BY BEN IRELAND
This is the story of where Kingdom City came from. I don’t think it’s the right way—perhaps not even the ideal way—for a story to come about, but it’s the way it happened. I didn’t have a character, fully formed, walk into my head and introduce themselves like Harry did to JK Rowling. One day, before I was a writer, I thought to myself, ‘What would the coolest book in the world have in it?’
While I don’t think i’ve managed to write the coolest book in the world, Kingdom City contains many elements that have made stories i’ve experienced in the past enjoyable, exciting and addictive. Here are three of the most significant.
The epic item
I always loved stories that revolved around an epic item. Like the One Ring in Lord of the Rings, or the Evangelion mechs. Some epic items may seem insignificant at the onset of the series but can be revealed as important later on. I always thought that was coolest.
To avoid giving too much away, i’m not going to tell you what the epic item is in Kingdom City. But I hope that i’ve laid the groundwork for a great big “ooh” later on.
The intrepid protagonist
I am perpetually attracted to characters who are smart enough, and strong enough to overcome. The protagonists I grew up with and admired were Ripley, from Aliens and Sarah Connor from Terminator.
Those are cool, strong, clever, kick-ass women. They had the intelligence and strength to overcome the dangerous opposition facing them. I hope that my protagonist comes across as strong, but also human—but perhaps too intelligent and insecure for her own good.
The abuse of technology
I find the abuse of technology to be a fascinating concept. Stories dealing with the subject probe how dark human-beings can really be. Technology is a beautiful thing that has the ability to save the world, unless some unscrupulous persons abuse it. Like the android in Alien, programmed to work against the humans, or the people of 1984 never having any privacy (a scenario which is, i’m afraid, no longer science fiction).
Facing what we could do as humans is a powerful way to remind us to use our technology responsibly. Kingdom City explores technology that stretches moral boundaries. It is my hope that this exploration can make the reader think about the application of technology, but to consider the why of technology.
Most of all, I just hope people enjoy reading Kingdom City at least as much as i’ve enjoyed bringing it to the page. It’s truly a love letter to everyone that has helped it come to life. My keyboard has been my epic item, my friends in the publishing industry have been my intrepid protagonists, and I hope, dear reader, that you do not find my attempt an abuse of technology.
Ben’s work has appeared in two X-anthologies: “Kissed a Snake” in A Dash of Madness: a Thriller Anthology (July 2013), and “Fairykin” in Moments in Millennia: a Fantasy Anthology (January 2014). Kingdom City: Resurrection(February 2014).
Ben churns out his prose from his home in Southeast Texas, where he lives with his wife and three children, and works in IT.
Follow Ben on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.