Archives for April 2021

FEMALE EMPOWERMENT may be defined as “Promoting a WOMAN’s sense of Self-Worth, and the Ability to make her own Choices.”

SCIENCE FICTION has been doing that — for decades!!! To name just a few examples:

Star Trek (1964) — Lieutenant Uhura
Nichelle Nichols caused a sensation in the 1960s (One of the first times a black woman was cast as a main character in a major television show.) Uhura is smart, capable, confident and respected by her crew for those qualities without question. In her own words. “I was projecting … what should have been quite simple. We’re on a starship. I was head communications officer. Fourth in command … They didn’t see this as being oh, it doesn’t happen till the 23rd century. Young people and adults saw it as now.”

Star Wars (1977) — Princess Leia
Princess Leia Organa — portrayed by Carrie Fisher — is a wisecracking, fearless rebel who isn’t afraid to fight dirty. She thwarts Darth Vader and helps bring about destruction of the Death Star, later commands a Rebel Base and helps rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt. Leia has been called a feminist hero and model for other adventure heroines. (No wonder!)

Alien (1979) — Ellen Ripley
Ripley — played by Sigourney Weaver — fights off extra terrestrial evil, rebels against a corporation, and manages to survive in a hostile environment where all men fail. She’s smart, tough, and riveting to watch. Entertainment Weekly called Ripley “one of the first female movie characters who isn’t defined by the men around her, or by her relationship to them”.

Terminator 2 (1991) — Sarah Conner
Sarah Conner — played by Linda Hamilton — develops from a timid damsel in distress victim in the first film to a wanted fugitive committing acts of terrorism, a hardened warrior and mother who sacrifices everything for her son’s future and is on the verge of losing touch with her own humanity, and a mentor preparing and protecting a protégée for her destiny.

The X-Files (1993) — Dana Scully
Scully — portrayed by Gillian Anderson — was resolute and logical (providing the foil to David Duchovny’s paranoid paranormal obsessive Fox Mulder) – and could close a case with a mere roll of her eyes. Dana is best known for her cool rationalism, advanced investigative skills, and fearless determination. Her biggest moments of power always involve staring down the face of danger to uncover the conspiracies of the shadow government despite the threat to her own life.

Avatar (2009) — Neytiri
Neytiri — played by Zoe Saldana — is a bold, agile warrior who meets her human/Avatar body mate Jake by saving his life. She represents justice, honesty, spiritual connectivity and a self-less defender of her entire species. Neytiri’s unflinching heroism to protect her immediate and extended family becomes a contagious addiction … that forces Jake to confront the larger moral and ethical issues that his fellow Earthlings are ignoring in the midst of their pillage of Pandora.

The Hunger Games (2012) — Katniss Everdeen
Katniss Everdeen — played by Jennifer Lawrence — has inspired a generation of young women by standing up for what she believes in no matter the consequences. Dystopian societies and totalitarian regimes are a dime a dozen in Sci-Fi, but there’s something particularly loathsome about one that uses teenagers to fight to the death for their amusement. Katniss volunteers to replace her sister in the annual Hunger Games in order to spare her life. Using her cunning, wilderness survival skills, and archery, she manages to buck the rules of the system by taking on a partner to jointly win the tournament — parlaying that success into a full-blown rebellion.

Arrival (2016) — Louise Banks
Louise Banks — portrayed by Amy Adams — lives quietly, working as a University linquist professor, until 12 mysterious Spacecraft land around the globe, sending humanity into a panic. The American military calls upon Louise to communicate with Alien “heptapods” onboard a ship. She is determined, intelligent, and patient — trying to examine things objectively and make choices based on logic, not fear. Her approach is the only one that can save humanity from itself.

Like other great SCI-FI, Female Empowerment also plays a vital role in the story of Una Waters — our central character in THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY.

In Book 1 A GLEAM OF LIGHT, Una survives a terrifying Encounter on Flight 564 at the age of eight. Twenty-one years later, a desperate plea draws Una away from a D.C. Government job back to her roots in Hopiland — to help solve a Mystery when the U.S. Army invades the Sacred Peaks. With boundless determination, Una must stand up to a stiff-necked General, to protect an Ancient Discovery and restore Peace to her people.

