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View Full Version : My fictional spin on a classic work of fiction.


Danhalen
August 3, 2005, 01:58 AM
The following is my attempt to redo the fall of man through the eyes of Satan. I have taken many liberties with the original story. The larget liberty I have taken is the equivocation of Lucifer and Satan. Before I get criticized for it, let me say that I know they are biblically two different beings (but hey, both stories are fiction, so screw it). Anyway, let me know if you think I might have a good start to a book...

He knew that he had been created to push man to his limit, but this was a job he did not want. All he ever wanted was to sit next to God and love Him. He loved God with all his being, yet God wanted him to trick His own creation into betraying Him! How could he do this? He did not understand why he had been created to turn God's own creation against Him. What was the purpose behind this? Why would his Lord create new beings of innocence, give them no knowledge of what it is to do good or evil, and then send another of His own creation to turn one against the other? He doubted God's judgement for this, but he knew that His will must be done. So he did as he was created to do. He went into the paradise that had been created for man. He tempted the woman first. This would be easier for him because she was created like himself. She was able to immerse herself in the thoughts of others, and like Lucifer, she could not merely accept what she was told, she had to think about it first. The man was not the same. He blindly did as he was told, and God had told him to never eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. So he didn't. But she could get him to do it. She had been created from the man, so she did hold some sway over him. Lucifer was right, she doubted and she convinced the man to doubt too. Both were cast from paradise because of their doubt, and Lucifer's doubt did not go unnoticed either. For even though his loyalty far outweighed his doubt, God cast him away from His presence. He set a punishment for Lucifer to always do the one thing that made him doubt his Lord's judgement. He would for evermore be man's adversary, tempting him for eternity to doubt God's will. Lucifer, ever the Lord's willing servant, did so, and he did so to great effect. It was Lucifer's hope that if he did his task with great enough effect, that he would some day be allowed to do what his only desire ever was, to bask in the glory of his Creator. He (like man), had no idea that eternity was so long of a time to suffer through. The angel wept.

seebs
August 3, 2005, 03:12 AM
http://www.seebs.net/log/archives/000056.html

What if Eve tempted the Serpent? "Tell me another story," she says. "I want you to make it so I can eat the apple."

YMMV.

Danhalen
August 3, 2005, 10:08 PM
http://www.seebs.net/log/archives/000056.html

YMMV.That is really cool. My wife and I both just said "Wow, that's a really interesting twist on it."

By the way, what is "YMMV"?

seebs
August 3, 2005, 10:23 PM
YMMV = "Your Mileage May Vary". Car ads used to say it to warn you that they were flat out lying, but more generally it's used to indicate something of unpredictable value. Some people might like it, some not so much.

Danhalen
August 3, 2005, 10:36 PM
YMMV = "Your Mileage May Vary". Car ads used to say it to warn you that they were flat out lying, but more generally it's used to indicate something of unpredictable value. Some people might like it, some not so much.Well, I think you could get a lot of mileage out of your twist. If I get too frustrated with mine, do you mind if I "borrow" yours? :D

seebs
August 3, 2005, 11:30 PM
Go right ahead.

BTW, my spouse wrote a thing on a dimly related topic, which I relate here just because it's similar in tone.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/gomichan/94212.html

Danhalen
August 3, 2005, 11:59 PM
You guys are an odd couple. I like that. I sure wish there were more people like you guys around. You'd fit in well with my friends.

Fortuna
August 4, 2005, 12:53 AM
Thats an interesting take on the story and with backgrounds you imply for the serpent (relative to the original), having the elements of the Job-ish advocate of the advocate or accuser working for his god.(with an interesting shift of ultimate responsibility).

I would also ask if you dont think that this story has been, well, "done to death", even in ancient times. Gnostic texts retell the Adam and Eve story and recast the characters in interesting ways. One story (there are several, this one from the Nag Hammandi cache) is a narration from the point of view of the serpent, like yours.

There are also other Targums and other texts from Jewish (Philo, Targums) and Christian(Augustine, Origen, Apochryphal texts) writers and parts which have retellings and elaborations The Synilline Oracles also contain interesting elaborations. Augsutine letter exchanges with Pelagius and in their debates thet have their elaborations of the same story.

The Hebrew story of Enoch (which predates Christianity by the way and is quoted by NT authors and probably believed by the early Christians) also has a group of angels (Azzazel and friends) who marry human women (a takeoff of Gen 9), and then give to mankind fire and weapons, etc , god sends other angels after them, and ends up negotiating with them through Enoch.

(and that's just a few of the ancient ones)


I do find it interesting to compare your characters and themes to the ancient ones (with time and locale appropriate adjustments). It would also to note if we could not judge by your recastings of elements of the story that this is a modern reconstruction ?

Danhalen
August 4, 2005, 01:06 AM
Fortuna,

I originally got the idea from the gnostic texts, but that is not where I intend to end up. I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I intend to make God the good guy after all (in contrast to the bad guy creator Gnostic God). It will all just be a matter of perspective of the character. The main purpose was to give a reason for the common Christian equivocation of Satan and Lucifer. Eventually, Lu will adopt the name of Satan (in recognition of his adversary job). He will (at the denouement of the story) come to realize that Lucifer was his rightful name after all, since it was his job to spread the light of God's will.