Tag: mr. wednesday

I Am Your Father: Making Similarities Work in Fiction

Darth Vader

From Wikipedia

When Darth Vader revealed he was Luke Skywalker’s father in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, people lost it. It’s widely considered one of the best plot twists in film history, and for good reason. Who would’ve guessed that the protagonist was the antagonist’s son all along?

Of course, George Lucas isn’t the only person ever to use this twist. In fact, Neil Gaiman (my favorite author) uses it in his 2001 novel American Gods (my favorite book). If you haven’t read it or don’t want to be spoiled for the show, turn back now.

Still here? Okay, cool. The book’s bad guy, Mr. Wednesday, is the father of Shadow, the book’s good guy. Boom!

Now here’s my question. How does Neil Gaiman repeat such a classic plot element without having readers roll their eyes? How does he take the “I am your father” moment and make it his own? Let’s investigate.

The Buildup

In Star Wars and American Gods, the identities of Luke and Shadow’s fathers carry differing importance. In Star Wars, for instance, when Obi Wan Kenobi tells Luke that his father was a jedi, it’s a huge contributing factor toward him leaving home. He takes his father’s lightsaber, he joins his father’s order, and it’s implied that he wants to avenge his father’s death. That’s because at this point in the story, he believes Darth Vader killed his father.

In American Gods, Shadow couldn’t care less about the identity of his father. We just know that he never met his dad. That’s it. No hints at who dad was, what he did, or where he went. The man’s identity is so vague that I found myself forgetting his existence entirely. Only near the end does it become relevant.

Here we see how this differing importance sets these plot elements apart from one another. If Shadow revered his dad and accepted his quest to follow in his footsteps, these elements might feel too similar. Since he doesn’t, the respective “I am your father” moments feel distinct.

The Reveal

In Star Wars, the reveal of Darth Vader’s true identity is intensely dramatic. It’s enough to make Luke sob and then hurl himself down a space shaft. And for audiences everywhere, it’s a shock that’s still remembered today. Just check out the memes that are still being created:

In American Gods, the revelation of the antagonist being the protagonist’s father is far more understated. When he has a vision of his mother dancing with his father, his reaction to dad’s true identity isn’t nearly so dramatic as Luke’s. Here’s the passage:

“Shadow found that he was completely unsurprised when he recognized the man who dances with [his mother]. He had not changed that much in thirty-three years.”

To a certain extent, this is just Shadow. Due to his time in prison, he’s learned to suppress his emotion. Yet this muted response also differentiates the revelation from that of Star Wars. Shadow doesn’t deny the truth. Instead, he accepts it. In fact, he already suspected it.

The Payoff

Once we know who these characters’ fathers really are, the ramifications on the subsequent story are much different. At the end of Empire Strikes Back, for instance, Luke is in disbelief over what he’s learned. Then, in the following film, his goal is no longer to defeat Vader. Instead, he seeks to redeem him.

In American Gods, Shadow’s father’s identity is more thematic than anything else. Shadow finds out who Mr. Wednesday is roughly around the same time he discovers Wednesday’s plot to sacrifice a bunch of gods to himself, thereby resurrecting himself.  (Simple plan, right?) There’s no moment of, “Gee, I’d better redeem my dad.” In fact, Wednesday’s true identity doesn’t change Shadow’s plan in any way. He still stops the other gods from going to war, which thwarts dear dad’s plan. So unlike Luke Skywalker, Shadow wants to defeat his father even after discovering his true identity.

In Conclusion

Writers tend to avoid using twists they’ve seen in other works. Sometimes we fear that unless our plots are unique, we won’t be taken seriously as artists. That’s not the case! Rather, it’s perfectly fine to reuse a plot element, so long as we make it our own. I think the above example illustrates that point perfectly.

Now get out there and write!


Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction. His debut novel, Gerald Barkley Rocksis available now on Amazon Kindle.

Celebrating Father’s Day with 4 Famous Dads of Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Happy Father’s Day! Since today is the day of the dads, the timing’s perfect to give shoutouts to some famous fathers. And since I’m a science fiction and fantasy fan, I’ve chosen four dads from those genres. Take a look!

1. Ned Stark, A Song of Ice and Fire

Ned Stark

Illustrated by Michael Komarck, from awoiaf.westeros.org

Does your dad give you a dire wolf, chop off fugitives’ heads with a gigantic sword, and serve as the vice president of his kingdom? Eddard Stark of Winterfell did, and that’s why he’s first on our list.

Ned makes his first (and tragically, last) appearance in A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin. He’s an all-around good guy, known throughout Westeros as an honorable warrior, a just ruler, and yes, a good dad. It’s not easy ruling a kingdom while raising five kids (plus a bastard son), but Ned and his wife Catelyn make it work.

But what makes Ned such a great dad is everything he does for his children. He offers his son Bran guidance for being a lord. He offers his daughter Arya a sword and a fencing instructor, even though Westerosi girls aren’t usually given such gifts. And when he dies, he does so to save his daughter Sansa. Ned’s relationships with all six of his children are carefully developed.

