My Favorite Things with Troy Carrol Bucher

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 US Army Lieutenant Colonel Troy Carrol Bucher, who just returned from Afghanistan on July 22nd and whose debut fantasy novel, Lies of Descent, was released on August 20th, from DAW.

What does Troy love when he’s not writing epic fantasy or deployed to the remote areas of the globe? Spoiler alert: grit-filled, dark fantasy stories filled with sharp metal objects and loads of depressing realism, a Star Trek parody that stands on its own, and very long scarf. Curious? Read on to learn more!

Fantasy is getting darker, and I like it.

There’s a lot more of what they now call “grimdark” these days, although it’s been around long before people started to sub-categorize it as such. Writers like Michael Moorcock, Glen Cook, and David Gemmell have always been immensely popular and highly influential to the Fantasy genre. (I’m delighted to read that Glen Cook’s Black Company is getting made for TV, by the way) So why the recent surge? My guess is that it’s a reflection of the political climate, and that the current generation of readers is acutely aware that there isn’t always a happy ending. Life doesn’t always work out like they promised in all those ’80s and early ’90s movies. Regardless of the reason, however, there’s certainly been a trading in of the romantic side of sword and sorcery for a dose of realism.

I think this is a good thing. I’ve served in the Army over thirty years, and I can attest that even with all the pictures, video, and commentary of the horrors of war available at our fingertips, we still glamorize it. That’s why I love grimdark. It’s more gritty and honest. It doesn’t sugarcoat things. It shines a light on all that is dark about humanity and forces us to acknowledge that all life suffers. It shows us that our heroes are flawed and not always so altruistic.

Some of my favorites:

Galaxy Quest (1999)

By Grabthar’s Hammer, what a movie.

I’m pretty sure I’ve watched Galaxy Quest more than hundred times. It’s one of those movies that when I see it pop up on the DirecTV guide, it must be watched. There is something magical about the chemistry of the characters of Galaxy Quest. In minutes, they establish a smooth, comfortable interaction that most TV shows take weeks or seasons to achieve. What began as a Star Trek parody quickly eclipsed what it set out to do, taking wings of its own (no pun intended Tony Shalhoub) and becoming an instant cult classic. The Orville is the closest match these days, but The Orville goes for the cheap laugh and the innuendo, where Galaxy Quest’s brilliance lay in its ability to lightheartedly poke fun of Star Trek and Fandom while at the same time replicating the same elements that make sci-fi shows enduring.

Alan Rickman’s sarcasm, jealousy, and anger, juxtaposed with Tim Allen’s shallow hubris and positivity. Sigourney Weaver’s one job repeating a computer, taken way too seriously, and Tony Shalhoub’s burned-out, deadpan inflection in response to even the direst events are fantastic. Sam Rockwell is great as the over-the-top “plucky, comic relief” with his fun-filled exasperation at the cast for not even knowing the show (reminiscent of the old Saturday Night Live Shatner skit). Add to these great actors a young Justin Long and a then unknown Rainn Wilson and you have an all-star cast. Oh, and I left out Daryl Mitchel, Robin Sachs, Jed Rees, Missi Pyle and Enrico Calontoni—all with so many great lines for use in everyday situations.

With every movie out there getting a sequel these days, it’s sad that there has never been a continuing adventure of the NSEA Protector. Maybe that’s the basis of the magic though, like Firefly, part of the allure is that it is one-of-a-kind and will never come back.

Anyway, “On, Teb, Ooooon!” Back to a time when special effects didn’t matter so much.

The Fourth Doctor

In the ’80s I spent my time glued to the TV whenever Doctor Who came on PBS (that was the only channel that carried British shows back then). The sets were below standard, even for the time period, K9 moving about the show made R2D2 in Star Wars look like a ballerina by comparison, and the aliens had all the realism of a sleestack from Land of the Lost. None of that mattered.

I’ve watched the movie Avatar a couple times, and the images and setting are beautiful and mesmerizing, but I’ve never spent more than two minutes thinking about the characters or the plot of the movie. I don’t want to sound like a curmudgeon, shaking his fist and saying, “Things were better back when…” but sometimes it’s nice to have to use a little of your own imagination. Watching the Doctor Who was like playing D&D or reading, you had to put into it as much as you got out of it. And of course, Tom Baker was brilliant.

He was so eccentric, so believable in the part, and so charismatic and convincing, that in my young mind, he really was a Time Lord from Gallifrey. I’m not sure I could go back and watch those old episodes now without taking away some of the magic I remember. At any rate, I’d like to thank Tom for my strong desire to wear a ridiculously long scarf and a floppy hat and pass out Jelly Babies while on some grand adventure.

Troy Bucher served over thirty years in the U.S. Army, where his assignments sent him to three wars and places like Turkey, Albania, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Kuwait and Korea. His travels allow him to tap into a lifetime of experience working with diverse cultures and peoples, bringing multiethnic customs and realism with a distinct military flavor to his Science Fiction and Fantasy. Before traveling the world for Uncle Sam, he spent his childhood traipsing around the Verde Valley in Arizona.  ​He is represented by the Donald Maas Literary Agency. You can find out more  at www.tcbucher.com.

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