Blog Archives
A Surreal, Absurdist, and Grotesque Fiction
The Pearl Territory follows the survivors of the Earth that seek a life outside their restrictive colony and may find it on an enigmatic planet. What was the inspiration for the setup to this compelling novel?
I would prefer to call them the chosen survivors because most of them (advanced and primitive) left the Earth before the gamma-ray hit it. Their escape was calculated; they had been preparing for that kind of situation.
It’s true, they are looking for the ninth planet in the hope of building the new world, the place of their dreams. The advanced are looking for new territory; the people of power – for crystal, the sacred gate between different dimensions and universes; the primitive, or people of resistance – to break free from AI. Everybody has their own agenda, but there is only one planet – the beautiful, full of water, green Pearl. How would they share it, if they ever did? Is it possible for them all to live in peace? Is Pearl a habitable place? Or is this planet only an illusion?
The story is the sketch of our society, filled with murderers, doctors, religious fanatics, kids with superpowers, mutants, demons, famous painters, witches, Egyptian Kings, magical books, AI-police, addictions, and endless sexual (often ridiculous) rules.
I’m also trying to peek into the future by analyzing such sensitive theme as partition into two primary races: advanced and primitive humans. Who knows, it might be our reality in 2718 (if we survive until then), when the worlds and the planets will be divided between nano-people (conscious robots with feelings) and good old homo sapiens.
Please don’t take this novel too seriously – this is a surreal, absurdist, and grotesque fiction full of adult humor.
Ah, about the inspiration! It is always the silence. Every novel of mine is always born from the silence…
I enjoyed the array of characters you’ve created. Who was your favorite character to write for?
I don’t have a favorite character.
The book consists of 60+ heroes. It might be challenging to follow; that’s why I’d advise you to read it in two or maximum three sittings, preferably as a paperback, in the span of a week. It shouldn’t be that hard, the book is only 200 pages long.
I’d like to mention, though, the character called Mara – the Queen of the Surreal Kingdom, hidden beneath the murky waters of Pearl (the ninth planet). She or He, or both, is the ruler of the demonic powers, the yin and the yang of the Magical Universe, the catcher of Time. I often ask myself, what would I do to stop the time? Would I be as cruel as Mara? Who knows?
Unfortunately, the most powerful people are often showing signs of cruelty, especially when they are too close to achieve or find something they dreamed of for so long…
There’s also a couple of funny metaphysical characters in my book: Mister Time himself – a horny old man who is spending his eternal life locked inside of the closed zone; and his lovely Elsa-chair, which is an actual chair that can talk, walk, and joke.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
As I already mentioned, this novel is a sketch of our society. I tried to glimpse into the future without going deep into psychology, relationships, political fights, and the danger of artificial power. I tried to show as many typical characters of the Earth as possible.
One of the themes, of course, is the search for happiness. People are always searching for something, they are never satisfied, and this kind of dissatisfaction, as we see, leads to a lot of problems.
It doesn’t matter which theme or question you are going to pick, there’s an answer or a hero to that in ‘The Pearl Territory’.
The book is written in two formats: 50% private journals and 50% dialogues.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m working on a book called ‘The Secrets of A-Ria’, the second book in the trilogy Child of Illusion, for young adults. Genre: metaphysical fantasy, absurdist. I’m writing humorous fiction for adults, so I find it quite challenging to write for teens.
I see it as a separate book, which means you don’t need to read book 1 to understand or follow the story in book 2. The plot revolves around Codes’ land, called A-Ria – the place unseen and inaccessible by humans. The main character, Aileen, is the Code of Death, who regulates the normal flow of life on Earth. But, as always, the Earth is in danger, as well as the Land of A-Ria. The Black Creeper is coming…
The message of this book: monsters don’t always look like monsters.
It will be available in the summer of 2021.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
“Netericus” has 19,347 strict and 6,980 flexible rules. The people feel trapped… Loneliness is spreading between members of the community, which is divided into “primitive” and “advanced” humans. The list of rules grows, as does the fear. A team of scientists finally makes a long-awaited breakthrough about the location of the Pearl, the 9th planet. The desire to start a new life and finally breathe outside awakes in many hearts again.
Pain Berchpull, a former pilot and one of ‘the primitive,’ has been sent on a mission—to the enigmatic Pearl. Her team has been in the most dangerous and frightening places in the Galaxy, and they have seen and done things that would make your skin crawl, but their arrival on the Pearl is the beginning of The End.
