The Art of Adaptation - Fantasy Monsters Part 1

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Hello Sup readers and writers,

Let me introduce you to today's topic in the Art of Adaptation series. It's all about Monsters!

In Fantasy Fiction, there are many kinds of 'evil' antagonistic creatures: classic monsters reimaged, new monsters with historical twists, and monsters from cultures beyond our familiar Western tropes. Through these creatures, we explore the physicality and psychology of our darkest nightmares and how they have adapted and changed over time. 

Classic Monsters

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is often cited as the first published SF/horror story. Exploring themes of humanity, divinity, power and abuse, it has been frequently reimaged. the results are everything from the comedic Young Frankenstein film by Mel Brooks to Pádraig Kenny's middle-grade read, Stitch. 

One of our own Sup authors, Merrie Destefano, has written an entire series in this theme, starting with book #1, Shade.

A dangerous holiday. A deadly curse brought to life.

When Mary Wollstonecroft Godwin accepted an invitation to Lord Byron's house party deep in the Swiss Alps, she hoped it would serve as a welcome distraction from her broken heart. Instead, she finds herself surrounded by enigmatic guests with their own dangerous secrets to hide....

Another classic monster is seen in The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, an 1886 Gothic horror novella by  Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of bizarre occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and a murderous criminal named Edward Hyde. 

I think we are all familiar with at least one of the modern-day spinoffs, The Incredible Hulk. But this powerful monster has adapted to new motivations triggered by emotions. Through rage, he becomes incredibly powerful, but unlike the murdering Hyde, he often tries to help or protect others. 

Vampires Revissioned

The classic origin of vampires is usually cited as Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula. Here we see a hideous, ravenous monster, as portrayed in the film Nosferatu, but slowly, over time, a transformation in these creatures is occurring. The image of the vampire, still wicked and powerful, is now the alluring and attractive creatures of The Vampire Diaries and The Southern Vampire Mysteries. 

In more examples, four of our own Sup authors have contributed to the expanding genre with an anthology titled Supernatural Underground, Vampires Gone Wild! Have you read it?

A deeper dive into this relationship between readers, writers and vampires is HERE in The Evolution of the Vampire. One of the more intriguing aspects is ... not so much of the monsters themselves, but of our relationship to them. We don’t see evil like we used to! - From Vampire Evolution - 2011

The Fae and Other Forest Creatures

From Pixies to the Unseelie Court, books featuring Fae - revisioned or otherwise -  are extremely popular. Originally, we meet this brand of Fantasy creatures in the 1697 "Tales of Mother Goose," by Charles Perrault. It includes familiar stories like "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cinderella," and "Puss in Boots." 

Perrault's work was followed in 1812 by Grimms' Fairy Tales, which included stories like "Hansel and Gretel," "Rapunzel," and "Snow White". 

Many of these Fae from ancient folklore were dangerous, deadly so, but modern adaptations see them differently. Still risky and highly mercurial, contemporary Fae have something akin to a human heart. Consider Holly Blacks Folk of the Air, and Seanan McGuire's "Every Heart a Doorway.

Our own Helen Lowe began her Fantasy Fiction career with the publication of Thornspell - a reimaging of Sleeping Beauty from the point of view of the prince!

Further Shores - Dragons East and West

Chinese Dragon VS Western Dragon: Here's What You Need To Know

When dragons take the form of East or West, they split our cultural psychologies in half. They used to, anyway. Nowadays, you know when you are face to face with a Dragon, but you may not know what kind it is - one that brings the best day of your life, or the worst.

For example, Eastern dragons are benevolent, representing good luck and prosperity, a rain deity to be honoured, while Western dragons are commonly depicted as fire-breathing, treasure-hording, Smaug-like, destructive monsters that must be slayed. 

But contemporary storytelling in the West is changing as our dragons adapt to a more blended representation. Anne McCaffrey dedicated her life, intentionally or not, to this cause with her 25 volumes of Dragon Riders of Pern. 

Where to begin? Anne McCaffrey's first novel is Dragonflight 

In this world, dragons bond telepathically with a single human when they hatch, and then the pair spends their lives together protecting the planet from deadly Thread that falls from the sky. Those growing up with, or even reading her books for the first time, experience a new dragon psychology that is warmer, yet challenging, empowering, but full of risks. 

Compare this to the novels released in the last few decades featuring Eastern Dragons, such as Alison Goodman's Eon and Eona. Can you feel the adaptations, in both directions?

If you are drawn to a specific type of 'monster', I would love to hear about it! 

