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Which are some spine-tingling reads and memorable spook-tacular characters from fiction?

Ready for some Goosebumps?

RL Stine published more than 62 books in the eerily bizarre “Goosebumps” series. The stories follow child characters, who find themselves in scary situations, usually involving monsters and other supernatural elements. Each book is creepier than the next. Young adults can also follow the “Fear Street” series in which spine-chilling events unfold in Shadyside.

Dementors

The guards of Azkaban, dementors are among the most fearsome among creatures in the “Harry Potter series. They are able to drain all the happy memories out of a person, and even suck out the soul through their kiss And the only way to drive away these ghastly creatures is by producing a strong patronus.

Coraline

Neil Gaiman’s dark fantasy novel “Caroline”, will leave you spooked. A young, inquisitive girl when exploring her new apartment, Coraline discovers a tiny door that contains an alternate universe in which her parents and her life are exactly as she wants them to be – besides the buttons they have sewn into their eyes. It was adapted into an animated film in 2009 by Henny Selick.

Ghosts from the past

“Ghosts don’t require passports. They can turn up without papers in the most unexpected places,” reads the book jacket of Ruskin Bond’s “Ghost Stories from the Raj.” And indeed, Bond has found ghosts from as far back as the British Raj! Bond’s interest in the supernatural led him to collect ghost stories from different parts of the world, This book contains 19 short stories written by British officials and travellers during the 19th and 20th Centuries. It even includes tales by Rudyard Kipling.

Pennywise the dancing clown

Do you have a fear of clowns? Then you must read Stephen King’s “IT”- a cult classic. The story follows seven children who fight the evil entity that exploits the fears of its victims to disguise itself while hunting its prey. Other hair-raising stories from the horror meister are “Pet Semetary” “The Shining”, “Children of the Corn” and “Salem’s Lot”.

 

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What is special in Amazon’s new prequel series “The Lord of the Rings”?

Get ready to return to Middle-earth – the fictional setting of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendarium. Amazon Studies is coming up with a new prequel series set thousands of year before the events of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’. One of the most expensive television shows in history, it  will be based on Tolkien’s seminal series that regaled generations with books and later through Peter jackson’s iconic film adaptations. The billion-dollar project hopes to fill in the shoes of these giants by bringing to life new storylines around the franchise.

Orcs, trolls and wargs will return, but the series will not feature our beloved hobbits nor their faithful friends.

Instead, it will focus on the Second Age of the Middle-earth, much before Bilbo and Frado. The prequel is expected to chronicle the forging of the rings, Sauron’s rise to power and the destruction of Numenor, all of which occur during that era.

Here’s how the saga will continue….

The Second Age

There are four ages in Tolkien’s works. The new prequel series will take place in the Second Age, preceding “the Lord of the Ring” and “The Hobbit”, which were set in the Third Age.

Going to the source

Thought Tolkien’s did not write prequel series, he has written copiously about the history of Middle-earth, the world where the franchise is set. And the new prequel will use it as the source material.

Sticking to the canon

Part of the deal with Amazon includes a rider by the Tolkien estate to veto over any content in the series that doesn’t correspond with the author’s vision for the saga. The Tolkien estate retains the rights for the First and Third Ages.

No rangers and hobbits

Fans looking forward to seeing a young Aragorn, the dashing Ranger of the North, will be disappointed. The  King of Gondor, who played a major role in the ‘The Lord of the Rings” trilogy wasn’t born till the Third Age. It will also not feature hobbits.

The rise and fall of Numenor

Amazon released interactive maps of Middle-earth at the time when the series is set. They show Numenor, a mythical island akin to Atlantis. The island was home to the Dunedain, a race of man, some of whom fled before its destruction and established the kingdoms of Amor and Gondor.

Did you Know?

How Amazon upped the ante

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was personally involved in acquiring the rights to Tolkien’s series. After a bidding war with Netflix in 2017, Amazon finally obtained the rights for $250 million, making it perhaps the most expensive show in television history. The deal included a commitment for five seasons and a potential spin-off series. The collective budget amounts to more that $1 billion.

Previous adaptations

Warner Bros and its sister studio New Line have already made Peter Jackson-directed, “The Lord of the Rings” and its prequel “Hobbit” films, even though the latter trilogy was not as much liked by critics as the former.

About Tolkien

Hohn Ronals Reuel Tolkien was English writer and poet best known for his “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” series. A philologist, he loved making up new languages. Tolkien coined over 15 Elvish languages for his  “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” series Among them two enough words and grammar to be considered functional. Tolkien died on September 2, 1973.

