Just asking for opinions...

I'm starting to work on a bit of a book that might turn into a series or short story, and I just want to see what people think about the idea.

-Set in a world reminiscent of the 1950's
-A small town on the edge of civilization, bordering a vast desert.
-A man returns, after thirty years, in the desert, claiming that he's seen the face of God.
-He calls himself a prophet, and is run out by the town's priest.
-THe narrator, the most reasonable choice to enter the priest hood (Like becoming a globe trotting businessman, but more fun) next, talks to him the day before he's run out of town, and decides to follow him into the dessert, to see "the face of God."
-THe guy does all kinds of prophet like stuff, but the narrators starts to wonder if he really is a prophet, even though he has amazing abilities. He begins to wonder about what he really is.
-And the ends a secret.

 

I'd certainly read it. Get writing!

 

It isn't too bad of an idea, I'm not really into reading stories based around that kind of thing, but it does sounds rather interesting.
So yes I too would read this one, it does sound rather intruiging to be honest.

~Torana

 

Is the narrator going to be a omniscient yet intangible character, or merely a tool to write in the third person because the former has great potential?

 

I'd definitely check it out from the library. Go for it!

 

I like the premise. Is there a particular reason that you are setting this in the 1950's? Many readers will find it more difficult to relate to it, whereas people in my age group are more likely to be critical of details that don't ring true to the era. Therefore, research will be a challenge, and you may need to "sell" the setting to many younger readers.

Are you planning to relate the events in the 1950s to story elements set in the present, and even the future?

I'm very curious to see where you are going with this!

 

It's written in the first person, and he has a few problems to cope with. The only reason it's set in the 50's is they wouldn't have the technology to chart out the desert. As for relating events, I plan on putting a few biblical references in there, some stuff about Ireland and their religious struggles, and stuff about the modern catholic church.

Thanks for the replies. Since it's summer, I'm gonna try and get the first chapter done in the next week or two.

 

This could work.
But something you should know by the 1950's practically everything except for extreme mountain ranges and dense and very hard to reach jungles had been explored.
So the desert would have been charted out. Details would be missed obviously, but they'd have a really good idea about the general layout, main features, etc.
Other then that it sounds good, I'd check it out.

 

The International Geophysical Year (1957-58) was when a lot of mapping was performed, and satellite mapping was later than that. Before the IGY, it's quite conceivable that there could have been areas not adequately mapped.

There might also be the possibility of cloaking magicks or advanced technologies, which could even work if the piece were set in the present.

 

Thats possible. But it depends on which desert it is. If its in Africa, it would be fairly well mapped. In Asia, they'd have a very general idea, and different maps would probably show several different features that didn't match up.
It all depends on where its based.

 

I'm guessing it's somewhere in the States, Nevada or Arizona-like.

 

I'm probably not gonna mention the name of the area, just the town and the dessert. And by map, I mean that the area is still very wild, and that people don't live out there (Not even natives.)
...Sorta like Alaska, but even more so.

 

Fair enough. There goes my only objection.