Bright Swords

 In between writing Star Warden Book 2. I did not want to leave the blog unattended and there was something I wanted to talk about. Star Warden and Uplift Protocol along with the similarities and differences between them. But I did not just want to talk about making comparisons and leave it there, plus neither series is complete at the moment so there could be more similarities and differences that might pop up. However, there was a core element both had which inspired the name of this post. 

First, what do both serials have in common? (Non-exhaustive list)

1. Both leads have red white and blue in their color scheme, are American, and have Star somewhere in their name. 
2. The leads are in a stable romantic relationship. 
3. Both series take place in settings that involve worlds off Earth and have a sci-fi/fantasy theme.
4. Clear Good and Evil 
5. Ancient lost civilization with technology left behind.
6. The main heroes are the bright symbol of hope people rally behind and can affect change with their presence. 

The last one is the subject of this post. Sam and Eliza are both the Bright Swords cutting through the darkness of their respective universes. Modern heroes today are usually conflicted and question themselves and their purpose. They are given a huge amount of flaws, they mope, are focused on their own problems with their powers grounded. Unless you are a symbol of representation then you get all the power with no training, everyone loves you, and the bad guys are the people who don't like them. 

But enough about Rey and Carol Danvers. 

The fact of the matter is a lot of current stories don't have the Bright swords anymore. Superman is either modernized by Snyder or gets his life ruined in the comics. When people think of the Superman archetype they think of Homelander in the Boys. In Game of Thrones, the characters who die are the honorable and idealistic types. I mean even Shazam (true Captain Marvel) doesn't have his idealistic origin anymore. His new 52 origins which were used in the movie get the focus. Instead of being a pure soul and truly good, chosen by the Wizard. He's now just the last act of a desperate old wizard giving his power to a cynical kid abandoned by his mother and living in a group home.  

Now, this brings me to the differences. Since it is common to believe that these old-style paragons can only exist in the past or settings that have no conflict at all. I will disprove that by presenting the differences between the two serials. The large scale one is the very settings they inhabit.

Uplift Protocol: Somewhat of a Sugar Bowl; a bright idealistic world filled with heroes. Friendly aliens patrol the stars and most people are trusting and helpful of each other. While there are still threats, interpersonal conflicts, and obstructive bureaucracy. At the end of the day, the world is a nice place to live. 

Eliza lives in a NobleBright world and is meant to defend it from ending. She preserves the status quo for the most part and changes the not so bright parts. 

Star Warden: Somewhat of a World Half Full/Crapsack World. A darker world where evil has free reign and heroes are few and far between. But the heroes that are there are bright, hopeful, and successfully make things better in small or large ways. A world where suffering is commonplace but the response to it is to fight back against it. The world is not a nice place to live yet but with work, it can be. 

Sam lives in a NobleDark world and is meant to make it a better place. He is changing the status quo despite the fact it appears to be an uphill climb.

There I just described two stories both with bright paragons of virtue and their settings couldn't be any more different. Heroism is timeless and easy to do and you don't have to make your story basically Sesame Street to do it. You just need one, or a few, good people who can smile when the going gets tough and inspire others to trust in them and in their own capacity to help. To quote Jor-El. 

"They only need the light to show them the way."

 Even if this is not considered "realistic" and human nature is flawed and many might abuse their superpowers or fall into despair. So what? 

People like Bright Swords. They want to see them draw their blades, don their bright armor, and charge once more unto the breach to repel great evil so the sun can shine brightly once again. I mean Hollywood is trying to reboot old properties that had those Bright Swords in them because those stories stood the test of time. Even if they ultimately just want the built-in audience for easy money, it's proof that escapist fiction with brave heroes lasts a lot longer than brooding ones.

 Considering all the events in 2020 there is even more of a reason to keep pushing not just Star Warden and Uplift Protocol. But also the idea to make more uplifting, superversive, and old-school paragons. Because people want and need them to get through the day to day. I mean if you've read one or the other then you know what Sam and Eliza have gone through. If they can go about their days with a smile on their face it can inspire someone reading it that they can get through their troubles or at least put them to the side for just a few moments and tackle them again with a fresh mind.

Do all heroes need a flat character arc? No Luke Skywalker is proof of that and even he got turned into a Downer. All I am doing is making an appeal to have heroes that smile and enjoy their work. They can have any kind of background go any place and be in bright, dark, or realistic settings. You don't even have to copy Uplift Protocol or Star Warden. They just need to be heroes full of passion and optimism not perfect but always focused on doing good, stopping evil, and inspiring others by their example. Also, you know a loyal companion by their side to help carry the burden, romance not required but highly encouraged. (No will they won't they crap.)

The darker the world the brighter the hero must be.

Star Warden Book 1: Here

Uplift Protocol Book 0: Here