The Fellowship:

The first two episodes will be directed by J.A. Bayona of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” fame. Actor Robert Aramayo, who played Eddard Starck in “Game of Thrones” will be the young hero of the series. His character is named Beldor. Morfydd Clark will play a young version of Galadriel, the royal Elf of both Noldor and Teleri. What’s more, Peter Jackson might also be involved in the series.

 

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What are the interesting facts about Dan Brown’s Wild Symphony?

When Dan Brown was growing up, his parents decided not to keep a television in the house. So he spent his childhood playing the piano, reading and solving puzzles. He started writing piano pieces when he was five, and aspired to become a musician before turning to writing. Brown’s first children’s book “Wild Symphony”, which released in September, is a combination of his love for music and his passion for storytelling and mysteries.

What’s the book about?

“Wild Symphony” is about a musical conductor-it’s a mouse named Maestro. At the beginning of the book, you learn that Maestro mouse is preparing to put on a musical concert with a motley team of wild animals from blue whales and kangaroos to ostriches and cheetahs. Each animal has a special secret, and readers have to guess what it is by decoding the jumbled letters hidden throughout the stunning illustrations in the book.

Accompanied by music

Scanning the QR code given in the book will lead you to a free, augmented reality app. You can listen to music by pointing your phone camera towards each page. The music has been composed by Brown himself. Each animal is accompanied by a musical score, which reflects its special personality – whether it is upbeat and fun like bouncing kangaroos or quirky like the buzzing bees. All the 21 musical pieces are performed by the Zagreb Festival Orchestra, Croatia.

Life lessons

In addition to playing a musical instrument, the animals offer a valuable life lesson to the readers don’t be afraid to be yourself and failure is a stepping stone towards success. This interactive musical picture book is a delight for the eyes and ears!

Did you know?

Like Brown, many famous authors have dabbled in children’s books. Here are some examples:

  • Salman Rushdie – “Haroun and The Sea of Other Stories
  • Ernest Hemingway-“The Faithful Bull”
  • Gertrude Stein – “The World Is Round”
  • Margaret Atwood – “Up In The Tree
  • James Joyce – “The Cat And The Devil”

 

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What is mythopoeia?

Stories of divine beings with supernatural powers, and of epic clashes between good and evil forces have been a source of entertainment for generations. Rooted in religion and mythology, these tales were often narrated by doting grandmother to their grandchildren over multiple cups of afternoon tea. Today, these folk tales and lores have donned new avatars with modern twists and an international flavour.

Welcome to mythopoeia. It is a world ruled by mighty Greek gods, fierce Viking warriors, and brave witches and wizards. Mythopoeia is a genre in which a fictional mythology is created by the author. If you like reading stories about fantastical creatures and imaginary worlds, you will love it here.

New universes

Books written under this genre contains entirely unique fictional universes, which may have elements of existing mythology. Writers create complex worlds with well-detailed histories chronicling the past and intricate geographies along with the unique laws of nature that govern their fictional worlds.

Who coined the term?

The term is derived from Greek words ‘muthos and ‘poein’, which means “myth making.” R. R. Tolkien was the first to use the word as the title of a poem dedicated to C.S. Lewis. It was published in 1931.

Books and films

  • J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Silmarillion” series.
  • C. S. Lewis “The Chronicles of Narnia”
  • Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” series, “Trials of the Apollo” and “The Kane Chronicles”.
  • J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter’ series and “The Ickabog”
  • Terry Pratchett’s “Discworld” series,
  • Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” series and “The Book of Dust” trilogy.
  • Cornelia Funke “Inkheart” trilogy.
  • Christopher Paolini “The Inheritance Cycle”.
  • Marvel’s comics and films – “Thor”, “Avengers” and “Doctor Strange”.

 

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What are the impacts of COVID-19 on the English language?

Self-isolation, quarantine, work from home and social distancing have become the new normal due to the coronavirus pandemic. The global health scare and the unforeseen circumstances it presented have been a completely new experience for everyone. It has altered not just the way we live but also our vocabulary.

In a very short period of time, words such as COVID-19, a shortening of coronavirus disease 2019, sanitization and social distancing came to dominate our conservations. Some of these words are new coinages and others, previously less-known.

Noticing this, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the world’s biggest English language dictionary, updated its record of English language in April to include COVID-19 and terms related to it.

The April update was a rare move as the OED usually updates its record only four times a year.

Did you know?

Previous pandemics have also given rise to new vocabulary. Words such as “pestilence” a fatal epidemic or disease – came into use after the bubonic plague swept Europe between 1347 and 1351.