The book contains fun or gross erotica and elements of violence. Only for adults (18+)!
Genre: absurdist fiction, surreal fantasy, dystopian comedy.
This book is written in two formats: 50% – a play or dialogue and 50% – the journals.
The Pearl Territory: A Surreal Drama
![The Pearl Territory: A Surreal Drama by [Victoria Ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51ZFue1KSfL.jpg)
The Pearl Territory is a suspense filled; sci-fi, surreal drama written by Victoria Ray. The Pearl Territory is the story of 1,296 people that survived the near annihilation of earth after a gamma ray hit the earth. Living inside a colony called Netericus, on Titus, people are becoming frustrated with the huge number of rules and restrictions. A group of six Titanians are sent to explore the Pearl. They hope to find a new home that humans can live in.
The novel has a variety of settings, ranging from newly discovered Pearl to Netericus, to flashbacks of earth- in city’s such as San Francisco. The story is predominantly set in Pearl. Author Victoria Ray provides the reader with vivid descriptions of its water covered land, and unique formations that can only be seen if they can be imagined. Flashbacks provide melancholy descriptions of earth, and the towns they miss and love. The time also ranges from the present day (2718) to the 1980’s on earth. These setting changes (both geographical and time) are easy to distinguish by the in-depth descriptions Ray writes.
The majority of the novel is structured as a series of private journals, written by various characters. The journals are easy to follow, entitled with the character’s name, and detailing whereabouts the character is living. This structure makes the novel easy to follow, despite its many characters and settings.
There is a large cast of characters in The Pearl Territory. Thankfully, Ray provides a list of characters at the start of the book. There are some more prominent characters in the novel, such as Pain, Rai, Mr Time, Pastor Hoff and Bou. The character cast is made even more complex by the different types of characters, for example the Titans (primitive and advanced), the heroes, mutants, Hreens, those from the past, those from earth, from Nirvana, and beyond matter. These characters are defined and distinguished by their dialogue – both inner thoughts and dialogue with others, and their actions. An interesting array of diverse characters, sprawling the spectrum of good and evil.
The Pearl Territory had an interesting premise and a compelling story and with intriguing twists and turns. This is a thought-provoking dark fantasy novel with deep commentary on society that’s sometimes satirical but always entertaining.
Pages: 191 | ASIN: B08KY44TBJ
Some Kind of Grotesque Thriller/Parody
Victoria Ray Author Interview
Sophia von X follows Sabina, who goes on vacation when things quickly go awry, and she’s caught in the middle of an archaeological conspiracy. What was the inspiration for the setup of this thrilling story?
The icon of Christ Pantocrator inspired me. I remember, I bought a history journal, and there it was – an article about Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, describing in detail a famous mosaic of Christ Pantocrator. I thought it would be fun to write a story about this place. I have never been to Istanbul, but other members of my family have visited it, so it was beneficial. I sketched the plot in one day.
Also, I rarely work on big pieces of fiction, but decided to try it, and write a full-length novel, some kind of grotesque thriller/parody on different books and movies. I wanted it to be ‘fast’ like a John Wick movie, but also packed with a lot of female heroes like in Charlie’s Angels, and with a sprinkle of religious conspiracy like in Dan Brown’s books. A taste of everything in one story.
Sabina is an intriguing and well-developed character. What were some ideas that drove her character development?
At first, I tried to write a story about the robbery, but I changed my mind. I created a Sicilian woman who takes a paid leave from her job at university and goes on a vacation with the purpose of visiting a newly discovered tomb of Christianity. The idea was to make the reader wonder, all the time, who she really is. We should remember that life is a mystery, and absolutely anything can happen to us along the road, at any moment… Maybe now?
Of course, Sabina changes because of unusual circumstances, but she is also the one who makes decisions. She is (both) a good guy and a villain. She is broken and the one who breaks. She is the woman and the boss. She is the lover and the hater. She is strong and weak. She is a complex character, but I’m not focusing on her feelings or problems. This is not a psychological thriller; this book is about action and fun.
The word that describes my writing the best is the word random. I do not explain much; I prefer readers to make the necessary connections by themselves, and most important – to think and imagine. I believe this is the primary purpose of reading. If I tell you everything, then what is the point?
