When I first started writing the Empire, my inspiration was an old British Sci-Fi series called, Blakes 7. Like Blakes 7, the Empire is a dystopian world with heroes and villains, but where the complexity in the show is with the heroes--its been akin to Robin Hood, Magnificent 7 and Dirty Dozen in space--I also wanted to show more nuanced and believable villains.
I took the idea that people don't normally wake up intending to be villains. They don't become villains by choice, but as misguided heroes sinking into villainy thinking that motivations justify actions. Even that is not simple because sometimes, people don't make choices, they feel that they are forced into them by the circumstances. And that is the Empire.
None of the people we meet are particularly villainous. Not even High Admiral van Reutensberg. They all have, what they believe, are good reasons for what they do.
The Empire is under siege by alien invaders who have superior technology. Humanity was on the brink of annihilation until the scattered planets were united to fight against their common enemy in order to survive. Not exactly an ignoble purpose. It was an heroic effort by people fighting the good fight, and they still are. Most of the people Adrian and Kali encounter in the Empire are trying to save their world from extinction.
So where is the villainy? Unfortunately, the war has dragged on for centuries with the Andromedans refusing to give up. They've resorted to guerrilla tactics, trying to take over one planet at a time and to destroy the Empire's resources. As a result, the sole goal of the Empire is to survive, since they don't have the technology to reach the Andromedan galaxy and to take the fight back to their enemies.
But what does that narrow focus look like for the ordinary citizen with every available resource geared towards war and defense? When everyone is expected to serve the war effort for the greater good of the rest? They begin to make compromises, or in their eyes, noble sacrifices. Same actions, different words. But what happens when the thing being sacrificed is the freedom of its citizens?
That is the central crux of The Empire, explored through Adrian and Kali's clashes with people who are only trying to do what they think is right. Are they right? Is there a right? Or is there only survival?
When I read it Elizabeth, the characters like High Admiral van Reutensberg, put me in mind of Prussian military - stern, single-minded,and downright ruthless in the extreme. :)
ReplyDeleteVery ruthless :)
DeleteIt is certainly interesting learning how your novels grew from a spark into a flame. If a reader becomes involved with your characters in the first novel, like I did, they'll be waiting to follow more of their story in the second...bring on The Rebels.
ReplyDeleteComing soon...
DeleteI too was a fan of Blake's 7 back in the day,a show where they weren't afraid to lose the title character 2 seasons in then kill him off in the final show 2 years after that!
ReplyDeleteI applauded when they did that :) I couldn't stand Blake and thought he was the true villain of the show.
DeleteReally? I didn't like Avon who I thought was pretty snarky.
ReplyDeleteI love Avon and still do. He may have been snarky but he had good reason to be, he may have talked tough but when it comes down to actions, he was far more humane than Blake ever was.
DeleteBlake on the other hand talked a good show, but in actions, he was a self-serving, violent, conscienceless, callous mass murderer who treated everyone like expendable tools when he wasn't pulling the wool over people's eyes with his words.
But that's personal opinions about the characters and I've had lots of fun debates about them :)
I'm actually writing an essay series on one of the fan magazines demonizing Blake and defending Avon. Of course, Avon was always a flawed hero. Occasionally, he could act selfishly, (only when he felt he had no choice) but generally in the end, Avon was rarely ever that selfish except on one occasion. Blake on the other hand would start off not looking very selfish, but by the end, his actions were usually self-serving and callous.
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