The adjective “self-quarantined” was first used in 1878 to describe the actions of the villagers of Eyam in the 17th Century, who isolated themselves to prevent the second wave of “Black Death” from spreading to surrounding villages.

Some others words that were added to the dictionary during the pandemic:

Social distancing

Social distancing was originally an attitude rather than a physical term. Now we all understand it as keeping a physical distance between ourselves and others to avoid infection.

Self-isolation

Self-imposed isolation to prevent catching or transmitting an infectious disease has become a popular term. But back in the 1800s, the term referred to countries that chose to detach themselves politically and economically from the rest of the world.

WFH

“Working (or work) from home, wither as a regular or permanent alternative to office work or on an occasional or temporary basis.”

Elbow bump

A gesture (usually of greeting or farewell) in which two people lightly tap their elbows together as an alternative to a handshake or embrace, in order to reduce the risk of spreading or catching an infectious disease.

PPE

Personal protection equipment is designed to provide the wearer or user protection against hazardous substances or environments, or to prevent transmission of infectious diseases. Formerly, the abbreviation was used only by healthcare and emergency professionals.

Infodemic

Infodemic (a portmanteau word from information and epidemic) is the outpouring of often unsubstantiated media and online information relating to a crisis.

 

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Which are the interesting books that have helped children in lockdown?

Lives of children around the world have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were suddenly forced to reckon with virtual classrooms. Social distancing norms have demanded that they stay home, away from friends, loved ones and playgrounds. And it is books that have helped them make sense of these difficult times.

J.K. Rowling

One of the first to announce a slew of initiatives for her readers was J.K. Rowling. The best-selling author started publishing her new children’s novel “Ickabog” in a serialised manner online. The initial chapters were free to read. What’s more, Rowling asked readers to send in their drawings of the Ickabog and acknowledged the best entries on her Twitter handle. Rowling even offered free access to the first book in the “Harry Potter” series, “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”.

Stephenie Meyer

Young adult readers too had something to cheer for. Stephenie Meyer released “Midnight Sun” – a companion book to the bestselling “Twilight” series. The book narrated the love story between Bella Swan and the vampire Edward Cullen for the first time from his point of view.

Jeff Kinney

Not to be left behind, Jeff Kinney, author of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, visited bookstores across the U.S. in August to hand out signed copies of his new book, “Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure”, in a safe, fun, socially distant way – via a custom-made 96-inch trident.

Oh really?

Numerous children’s books and picture books have been published over the last few months in response to the global health crisis. Freely available online, these books teach children about coronavirus, and encourage them to protect themselves and others.

Our top picks include “My Hero is You! How Kids Can Fight COVID-19”, which is based on a global survey on children and adults coping with the virus, and “From My Window”, a book by United Nations about the joys of being house-bound.

 

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What the country is reading during the pandemic?

Over the last six months, our lives became reminiscent of the plots from science fiction books. A deadly virus is wreaking havoc across the globe. Earlier, streets wore a deserted look, people hid behind masks. Washing, sanitizing, social distancing were the only weapons we could wield against it. Life appeared to have taken a leaf out of a thriller…with things getting stranger each passing day! As the fear of the virus gripped the world, readers turned to books on pandemics to make sense of the new normal. Many books written on pandemics began trending. Some of these books even accurately predicted the coronavirus pandemic and came into the spotlight.

Dean Kootnz turns soothsayer

In a 1981 crime-thriller novel titled “The Eyes of the Darkness”, suspense author Dean Koontz wrote about a virus called Wuhan-400, which the capability to wipe out an entire city or country. The bizarre coincidence sent waves of shocks across the globe and people began to draw parallels between the fictional and the real scenarios. People were quick to share the excerpt from the book online, which seemingly predicted the coronavirus almost 40 years ago.

Predictions and prophecies

Another book, Twitter users claimed, predicted the highly infectious coronavirus in the year 2008. It was a book titled “End of Days: Predictions and Prophecies about the End of the World” by author Sylvia Browne, who claimed to be a medium with psychic abilities.

Based on true events?

In 2011, a film about a deadly virus released in the theatres. It did not receive much attention at the box office and quietly faded from the screens. Nine years later, “Contagion” became one of the most searched and downloaded films. The reason? Its plot is eerily similar to the current coronavirus outbreak. The film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, is about a fictional virus outbreak that starts in Hong Kong. The virus called MEV-1 kills most people affected with it. The film seems all too familiar in the current scenario, as it also shows the impact of misinformation and myths that can be easily spread through technology.

 

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What makes Stephenie Meyer books so special?

