Who’s Oliver Conway?

Photo by Ruthson Zimmerman on Unsplash

* SPOILERS ALERT *
TAKE ME TO A SAFE BLOG WITH NO SPOILERS

---

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?