1984, Brave New World, and Narnia... What's you brave new world?
Dream of the Navigator Blog Tour
August 15-22, 2018
I've heard this new young-adult release described as "1984 and Brave New World meets Narnia." So, of course, I had to ask the author... Over to you Stephen!
What did you love about 1984, brave new world, and narnia?
1984 by George
Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous
Huxley, and the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis all had profound influences
on me during my formative years. Of
these, I read the Chronicles of Narnia first, in grade school, then encountered
1984 in high school, and finally read
Brave New World during my college
years.
The Chronicles of Narnia is one of the main reasons that I
am a speculative fiction writer today.
As a child, reading these books (given to me by my mother) opened my
eyes to the wonderful realms of fantasy and the possibilities in fantasy
literature. Very few series have had a
more satisfying conclusion than The Chronicles of Narnia did with The Last Battle, the seventh title in
the series. In addition to being a very
joyful and fulfilling conclusion, this truly grand finale had some extremely
profound concepts embedded within it.
The entire sequence of “Further Up and Further In,” taking
place when the ensemble of characters has entered the true Narnia, left me with
much to ponder across the years. The
deeper into the true Narnia they go, the more Narnia opens up and expands,
giving the idea of truly infinite horizons that are accessed once one turns
inward rather than casting about outward for something to hold onto.
Similarly, the reader is left with the thought that the
entire series they have just read is not even a scratch on the surface of the
adventures awaiting the characters who have entered into the true Narnia. I love the concept of higher
realms/alternate realities and a transcendence of time and space, spheres of
thought that are now making their mark on the cutting edge of scientific
inquiry today, especially in the realms of quantum physics.
1984 is a classic
work of literature that has had a tremendous impact on the world for its stark
and foreboding portrayal of a pervasive dystopian environment that is used to
manipulate and control the masses. One
of the things that I find most profound abut 1984 is the story’s focus on the use of language, the manipulation
of words, and the control of historical perspective.
Words in 1984 no
longer have their true meanings and things in that world have become so
relative in nature that it is acceptable to say two plus two equals five. To me, these are the areas that have some
very troubling parallels to trends of today in regard to language, an
observable decline in reason and objectivity, and many other issues.
In my eyes, Orwell truly was a prescient individual.
Brave New World,
like 1984, is also a classic work of
literature. Like 1984, it explores an
atmosphere where there is extensive control and manipulation of a population,
but instead of using a dystopian environment within the storyline it makes use
of a more utopian one to control and steer the masses.
Centering around the use of the drug soma, the means of
keeping the society placid and cooperative are much more pleasant in nature
than the harsh methods used in 1984. The
drug’s extensive use helps gird a society where people are genetically
engineered and assigned to various classes based upon their level of
intelligence and the profession/work they will be doing.
The presentation of a utopia as a means of control,
something very different from 1984, is
a very insightful concept that I found incredibly interesting the first time I
read this book.
On a side note, though not entirely unrelated, I also recommend
reading Huxley’s essay “Brave New World Revisited” which takes a look back at
the novel around 25 years after its release and weighs the themes presented
within it in light of what has transpired in the world during that period of
time.
All three of these tremendous works of literature gave me a
lot to think about, from the time that I first read them up through today and
I’m sure for many years to come. From
mass control of the populace through the use of dystopias or utopias, to the
concepts of infinite worlds and higher states of consciousness and existence, these
stories give readers a lot to think about in relation to their own world and
lives.
For me, those are the most rewarding kinds of stories, which
is also why they had such profound and lasting influences upon me.
About the author: Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker based out of Lexington Kentucky. His works include the Rayden Valkyrie novels and novellas(Sword and Sorcery), the Rising Dawn Saga (Cross Genre), the Fires in Eden Series (Epic Fantasy), the Hellscapes short story collections (Horror), the Chronicles of Ave short story collections (Fantasy), the Harvey and Solomon Tales (Steampunk), the Ragnar Stormbringer Tales (Sword and Sorcery), and the forthcoming Faraway Saga (YA Dystopian/Cross-Genre).
Stephen’s visual work includes the feature film Shadows Light, shorts films such as The Sirens and Swordbearer, and the forthcoming Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot.
Stephen is a proud Kentucky Colonel who also enjoys the realms of music, martial arts, good bourbons, and spending time with family.
Where to find him: Author Links:
Website: https://www.stephenzimmer.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephenzimmer7
Twitter: @sgzimmer
Instagram: @stephenzimmer7
About Dream of the Navigator: "1984 and Brave New World meets Narnia"
Cities have been replaced by technates. It is a world of soaring apartments, hundreds of stories high, where technology measures, monitors and rations to meet the needs of the greater populace. It is a world of drones, in the air and on the ground, and advanced robotic beings who carry out much of the harder labor, security, and even pleasure assignments.
Those discontent, or who resist, are taken to Rehabilitation Centers, established after the embrace of the Greater Good Doctrine.
For most, virtual realms, substances, and entertainment provide escapes, but for Haven, Cayden, Jaelynn, and Salvador, growing up in Technate 6 is a restless existence.
A hunger for something more gnaws inside each of them. Discoveries await that open the gates to transcend time and space, and even new planes of existence. Nothing in their universe, or others, is impossible to explore.
What was once reality, now seems like an illusion in a deepening experience.
Begin the journey to Faraway, in Dream of the Navigator, the first book of the Faraway Saga!
Where to find it: Links for Dream of the Navigator
Amazon Print Version
https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Navigator-Stephen-Zimmer/dp/1948042533/
Kindle Version
https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Navigator-Faraway-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B07CZTW4V6/
Barnes and Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dream-of-the-navigator-stephen-zimmer/1128993419?ean=9781948042536
Where to find out More: Tour Schedule and Activities
We are celebrating this new release with a full blog tour featuring reviews, interviews, video contents, guest posts and top ten lists!
8/15 Sheila's Guests and Reviews https://Sheiladeeth.blogspot.com Guest Post
8/15 Jorie Loves A Story https://jorielovesastory.com Review
8/16 MyLifeMyBooksMyEcape https://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpress.com Author Interview
8/17 Ravenous for Reads https://www.ravenousforreads.com Author Interview
8/17 Will Read For Booze https://www.willreadforbooze.com Top Ten List
8/17 The Sinister Scribblings of Sarah E. Glenn https://saraheglenn.blogspot.com/ Guest Post
8/18 The Book Lover's Boudoir https://thebookloversboudoir.wordpress.com/ Review
8/19 Jazzy Book Reviews http://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com VLog
8/19 Robin's Book Spot https://robinsbookspot.blogspot.com Review
8/20 Soul Meets Books https://soulmeetsbooks.wordpress.com Review
8/21 Sapphyria's Books https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/ Guest Post
8/22 Literature Approved http://literatureapproved.com Review
8/22 Jorie Loves A Story https://jorielovesastory.com Video Interview
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