The vampre saga continues…

Twelve years ago, a vampire captured the imagination of teens across the world. The story of the terrifying mythical creature – with a pale face and a chiseled jawline – falling in love with a human, won over hearts. Four books and five films later, the series has now received fresh blood.

A new comparison book to the “Twilight” series, “Midnight Sun” by Stephenie Meyer released in August and has already sold more than one million copies. Meyer has even announced plans for two more books in the vampire saga.

The rise of Stephenie Meyer

Like her famous counterpart J.K. Rowling, Meyer got the idea for her book all of a sudden. She was a struggling writer when she had a vivid dream – a boy and girl sitting in a meadow confessing that they were falling in love with each other. There was just one slight problem in this romantic tableau – the boy was a vampire and found the scent of her blood irresistible. Meyer remembered every glorious aspect of the dream and began penning it down so that it won’t slip away. Before she knew it, she had a complete book in her hands!

What’s the new book about?

Titled “Midnight Sun”, the new book is a prequel to “Twilight”. It recounts the story from Edward’s perspective, delving into his past. All the books in the series so far have been from Bella’s point of view. Meyer first announced the publications of Midnight Sun in May. 12 years after she abandoned the manuscript following an online leak of a draft. At the time, Meyer called the leak “a huge violation of my rights as an author, not to mention me as a human being” and put the project on hold indefinitely.

The Twilight saga

The “Twilight” saga was an instant success with teens. The first book came out in 2005, closely followed by a film adaptation with a star cast – Robert Pattinson shone as Edward Cullen and Kirsten Stewart portrayed the clumsy Bella Swan. Though the series received a drubbing from the critics, the films caused a sensation at the box office. More books – “New Moon” (2006), “Eclipse” (2007) and “Breaking Dance” (2008) – followed suit.

Other vampires in fiction you must read:

Here are some famous vampire stories in literature.

  • “Dracula”: Bram Stoker’s sophisticated and mysterious Count Dracula remains timeless.
  • “The House of Night”: This 2007 series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast follows the adventures of a young vampyre Zoey Redbird.
  • “True Blood”: Charlene Harris’s vampire novels feature Sookie Stackhouse and her close encounters with the fanged creatures.

Oh really?

  • Meyer started writing the story backwards, starting from the meadow scene in chapter 13 and then writing chronologically till the beginning.
  • Meyer began writing “Midnight Sun” in 2008, but abandoned the project after half of the manuscript leaked online. She said it violated her right as an author and a human being.
  • Twilight fans are divided into two camps – those who prefer the vampire Edward and those who think that the werewolf Jacob is a better choice. Are you team Edward or team Jacob?

 

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How Deepa Agarwal creates her books?

Deepa Agarwal was born in the beautiful small town of Almora in Uttarakhand, and thanks to her book lover parents – her father, a doctor, and her mother, a school teacher, she became an avid reader. “My parents read to us regularly and provided us with a variety of books. I became such an avid reader that it was inevitable that I end up writing my favourite in school and I always entered any essay competition and often won prizes. I consider the authors that I admire my source of inspiration,” says the writer. She is one of India most prolific writers for the young, with 30 books in three decades of writing! Two of them have been out this year itself – “Blessed” and “Friendship Stories”. Let’s find out how she creates her books.

Writing tips for budding writers

Deepa Agarwal says that her mantra for good writing stems from a whole lot of reading! So, yes, read a lot. “The more you read, the better writer you will be,” she explains. Besides that, she also:

  • Maintain an ideas notebook. Some story idea but are not in position to write times you get a story idea but are not in a position to write it. Save your ideas to develop them  when you have time.
  • Keep a diary. As in sports and music, good writing needs a lot of practice. Keeping a diary means you are writing every day. Record incidents that made an impression on you and your emotional response to the. This could be valuable material in the future.
  • Remember that each story begins with a problem the main character has to solve. She/he will receive help from friends and face opposite from enemies. The attempts to solve this problem create the story.
  • “Where”, “when”, “who”, “why”, and “how”, are important questions in your story and you should provide this information of your readers.
  • The main characters need to be developed in debit to be credible. Show action rather than report it.
  • Dialogue should be natural to the characters.

When you have completed your story, revise, revise and revise!

And there’s not a moment to waste, seems to be the guiding philosophy for Deepa. “ I have two middle readers in the pipeline. One is a retold collection titled ‘Mahabharata Stories’ being published by HarperCollins India. The other, which will be out early next year, is a non-fiction, an account of the exploration of Tibet by legendary surveyor Nain Singh Rawat , titled ‘Journey to the Forbidden City’, to be published by Puffin.”

