SUN SNUFF: Part One: Mourning Glory (BOTTOM EARTH) (Volume 1)

This is the first book set in the world of Bottom Earth, a fantastic realm that is analogous to our own. Just so no one gets lost, I want to explain a few things before you start inputting the novel into your short-term memory banks. The questions to ask are elementary – who, where, when, and why? Since we’ve already broached the subject a bit, let’s start with ‘where’ the book takes place. The world of Bottom Earth is filled with all the standard fantasy tropes – Elves, Dwarves, Orcs – but it is definitely not your grandfather’s Middle Earth, or your kids Hogwarts. Bottom Earth is based on my years of studying History, Anthropology, Theology, and Psychology, as well as my extensive backgrounds in all things nerdy, such as Dungeons and Dragons, Final Fantasy, and Magic: the Gathering. Bottom Earth itself physically looks a lot like our own world, with minor changes here and there. Politically, it is carved up into different cultures and empires like ours, but the ‘ethnicities’ are switched for those fantasy ‘races’. Instead of the rugged Russians, there are the hardy, stubborn Orcs; instead of the Jews, there is the ancient wisdom of the Elves. Sometimes, a person on Bottom Earth isn’t necessarily a standard fantasy race, but they are instead some sort of anthropomorphized animal-man. It may seem odd that all the animals are basically just weird looking humas, and possibly even a little lazy on my part. Let me assure you, however, that there is a logical reason for all of these things, to be revealed in a later work. ‘When’ seems like the next place to go, and this is a pretty easy answer. SUN SNUFF takes part in a time that is roughly 1914, though there was never really an industrial revolution that occurred in our own world. Instead, there has been a sort of magical revolution, though intervening factors keep it at bay. Some cultures held onto their ways more than others, so sometimes things may seem completely out of place. Again, there is a logical reason that will come in the future. So, ‘who’ is in this book, anyways? Well, there are a lot of characters, and you will get to know them pretty well as the story unfolds. That may seem like a cheap answer, but it would take way too much space to describe each character, and I like to think that the coming words accomplish that anyways. The important thing to keep in mind is the different ‘books’, which can help keep track of what is happening between the characters. Finally, we get to the million dollar question – why? Why would anyone spend all their time writing this make-believe? Well, as I mentioned, I am an avid gamer, so I am already highly invested in Elves, Dragons, and all that. My disconnect with that subject matter is the arbitrary names and places, especially when there was not a lot of thought put into the story. My studies in History and such gave me the background to meld the fantasy and reality. The main thing I learned from History, though, is that we are really messed up, and quite honestly, little has changed from ancient times to now. We are still the same libidinally driven monkey as we always have been, even if we get fancier governments, technology, and culture. When it comes down to it, all the affluence in the world won’t save someone from being a killer, abuser, or thief. Anyways, that’s all I have to say for now, and I think you are primed, and ready to go. For more information about BOTTOM EARTH, log onto www.SUN-SNUFF.com. Enjoy!