The Mythology of MORE
By T.M. Franklin
I’m often asked about the inspiration for MORE, and where the idea of the First Race and the Half-Breeds came from. Well, the mythology of MORE was inspired by a number of real-life myths and legends you might be familiar with, and a few that might be new to you.
The Nephilim
“When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.’Now, there’s a lot of debate over who the Nephilim were—we’re not even sure if they were actually the “sons of God” or perhaps the offspring of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men.” Some say they were the children of fallen angels and human women. The Nephilim are only mentioned twice in the Bible. The other place is in the book of Numbers, where they are described as giants. (Goliath, of David & Goliath fame, is believed by some to have been a descendant of the Nephilim.)
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” – Genesis 6:1-4 (NIV)
The idea intrigued me—the existence of a group of people who were bigger and stronger than normal humans. What if they were superior in other ways as well? What if they were more developed mentally as well as physically, giving them superhuman abilities? The “heroes of old, men of renown” phrase led me to think of similar creatures in myth and legend.
Titans, Gods, and other Mythological Creatures
Medusa, by Alice Pike Barney, 1892
There are a ton of them—the Titans, the gods of Greek or Roman mythology, giants, creatures in fairy tales or even comic books. What if they were merely exaggerations of people who really existed? Members of an ancient race—the First Race—who were a little more than human? (Heh. Yeah, that’s where the title came from.)What if Medusa was really a member of this Race, who had the ability to paralyze nerves, and the snake-hair was just added in by a creative storyteller? What if the Hydra was based on a real-life person who could regenerate body parts? People who could hypnotize and manipulate others with their beautiful voices could have given rise the legends about the Sirens. Perhaps Zeus was a man who could manipulate electricity, giving him the ability to throw lightning bolts. In MORE, Ava describes some of the Race members who are so unusual-looking, they can’t go out into the human world.
“They stared at her curiously, and Ava couldn’t help staring back. Some were so tall—so incredibly beautiful—that they took her breath away. They glowed brighter than Caleb without the Veil, their eyes shimmering with light, their every movement poetic and graceful.”What would you call a creature like that if you met him? An angel, perhaps? A fairy or witch?
-MORE, Chapter 13
But if these people existed, why wouldn’t they be in charge? Well, because they had a moral code, of course—a mission to help humans along in their development. And, because they were fewer in number than the ever-multiplying humans, they were in some danger if they were ever exposed. Everybody knows humans fear what they do not understand, and even a member of a superior race might fear being burned at the stake!
The Demigods
Hercules Kills the Nemean Lion, 5th Century B.C.
Now, back to Genesis for a moment—apparently this relationship between the “sons of God” and “daughters of men” was a bad thing, because the next verses in Genesis talk about the wickedness of the human race and God’s decision to wipe it out with the Great Flood—you know, Noah and the Ark?So, the idea that this relationship was forbidden got me thinking. Why would that be? Well, perhaps it was because their children would be potentially dangerous and unpredictable. Maybe they’d be like the demigods of mythology—human, but with power and strength superior to ordinary mortals, or perhaps even with gifts of their own. But if these people didn’t know how to control their gifts or use them properly, they could pose a danger to others, and also a risk of exposure. This is what led to the idea of the Half-Breeds, and why the Race would be so worried about them.
Of course, all of this helped to set up the relationship between Caleb and Ava in MORE. What happens when a member of this Race gets a little too close to a human? Talk about coming from two different worlds! His job is to get close to her, but loyalty to his people is tested when he gets to know her.
How they deal with that, and the people who want Ava captured—or possibly killed—is what MORE is all about.
So what are your favorite myths and legends? Let me know in the comments!
About T.M. Franklin
T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. After writing and unsuccessfully querying a novel that she now admits, “is not that great,” she decided to follow the advice of one of the agents who turned her down—write some more and get better at it. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days.She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Mike, is mom to two boys, Justin and Ryan, and has an enormous black dog named Rocky who’s always lying nearby while she’s writing. Whether he’s soothed by the clicking of the computer keys or just waiting for someone to rub his belly is up for debate.
In addition to MORE, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short story, Window, as well as another short story, A Piece of Cake, which appears in the Romantic Interludes anthology. The sequel to MORE, The Guardians, will be released in the fall of 2013.
Connect with T.M. Franklin
About MORE
As a child, she fantasized about having magical powers . . . making things happen. But Ava grew up and eventually accepted the fact that her childish dreams were just that, and maybe a normal life wasn't so bad after all.
Now a young college student, Ava meets Caleb Foster, a brilliant and mysterious man who’s supposed to help her pass physics, but in reality has another mission in mind. What he shows Ava challenges her view of the world, shaking it to its very core.
Because Caleb isn't quite what he seems. In fact, he's not entirely human, and he's not the only one.
Together, the duo faces a threat from an ancient race bound to protect humans, but only after protecting their own secrets—secrets they fear Ava may expose. Fighting to survive, Ava soon learns she's not actually normal . . . she's not even just special.
She's a little bit more.
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About Window
Chloe Blake has a unique gift, an odd connection to her house that results in glimpses of the past, present, and future via the picture window in her living room. Unfortunately, it’s a gift that sometimes proves to be more of a curse. Especially when she tries to help out Ethan Reynolds, the gorgeous boy who lives across the street – an endeavor that, for some reason, always seems to backfire. Or leave her covered in mud.But the house is convinced Ethan’s life is in danger and Chloe’s the only one who can save him. The problem is, he thinks she’s more than a little crazy.
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