Sighed the new dragon the Leaf had just bought. Her name was Crystal.
“Isn’t she?” agreed the other dragon, whose name was David. “But however much I may want to stare at her for an eternity like this, we have jobs to do.”
“Alright.” Muttered Crystal.
They cleaned the mess the girls had made, pulled the comforter that was under the girls up to their chins, fluffed their pillows, opened the window, and then returned to their spot in the shadows of Leaf’s desk, and watched Leaf quietly as she slept.

Here’s an excerpt from an original book I’m writing. Enjoy, world!
Teen Ink Spooky Story Contest
By Erin Lavitt, from her original book Shadowchasers Part One: Clarus
Daphne Blake, resident party girl and purported shallow cheerleader, was walking home along the Miami streets from an eighteen-and-plus club in her best outfit, long black hair whipping around in the wind of a fall rainstorm. She shivered a bit and clutched her designer trenchcoat a little tighter around her enviable half-Asian sixteen-year-old body.
As her Jimmy Choo heels clipped on the sidewalk, she looked around and realized she’d taken a wrong turn, into a bad neighborhood like most of Miami. She really should have let Andre wake her home. But what happened in Club Vegas, stayed in Club Vegas…
Daphne clutched the Mace in her pocket pitifully when shadows darted behind alley walls. The stars began to shine, soothing some of her shattered nerves. Perhaps this wasn’t going to be a hurricane after all.
Too fast for warning, what Daphne first mistook for a guard dog pounced on the girl. It was the most horrible thing she had ever seen. Too big for a wolf, not quite big enough to be a bear. The only explanation she could possibly think of was a saber-tooth tiger… but it had a distinctly canine shape. Then, it spoke.
“It will taste wonderful…” the monster breathed, and sunk its fangs into the helpless girl’s neck.
Daphne’s fevered, shocked brain reacted to the touch of silver teeth, and became something else entirely. “Get off me, dog,” she said in a gruff voice that sounded quite unlike her. She shoved it off her, took the thing by its tail, and swung the werewolf around like a ragdoll.
It hit against a lamp-post, and whimpered, then began to snarl. She ran as though posessed, the streets blurring past, her steps running through fog, and found herself back home, hoping it had all been a dream.
Except the two silver teeth marks were still on her neck.

That’s for all those who are sick of the cheerleader (not that I’m a cheerleader) dying in horror films! Comment please! And I’m sistergrimm by the way, author, poet, and in the business of misery.

I first saw “The Dark Knight” over a month ago. The film was captivating as few have the potential to be, not because of its intense action sequences, skillful acting, or remarkable artistic design, but because of its unflinching exploration of human nature and the depth of its moral dilemmas. The world had never seen a superhero movie like this before - a movie that challenged them intellectually and spiritually, that left them deep in thought long after the final credits. As the lights came up in the theater, I was struck by a sudden and indignant thought: where is our dark knight?

Science fiction and fantasy have mirrored superhero comics for far longer than most people realize. In the 1920s, they were essentially one and the same - fantasy first gained widespread popularity in the pulp magazines and “graphic novels” of that decade, not the written format that is most common today. Read any sophisticated comic book, and you will realize that the themes between the covers are almost identical to those in sci-fi/fantasy: pushing the boundaries of humankind, good vs. evil (and the true nature of each), fate, responsibility towards your fellow (wo)man, overcoming adversity to accomplish the impossible, and so on. Until recently, both fantasy and superhero comics were maligned arts (science fiction has fared somewhat better, in my opinion), considered to be appropriate only for children and the chronically immature. The popularity of movies based on these genres in the last few years has begun to open them up to a larger audience. But until this July, labels like “escapist” and “juvenile” still endured.

Then “The Dark Knight” came along, and everything changed - or at least started to change. Today, people are excited about comic book superheroes. They’ve realized that they can be something more - something deeper - than pure entertainment. Hopefully the release of “Watchmen” (one of Time magazine’s top 100 English language novels since 1923) next March will only continue to emphasize that message. But in fantasy land, we’re still struggling for recognition. Perhaps this is because fantasy films have yet to stray far from genre stereotypes (elves, dragons, massive battles, etc.). One notable exception is “Pan’s Labyrinth,” a fantasy film so atypical that even I didn’t know what to make of it on first viewing - and whose promise has yet to be echoed in any more recent films.

What do you think? Are we in need of a “Dark Knight”? And if we are, which authors, titles, or subgenres is he or she most likely to come from?

