They might not be raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but that doesn’t mean that we love them any less. Welcome back to My Favorite Things, the weekly column where we grab someone in speculative circles to gab about the greatest in geek. This week, we sit down with Allan C. R. Cornelius, who is giving Speculative Chic the exclusive cover reveal of his next book, Tears at the Altar, which will be published on August 23, 2019!
What does Allan love when he’s not writing long-dead gods come to life? Spoiler alert: roleplaying games that inspire, a grimdark tabletop game that’s a major distraction, the camaraderie of Comic Cons, an influential writer, horror immersion, and a fantasy setting that’s right outside his window. Curious? Read on to learn more!
There are more things that do their best to pull me away from my writing than I could possibly talk about here, and that’s even with restricting it to speculative fancies. But here are a few of the ones that vie the most fervently for my attention and are the hardest to resist.
Roleplaying games of all varieties have been a part of my life ever since I first wandered around the world of the original Zelda planting bombs in every conceivable location in search of that elusive last secret. But here I am restricting this entry to roleplaying games of the tabletop variety. Since college, it has been rare for me to go any length of time without an active group running some kind of game, whether that was Rolemaster, Dungeons & Dragons, or Pathfinder, and — like many writers of speculative fiction — these sessions have had a strong influence on my writing. But it was Rolemaster that inspired many of the ideas for my current world, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Not least of which because it was how I met my wife.
In keeping with the idea of tabletop games (I could do a whole column on just board games), another fine contender for distractor-in-chief, is Warhammer 40,000. There is something about this game and the over the top grimdark world it creates that just makes me smile. Whether I’m crushing my friends under the weight of a horde of Tyranids, or zipping around the table with totally metal Dark Eldar laying low their future torture victims, this game never ceases to amuse me and draw me in. No matter how many times I’ve sworn it off.
Moving away from the table, but not leaving behind the social aspect of those games, we hit upon another one of my favorite things that I’ve discovered more recently. Comic Cons are, if you have never had the chance to go to one, a geek’s dream. Not just because of all of the wonderful things to see and buy. That is incredible in its own right, but what makes them a favorite thing is something a bit more intangible. My recent experience with these cultural phenomena is mostly from the perspective of a vendor. I’ve had the opportunity to sell my book at several, and the one thing that struck me most was the environment. The acceptance, comradery, and friendship are by far what make these events worthwhile. They are a place where the most socially outcast of nerds and geeks can feel at home, welcome, and important. And the fact that we have places like that now is so important.
This list wouldn’t be valid at all without some discussion of books but, in the interests of brevity, I’ll focus on just one of the many types of books that distract me. Of the many writers I enjoy, the one that has perhaps influenced my own writing the most, is H.P. Lovecraft. Putting aside any opinions on the man himself, it is hard to deny the impact his writing has had on the horror genre. Even though I don’t write horror strictly speaking, I have always felt that all good fantasy has an element of the horrific. From J.R.R. Tolkien’s Nazgul, to Robert Jordan’s Myrddraal, to Terry Brooks’ Reaper, horrific beings bring tension and consequence to fantasy. And the ability to incorporate those elements to create subtle dread is something not all fantasy does well. Lovecraft’s ability to accomplish this so well has always struck me, and I have tried to incorporate at least a few of his techniques — however imperfect — into all of my stories.
Which leads us to one of the most distracting of all my favorite things, horror movies. I’d love to say that this also has some deep relationship with my writing, but that would be a lie. Yes, I do examine them for techniques to use in my own writing, but really, I just enjoy watching them. I like some more than others (slasher movies being my least favorite) but I’ll watch pretty much any of them. I try to catch as many as possible in theater, but I’m not ashamed to say I’ve surfed Netflix for the worst possible examples to watch for the sheer joy of laughing at them. Because nothing is funnier than a failed attempt to be scary.
I could go on and on, but I have to bring this to a close, and there’s nothing better to end on then what I get to see out of my window every day. Pikes Peak, America’s Mountain, or as I like to think of it, the Lonely Rocky Mountain. Every day I get to drive over a hill and see the town of Colorado Springs laid out at the feet of this towering mountain, and every time it sparks my imagination. It is a constant reminder of how small I am, and how wondrous our world is. And nothing inspires thoughts of the fantastic more than those facts.
Allan C. R. Cornelius has been creating Fantasy and Science Fiction worlds to play in since he started his first gaming group in high school. Along the way he has accumulated four degrees, including an Associates in Space Systems Technology and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. He currently lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and family and frequently attends the annual Pikes Peak Writers Conference and Colorado Springs Comic Con. Whispers at the Altar is his first book.
Author photo by Teresa Lee Photography
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