In Book 2 THE DRAGON’S GLARE, Una’s on Special Assignment in New York City to help solve a Chinatown Mystery. Searching for clues, she butts heads again with General Ashcroft. Unexplained acts of violence, an episode of Missing Time and an Out-Of-This-World Encounter confirm Una’s childhood beliefs in Sky People. WE ARE NOT ALONE.

In Book 3 BEYOND THE WORLD, Una’s Honeymoon Adventure in Yosemite is disrupted when Ashcroft gets called away on duty. With new friends from Explorer’s Club, Una uncovers a UFO mystery, survives deadly attacks and fights to defeat an Alien Conspiracy that threatens to end life on Earth as we know it.
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The Journey to THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY began years ago, with a Love for Science Fiction & Fantasy, inspired by visionary Storytellers … like Walt Disney, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Steven Spielberg.

My earliest attempts at line Art involved drawing DISNEY Cartoon characters, like Donald Duck, Goofy and Mickey Mouse. I dreamed of becoming an animator.

Around 1975, PLANET OF THE APES inspired me to create prosthetic “Apes” makeup, as I was hoping to work in Hollywood some day. Still in my teens, I created a plaster model of my own face, experimenting with latex rubber.

After years of watching Artist Friend CHRIS YAMBAR draw Comics in his basement, in the late 1970’s (while still in High School at Austintown Fitch) we imagined an ambitious Movie Idea — IN SEARCH OF OMARA — with prosthetic make-up for Beastly Heroes, Matte Paintings and Stop-Motion animated Monsters. We even produced a hand-written screenplay and scouted “shooting locations” in Mill Creek Park. It never went beyond the planning stage.

Together with High School Friends, I helped produce Independent Films, like the DANVILLE FAMILY CURSE (creating Werewolf Make-up for another Actor.) We filmed scenes at night in the woods with spotlights and attempted to create a soundtrack on audiocassette. Shortly afterward, the creator behind “Danville” asked me to transform him into a Giant White Rabbit for another Film — TERROR FROM LAB 109. His name? Pete Bishop (not to be confused with the character from FRINGE).

Classmate Ron Parker was a KISS Fanatic. He recruited Me & CHRIS YAMBAR to help create Costumes and wear grease paint for a KISS Photo Shoot with Ron (as Gene Simmons) Chris (as Peter Criss), Me (as Ace Frehley) and Ron’s cousin (as Paul Stanley) to enter a LOOK-LIKE CONTEST. We painted a “Wall of Fire” on basement walls for the backdrop, had a Hair-Stylist create the wigs and a real Photographer. Somehow … we did not win. But we had a lot of Fun!

In 1979 I created Concept Art (in colored pencil on poster board) to depict characters from THE KEY OF PEACE (an Epic Story written by CHRIS YAMBAR) — a “buddy tale” featuring two friends, one sort of Hobbit-like, the other a young Satyr — and their incredible adventures through an imaginary land, very much like Middle Earth.

I contributed to MANNA UNDERGROUND PRESS — a Christian publication created by CHRIS YAMBAR while working for Lamb Ministries in Youngstown — with some “Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” themed Artwork. It all led up to an actual event — A “Lord of the Rings” Party open to the Public — which I helped plan but was unable to attend (because it took place while I was away in College).

We created Huge wall murals on paper for the “RINGS” PARTY — one of “Gollum” from the Tolkien Calendar May 1978 by the Brothers Hildebrandt, and another of Orcs attacking Dwarves from the 1977 Rankin/Bass animated version of “The Hobbit””.

I contributed to MYTHOS, a “non-profit journal of mythopoeic art, comments, humor, and scholarship”. It featured “J.R.R. Tolkien and the Supernatural” — an article written and illustrated by Me (Reprinted, with permission, from Manna Underground Press 2:6, 1983). My original Art also appeared in REBEL GRAPHICS — a 1984 CHRIS YAMBAR publication (Issue #1 — Described as “A Powerful New Mag in 7-D”).

