The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn was a prologue to a grand, magical folktale, an African-American
mythology that will continue for three more books. The book was actually
copyrighted under the title The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn: A Prologue to The Fable Avenue Saga.
I’m presenting a
respectful amalgam of African and African-American folklore wrapped in a unique
culture. I take some liberties so as not to be bogged down by definition, but
great respect is paid to the concepts I’ve used as inspiration. This culture
isn’t hidden, either. It’s right out in the open. There, on a fictional street
in Brooklyn, New York. Fable Avenue. The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn was written
for the readers of the Fable Avenue Saga™ to gain an understanding of what went
into securing this wonderful, black culture.
We
will learn how the culture on this street operates. We will learn their system
of rites and rituals. Who are their matriarchs and patriarchs—elders? What is
their belief system? What opposes them? From The Ronin Poetz to A Company of Moors, I like presenting culture, expressed in one way or another. In The Ghostof Gabriel’s Horn, I set one up. It looks disjointed at first, until the
audience discovers how everything is tied together. And there was a lot within
The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn that served as clues for what’s to come.
So now, we have
this mystical black culture. Within the pages of the prologue for the Fable
Avenue Saga™ I’ve presented the physical origins of this black culture as a
street in Brooklyn, and from there, the Diaspora of black folklore around the
world. To make this culture authentic, I’m looking at the stages and rites
within different African mystery systems found anciently throughout black
kingdoms in and outside of Africa, and I’m putting together a culture that
represents these aspects symbolically. This is all to get the feel of the
culture. It’s not the focal point of the series. The culture validates the
people and characters we get to know, and whose journey we follow, throughout
the remaining chapters of this saga, and, as well, the people validate the
culture, their culture.
When creating this culture, I didn’t want to look at a concept like the Legba family and say, “I’m using that!” Instead, I studied the makeup of the folklore, the mythology, and asked, “How does this operate?” and take from that. Once that answer came to me through research (research, research, research, and research) I then understood how certain aspects of this culture would function without simply copying and pasting.
Taking respectful, creative liberties gives me the freedom to present this authentic, black, magical culture. Inside this universe there are wonderful characters, contemporary and historical, and they validate the atmosphere of this grand story.
One thing I like is that the main character is born into the culture. He doesn’t have to be introduced to it. The main female protagonist is a part of the culture too, but her family has had a falling out with the Fable Avenue community. With her, there are bridges to be re-built. Her grandmother respects the community greatly, but also believes it’s failed her family. I like this in contrast to other stories and heroes such as Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker. They are from wizarding and Jedi lineage, but they’re not born into it. In fact, it’s hidden from them until the proper age. As I’m outlining the story, I’m realizing that I like dealing with characters that have already been a part of a culture. It cuts down on a lot of exposition. There’s still stuff to explain, and familiar tropes to travel, but we start fresh by stating, “Look, these characters know most of what’s going on.” Even still, a mystery prevails, that no one of the culture is aware of; questions that need answering, and as can happen, many of the Elders have their secrets. A lot can happen in fifty-seven years from the end of The Ghost of Gabriel’s Horn. The rest of the chapters in this saga will take place in contemporary times.
The Fable Avenue culture is fifty-seven years strong. Unified under African, ancestral concepts. But there are diabolical forces that want to tear it apart like Set did Osiris.
b write black