I enjoyed the mysteries embedded in the story. Did you plan these, or did they develop organically while writing?
I planned the birthmark story, the twelfth page, and Sabina’s stop at the dig. I needed Thomas von Essen as the ‘slide-character,’ who is involving her in the illegal criminal activity.
I changed the ending a week before publishing, by killing more people. I saved the protagonist’s life, though.
I planted a couple of hooks because I have a ‘hidden’ villain in the team of four. The identity of this person will be revealed at the end of the story.
What is the next novel that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I’m usually writing short stories; that’s why my next book is a collection of surreal humor, mystery, and satirical stories. It will be available in June 2020: as ebook and paperback.
At the end of this year, I’ll focus on Book 2 in my young adult absurdist fantasy series Child of Illusion.
My next big novel is a psychological thriller, Almost Faithful. Hopefully, it will be published in 2021. Here’s the blurb of the story:
- Perth, Australia.
- Two ordinary families.
- Three different women.
- One obsessive man.
Margo and Barry are living the perfect life. They’re happily married (or so it seems), working great jobs, and traveling the world. Ellen and David have it all – the looks, the big house by the beach, a successful business, a grown-up daughter, Marie. But underneath, each couple is in crisis, and there is only one cause. His name is Charlie…
Charlie is a widower with an autistic son. A man with exceptional acting skills, struggling to forget his painful past. A man who is not ready to let go, who is breaking two families and destroying their trust.
Out of options and with their backs against the wall, Margo, Ellen and Marie discover that murder isn’t a tool reserved only for criminals.
Author Links: Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
![Sophia von X by [Victoria Ray, H. M. Belsve]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41erd-J4lxL.jpg)
It was supposed to be a vacation, the trip to a newly discovered tomb of Jesus…
When Sabina Ferrara was driving to Bingerbruck, Germany, she was hoping to put a painful marriage behind her. Certain unforeseen events turned against her and during a visit to Christ’s tomb, she is meeting Thomas von Essen – a dangerous thief, who is hiding behind the name of a decent family, pretending that he is a famous archaeologist. Against her will, Sabina is dragged into the middle of the stealing of biblical artifacts, killings, and shootings. She ended up attracting the attention of an unknown enemy from Jerusalem, a wicked man called Papa Zen. A powerful mogul who knows too much about Sabina and her mysterious birthmark. She is the one he was looking for so long…
12 lost pages from the Bible
Car chasing, guns, and fights
Yakuza and Ndrangheta families
Palermo, Istanbul, Jerusalem
Deaths, tears, broken hearts
Sophia von X is a story of violence and obsession, secrets and tragedy, lies, hate, and love.
Sophia von X
Sabina hopes to put a painful marriage behind her by taking a trip to Germany where she will visit a newly discovered tomb of Christ. Along the way she meets a man posing as an archaeologist, but she comes to find out that it is a façade hiding an illicit truth. A series of thrilling events throw Sabina into the middle of a riveting conspiracy involving biblical artifacts. With the body count rising, and bullets whizzing in all directions, can Sabina survive the cesspit of powerful men she’s been thrown into?
The first thing that struck me about Sophia von X is the quick pace the novel develops after the first few chapters. It holds this quick pace right up until the satisfying ending. If you’re familiar with the director Roland Emmerich and his work, then you’ll be familiar with the type of rousing action rampant throughout this book. Car chases, gun fights, deadly secrets and dangerous lies, the book certainly uses all the tools in a writer’s toolbox to build a suspenseful narrative.
While I felt the story line was intricate I felt that the characters were a lot more grounded, propelling themselves through a complex web of action with simple motivations. This keeps things well focused on the intriguing backstory, exotic locations, and subtle themes throughout the book. The same could be said about the dialogue, it’s nothing fancy, but it is to the novels credit. I was able to focus on the story and the characters rather than twisting my brain around complex literary devices. Sabina is a character that I enjoyed watching develop. She’s a believable character which is why I enjoyed watching her get thrown into these wild situations because I felt like her reactions were believable.
Victoria Ray has an outstanding ability to create an intriguing mystery that begs to be answered. Sophia von X is an absorbing novel full of action punctuated by captivating mysteries that that will appeal to fans of action adventure novels and historical fiction readers.
Pages: 210 | ASIN: B085QHTM6V
LITERARY TITAN 