Over time, my Creative Focus turned to Storytelling. My first attempt at writing a book — THE GUARDIAN CONSPIRACY — was planned as Part 1 of a Trilogy. The story dealt with Extraterrestrial influence on a Mythical Empire in prehistoric Australia.

Efforts to create realistic FANTASY ART in acrylic color on canvas included works like “DAMSEL IN DISTRESS” (it imagined a tiny Dragon coming to rescue a beautiful girl from a stone dungeon) and “SEA SERPENT” featuring a woman Warrior (modeled after the legendary Rachel Welch from “One Million Years, B.C.” ).

Years later, CHRIS YAMBAR and I reconnected @ 2003. WEREWOLF ORPHAN BOY was a Pen & Ink illustration for a short story idea. He shared it with me one day over a long breakfast at the Dutch Haus in Columbiana. It led to a brief renewal of our friendship — though the story was never published.

Around 2015, I pursued another Book Idea — PLIGHT OF THE OVERLORDS — about an Out-Of-Place-Artifact (super technology) discovered by Human Beings, then sought after by Aliens. The “Plight” of the Overlords was this: no matter how highly advanced they considered themselves to be … there was always someone Else ABOVE Them.

Soon after, my wife Marsha and I found inspiration in Hopi Mythology … and were fascinated with the concept of the Great Spirit giving specific forms of Guardianship to each of four Human Races based on skin color: red, yellow, black, and white. It seemed like a great foundation for a Story, and led to creation of THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY.

In 2016, the Story began to take shape with Book 1 A GLEAM OF LIGHT — opening with a Real-Life UFO Encounter (America West Flight 564 in 1995) … followed by a plea for help 21 years later, bringing Una Waters back to her roots in Hopiland. She faces up to a stiff-necked Army General, while trying to protect an Ancient Discovery.

In 2017 came Book 2 THE DRAGON’S GLARE, in which Una, on Special Assignment to solve a Mystery in New York’s Chinatown, butts heads again with General Ashcroft. An Out-Of-This-World Encounter confirms her childhood beliefs — WE ARE NOT ALONE.

In 2018, Book 3 BEYOND THE WORLD finds Una & Ashcroft’s Honeymoon Adventure in Yosemite National Park disrupted … when duty calls him away. With the help of new friends from Explorer’s Club, Una uncovers a UFO Mystery — that points to an Alien Conspiracy!

In 2019 A GLEAM OF LIGHT was an Award Finalist in the READERS’ FAVORITE International Book Awards — in the genre of Young Adult Sci-Fi. We traveled to Miami to participate in the Awards Ceremony. It was the thrill of a lifetime!

THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY has received glowing Reviews from Publishers Weekly, Readers’ Favorite, Audiobook Empire and more. All three Books have been released as Audiobooks through AUDIBLE, Amazon & iTunes — narrated by professional voice actress Kat Bohn with original Music from composer T.J. Wilkins.

The Journey continues …

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More than half of today’s YA Readers are over the age of 18. Why? For LOTS of reasons. Here are just a few:

1) The INTENSITY of First-Time Emotion
It’s completely different … and reminds Readers of a time in their lives more focused on Self-Discovery. They want to encounter Feelings that they recognize. These Emotions often lead to Attraction and Romance.

2) Real-Life STRUGGLES
YA Characters cope with Real-Life conflicts and obstacles. They wrestle with important concepts — like Friendship and Personal Identity (who they are and who they should be).

3) Limitless IMAGINATION
YA Fiction is all about Adventure, Exploring the Great Unknown and “Saving the World” from Forces of Evil. YA Characters tend to be Resourceful and Courageous.

4) Personal EMPOWERMENT
YA Characters often discover Hidden Abilities within themselves. This helps them find an identity and strength, becoming EMPOWERED against great odds. Many stories are Female-Driven (like Divergent or The Hunger Games).

5) HOPE for the Future
YA Fiction is generally Hopeful, with an underlying Optimism — even through the Darkness. Readers need to know that they’re not alone (dealing with Feelings like Anxiety or Depression) … and things will get better.

In addition to those above, there’s another Reason, mentioned less often but no less important: Embracing DIVERSITY. The Heroes are often more Diverse. Readers of all ages find themselves drawn to characters they can identify with.

