When I was a teenager, I read an amazing trilogy of books by LJ Smith. No, not ‘Vampire Diaries’, though that came shortly thereafter. The Forbidden Game. Some of my blog readers already know this, so I’m sorry for the repeat information, but it’s important today.
My favorite character in the entire series was the villain. He was smart, sexy, a little bad, and willing to go to great lengths for love. And he was the author’s visualization of Loki.
When I was a little older, my brother recommended I read American Gods. And I hate to spoil the plot for those of you who haven’t read it, but Neil Gaiman’s visualization of Loki once again astounded me. I was pretty swept away by the concept of Odin, as well. And Horus. Khali. Television.
But for some reason, Loki stood out in my mind. He’s my ultimate bad boy. I swear fake loyalty to him on a regular basis, and I’m pretty sure that entertains him. There are drawbacks to worshiping a god of mischief and chaos. Sometimes your hot water heater explodes the same week the transmission on your car dies. Sometimes you get a job offer for the perfect job less than three hours after you interviewed with someone other than the hiring manager because said hiring manager was too busy. Sometimes you have to pick between two jobs for the first time in your life…except neither one has made an offer yet.
And sometimes the clouds roll in, the skies darken, and the rain pours down from the heavens in the most beautiful display of Thor-like fury you’ve ever witnessed and you just stand out in it for hours talking to someone you adore and loving the sounds the large drops of water make on the sidewalk, the trees, the roofs. And you know despite everything, all is right in the world.
So I was pondering the idea of Loki the other day, in relation to how he works in my stories. I might let him guest post one day. If I’m feeling particularly masochistic. And I started to ponder something I’ve never really given much thought to before. Could I actually build a series around him?
Don’t have the answer to that yet, but it seems like there’s potential.
What has chaos done for you lately?
I think the most interesting thing about Loki is that he isn’t always bad. He’s not always the villain. He’s called the “doer of good and doer of evil”. (Which, incidentally, is how I sometimes describe my toddlers.)
I think you should write a series. In Uriel’s Fall, Loki doesn’t seem so mischevious. He’s actually quite charming most of the time. But I remember a short story I read of yours where he was much more tricky. You can show all sides of his nature.
Good ol’ low key… hehehe. Just kidding. He did have an interesting role in American Gods. I’m a big fan of chaos but not a big fan of “bad boys.” Though a series focused around Loki could be interesting to say the least.
😉
A story surrounded by the character of Loki, I’m sure, would be fascinating. Very well-written post. I like the fact that you admit to harboring this infatuation with this “Bad Boy” despite the series of unforeseen consequences wreaked upon you—coincidence or curse?
Great post and great blog!