"Dragons, Heroes, Real People--Who’s Fighting the War?": An Introduction

If there were a scientific experiment that included changing into one of these wild, fierce creatures, I would be the first one in line. While science catches up to my passion, I’m writing a novel about a woman who must change into a dragon to save her son, herself, and a new world.

So, when the Mellon Foundation-funded Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP research opportunity came into view, obviously, the first subjects to pop into my mind were fabulous dragon stories. Fire-breathing and water loving creatures appear in both classical and popular literature, on tapestries and in caves, and even in children’s songs. I was delighted for a possibility to do academic research about these magnificent beings, and I had many questions. Why are many of us enchanted by dragons?  Why does their beauty, their power, their magic intrigue us? How do fantasy —stories—and their splendid —creatures—reflect what we humans experience in our day-to-day lives? What fantasy stories best capture the pleasures we enjoy and cruelties we must endure?  I had to find answers.


Photo by Leon Amorelli

Talking to the Experts

Because of the number of dragon stories throughout literature to consider, I called two fantasy experts to glean their —wisdom—Timons Esaias and Lieutenant Colonel Troy Carrol Bucher. Each offers unique perspectives about the importance of fantasy stories--stories that include dragons and those that do not--to our everyday lives. These two writers offer life experiences I could learn from to narrow down a research project.


Timons Esaias

Timons Esaias is an award-winning writer and editor, learned historian, and beloved former graduate school mentor at Seton Hill University: the perfect person to ask for both academic and fun insights. His works, ranging from scholarly to satire, have been published in twenty languages. Among the many accolades, he was a finalist for the British Science Fiction Award and won the Asimov's Readers Award. He was shortlisted for the 2019 Gregory O'Donoghue International Poetry Prize. His poem “Regarding the Mastodons” won the 2016 SFPA poetry contest Short Form Category. "Sadness" was selected for three Year's Best anthologies in 2015. His work is in college curricula. With high reviews, his poetry publications include the Atlanta Review, 5AM, Willard & Maple, Asimov’s Science Fiction and Elysian Fields Quarterly: The Literary Journal of Baseball.

Because of his wide range of literary knowledge and the fact that he was also my mentor during my graduate studies, I knew Esaias could help me focus my far-reaching excitement. We chatted about historical dragon lore and contemporary fantasy stories. From Beowulf to N.K. Jemisin, we traveled a bit of literary history. We also discussed his current work in progress, Warfare for Writers,a craft book for writers who have war and/or battles in their fiction.

Given that dragons are often in stories with high-stakes wars and Esaias is writing about war, our conversation landed easily on the obvious topic of war and the fantasy genre.


Photo by Clint Bustrillos

Quite intriguingly, Esaias said the true costs of war are rarely discussed: conversations are strangled; much is at stake. We have the usual politics and money in war, with many fingers in that pot. Communities have neighborhood cultures built around military life. Stifling necessary discussions are the traditions of families with long military histories. The terrible costs of war are upsetting to consider in the face of sacrifices too painful to acknowledge.  Thus, Esaias believes fantasy stories are a safe place to hash it all out, to explore the high price of war to societies and to the individual characters who must suffer it.

These complex themes weaving through real-life wars could be represented in many of my favorite dragon stories, so my next call was to a soldier. Lieutenant Colonel Troy Bucher has spent much of his life living out these complexities. With his background in both military life and writing, he was a perfect choice to continue the conversation. Bucher has more than thirty years in the Army. He’s served in three wars and traveled the world to places like Turkey, Albania, Iraq, Germany, and Korea. Bucher also writes short stories, including the award-winning “Faces of Stone.” He edited an anthology of military sci/fi stories, The Razor’s Edge. His first fantasy novel, Lies of Descent, was published this year, and he is currently working on the second book of the series. He brings to the table firsthand knowledge of war and its impact on all the many peoples involved.

And he loves creating fantastical worlds filled with unique perspectives on heroism.


Lieutenant Colonel Troy Carrol Bucher

After discussing our favorite dragon stories (he added more to my reading list), our conversation turned again to fantasy and war. He said how literature occasionally gives us clear “good guys and bad guys.” We get firm lines on what side we should take. We get to have rousing cheers for the victors. And yet, in real life, as in story, we also have the gray places, worrisome not-clear cut heroism that doesn’t shine brightly. Places where we aren’t so sure if one side is “righter” than the other.

The Project Takes Shape

After mulling over the conversations and my own research interests, I created my project. Dragons, Heroes, Real People--Who’s Fighting the War? looks at the archetypal lives of magnificent dragons, the heroes and villains in fantasy stories, and the lives of everyday soldiers.

This project analyzes the delights of fabulous stories and their painful wars, and how they are all connected to “real life” people. It explores how the costs of war in the arts are a metaphor for the costs of war to human soldiers and their families.


Photo by Pawel Czerwinski

I was thrilled and realized the enormity of how many centuries of dragon stories there are to explore.

Next, I met my EPCC Undergraduate Research Fellow in the Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP who turned out to be an ideal fit for the project. Andrew Younkin is not only a former soldier, be he also loves fantasy literature—a perfect research partner for all the different aspects of this project. He’s a student excited to research fantasy and war stories, likes delving into history, and has his own intriguing background to bring to our table.

Moving Forward

We began our summer research adventures with a variety of readings that included Bucher’s writings. “Faces of Stone,” is a short story--not in the fantasy genre. The conflicts of the main character, however, illustrate the tragic dilemmas war creates. “Faces of Stone” is set in ancient Rome and grapples with a high cost of a long life in the military. Bucher meticulously researched how a man like his character Silex, an Optio `Centuriae, could change over his tenure in the military. We learn through memories how Silex has hardened after years of making difficult choices for the men in his care and how he buried his compassion in his role as brutal overseer of slaves.

I’ve taken our research into my classrooms. Bucher is graciously allowing use of his “Faces of Stone” at EPCC. The story has been well-received because it does not shy away from difficult questions. Students who have military background and/or family in the military are especially glad to have the discussion about what they must face throughout their times in service and the after years.

What’s Next?

As the project continues through the upcoming academic year, Andrew and I are currently exploring two contemporary novels along with our other research--Lies of Descent by Troy Carrol Bucher and The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. Surprisingly, both novels have religious conflict in the core of their stories. As in real life, these books depict how many violent battles between individual people and between huge nations are, at least, partially caused by the inability to navigate through differences in religious world-views. We are now on the lookout for the role of religion in our textual exploration.

     

We are also interested to hear from others about their favorite dragon stories—children's tales included. Those who'd love to share them can reach do so on Twitter @mchinesly.

Written by R. Danielle McGill, El Paso Community College
Faculty Fellow, The Humanities Collaborative at EPCC-UTEP