A New Spin on Thomas the Rhymer: A Journey Through Time and Fantasy

Introduction

Gregory Frost’s fantasy novel Rhymer puts a new spin on Thomas the Rhymer, a character from Scottish folklore known for his prophetic poems. In this engaging tale, Frost introduces Thomas as a time-jumping warrior, extending his role beyond traditional folklore. This article explores the unique elements of Frost’s novel, delves into the author’s motivations, and looks at his plans for a sequel.

Expanding the Thomas the Rhymer Mythos

In an interview for the Geek Guide to the Galaxy podcast, Gregory Frost reveals the inspiration behind his reimagining of Thomas the Rhymer. Drawing parallels between Thomas and another folklore character named Tam Lin, Frost saw an opportunity to expand the mythos. Both characters hailed from the same area and had encounters with the Queen of Elfland. Frost discovered similarities between their names and decided to merge them into one persona. This inventive twist serves as the foundation for the captivating story told in Rhymer.

A Big Departure from Tradition

While acknowledging the definitive version of Thomas the Rhymer’s ballad by Ellen Kushner, Frost felt the need to create something new. He wanted to differentiate his story from existing portrayals of the character. By incorporating Lovecraftian horror and fantasy elements, Frost takes Thomas the Rhymer in a completely different direction. This departure from tradition allows Frost to explore uncharted territories and showcase his unique storytelling prowess.

A Time-Jumping Hero: Thomas the Rhymer Confronts the Unknown

Frost’s portrayal of Thomas the Rhymer as an eternal champion pitted against alien elves adds an exciting twist to the folklore. Unbeknownst to the world, Thomas fights a parallel war right under their noses. His time-jumping abilities enable him to battle these otherworldly creatures, safeguarding humanity from their malevolent intentions. By intertwining elements of fantasy and science fiction, Frost successfully blends genres and creates an immersive reading experience.

Exploring Lovecraftian Horror and Fantasy

Rhymer showcases a captivating fusion of Lovecraftian horror and fantasy. Frost masterfully weaves these two genres together to create a unique atmosphere that is both eerie and enchanting. Readers are transported into a world where cosmic horrors lurk behind the veil of reality, and mystical creatures threaten to cross over and wreak havoc. This bold combination gives Rhymer its distinct flavor and sets it apart from other interpretations of Thomas the Rhymer.

Future Endeavors: Thomas the Rhymer Becomes Robin Hood

Frost’s creativity doesn’t end with Rhymer. He is currently working on a sequel that takes Thomas the Rhymer on a captivating journey forward in time, turning him into the legendary outlaw Robin Hood. Frost aims to breathe new life into the Robin Hood mythos, deviating from the familiar Sir Walter Scott-inspired narratives. By placing Thomas a century after his initial existence, Frost aims to offer readers a fresh perspective on Robin Hood, unexplored by previous retellings.

Conclusion: A Captivating Journey Through Time and Fantasy

Gregory Frost’s novel Rhymer delivers a thrilling and imaginative interpretation of Thomas the Rhymer. By fusing elements of Scottish folklore with Lovecraftian horror and fantasy, Frost takes readers on an unforgettable adventure. With his upcoming sequel set in the world of Robin Hood, Frost continues to challenge established narratives and shape unique tales. It is through his fresh perspective and masterful storytelling that Frost truly breathes new life into well-known characters and captivates readers with his engaging narratives.

Summary

Gregory Frost’s Rhymer offers a fresh take on the character of Thomas the Rhymer, known for his prophetic poems in Scottish folklore. Frost’s novel introduces Thomas as a time-jumping eternal champion, fighting against alien elves that threaten humanity. The story combines Lovecraftian horror and fantasy, departing from traditional portrayals of Thomas. Frost plans to explore new territories by turning Thomas into the legendary outlaw Robin Hood in a future sequel. With his unique approach and storytelling prowess, Frost brings a captivating journey through time and fantasy to readers.

Gregory Frost’s fantasy novel Rhymer puts a new spin on Thomas the Rhymer, a character from Scottish folklore whose poems were reputed to predict the future.

“It’s the origin story of Thomas the Rhymer as a kind of Michael Moorcock eternal champion fighting against aliens, effectively, these elves that are passing into our world from another world”, says Frost in Episode 544 of the series. Geek Guide to the Galaxy podcast. “He’s just a person fighting this war that no one knows is going on right under their noses.”

Rhymer it features a wild mix of Lovecraftian horror and fantasy, and features a stark departure from previous versions of the Thomas the Rhymer story. Frost felt it was important to do something big to set the story apart for him. “Ellen Kushner Several years ago he wrote, in my opinion, the definitive Thomas the Rhymer version of the ballad,” he says, “and I didn’t want to go there at all, because I would have felt like, ‘Oh, it’s already been done perfectly. There’s no reason for me to touch that.’”

Frost hit on his new angle, the idea of ​​a time-jumping Thomas the Rhymer, when he noticed striking similarities between Thomas and the later character. tam lin, who lived in the same area and who also had dealings with the Queen of Elfland. “You have Thomas the Rhymer, whose full name in some cases is Thomas Lindsay Rimor from Ercildoun, which is the town he was from, which is now Earlston,” says Frost. “And then you have Tam Lin. So you have Thomas Lindsay and you have Tam Lin, and I’m like, ‘This is the same person.

Frost is working on a sequel to Rhymer, which will see Thomas the Rhymer jump forward in time to become the legendary outlaw Robin Hood. “Every version of Robin Hood that anyone has ever seen has basically been the sir walter scott Robin Hood riffs, and that’s not really who Robin Hood was,” says Frost. “So I’m having a field day a century after Thomas the Rhymer came into existence and trying to chart a journey through the world of Robin Hood that no one has ever played with before.”

Listen to the full interview with Gregory Frost on Episode 544 of Geek Guide to the Galaxy (above). And check out some highlights from the discussion below.

Gregory Frost in the Clarion Writers Workshop:

There was a running gag that every year damon knight sometime during the week, he would pull out a squirt gun and go student hunting, so they all came with squirt guns… He was chasing us through the dorm, and Damon at some point ran into a door and pretty much retreated to spend the night. . We couldn’t find him, so we all went to his room (there were separate rooms for Damon and Kate) and knocked on the door, and it was like being 5 again, because kate william open the door and we said, “Can Damon come out and play?” and she said, “No, Damon has to stay the rest of the night,” and she closed the door on us, and that was it.

Gregory Frost in the liars club group of writers:

For a couple of years we went to mostly independent bookstores in the Philly area and did group signings, group events, which were really fun to do. There is nothing more suicidal than sitting alone in a bookstore trying to make eye contact with people walking in the door because, at least in my experience, the first thing they do is see that there is a writer sitting there with their book and they immediately look up. everyone else except the writer with his book, and they pass you by like you don’t exist, so if there’s a group it’s much harder to surround you.

Gregory Frost in bill johnson:

We started thinking of a story idea based on the coldest place in the universe, which is the Boomerang Nebula, and we went through it back and forth, and we came up with an almost point-by-point structure of the story that we were going to write together. Bill had suffered all his life from him with Marfan syndrome. It’s a really bad condition for the blood vessels where they basically start to separate, and he had been dodging that for a long time. Right after framing the story, he went to the hospital for a simple check-up or something and hardly ever came out. So he had all the notes on that story and I thought, “I have to write this story. I can’t put this aside because Bill is gone.”

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