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Chogan Swan lives in the country of the mind in the world of thoughts in the universe of ideas.
In your space-time continuum, Chogan studied Philosophy as a youth at an accredited college earning an undergraduate degree in that discipline and later graduate degrees in Business and Engineering from a major U.S. university. These studies led to Chogan’s interest in Systems Thinking and how to work together to save the world for everyone.
Philosopher, poet, prophet, revolutionary and warrior: sentients in many universes have used these words to describe Chogan. As always, the truth is in the interstices.
The motivating force behind Chogan's 'messages in bottles' to the multiverse is captured in the words of Harlan Ellison:
"Writing is a holy chore..., the only organism of quiet communication left to us.
In the soft moments when we huddle alone with our thoughts, we turn to words... and there, in the moment when (sentient beings) choose to reason, we can reach them.
It is a heavy responsibility."
Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite
I loved Against That Shining Darkness. As I sit and wonder how to tell you why I loved it, without giving away any spoilers, the word 'clean' keeps coming to mind. I just read another fantasy novel and I liked it too, but the hero in that novel was half demon and he was easy enough to like, but very hard to love. I like gritty and realistic sometimes, but it’s like a breath of fresh air to read a novel like That Shining Darkness by Chogan Swan with a hero like Seth Arodan. Seth is a hero I can love. He’s not perfect, but in many ways, he is the heroic ideal. Don’t get me wrong, there are enough bad guys and evil in That Shining Darkness to cause all the stress and conflict any reader could want. Through it all, most of the time Seth thinks and acts like a true hero should. I couldn't help but love him. I couldn't help but think he’d make an awesome friend, brother, or son.
Chogan Swan’s writing style is perfect for this genre and this novel. She has so obviously read the best the genre has to offer and has put together her own unique contribution to the field. I saw subtle nods to Arthurian legend, the Old Testament, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and many other fantasy greats and classics. I like the clear distinction between good and evil, even though sometimes it may be hard to see that distinction when it is running havoc with your life. Last, but certainly not least, I love a unique and interesting portrayal of dragons. This is the first book of a series and I, for one, am hooked. This is a rich world with characters I hope to enjoy for years to come.
