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Socialism in Sābanto

4/23/2023

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Photo by Elena Mozhvilo on Unsplash
* SPOILERS ALERT *
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First I will start with some snippets of reviews that I have recently received.

“Why is Oliver both a socialist and a killer?” 
“Did I read a piece of fiction that failed to hit the mark, or a disguised manifesto?”
“While capitalism and elitism is under heavy critique in the novel, and the proposed solution seems somewhat rooted in socialism . . .”
​

Is Sābanto “The Crimson River” a critique of capitalism and elitism? Absolutely yes. I hope no one who has read the book has any doubts about that. Steven White and his purchases of art and gold that serve no one but himself; Leo using his position of power to oppress others; John Leggett being more concerned about his profits than the workers and work conditions at the factory. 
Socialism, however, is such a broad term, and I feel that it is often misused. I can’t claim to be an expert in politics and socio-economic theory, but based on its definition, socialism is characterized by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. This is not what is being represented in the book.  

A more precise definition comes from socialist politics, and although it originated within the socialist movement, it supports economic and social intervention to create social justice. It came to embrace a mixed economy within a predominantly developed capitalist market economy and liberal democratic polity that expands state intervention to include income redistribution, regulation, and a welfare state. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism)


There are a few questions that anyone reading Sābanto “The Crimson River” should consider:
  1. The ferry connecting Covedale and Riverlea is the only means of transportation between the two cities. Should the ferry operator be allowed to increase fees and have fewer people transported than current demand, in order to increase his profits?
  2. The Leggett Factory transports workers to the factory at the docks. Should the owner of Leggett ensure that the transport is safe to minimize accidents causing death?
  3. What makes one person superior to someone else?
  4. Should it be possible and even common for a person working forty or more hours a week to live below the poverty line and not be able to afford food and shelter?
  5. There are a certain number of people, either disabled, ill or old who are unable to work. At what point is it OK to discard them from our society?

These questions come down to what is often called “social justice,” and many of you may even be able to reduce the above questions to one theme: “decency.” Only those with extreme capitalist views would say that the free market should be the sole determiner of fees, and that people ought to simply find better jobs in order to improve their working conditions and salaries and save for illness or retirement. Unfortunately, for a lot of people in the world of Sābanto, this is not possible.
But it’s Socialism!! Yes, if you care about others, you have to be at least a little bit socialist.
​


I would like to invite you to discuss the ending of the book where the people of Riverlea are dragged from their homes, beaten, packed into trucks, segregated, filtered and put into cages like cattle. Can social justice be forced on people “for their own good?” What is the motive behind this relocation and who is orchestrating the evacuations? What do you think the “socially just” consequences of placing disadvantaged people in gated communities might be?

Bonus:
“Why is Oliver both a socialist and a killer?”
Because no one is black and white. Oliver’s actions are also not coming from wanting social justice, but from wanting to be in opposition to Friends.


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Food Security and Sābanto: The case of Holodomor.

12/7/2022

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Photo by v2osk on Unsplash
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When I was writing about Sābanto, I did not think of Riverlea as a specific place on earth, because food insecurity can happen anywhere in the world. On November 26th, 2022, Ukraine celebrated its 90th anniversary of the horrific time of the Holodomor and commemorated the millions of people who died between 1932 and 1933. I was reminded of this event while writing Sābanto, and the book took on a new meaning and symbolism for me.

What exactly was the Holodomor? When the Soviet Union preached the new world order to the masses, collectivization was their remedy for all the problems that existed in farming at the time. The idea was that if private land was merged into a large state-owned farm, the farmers would continue to work it as a group and that in turn would improve food distribution for everyone. There have been many articles and books that discuss why this was destined to fail, and I won’t go into much detail about it here, but Ukraine was in a very different situation than the rest of the Soviet Union at the time.

Ukraine was divided between the Austrian and Russian Empires in the 18th century. It declared independence after WWI, but lost the fight against the Bolshevik Red Army after three years and was forcibly included in the USSR. The resistance and the need for an independent Ukraine were strong, which angered Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, who used repression and genocide to control any unrest. One of the tools that he used to accomplish this was forced collectivization of agriculture, and those who were opposed to it were given unreasonably high grain quotas. It left the farmers of fertile soil with nothing to eat themselves. With their grain stolen, and being unable to leave their villages, the farmers died of starvation. It is estimated that between 3 and 12 million people died in Ukraine as a result.