Diversity in YA Fiction offers an opportunity for personal Growth. People-of-color struggle to overcome Obstacles wherever they occur. Increasingly, one can find more Gay, Lesbian and Transgender characters. Its far-reaching scope even contemplates Life elsewhere in the universe.

Embodiment in THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY

In Book 1, A GLEAM OF LIGHT, half-Hopi and still struggling to fit into a White Man’s World, UNA WATERS wrestles with her own definition of self. After leaving her childhood home as an Orphan — vowing to never look back, she returns to Hopiland as an adult, needing to reaquaint herself with her roots — and so the reader comes to learn about Hopi culture and mythology through her eyes.

 

 

Reviewer Comments:

“I loved the story of the prodigal child returning home after many years, not knowing if she will be accepted or shunned … — JennlyT

“From the moment I opened and read the first pages of this enchanting tale, I was hooked. I found it to be a mystical, otherworldly and totally riveting story … And as you read this wonderful book, you’ll begin to think that all things come together for a purpose and the very fact that you’re holding this great book in your hands was meant to be …” — DTChantel

“Armed with her knowledge, group of friends, and her own strength; Una Waters is in the surprise of her life as she navigates through beings and situations that don’t even seem possible to exist.”— Hannah Kercheval

“Her journey is one of discovery, not only into the events occurring on the peaks and the past, but into herself and the connection she had almost forgotten with the land and life.” — K.J. Simmill, Award-Winning UK Author and Blogger

” I enjoyed how the story was both the sci-fi mystery I was anticipating, but also a journey of the heart for Una.” — Sophia Rose on Audible

In Book 2, THE DRAGON’S GLARE, Una discovers connections between Hopi and Asian Culture (specifically Tibet) that she never anticipated, thanks to sparked memories of Hopi prophecy. Her hidden abilities (revealed by contact with an ancient Hopi artifact in Book 1) enable her to seek help from a Higher power — to resolve a very real crisis that threatens to start World War III.

 

 

Reviewer Comments:

“I find something in this for everyone. UFO buffs and conspiracy theory aficionados … a bit of romance … and mystery … More importantly I found a message of unity and hope. — Teresa A. Garcia, Star Dragon Publishing

“This book has a little bit for everyone, especially if you believe in aliens and love mythology. There is also a lot of action that is going to keep you on the edge of your seat.” — Jessica Bronder

“Una has been sent on a special assignment mission in Chinatown NYC … As the danger grows and humanity is in grave danger, Una knows that she needs to figure out the seemingly unearthly mystery before it’s too late.” — Hannah Kercheval

“Book 2 introduces a new character, Rufus, who is the computer geek. He adds a little more interest to the story and risks his life to save Una during a pretty spectacular UFO incident … The resolution of the conflict is the twist that wraps up the story, adds to the mysterious and keeps the series going.” — Riley Moreland

In Book 3, BEYOND THE WORLD, Una’s Extraterrestrial connection empowers her to fight back against an ALIEN Conspiracy that threatens the Survival of Humanity. New and old friends join Una in this larger-than-life battle to save the world, which just-so-happens to coincide with a romantic Honeymoon Adventure! It also points to renewed Hope for the Future.

 

 

Reviewer Comments:

“For Science Fiction fans who are particularly interested in extraterrestrial life, if you haven’t read this series, what are you waiting for? Beyond the World was my favorite of the three novels because the action was fairly quick to start and moved rapidly after that … Even if you are not a big fan of “alien fiction”, I would suggest giving this series a read. Even if you start out a skeptic, you may end up a believer in the end.” — JennlyT

“Upon turning the last page, all I could think of was Richard Dreyfuss in “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” – WE ARE NOT ALONE. I get shivers just thinking about it, and of all the wondrous and mystical and mysterious things that come to light in this marvelous book. All I wanted to do was immediately grab the first book in this series and just start all over again.” — DTChantel

“Once again the pace is spot on, the twists a thrilling ride, and the characters and scenarios believable … It takes the narrative of good aliens and bad aliens and then makes it accessible … I think that this whole series ought to be available in high school and middle school libraries.” — Teresa H. Garcia, Star Dragon Publishing

 

One Reader appropriately describes THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY as “an emotional journey of the heart” for UNA. She makes sensible emotional decisions. As she overcomes each obstacle, Readers can identify with her struggle.