A couple of weeks ago, I read Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett, one of the masters of sci-fi/fantasy parody. Although the book is primarily a lighthearted comedy, its satire of the roles of women in fantasy stuck with me (into the first week of school, when I was forced to make the difficult choice between feigning attention in class and doodling aimlessly on my notebook). Fantasy is a descendant of the traditional fairy tale, in which the “damsel in distress” is an all too common theme And while females have garnered more substantial parts in recent decades, it is rare for a woman to escape the roles of sidekick, vulnerable person in need of protection, or love interest with laughably impractical clothing, especially in mainstream films. Boys coming of age - becoming “men,” and thus supposedly stronger and smarter - is a frequent premise in sci-fi/fantasy, but there is little fanfare (other than the obvious “problems” and increased sexual appeal) when a girl becomes a woman. In fact, a girl often gets more respect.

All this isn’t to say that there haven’t been some steps forward. There are several strong female characters in the Harry Potter series, and many examples of higher level literature that increasingly blurs the meaning and boundaries of gender. But there have also been steps back; the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer comes to mind. Bella, the protagonist, spends most of her time and energy fantasizing over a male character who she stays in a relationship with even though his natural instinct is to kill her. I am sorry, but that shows little regard for female independence and self-respect. And though (being a girl) I am probably somewhat more alert to female-centric issues, I am also struck by the stringent gender guidelines placed on males in fantasy. How many male heroes have you read about that never pick up a sword/light saber/wand - that never physically fight at all? How many that want to pursue activities traditionally reserved for females? How many with a sexual orientation other than “straight”?

I am not saying that every woman in science fiction and fantasy should be a sword-swinging Amazonian warrior and every male should take up flower pressing. But gender in real life spans a wide range, and more than the most stereotypical examples deserve a place in sci-fi/fantasy literature.

For a fantasy series with strong, realistic female (and male) characters, try Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books, which are among my favorite in the genre for teens.

Un.

“Okay, I’m coming. So…yeah.” Ladiya called, and her footsteps became apparent as they stomped through the grass. The heavy woods had oh so many places for me to hide in. I grasped the branch of the tree nervously, hoping that I wouldn’t be found, or worse, fall. “Riken! Riken! Oh, come on, you’d better not be in the tree!” I tried not to snicker. But that must have been a bit too taxing combined with my grip, because I soon found myself losing my footing.

THUMP!

“I told you: No more hiding in trees! I can’t climb ‘em!” I smirked as she went off on one of her rants on how “Riken, you seem to be half-monkey or something, ’cause you’re always up those things,” and “My fingers are really stubby, and I can’t grab well, especially bark. Those damn Yernamn trees don’t do much good especially, since their bark is so smooth.” But she knows I’ll just hide up in a tree again next time. She gave me a weird look as I stayed at my spot on the ground, my fingers digging into the soil. “Well?” My grin didn’t waver.
“You’re just bitter because I always win.” She groaned, and told me it was because I cheated. “Say what you will,” I said standing up. “I am the princess of hiding. If there was ever a raid on the village, they’d never find me.” She sighed.
“That’s for sure. You’d be at the top of an oak, sticking out your tongue at them. Then, they’d whip out the fire arrows, and—”
“Ladiya! You have to come home, the sun’s going to set soon!” She looked towards her house just on the small hill nearby, her mother’s usual worried expression painted on her face. Laddie frowned and turned back to me.
“Sorry, Rik. Mom’s policy. No playing at least a half hour prior to dinner.” She paused, and then imitated her mother’s voice. “Your stomach will twist and knots and you’ll be vomiting ’til next year!”
“That’s kinda gross, Laddie.” I said, grabbing my stomach. She shrugged, waved, and ran off towards her house.
“See ya tomorrow night!” I made an about face and headed towards my own abode, a good ten minutes by foot.

Have YOU ever wondered what death is like?

Well, today is your lucky day. But… since I can’t answer that question… Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be death itself? Oh, you haven’t? Well, here goes:

10 Questions to ask Death

Q) Why is black the symbol of death? Why don’t you wear some other color?

A) Originally, I wanted to wear my favorite color, blue. But blood stains you know! In the end, I decided that black was just more practical. Just imagine how tacky it would be to wear blood stained clothes when ever I go out to lunch with the Boogyman or Santa Clause!

Q) Why are you portrayed as a skeleton?

A) Once you see flesh die, you don’t really have the desire to eat meat anymore. The only thing that grows in the underworld are vegetables like carrots and beets that grow underground. As a kid, I didn’t eat my vegetables. So, I only eat when I really must. So, to be frank, I’m just a slightly skinnier version of Mary-Kate.

Q) Do you enjoy your job?