White and Friends used the people of Riverlea similarly to the way Stalin and the USSR used the Ukrainian farmers. Because of his hatred of Gutters and their resistance, White controlled the shipments of food that went to the island city. In the first chapter of Sābanto, we learn that White is sending rotten onions to the other side of the river rather than more nutritious food. He does not care that his decision will cause deaths and he is even proud of his cunning politics. While many people of Riverlea die every year of starvation or get sick due to malnutrition, they are unable to leave the city, because of the control White had over access to Covedale. Friends’ goal in Sābanto is to use the lack of food to control the Gutters, who are a threat, and force them to surrender and reveal the secret of Riverlea.

Food security is very important for everyone, and many countries struggle with feeding their own citizens, especially amid deteriorating climate conditions. The biggest threat to mankind, however, is those people who use food or any other resources needed to live as a weapon to keep others under control. Terrorists around the world, either in Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, or Russia to name a few, used or are using these tactics to advance their conflicts. How this can be prevented in the future is an important question, but so far there are no practical solutions.
Resources:
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/hunger-and-war

https://cla.umn.edu/chgs/holocaust-genocide-education/resource-guides/holodomor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor
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Editing

8/24/2022

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Photo by Brett Sayles


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​
Editing is a long process and it takes a lot of focus, time and persistence. It has now been a year since I had to rewrite the whole story of The Crimson River to fix some very important errors. I thought I would give you a sample of some of the late-stage editing and how such editing looks on a page.

​Once the first draft is written, my editing process usually starts with printing the pages. Then I carefully read through everything and make notes. I then scan the edited pages. Having both the scanned/edited document and the original one open at the same time, I can quickly transfer the edits onto the manuscript.

I then repeat this process several times until I read through the book without making any significant changes. That’s when I know the manuscript is ready for the editor.

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Spoilers Song

8/17/2022

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Photo by Antoine J. on Unsplash


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​

Here is a song that I was unable to post in a regular blog because it would spoil the truth of who Oliver really is. Although there are no bullets in the new world guns, the song fits the mood.

Smash Into Pieces is a rock band from Sweden. All Eyes On You is part of their 2020 album Arcadia. I was unable to find the official video for the song, so here it is an Acoustic Version.
​
All Eyes On You

Killer for hire, soldier of fortune

Gotta walk through fire for what's important
And the warrior's blood through your veins is coursing
Killer for hire, soldier of fortune

The whole world's watching every move
Take your shot, don't act a fool
All you've got and all you'll ever need

Is one bullet in the chamber
Breathe easy, take your aim, boy
Ain't nobody gonna save you
So what you gonna do?
All eyes on you

One bullet in the chamber
Breathe easy, take your aim, boy
Ain't nobody gonna save you
So what you gonna do?
All eyes on you

Do or die, you're a mercenary
One of a kind, that's your burden to carry
Go and make them proud do what's necessary, oh, no
Do or die, you're a mercenary

Now the whole world's watching every move
Take your shot, don't act a fool
All you've got and all you'll ever need

Is one bullet in the chamber
Breathe easy, take your aim, boy
Ain't nobody gonna save you
So what you gonna do?
All eyes on you

One bullet in the chamber
Breathe easy, take your aim, boy
Ain't nobody gonna save you
So what you gonna do?
All eyes on you

Now the whole world's watching every move
Still your heart so much to prove
Fight for all the things that you believe in

Now the whole world's watching every move
Take your shot, don't act a fool
All you've got and all you'll ever need

Is one bullet in the chamber
Is one bullet in the chamber
Breathe easy, take your aim, boy
Ain't nobody gonna save you
So what you gonna do?
All eyes on you
​

One bullet in the chamber
Breathe easy, take your aim, boy
Ain't nobody gonna save you
So what you gonna do?
All eyes on you
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Who’s Oliver Conway?

7/21/2022

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Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash
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When I started to write Sābanto, it was clear to me at the time that the main character, the creator of Sābanto, would be a man. One of the major aspects of the world of The Crimson River is gender inequality. The female characters are deliberately portrayed as inferior, unimportant; as property, prizes or people who can and should be exploited. That is the reason the book touches on prostitution, human trafficking and the idea that a woman needs to be supported by a husband or a male family member.

In the world of Sābanto, having a woman rise from nothing to become successful both financially and politically would be extremely difficult. Steven White would not speak with a female at the same level. Leo would not be in any way concerned. She would not be seen as a worthy opponent to anyone. 

When I started to write, I only had a skeleton of the story. I needed the character to a) Have money, and b) use that money to create Sābanto. What happened in between was a little bit hazy at the time. In order to develop my character I watched shows, read books and took inspiration from different sources. Below I will shed some light on my research and choices.