And, be sure to check back next month for part 2 in the Art of Adaptation - Fantasy Monsters

:) Kim

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Other Posts in the Art of Adaptation 2025

January - The Art of Adaptation - Films in 2025

February - The Art of Adaptation - Authors' Response to External Pressures

March - The Art of Adaptation - The Healing Magic of KDrama

April - The Art of Adaptation -  Reader Persuasion

May - The Art of Adaptation - Fantasy Monsters Part 1

June - The Art of Adaptation - Fantasy Monsters Part 2 

July - The Art of Adaptation - Alternate History

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About Kim Falconer 

Kim Falconer, also writing as AK Wilder, has released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows as book 2 in the series. Currently, she is ready with the third book, out in 2025. TBA

Kim can be found on AKWilder.com, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and KimFalconer.com. 

Throw the bones on the AKWilder.com site.. See you there!

Choose Your Weapon - the Perfect Storm

 

Blurred Lines by Yuumi Art - This image reminds me of Hina Amano an Anime character known as a "sunshine girl." She can stop a downpour, but at a great sacrifice to herself.

Hello everyone! Today we continue the exploration of weapons in Fantasy Fiction through the power of the Perfect Storm. 

What do I mean by that exactly? 

Perfect Storm

a) a particularly violent storm arising from a rare combination of adverse meteorological factors.

But, in the case of Fantasy, those adverse meteorological factors are conjured through magic, or the power of the mind. 

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

This is where we find rain, wind, earthquakes, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, lightning strikes and tornados controlled by an adept being, and utilized as a weapon whether defensive or offensive.

To be clear, these meteorological nightmares are not random acts of nature, but disasters under the specific control of a weather witch, mage, sorcerer, wizard or a High Savant. In some cases, they may be controlled by a young apprentice who has no idea what they are doing! 

Just think of Mickey Mouse in the 1940 animation Fantasia where he plays the Sorcerer's Apprentice inspired by a poem by Goethe, and later Paul Dukas, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It's a cautionary tale!

Let's look at more examples:

A favourite character that comes to mind is Ged from Ursula K Le Guin's Earth Sea Books (recently discussed by Helen Lowe in The Year of the Villain #2). Again we have a young mage who discovers by accident that he has the power to control meteorological forces of nature.

And speaking of Helen Lowe, weatherworkers feature prominently in her title "Daughter of Blood" where Faro, a kid with innate weatherworking power, calls lightning to save himself on two occasions, both times to profound effect.

In the case of authors like these, myself included, the power comes from within the character (Mage, Weatherworker or Savant) who must learn how to control their abilities before they can utilize them effectively. In Crown of Bones, we see just how powerful the caller savants can be when they combine forces to repel Tann's attack on Baiseen.

In the LOTR, and the Hobbit, it is Gandalf who conjures lightning and fire as weapons.  This is different from those like the Airbender's abilities to manipulate actual meteorological phenomena. For example, they might change barometric pressures in the jet stream resulting in torrential rain, wind and storms. 

Power Objects

Another take on the topic is the artifact or power which, when found and harnessed, is used to master the environment or turn it into a battlefield. 

Robert Jordon does this with the ter’angreal, the bowl of Winds that when first mentioned has been missing for over two thousand years. It then appears in several Wheel of Time books: Lord of Chaos and A Crown of Swords, before being mastered by Elayne, Aviendha, and Nynaeve in The Path of Daggers. 

The problem with the power in the artifact is that it can be stolen by anyone. Take for example the Windspeakers in Emily Foster's The Drowning Eyes. These beings have eyes of stone, almost like a reverse Medusa. With them, they draw the wind from the sails of pirates to protect the island villages. But when pirates steal the magical artifact, the control of the weather is in other hands, to devastating effect.

Consequences

...which leads us to an array of consequences. 

As seen in The Sorcerer's Apprentice, most stories dealing with the manipulation of meteorological power also explore the outcomes, both good and bad. David Eddings does this brilliantly in The Malloreon.

Here we discover sorcerers like Belgarion with the power to summon storms as weapons but don't always stop to consider what might happen next, as when one simple storm triggers an Ice Age.  

What are your most loved uses of a Perfect Storm in Fantasy Fiction? I'd love to hear about it in the comments. 

xxKim

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Choose Your Weapon Series 2024

Poison

The Perfect Storm

The Sword

Firearms

Ranged

Spells

Unarmed

Curses

Time Travel

Invisibility

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About Kim Falconer

Kim Falconer, currently writing as AK Wilder, has released Crown of Bones, a YA Epic Fantasy with Curse of Shadows as book 2 in the series. Currently, she is working on the third book, out in 2024.