A) Who wants to bring death to people? It’s like being a garbage man, you don’t want to, but someone has to, and people depend on you to. Now imagine the job of the garbage man being one million times more rare… now imagine how good my pay is!

Q) Why do you always dress in rags to do your bidding?

A) No offense, but I don’t want your dead human remains on me. When I’m not at work though, I dress pretty spiffy. I’ve been known to whip out an impressively extravagant suit whenever the Tooth Fairy is present…

Q) Why do you carry a scythe? Why not a sledgehammer or something?

A) First off, you have to admit that my scythe is pretty snazzy. To be honest though, originally I wanted to use the bat I have that’s signed by Babe Ruth. In the end, I decided that scythes are better fit for the job. The bat is now reserved only for giving comas.

Q) Have you ever accidently killed the wrong person?

A) To be honest, yes I have. But when I do, it’s not my fault. You have to blame the buisness. It’s like when you book a flight. Sometimes it’s delayed or canceled, or sometimes you take an earlier flight. You’ll get on the plane eventually, because you always end up going where you’re meant to be. This is often argumented that they never got to live out their life and this is true. Once again, blame the buisness. (If you have any complaints call 1-800-UR-DYING.)

Q) How do you know which person to kill?

A) It’s all through email. I carry one of those nice phones that recieve emails. Everytime it’s someones time, my phone will beep and an address or location will show up. Then I go to that area and do my bidding. Once again, if its the wrong address, blame the buisness…

Q) How do you have time to kill all these people? Are you in two places at once?

A) Are you insane? You can’t be in two places at once! That’s nonsense talk! The underworld runs on different time than your world. In your years im billions of years old. In my years, I’m just now getting my midlife crisis!

Q) Well, even still, how do you get to each place so quickly? You can’t possibly get from New York to Hawaii fast enough!

A) Believe it or not, the undergroud society isn’t quite as crowded as yours. We can move much faster undergroud without running into people. We’ve created systems of underground tracks that are about as fast as your modern day planes. Because of the time difference, it works out fine. Although, sometimes I do have really busy days. For days like those, I borrow the remote control that’s used on the set of Click, the Adam Sandler movie. But I only need those in times of desperate measures. Like during wars.

Q) What will happen once you do eventually die? Who will be death?

A) If things with the Tooth Fairy don’t go as planned, they’ll have to hire someone new. My job has been in the family for years. And if things go my way, a child with beautiful teeth will be the next Death.

Q) Death, any last words?

Yes, thank you. I just wanted to thank you for reading. And I hope you now have a higher appreciation for my job. Don’t fear death, but don’t go looking for it either. See you in the future.

-Death.

At its most daring, cutting edge, science fiction is no more or less than a foreshadowing of tomorrow - unless, of course, its a blueprint. Some of the most prominent inventions of the 20^th and early 21^st centuries were previewed in the pages of science fiction novels almost a century before they were studied in a lab. History makes it clear that when literature not only morphs into reality, but shapes it, remarkable advances are born. From robotic limbs to underwater exploration, examples abound of works of pure imagination that have evolved into technological innovations with the potential to improve the lives of millions and make the world a more interesting place.

Not convinced? Consider Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, one of the first science fiction novels published in the modern era. While hers was primarily a tale of remorse for tampering with the boundaries of nature, it also raised the possibility of organ transplantation - a vision that would not become a reality until almost 140 years later. Or look at the works of Jules Verne, which have been credited with predicting air conditioning, television, submarines, helicopters, and the internet. More recently, bionics and genetic engineering have made the leap from fantasy to scientific fact. The cochlear implant (a device to aid the hearing impaired) is the most famous example of a mechanical implant fulfilling the role of a biological organ, but also of note are a totally implanted artificial heart¹, a silicon retina², and a robotic arm driven by an amputee’s own thoughts³, all of which have been developed to an advanced stage in the last five years. And clinical trials are currently underway which involve the manipulation of patients’ genomes to correct disease causing mutations⁴.

So what’s on the horizon? Nanotechnology is one rapidly growing field whose origins can be traced to science fiction (and is the main focus of Michael Crichton’s recent novel, Prey). The growth of individually tailored organs from a person’s own tissues is also a tantalizing (and viable) candidate for the next major advance. To reach further towards the boundaries of science and the physical universe, a good novel may be your best guide.

Since this blog post addresses the science in science fiction, I have included a few links that technology and biology junkies like myself might enjoy. The next time your parent chides you for browsing the internet when you should be doing your homework, lay one of these bad boys on them and prepare yourself for a dazed surrender.

1. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01443.html
2. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/04/050429100652.htm
3. http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/09/25/bionic.arm/
4. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/04/050418203454.htm