  1. Arrow TV Series
    Spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns five years later a changed man, determined to clean up the city as a hooded vigilante armed with a bow.

    It was the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 when I binge-watched all the episodes of Arrow. It felt like there was nothing else to do when the world went into lockdown. There were, however, a few things that I got from the story. The first name of the characters is more of a coincidence than a deliberate choice. I wanted Oliver Conway to be associated with peace and, as mentioned in the book, an olive branch, which goes somewhat against the character of Oliver Queen.

    The TV Series did, however, contribute to the background story of Oliver Conway, as he also disappears from his home for more than ten years and returns a changed man. The difference between these two characters, however, is that Oliver Queen returns to engage in battles as a vigilante, while Oliver Conway wants to finally be left alone. Despite this, he becomes involved in the fight for Riverlea.



  2. Lucifer TV Series
    Lucifer Morningstar has decided he's had enough of being the dutiful servant in Hell and decides to spend some time on Earth to better understand humanity. He settles in Los Angeles - the City of Angels.

    Although Oliver Conway is not an angel from hell, his confidence was inspired by Lucifer. Being a reputable killer for hire makes him feel untouchable, special, better than others. With these characteristics Oliver is able to walk boldly into Mark’s office in Chapter 2 and demand to see him. Later he talks to White with no signs of fear.



  3. The Godfather Novel by Mario Puzo and The Godfather Returns by Mark Winegardner
    The Godfather is a crime novel by American author Mario Puzo. Originally published in 1969 by G.P. Putnam's Sons, the novel details the story of a fictional Mafia family in New York City, headed by Vito Corleone, the Godfather

    There is a lot of Vito Corleone in Steven White, but Oliver Conway possesses the self-respect of Michael Corleone. Not only is the main character of Sābanto confident in his own abilities, but he also shows a huge deal of emotional maturity. When walking to the lion’s den at White’s party he does not flinch and does not hesitate to steer the conversation toward what he wants. Similarly, he is sober and realistic while talking with Lars during his kidnapping. Oliver also talks to the men who betrayed him rather than immediately jumping to conclusions.

    Oliver is also a respectable member of the community of Covedale. Only later do we learn that he is a paid killer. It is a direct reference to the fact that many of the top criminals establish themselves as businessmen and philanthropists.



  4. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
    Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and Gatsby's obsession with reuniting with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan.

    This classic story helped me to develop two of Oliver’s characteristics. It was the roaring twenties when the class of ‘new money’ rose and allowed many people to jump from the poor or middle class into being millionaires. Oliver is fascinated with suddenly being able to afford things such as clothes, food and new technologies. He is showing off his riches, and that is what makes him similar to Jay Gatsby.

    The second characteristic is Oliver’s love for Sophia where he does not hesitate to kill to keep her and kill anyone that causes her any harm. His obsession with having her is something that I mirrored from The Great Gatsby.



  5. Second Life of Nick Mason by Steve Hamilton

    This book gave me the idea of Oliver having two lives, and the fact that his life as a killer needs to be kept secret. “Sophia can never know.”



You may wonder why I made Oliver a killer. For that I need to refer you to an article I read some time ago in Psychology Today called The Thrill of the Kill. It is an interview with a paid killer in Russia who discusses not only why and when he started to kill, but also goes into some detail on what he feels when he completes a job. Part of this interview inspired the way Oliver felt after completing his first kill in the book, killing Eric, and the discussion between Oliver and Greyson after their first job together, killing John Leggett.

Links:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2193021/
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4052886/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_(novel)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Returns
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Gatsby
https://authorstevehamilton.com/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/199301/the-thrill-the-kill


Discussion Topic (Please comment below)
  • Is there another character you are familiar with that Oliver reminds you of? Why?
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Where did all the money come from?

6/23/2022

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Photo by Christine Roy on Unsplash

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This is something that as an author I didn't care much about. The origins of the money is of little importance to the story. I cared more about its significance and what it represented for Sābanto and Oliver.

When Oliver met Mark in the second chapter, he was no one, simply a stranger with a lot of money. Here are a few questions I wanted the readers to ask after reading the conversation in Mark’s office:
  • Is this legal? 
  • How did he obtain money when the war was raging? Is he a war criminal?
  • Did he steal it? Who did he steal it from?
  • What is he planning to do with the money?

Through the story, we learn that the money is tainted with the blood of innocent people. The money came from the pain and suffering of others, and that is its significance. Oliver is very secretive about the origins of the money because he knows that if word got out, there would be trouble. He tells White that it is in neither of their interests to discuss it. It’s a Pandora’s Box he doesn’t want to open. In Chapter 13 the first real account of events is expressed by Eric, but because this scene is from Oliver’s point of view, we see Oliver trying to justify his actions in his mind. He even accuses Eric of having flawed memories of the events from the war.

