Stories of Genesis, Vol. 2 (A new kind of fan fiction)
by Chris James
Genre of this Book: Literature
Word count: 26,000
Five more short stories inspired by lyrics in songs from the Greatest Rock Band in the World: Genesis
The Inversion Method. The Perenyites are the galaxy’s most rapacious species, who use the inversion method to eradicate all indigenous life from planets they need for colonisation. Then they arrive at Earth…
A Thought Spared for Providence. On 20 July 1944 a group of German officers, led by Claus von Stauffenberg, attempted to kill Hitler at his East Prussian headquarters, the Wolf’s Lair. They failed. But what if Stauffenberg had not hurried back to Berlin so quickly to lead the doomed coup?
From the Cellar. One man takes drastic action to survive the next European war.
Rise of the Hogweed. H. G. Wells meets Genesis as, in 1903, England has been under the Martian heel for a year, and only scattered groups of starving survivors remain. During a journey to look for others, one group of survivors comes across a healthy young man, called Montgomery. He takes them to the discredited vivisectionist Doctor Moreau, where they find much more than a new supply of food…
Secession. In the middle of this century, Prince George of Cambridge must resort to extreme measures to hold his kingdom together.
This book is available from Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble.
Chris, how did you come up with the title for your book? Does it have any special meaning?
I constantly make notes of story ideas, most of which won’t extend to novel length. Meanwhile, fan fiction gets ever-more popular. I wanted to find a new, original angle on fan fiction, while using some of those short story ideas. This means the reader doesn’t have to know the song to enjoy the story.
Who was your favorite character and why?
The Narrator in Rise of the Hogweed. To place this character inside a confluence of two of my favourite stories (The War of the Worlds and The Island of Doctor Moreau), with a reference to a classic Genesis song, and have him in the centre of the action, made him such a pleasure to write.
Does your book have any underlying theme, message, or moral?
It wasn’t until I finished this second volume that I realised all five stories relate to war. I’m not sure if the emphasis is on its inevitability or futility, or a little of both, but war managed to end up as the underlying theme.
What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?
As with every book I publish, my sole objective is to entertain. As long as a reader’s reaction centres on the characters and stories, then I know I’m going in the right direction. The last person I want to hear about is me – it’s the stories that matter.
Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
I thoroughly enjoyed all five stories but for me, three really stood front and centre. In particular, ‘A Thought Spared for Providence’ is a truly magnificent piece of writing.
Where can people learn more about your writing?
http://chrisjamesauthor.com/category/blog/
Book 2 is even more powerful than book 1. Loved it. 🙂