It's the darkest thing I think I've ever done so I felt I needed that little warning 😅 I was like "should I be deadly serious or just a bit informal about it?" it was a tough one.
Nice reworking of the old myth (and profoundly not terrible!)
You leave it up to the reader to determine exactly what happened. In the original myth, Aphrodite took pity on the woman-hating Pygmalion once he fell in love with his own statue and brought the statue to life. It would be easy to imagine that the goddess might well have been offended by the murder of an innocent girl after lovemaking. Aphrodite is a badass in some other myths. And her Babylonian equivalent, Ishtar was a goddess of love and war.
Yes, exactly. I wanted Venus (Aph) to be angered by the abuse of the worship. The goddess of love can reasonably have wrath. Thank you for reading, Bill. Mythology is a brilliant basis for many a story.
The narrator's detachment took the sting out of the horror. It is rather matter-of-fact which reflects the artist's detachment from reality. A brilliant rendering of the fruits of obsession. I look forward to reading more of your work
Yes, I had to be really careful with this one because as you say, there was a sting in the horror. I wanted to handle it as best I could and the monster in the story is devoid of feelings.
Thank you, Bridget. I read about the type of artists who won the Prix Du Rome and I thought "bingo". Perfect candidate. Venus would not have been happy!
I'm not sure if anyone was a murderer but the candidates were so very serious about the exam that they drove themselves mad. They had to sit in a locked room with nothing but paper and a pencil to get the scholarship. One considered suicide and a couple of entries were so desperate and controversial that the administration had to review the whole process. It was eventually scrapped in 1968 due to student revolt. It was so highly sought after. I mean, you can't tell me these guys weren't murderer material.
I was shocked to read that it lasted all the way until 1968, but something about it ending so recently makes me a little sad it’s not still a thing. Not that I can do any of the arts included, but still. 😆
I am so thrilled to hear that you think so. Thanks Nicole. I don't usually write stuff this dark and absolutely cannot commit to any one genre so absolutely can promise that I'll do horrible horror again one day 😅
Yeeesss! "They looked upon his mangled corpse in horror. In the artist’s left hand, his manhood rested in his open palm. Beside it lay a bloodied chisel and a hammer."
Nice! Reminds me that I also had one in the works before Lovecraft started me down the trail. Really love your writing, Hanna. This could so easily be in an anthology. Love it!
You have no idea. I’m working up something else as I’m going. But the sculptures one will probably end up posted soon, as part of my “These Men” series. So you already know it’s gonna be bad.
I'm going to read this in just a moment, but I just had to comment on this first: "Content warning: it’s horrible." 🤣
It's the darkest thing I think I've ever done so I felt I needed that little warning 😅 I was like "should I be deadly serious or just a bit informal about it?" it was a tough one.
It’s accurate!
But really wee written, just … icky.
Thank you. Agreed. Horrible and disturbing and grim.
Nice reworking of the old myth (and profoundly not terrible!)
You leave it up to the reader to determine exactly what happened. In the original myth, Aphrodite took pity on the woman-hating Pygmalion once he fell in love with his own statue and brought the statue to life. It would be easy to imagine that the goddess might well have been offended by the murder of an innocent girl after lovemaking. Aphrodite is a badass in some other myths. And her Babylonian equivalent, Ishtar was a goddess of love and war.
Yes, exactly. I wanted Venus (Aph) to be angered by the abuse of the worship. The goddess of love can reasonably have wrath. Thank you for reading, Bill. Mythology is a brilliant basis for many a story.
The narrator's detachment took the sting out of the horror. It is rather matter-of-fact which reflects the artist's detachment from reality. A brilliant rendering of the fruits of obsession. I look forward to reading more of your work
Yes, I had to be really careful with this one because as you say, there was a sting in the horror. I wanted to handle it as best I could and the monster in the story is devoid of feelings.
Thank you for your comment.
This was very well executed. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for leaving a comment. Much appreciated 😃
Oof. Dang.
I always took issue with the Pygmalion myth as well, and the justice you meted was very fitting. 😅
This was fantastic, Hanna!
Thank you, Bridget. I read about the type of artists who won the Prix Du Rome and I thought "bingo". Perfect candidate. Venus would not have been happy!
That’s fascinating! Were there any dastardly Prix de Rome winners like the one in this story?
I'm not sure if anyone was a murderer but the candidates were so very serious about the exam that they drove themselves mad. They had to sit in a locked room with nothing but paper and a pencil to get the scholarship. One considered suicide and a couple of entries were so desperate and controversial that the administration had to review the whole process. It was eventually scrapped in 1968 due to student revolt. It was so highly sought after. I mean, you can't tell me these guys weren't murderer material.
Or pricks? (Sorry couldn’t resist.)
Lol don't apologise for that brilliance, Leanne!
I was shocked to read that it lasted all the way until 1968, but something about it ending so recently makes me a little sad it’s not still a thing. Not that I can do any of the arts included, but still. 😆
I know! 300 years! Crazy.
I don't mind horrible after all. There is a passage here that reminds me of another passage in American Gods by Neil Gaiman that is horrible too. 😳
Anyway, I like it. And certainly what a despicable character, one with totally narrow perspectives.
I've never read American Gods. I think the only thing I've read by Gaiman is Stardust. One day...
Thanks Ika. I really wanted the reader to hate him. So undeserved.
Well there is a scene in the book which is horrible funny at least to me.
Haha. Well, he is horrible for sure.
Haha, I'm sure I'd find it horrible but funny too. Was that turned into a TV show too?
Yes it was, but I prefer the book, same with Sandman. Book for me
I found sandman on Netflix quite dull. I'd rather try the book of that, too.
You will find his Norse Mythology book funny as well as Good Omens because he did it with Sir Terry Pratchett, awesome collaboration if you ask me.
Phwoar! This packs one hell of a punch! Such an awesome last sentence! 👏
I am so thrilled to hear that you think so. Thanks Nicole. I don't usually write stuff this dark and absolutely cannot commit to any one genre so absolutely can promise that I'll do horrible horror again one day 😅
Wow! Great writing, Hanna. So much in such a concise package
Thank you, Thomas! It was something I probably wouldn't have written unless the competition prompt came up.
Yeah. Sometimes an outsider's prompt can be the germ of a great story.
Absolutely. Sometimes prompts inspire and sometimes they don't. I'm glad that this one did.
Yeeesss! "They looked upon his mangled corpse in horror. In the artist’s left hand, his manhood rested in his open palm. Beside it lay a bloodied chisel and a hammer."
Thank you, thank you.
A brilliantly gnarly and dark story Hanna with a nice bit of bloody revenge at the end. Excellently done 👍🏼
Thank you. I needed to redeem this whole thing with the revenge. It was so gruesome. Thank you for reading it, Dan 😃
Nice! Reminds me that I also had one in the works before Lovecraft started me down the trail. Really love your writing, Hanna. This could so easily be in an anthology. Love it!
I'd love to read it if you ever got around to finishing it (absolutely no pressure though because you do so much already!). Thanks Ken 😊
You have no idea. I’m working up something else as I’m going. But the sculptures one will probably end up posted soon, as part of my “These Men” series. So you already know it’s gonna be bad.
Hahaha. "gonna be bad" very bad. Very disturbingly bad.