A - Z Challenge: S is for Selkie and also for Nicholls, Stan

IS FOR

SELKIE

PART I:

        WHAT IS IT?

A selkie is a mythological [1] creature who lives as a seal in the sea but shed their skins on the land and become human.  Almost all of the selkie stories are romantic tragedies [2] Sometimes the human doesn't know of their lovers dual nature and is mystified when they just vanish into the night.  

Other tales have the human hiding the Selkies seal skin which prevents it from changing back. There are many variations on this theme.

        WHERE DO YOU GET IT?

Back to the oceans of the world we go.  This time we'll lie in wait around the waters of Scotland and Ireland [3]  Since we'll be moving around the seal colonies it's going to be cold, very wet and incredibly smelly.

But faint heart ne'er won true lady right? right

        USING IT IN REAL LIFE:

The most obvious use for a Selkie is to hide her skin, marry her and then do nothing until she manages to escape back to the sea.

Whereupon you notify the police of your wife being missing, undergo a three ring media circus with clowns AND a dancing bear.

Get accused of doing her in, be found not guilty due to lack of evidence and a very flimsy case.

Finally collect on the massive amount of life insurance that you took out on her and live it up.

        USING IT IN WRITING

Selkies are often painted as victim le tragique in the stories but what if they weren't?  Perhaps there have been a rash of attacks in the town and nobody can figure out why there is a particular odour at the scene of the crime [4]

A group of Selkies might run something of a protection racket on the fishermen.  If they don't get their cut then the fish are all driven away from their boats.

It might be something to play around with in the background of a character.  Perhaps he's going through the change for the first time and freaking out about it [5]

Does your Selkie have access to Selkie Magic of some kind?  Will he use his powers to protect or harm?

        MIGHT ONE TAKE OVER THE WORLD WITH IT?

PART II

S

is also for

NICHOLLS, STAN

He has written a series based on a band of orcs who split away from the army of the evil overlord [6] It's a very new series and I only picked up the second book a few days ago so I can't tell you that much about the plot.  

What I like about it is that the orcs have been taken away from the "mindless slaves of the enemies armies" mould but haven't completely been put in the "we are really gentle children of the land" box.

They still fight and fight well but now it is with a purpose.

I would recommend this series to people that like a fast paced plot with plenty of action

NOTES:

1. For a given value of mythological that is.
2. Ensuring that we'll never get the Disney version of them (knock on wood)
3. Because I've got relatives in Edinburgh and I'm certain that they wont mind if a myriad of monster hunters/blog readers just suddenly appear on their doorstep. 
4. Could everyone who just thought "This smells fishy" please get out of my head.  I just cleaned up in there.
5. You know,  like almost every other shifter story out there
6. Actually an evil overlady.  Good to know there's no glass ceiling when your taking over the world

The Scroobious Snake,
who always wore a Hat on his Head, for
fear he should bite anybody.