The writer’s routine

With a repertoire like that, Deepa Agarwal does have a disciplined writing routine. Most days she tries to settle down to her writing around 11.30 a.m., takes a short break for lunch and works for a couple more hours in the afternoon. “Many of my ideas come from real life – incidents that leave a mark or overheard conversations. Sometimes inspiration comes in the form of an opening sentence or a character. My recent nook ‘Blessed’ was sparked off by the image of girl disappearing into a hidden space. For longer works of fiction, I create a plot outline to stay on course, but for my short stories, I let the characters develop on their own and choose their actions. Poetry, of course, is usually spontaneous,” she reveals. That’s interesting don’t you think-having a different working style for different branches of writing?

Deepa Agarwal’s books

  • Three Days to Disaster
  • Anita and the Game of Shadows
  •  The Tricky Tales of Vikram and the Vetal
  • Caravan to Tibet
  • Folk Tales of Uttarakhand
  • Chandrakanta
  • Rani Lakshmibai
  • Write Right
  • Rajula and the Web of Danger
  • Ghost Stories Vol I
  • Chanakya, the Master of Statecraft
  • Spinning Yarns: The Best Children’s Stories from India
  • The Wish-fulfilling Cow and Other Classic Indian Tales
  • Go, Girl, Go!
  • 100 Great Poems for Children
  • Words to live By: The Best of Indian Non-fiction for Children
  • Listen, O King!: Five-and-Twenty Tales of Vikram and the Vetal
  • Best Stories from Around the World
  • Scholastic Book of Hindu Gods and Goddess
  • Sacked: Folktales You Can Carry Around
  • Blessed
  • Friendship Stories
  • A Capital Adventure
  • Everyday Tales
  • Traveller’s Ghost
  • The Hunt for the Miracle Herb
  • Ghosts Everywhere
  • The Hilltop Mystery
  • Not Just Girls!

Bet you didn’t know that though Deepa writes in English, she only began to speak English fluently at the age of seven when she went to boarding school.

Bet you didn’t know that (this may sound positively pre-historic, she confesses) she had never dialed a number on a telephone till she was 16! They lived in a very small town had no telephone at home.

 

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Should books be banned?

Why should banned books be marked with a week? And if they’re banned, should we read these books at all?

The cause

The website bannedbooks.org tell us that the banned books week is an annual event held celebrating the freedom to read – it highlights the value of free and open access to information.

Ever since books came into being, there have been challenges to the distribution and readership of some. In countries across the world, at one time or another, one book or many have been banned, criticised or challenged, generally for political or religious reasons.

Some books have been banned for a short period of time, the publication of others has been challenged in court, and in some cases, certain books are not allowed as reacting material in schools.

Why books?

Why books, you may wonder. After all, what harm can a mere book do? Books can influence people and the way they think. They can challenge popular beliefs. Or they could hurt the sentiments of a particular community. They could contain material that is not considered suitable to be read.

All these may sound like valid reasons, but if you take a look at some of the books that have banned or challenged in places around the globe, you may be surprised. For instance, did you know that Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was banned? Surprising, isn’t it? It was prohibited in a US school in 1900, and later in a province in China.

Censored & challenged

The Catcher in the Rye, a book that now makes it to most recommended, reading lists, was one of the most censored books in schools in the US in the 1960s and 1970s. The Diary of Anne Frank anal Harry Potter are some of the other books that have got into trouble!

If all this sounds like it only happens abroad, think again! In our own country too, books have been banned -both in certain states, and in the country as a whole.

Don’t break the law!

So should we then be reading any of these books? As Long as you are not violating the laws of your country or any country you happen to be in, there are some good reasons to read books that have been criticised.

A book that has been banned years ago for instance, may seem completely tame to you! Remember, attitudes to Life and society are changing all the time. Something that was shocking 100 years ago, may seem completely normal now. And so, a book that was once controversial could give you an insight into cultural mores of the past and how they have evolved over time.

Sometimes, it’s hard to discuss certain topics – whether it’s with your parents, teachers or friends. Books that delve into subjects that are not often talked about – suck as sexuality or substance abuse – may allow you to think about these subjects and perhaps help you form opinions about them, or incite you to find out more.

Discover for yourself

There are some books of course that are definitely not appropriate for children – and you should always be guided by your parents, teachers and Librarians when it comes to this. But in other cases, wouldn’t you like to decide? After all, if it’s boring, you could always stop reading. And if it’s not, it gives you something to think about, doesn’t it?

 

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