About Tasakeru
About Tasakeru
***Author’s Note: The pages in this category can be considered appendices to the main text. They contain in-depth information about the series and its world, but are by no means required to follow the plot. Think of them as bonus content. – BHS***
Synopsis
This is a story of another Earth, devoid of humankind.
The setting is a small island called Sankami, somewhere in what would be Earth’s Pacific ocean. Eight sentient mammal species have evolved here, each with their own laws, customs, and beliefs. The one thing that unites them all is the worship of three Gods that came to the island fifteen-hundred years ago, an event which formed the basis of their society. However, even in this the eight sentient species are in conflict… The great city built in celebration of the three Gods now stands divided by stone walls, its original unifying purpose now forgotten.
The city maintains a fragile peace through an atmosphere of strict enforcement. When someone becomes “dangerous” enough to threaten the truce, they are exiled forever to Tasakeru, an uncharted forest on the island’s eastern side. Those that are exiled call themselves Outcasts. In time, they will come to affect the fate of their societies, their homeland, and their world…
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About the Series
TASAKERU is a planned 24-part book series, a project that has been a decade in the making. Inspired by the Redwall series and the films of Hayao Miyazaki, among many others, it is an attempt to do something very different with the “talking animals” genre, using warring mammal species as allegories for human conflicts. Unlike Redwall, however, in Tasakeru there are no clear-cut “good” or “evil” species. As in reality, there are examples of vice and virtue in every culture, and few issues that can be solved with simple black-and-white morality.
The first book in the series, Without a Name, was finished in Spring 2007, and in 2009 it won the annual Clyde Jones Award for Excellence in Creative Writing Fiction. The first of eight volumes was finished in 2010.
Chapters will be published here while the author (yours truly) looks for a publisher. Any questions and/or constructive criticisms are welcome. Help spreading the word is also appreciated.
If you like what you read here, PLEASE leave comments! Your feedback will help the story improve!
Content Advisory: Tasakeru contains mild graphic violence, mature subject matter, and mild language, and is recommended for ages 12 and up.
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About the Author
BHS (Brian H. Stanley) is an aspiring author with a passion for Japanese culture and fantasy in general. He currently lives in Virginia. More about him can be found at his DeviantART page, or you may send any personal inquiries here.
