This is a blog dedicated to adventure fiction. I'll get to that in a moment, but first I want to tell you the reason behind the creation of this blog. It has to do with my own development as a writer.
When I first began writing in earnest three years ago, I defined myself firmly as a science fiction writer. My first novel-length story was called Sullivan's War. It ended up being the first book of a series, The Sullivan Saga, and has remained my most popular publication to date. It is firmly sci-fi, but more than that, it is adventure fiction. The protagonists travel from planet to planet, getting involved in wars, facing danger at every turn. The third book of the series ultimately sees them facing off against a threat that could bring about an end to human civilization.
Despite adventure being the driving force behind the series, until recently I didn't consider myself an adventure writer per se. My most popular series happened to be adventure fiction, sure, but it was still science fiction. That was my genre. I published another science fiction novel called Chrysopteron that, even though it involves a generations-spanning adventure, I would not call adventure fiction in and of itself. It is more character oriented, and while there is action, it is not what drives the plot.
My next book not related to The Sullivan Saga was a paranormal teen novel--think Hardy Boys with a paranormal twist--called Darkridge Hall. It wasn't until I began writing my sixth published novel that I finally embraced the fact that I love to write--and love to read--adventure fiction, whatever other genre it may happen to be. Science fiction still remains a great focus in life, but I do not want to limit myself to it as a writer. There are so many other stories I want to tell. To that end, I have recently begun calling myself an adventure and science fiction writer. I expect that many of my stories will overlap those two genres.
When I began writing The City Beyond the Sands, I knew that even though it is a parallel Earth story, there would not be much of science fiction in it. There is a science fictional element--I'd say it has a veneer of science fiction--but it is, at its heart, an adventure novel. The protagonists are sent off on a journey across this parallel Earth--called Dushara--and end up fighting their way through ape men, hostile Mongol horsemen, bandits, pirates and strange, nonhuman creatures they encounter at the lost city of the title.
I had been reading a lot of Robert E. Howard at the time of writing The City Beyond the Sands, and his stories were certainly a big influence. As I work on its sequel, Riders of the Red Land, I feel my commitment to making this series as thrilling as possible has only grown. Howard has been an inspiration but so have all the adventure stories and films that I relished as a quiet, bookish boy.
But that brings up a question. Isn't adventure fiction, oh, I don't know... a bit childish? Doesn't it appeal to people who aren't all that interested in character development and the like? Those who just want action?
I think that this stigma against adventure fiction has a lot to do with the fact that most children's books are adventures. Once we're adults, we're supposed to move on to more mature content. I'd like to say right away that if you're here and reading this blog, you know that to be a load of bullshit. Most people think of the pulp magazines of the '30s through the '50s when they think of adventure stories. While it's true that much of the pulp fiction was written to a formula and the shorter lengths didn't allow writers to give us much beyond the action, these stories were the heirs of a long and proud tradition. As far back as Homer and Heliodorus, people wanted to hear stories of adventure. A little later, the stories of King Arthur and his knights served the same purpose, as did the stories--however true they might or might not have been--of explorers like Marco Polo and Sir John Mandeville. Beowulf, the songs of troubadours, Robinson Crusoe, Don Quixote, Gulliver... throughout history, humans of all classes have sought tales of adventure. They have appealed to children and adults alike.
I think the beginning of the disdain for adventure fiction occurred during the 19th century. It was during this century that "literature" really took hold. The Penny Dreadfuls in England and Dime Novels of America provided action-packed but ultimately disposable fiction for children to consume. The pulps, which erudite readers naturally looked down upon, emerged from these types of publications.
But the popularity of the Penny Dreadfuls, the pulp magazines and, today, novels like The Da Vinci Code, is a testament to the fact that we still want adventure. Even though we may be tucked up warm in our beds, we want to feel the excitement of combat, the adrenaline rush of a narrow escape, the wonder of discovering forgotten places.
Adventure fiction is an integral part of human history. As a writer, I think it's foolish to belittle any genre; there will be good and bad books in each, and we should, for our own mental and spiritual development, read a wide variety of fiction. I believe adventure stories should be a part of that variety. When we stop seeking adventure--even if it may just be in the form of a story--life becomes dull, rote, predictable. We become old. This blog is dedicated to the exploration of the adventure genre; it is dedicated to those who wish to remain young at heart. I hope you'll join me for this journey to unknown lands.
Adventure awaits!
Michael K. Rose
