It's all about the Dead Bodies

[j_cheney]

Someone over at the Codex forum posted a question "How many people have you killed in fiction?" (A paraphrase, actually)

I had to laugh about that, as I've used the motto "It's all about the Dead Bodies" before, and even considered using that to title my blog.

Of course, some people, like wistling, have killed off entire planets, so they're overacheivers. I, however, do seem to have a tendency to rack up a body count.


So I looked back at what I've sold and came up with a strange listing:
The Stains of the Past (TSR) Well, I did burn down a metropolitan city. And I do have that lovely climactic scene that takes place in the back of the church where the protag is trying to identify corpses.

Touching the Dead (JBU) Need I say more?

A Hand for Each (Shimmer) I did kill off the entire complement of a sailing ship here...

Masks of War (Fantasy) Took out a handful of soldiers...

The Dragon's Child (BCS) Ditto, plus one wizard.

Taking a Mile (WOTF) Yes, I killed one of the main characters.

The Bear Girl (Wolfsongs) Two of the characters die.

Forthcoming:
Afterimage (JBU) This starts with a detective standing over a dead body--starts that way--so it's not spoilery to admit it.

Early Winter, Near Jenli Village (Fantasy) I'm not going to say anything about this one.

Iron Shoes (Alembical) Ditto, but trust me.

In all honesty, I did have one flash published wherein no one dies. But my unpublished stories (save one) seem to have a similar body count. Unpublished novels---they've got it, too. The WIP? Yep, I can think of two off hand, and one nastily violent attack (scalpel to face stuff, sorry)

And I do have a story out with no deaths in it, but one scene takes place in a graveyard (modelled on the Necropolis in Glasgow, of course). Does that count?

Why does this happen? Because death is a part of the world we live in? ::shrugs::

Comments

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I think you're right, that it's the finality of it. Although marriage isn't 'final' it's still the ending of that sort of novel. I suspect that Spec-Fic just isn't wowed by that ending.

One of mine ends with a death and a marriage...so don't make fun of me.

[displacedtexan.livejournal.com]

Although marriage isn't 'final'...

I'm glad you added "of that sort of novel"!

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

::rolls eyes::