Anyway, I’m still bummed about his death. Let’s move on, before I start tearing up.

2. Darth Vader, Star Wars

“What did you do at work today, Dad?”

“Oh, not much. Just force choked a guy for not following orders.”

It’s probably a good thing Darth Vader isn’t your dad. He’s certainly not the typical father, what with his proclivity to the dark side and all. And though we don’t know exactly what Vader looks like under all that armor, I’d say it’s safe to assume he doesn’t have a dad bod.

Of course, Vader is perhaps best known for uttering one of the most famous lines in movie history: “Luke, I am your father.” He was clearly looking for a Father’s Day gift and got irked when he didn’t receive one. Understandable.

On a more sentimental note, Vader’s reconciliation with his son Luke in Return of the Jedi is what earns him a spot on this list. It shows us that deep down, he truly does love his son. I mean, if you hurl an electrified old weirdo in a hoodie down a mineshaft, that totally qualifies you for father of the year.

3. Thanos, Avengers: Infinity War

Thanos

Okay, this is probably a bad joke. Thanos makes is a great villain, but he’s pretty much the worst dad in the universe, Marvel Cinematic or otherwise. A short list of his deeds: he sends three of his kids to get killed by the Avengers, pits his daughters against each other to see who can kill more, then hurls his favorite kid off a cliff. Come on, man.

4. Mr. Wednesday/Odin, American Gods

Mr. Wednesday is Odin, and Odin is the All-Father. So if he’s everybody’s dad, I suppose there’s no way to justify not having him on this list.

More specifically, Shadow Moon, main character of Neil Gaiman’s classic novel American Gods, is Mr. Wednesday’s biological son. And perhaps their best father-son moment is when Wednesday and Shadow pull off a two-man con together. It’s a weirdly heartwarming moment, especially if you read it knowing that they’re related. After all, there’s nothing like working on a project with your dad (even if it is stealing cash from the unsuspecting).

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads of the world, and especially my dad. Hope it’s an awesome day!


Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his fiancee and their two cats. His stories have appeared in numerous online magazines, including Allegory, Chantwood, and Dark Fire Fiction.



Why “American Gods” is My Favorite Novel Ever

American Gods

You know that desert island question, the one about only having three things to bring with you until you’re rescued? I’m going with food, water, and American Gods

Written by Neil Gaiman in 2001, American Gods is a picaresque Americana mashup of various genres and world religions. A war is brewing between old gods and new, gods of the ancient world and gods of technology. Caught in the middle of it all is Shadow, a stoic man just released from prison. Shadow soon meets the enigmatic Mr. Wednesday, and together, they explore a very different side of America.

American Gods has everything I love in a novel: vivid characters, memorable settings, an element of fantasy, humor, wit, stories within stories. Gaiman is a master of fascination; he captures our interest and never lets go. It’s the kind of book that only comes along once in a lifetime. I’m just glad it came along during mine!

The thesis of the novel, if you will, is simply brilliant. The old gods are your standard ancient pantheon of deities: Odin, Czernobog, Anansi, Anubis, Easter. The new gods, on the other hand, are those that we really do worship today, whether or not we realize it–gods of computers, cell phones, television, cars, and capitalism. The novel was written in 2001, but it’s amazing to see how relevant it remains 14 years later. In fact, I think the themes addressed in American Gods are even more relevant now than they were when the book was originally published.

American Gods contains an incredible amount of detail and subtext within its pages, much of which probably won’t be properly synthesized until after you do a little research on your own. It’s a potpourri of Norse, Egyptian, Arabic, Hebrew, and German mythology, with a dash of American folklore. Shadow meets so many gods and goddesses in his travels that you might not even notice who’s divine and who isn’t.

Of all the various settings in American Gods, the sleepy town of Lakeside is my favorite. Located up near the great lakes, it’s an insular community filled with its own cast of unique characters. There’s Hinzelmann, an old man with as many stories as he has years under his belt; Chad Mulligan, the friendly chief of police in the town; Marguerite Olsen, a cold but intelligent writer for Lakeside’s newspaper. The town itself is almost like another setting within the setting of America. But, of course, not everything in Lakeside is as it seems…

I’ve read a lot of fantasy, and one of the qualities I like best about American Gods is that it’s grounded in reality. That’s a weird thing to say about a fantasy novel, I’ll admit, but it’s true. The entire story feels completely authentic; there’s almost no need to even suspend disbelief. Gaiman presents his characters so convincingly that you can read the book and say, “Yeah, I’m willing to believe that there are gods in the world. Why not?”

American Gods is my favorite novel because it’s smart, insightful, entertaining, and eminently interesting. It’s one of those books that’s unlike any other, one that you’ll read once and compare everything else you read to it.

Do yourself a favor and buy the nearest copy.

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