Kim can be found on  AKWilder Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

Throw the bones, read your horoscopes or Raise Your Phantom on the AKWilder.com site

The End of Chaos - When Can We Do It Again?

It's very strange to be a debut author after more than a decade of striving to get through that gateway. But it's especially strange if your debut is birthed as three books released in eighteen months. *gulp* I feel that I can now tell this tale, at long last, and maybe, through my own weakness, fellow writers out there can figure out how you'd do it better, or you amazing readers can see how the cheese is made. For now, I'm just glad I survived.

The truth is, there are enough ups and downs in merely creating/editing/proofing a first book to make the most sturdy soul blanch. Because as the edits begin you become acutely aware, as you comb your way through rewrites and plot spaghetti, that this is only going to be the beginning of a very foggy journey. There is a long way still to go. But in spite of your doubt, you trudge your way through the edit phase of Book One even as you begin the daunting task of attempting to create a sequel—though you've become fairly sure through the multiple rounds of edits on Book One that you're actually a talentless hack, a charlatan, who couldn't write copy for the back of a cereal box.

Needless to say, doubt and the fear of impending failure become your familiar bedfellows as you complete those edits, then tie up the over-sized manuscript for your "bridge book", all the while being terrified everything you've been working on is a flim-flamming cliche. Your dreams at night now consist of rooms full of people laughing and pointing at you in mockery. And in the waking hours (or the witching ones) you wander in a brain fog between your coffee pot and your writing desk, making interesting mosaics on your flooring from dribbled vices like wine or Milk Duds.

But still, at long last, you turn in the jumble of words called Book Two just as Book One releases out into the world.

Shockingly(!) not too many people trash your attempt at a debut. It's actually received with interest—if not fanfare—and you feel better. You think, Huh, maybe I can do this author thing. It hasn't killed me yet!

And then the edits for Book Two begin. Your editor also reminds you of that whole "Book Three" thing you should already be half way through. *blink, blink* Book Two begins to feel contrived and underdeveloped as you attempt to untangle it, and your panic bunnies start jumping through your subconscious again, this time with great clanging symbols of ineptitude.

But, yet again, you turn in the edits and somehow manage to patch together something resembling a trilogy finale. And just as Book Two flies out to readers, you feel yourself come back to reality with a weighty thud. Because in the midst of the fog, you've forgotten your children's names, lost the dog somewhere, and you're pretty sure you accidentally went to church in your pajamas several weeks in a row. Everyone who knew you BC (Before Contract) wonder if you're even still alive, but you are on a first name basis with every Starbucks barista in town. Still, you somehow have this wide-eyed amazement at finishing (of a sort) this vast task that felt insurmountable only a year prior.

You've turned in the over-written Book Three, and you are PUMPED to have this thing nearly in the bag!

*PHEW*

So, you work like a BOSS on those Book Three edits. You make those intelligible scenes and massive plot holes your b*tch. And then you smile in satisfaction as it all wraps up and is handed back in. You've finished edits for Book Three in record time, gotten your editor's high-fives for climbing Trilogy Mountain, set up all the marketing madness you can manage for the final release, and suddenly you sit back and look at your cat named Noodle and . . . and . . .

And a dark thought creeps in. What. Comes. Next? 

For eighteen straight months you've had your bones, brains, and soul pouring into this beast of a task, this epic arc of a story, and now, well, you need to figure out what's your insides gonna do now? Because who would you be if you weren't hunched over your keyboard with bagel and smear crusted in your hair?! You'd have to, like, be normal again. Uhk!

This, my friends, is what my debut journey felt like. True confessions: I was scared of my inability to do this task as my agent and I jumped into the unknown, and now I am feeling the heavy lack of it. Because there is an alluring adrenaline to impossible deadlines, and I am definitely an adrenaline junky. I'm a go-go-go creator when pushed. I'm also apparently a massive masochist because I cannot WAIT to do this all over again. And again.

And again.

So stay tuned for the next leg in this insane journey, hopefully it'll include another sarcastic main character and shadows lurking around every corner. ;)

_____________________

Rachel A. Marks is an award-winning author and professional artist, a SoCal girl, cancer survivor, a surfer and dirt-bike rider, chocolate lover and keeper of faerie secrets. She was voted: Most Likely to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse, but hopes she'll never have to test the theory. Her debut series The Dark Cycle, described as Dickens' Oliver Twist meets TV's Supernatural, begins with the Amazon Bestseller, DARKNESS BRUTAL.

Buy: The Dark Cycle
Her Website: Shadow of the Wood