The Trilogy’s Cultural and Racial DIVERSITY explores Alien Mythology around the world, giving it universal appeal — Book 1 Native American, Book 2 Asian American, Book 3 African American.

Like the best books for YA Readers, it can inspire Conversation about Important topics.

Adult Readers will appreciate pop culture references to Star Trek, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, ET the Extraterrestrial, and more — that will spawn fond memories of why they came to love Science Fiction in the first place.

Your Next YA Read? Try THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY. You may find it to be, in the words of one Reviewer:

“An Experience … like No Other.”

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In SCIENCE FICTION, anything is possible — from Space Exploration and Alien encounters … to Advanced Technology … to Time Travel. The setting could be here on Earth … or in a galaxy far, far away. SCI-FI is meant to be a world of possibility with creativity and imagination — for Everyone.

DIVERSITY in Sci-Fi means Storytelling that includes Real People — facing Real Struggles and Challenges — associated with every kind of Obstacle, including differences in Class, Race, Sexual Orientation, and Physical Ability.

Diversity in SCI-FI is not new! Diverse Characters have always appeared in Science Fiction. Sometimes they just wear the mask of an ALIEN.

“Sure,” you say. The original Star Trek featured Lieutenant Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols, a woman of Color. Star Wars had Lando Calrissian played by Billy Dee Williams (The Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi) and Darth Vader was voiced by a Black man (James Earl Jones).

Still, if you survey the overall amount of DIVERSITY in Science Fiction — compared to the Real World around us — you will find it sorely lacking. In her 1980 essay “The Lost Races of Science Fiction” … acclaimed SCI-FI author Octavia Butler said, “Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, Amerindians, minority characters in general have been noticeably absent from most science fiction.”

She was right. Look up “Science Fiction” on Google … and you’ll find many successful Books, Movies and TV Series (such as DUNE, Alien, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Back to the Future, The Matrix, E.T., Jurassic Park, Terminator, and FRINGE.)

But the majority of Characters in all those examples are WHITE. Few people of Color exist (and sometimes, none at all). There may be a small number of Blacks and Asians, but the rest of the people in the World are seemingly Forgotten.

Why? Some say “that kind of storytelling won’t succeed in Hollywood”. But Film-Makers are proving them wrong. We see examples every day of Fictional Characters originally type-cast as White, but when Race is changed — it actually works. Avengers was a HUGE Hit, the team put together by Nick Fury — played by Samuel L. Jackson. (Another example: consider the recent success of Black Panther.)

We need more DIVERSITY in Sci-Fi.

WHY? Because Diversity in Storytelling fosters Inclusiveness.

SCIENCE FICTION can only fulfill its promise when it appeals to all people. It can only inspire us when we can RELATE to the story being told — so that You and Me and Everyone else … including Real People who face every kind of Obstacle — have something to Hope for, for the Future of their children.

Heroes are about Overcoming ADVERSITY. They are loved for being strong, smart, making the best of bad situations, sticking to what they believe in, and always doing the right thing — no matter what the cost.

Relatable Heroes mean even more — because they are Human enough for us to see Ourselves in them. They spark passion and idealism in children of every Color — then keep those fires burning in adults.

DIVERSITY in SCI-FI is a Key to fighting RACISM.

A New Wave of Sci-Fi Writers … including Native American, Asian American, and African American — seek to challenge Racist ways of thinking about the FUTURE.

Native Americans draw on native knowledge, stories, language and traditions. Asian Americans draw from Mythology and cultural experience: separation, loss, and adapting to a new Way of Life. African Americans draw on the history of Race relations … including Slavery, the African Diaspora, and the Civil Rights Movement. SCI-FI can help us envision a FUTURE … that embraces Diversity in Human Relationships.

We need DIVERSITY in Sci-Fi — because our World is CHANGING.

If we hope to Survive, Humanity must EVOLVE. We need a New view — an INCLUSIVE View — of Our FUTURE … to help us Embrace it.

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