Eventually, we get the whole story of how Oliver got his money. The kidnapping exposes Oliver and his troubled past. I made Oliver run back into the factory to transfer the money he thinks is the genuine gift that Karl gave him for the work that he had done for him.

His dealings with those running the factory and being a guard and executioner were not the only idea I had on how Oliver would take possession of the fortune. It was just one of the examples that the real world is giving us. Every time there is war or turmoil in the world, there are those that feel no shame in exploiting others and building their own wealth. There are many high money, high profile, illegal activities that can be additionally exploited during the fog of a major conflict.
​

Discussion Topic (Please comment below)
  • How would your view of Oliver change if he stole the money from someone rich rather that it was given to him for his contribution to the atrocities at the factory?
  • How would the book change if you knew earlier in the book that Oliver was complicit in the war crimes?
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What is the plot of Sābanto?

6/16/2022

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Because of the length of the story, the main plot is split between multiple books, so I will omit it here to avoid spoilers for future books. The main plots of the first book, however, are Oliver’s Rise and Fall, and the story of Steven White.

Oliver’s Rise: (Rise - Fall - Rise)
Oliver describes himself in favorable terms when talking about his and Eric’s time during the war. He speaks of them helping each other so they could get through the hardship of working as slaves in a factory. When he meets Violet he does not initially seem to take advantage of her, and gives the impression that he is not like the other men. When speaking of Gutters, he describes them as bad people, thus clarifying that he is the good guy. Subsequently, his choice to pay his workers a fair wage and get the blankets out to people for free or at a reasonable price gives the impression that he is a favorable character in the story.

As the story progresses, more is revealed about Oliver and his troubled past. When he kills Eric and his wife Ana in cold blood, it becomes clear that Oliver is not who we thought he was. Regardless of whether it was self-preservation or paranoia that drove him to it, it is a bad move and not the behavior of a hero. He is also not honest with anyone around him which adds another layer of distrust to his character.

Oliver becomes an anti-hero, but is he? His motivations are selfish, but he does good in the end which elevates his status. His ideas on how to help the poor and people of Riverlea are worthy of praise. With the limited amount of money trickling in from World United, he and Ben find a way to preserve the lives of others who are disadvantaged.

Oliver’s Fall: (Fall - Rise - Fall)
The reader quickly learns that Oliver was not a free man during the war. That was his Fall. He lost his freedom and was forced to do back-breaking work manufacturing ammunition. 

In the first chapter, he is finally back on solid ground and feels free. That is his Rise. He knows he can get money and that is exactly what he needs to feel complete. He is capable of making his own decisions and choices which define the freedom he has. He uses his freedom to the fullest, indulging in it.

As the story progresses, Oliver struggles to maintain his freedom. Gutters ask him to do something. He needs to ask White for permission to stay in Covedale and do business. Eventually, as the reader learns of Oliver’s past, it becomes clear that he was never truly free. The money he sees as his ticket to freedom is also a prison. The past and the people he worked with before are holding him in chains and directing his life.

Conclusions about Oliver
Though Oliver seems like a good person in the beginning, we soon see that he is capable of evil. Despite this, he does not seem to be a bad person, deep down. We can see that there are far more amoral people in this world, and that his evil behavior can likely be attributed to other external factors such as bad parenting, allowing the reader to sympathize with the character.

Learning that he had never got his freedom back might also make the reader feel pity for Oliver in the end. He expresses his willingness to be a different man multiple times throughout the book, but he is being steered by people who are forcing him to remain a killer. 

What about Steven White?
The story of Steven White is a perfect example of a tragic plot. We meet him when he is at the peak of his glory. He is the protector of Covedale and a respected man. His decisions carry a lot of weight and are final. He has dreams of bringing power to the city. The future seems bright as long as everything stays the same.

The arrival of Oliver in Covedale changes everything. Steven White is exposed. He is no longer a leader, but a puppet. His past decisions are coming back to haunt him. Slowly he loses everything including his daughter through his inaction and inability to stand up to those that control him. He is a failure as a leader and as a father.

When he decides to finally stand up, it’s too late. He treats Oliver as an enemy he must confront, but he is wrong. Oliver is the one who is trying to save his life. White’s actions lead to a deadly fate which could have been avoided, making White a tragic character in Sābanto.
​

Discussion Topic (Please comment below)
  • What are your thoughts about Oliver at the end of the book?
  • Did he change through the book? If yes, how? If not, why not?


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