Guest Post: A Return to the Roots, by Stephen Zimmer
A Return to the Roots: A Hero for Today’s Readers and Times
By Stephen Zimmer
In general, there has been a turn toward anti-heroes within
the stories told in today’s speculative fiction, a time where there has been a
proliferation of subgenres in the realms of fantasy, science fiction, horror
and other primary genres. Cross-genre
fiction has also seen a sharp rise during this time, blending elements of many various
genres into unique blends that open some fresh new territory for readers.
All of these developments in genres and kinds of characters
are welcome and needed. They expand the
possibilities in storytelling and character development, in addition to encouraging
writers to take chances with their fiction.
Nevertheless, I also see a rising need in today’s fiction
for characters like Ragnar Stormbringer or Rayden Valkyrie in an increasingly
complex and troubled world. They are bonafide
heroes who dwell within stories that fall into the more primary genres of fantasy,
or sword and sorcery, as opposed to some of the current trends in writing today.
Yet that is precisely why a character like Ragnar
Stormbringer has a viable place in speculative fiction at this time. Hero characters like Ragnar help to fill some
growing needs in today’s fiction. When
new trends bring greater participation, voids develop in long-cherished
spheres. Ragnar Stormbringer gets back
to the roots of heroic sword and sorcery, and fantasy fiction, but does it in a
way that can connect just as strongly with today’s reader as heroic characters within
these larger genres did with readers in the past.
In a world where everything appears relative and many feel
an increasing loss of control over their own worlds, a figure who is unapologetic,
uncompromising, and strong of will has a definite allure, in my opinion. A strong hero character calls to the
foundational elements within everyone, to unlock the potential in all of us to
become the kind of people who can stand our ground, rise to a challenge, and be
the kind of individual that friends and families can count on.
Ragnar is that type of character, through and through.
This attraction reflects, in many senses, a very primal
thing, that reaches all the way back to the earliest phase of human existence.
where protectors and leaders stepped forward to make it possible for the first
humans to survive within very dangerous worlds.
In my opinion, the anti-heroes have great appeal today
because they often have more complexity to their characters and their actions
are more unpredictable. Ragnar is not an
anti-hero, but neither is he without his own blemishes and complexity.
He is flawed, makes mistakes, and is extremely dangerous, in
terms of what he is capable of doing. He
is not predictable in his actions either.
Nonetheless, he is drawn to making choices that result in
actions that make him a hero figure. He
does have a code that he holds to, even if rough-edged.
The reasons are many as to why I am excited about telling
his full story, beginning with the stand-alone novella Depths of Night. Without
giving away any significant spoilers, this story has Ragnar engaged in some
serious self-examination, and readers will see that he is fully human and
capable of looking at himself in a raw, honest light.
It is a fast-paced, character-driven story, but readers will
come away with a strong sense of who Ragnar is and what makes him heroic. His power comes from determination and
will. He does not have superpowers, nor
is he supernatural. In that sense, readers
will be able to relate to him more directly in terms of their own lives and
experiences, and because of this I see him as a truly inspirational
figure.
A hero need not be two-dimensional, or bland. They can have all the depth and varied dimensions
of a compelling anti-hero character, while still remaining a genuine hero. A
hero character can struggle with elements that are found in most anti-hero
characters, such as being driven out of self-interests, or doing things in a
way that threaten moral codes or ethics.
Ragnar’s temper and primal aspects bring him close to those
edges often, and from time to time cross them, but that is part of the struggle
of being human to begin with. It is the
overall picture that develops of Ragnar that counts in the long run; and that
picture is the portrayal of a powerful hero who calls to the heroic present
within all of us.
The challenge to me as a writer is to tell his story in a
way that is compelling, engaging, and inspirational in a literary world heavily
populated with anti-heroes. Heroes are
timeless, and a return to the roots of fantasy, and sword and sorcery, provides
a great foundation to help remind us of the need for them and their continued presence
in all genres of literature.
----
Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker based out of Lexington, Ky. His works include the Rayden Valkyrie sword-and-sorcery novels, the Rising Dawn cross-genre saga, Fires in Eden epic fantasy series, the Hellscapes short story collections, the Chronicles of Ave fantasy short story collections, the Harvey and Solomon Tales (steampunk), and the forthcoming Faraway Saga, a young-adult dystopian cross-genre series.
Stephen's visual work includes the feature film Shadows Light, short films such as The Sirens and Swordbearer, and the forthcoming Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV pilot.
Stephen is a proud Kentucky Colonel who also enjoys the realms of music, martial arts, good bourbons, and spending time with family.
Now available: Depths of Night by Stephen Zimmer
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After a harrowing end to a long sea journey, the famed
northern warrior Ragnar Stormbringer and a force of warriors step ashore in the
lands of the Petranni, a tribal people known for their workings in silver and
gold. The search for plunder takes a sharp turn when homesteads, villages, and
temple sites show signs of being recently abandoned.
When it is discovered that the Petranni have all taken
refuge within a massive stronghold, Ragnar and the others soon fall under the
shadow of an ancient, deadly adversary. Wielding his legendary war axe Raven Caller, Ragnar finds his strength
tested like never before.
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