Flying creatures

A human sized flying thing would need either very large wing, light gravity or very strong wings to work. You could always throw a little magic at it?

Chris M said:

My fantasy novel is about an evolved species of vampires. They fly, but I've been told they fly unrealistic distances (across the Atlantic, etc.).

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I'm curious (and giggling), but how can anyone judge realistic distances for a flying vampire? It's fantasy. Vampires don't exist.

As long as you adequately establish that your vampires have this ability to fly, I don't see the issue. I think, yes, I'd question how the vampire managed to fly from Boston to Ireland (would he be thoroughly exhausted and need to feed right away to regain his strength?), but as long as the explanation fit within your established rules, I'd buy it.

I can't speak for all readers, of course.

The biggest issue I'd have with it is speed and distance. He'd have to plan the trip well, so he didn't end up flying into a sunrise.

The fact is that physics would be against something that weight flying at all, let along far. You would need wings somewhat larger than a hangglider as they work only in updraft areas, and the musculature to drive it in active flight.

All you need to do is through in something that will satisfy those who want it more plausible. What that needs to be depend on how they fly, what kind of physical wing? They could by lighter than usual, or stronger, or have very large wings. Birds do fly these distances because they have adatoed to. If vampires have a similar migratory history they will have similar adaptations.

OK, this might be a daft thing to say, but if they're vampires, can they change into anything in order to fly? It's a while since I was into all the vampire lore and all that so I don't know if this isn't the done thing in modern vampire tales, but could they change into bats or swarms of flies or little puffs of smoke or something like that, in which case the aerodynamic issues wouldn't arise?

Saying that, chartering a plane or even going on a scheduled flight could also be done well - I was just imagining a reworking of the part in Bram Stoker's Dracula with the ship transporting the earth to England. Could be cool with a plane having lots of weird stuff happen.

Or if they have wings and fly, do they have hollow bones like birds do?

If you'd like to see how another author uses a vampire's ability to fly/glide, check out "Crimson City" by Liz Maverick. No wings, they just...do.

Why would they need to actually fly? Perhaps an etherial method of transport, maybe like a dimension door, would suffice.

Theognome

Chris M said:

My fantasy novel is about an evolved species of vampires. They fly, but I've been told they fly unrealistic distances (across the Atlantic, etc.). So, when they are traveling should I have them charter a plane or sprout wings or morph into something smaller. I've read tons of vampire books but I'm afraid to pick one up now because I don't want to inadvertently copy something someone else has done. Just looking for a solution to my problem that makes the most sense and fits with my characters. What do you think?

Thanks,
Chris

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Bolding Mine.

If your story is Fantasy, you don't have to scientifically explain the vampires' physical attributes or how they're capable of flying an unrealistic distance. The story and the characters in Fantasy are, imo, a lot more important than explaining how they do things.

Now if this were SF, you would have a reason to explain everything somehow. But you've described your work as Fantasy, so explanations are not always necessary.

For instance, Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey, in their Halfblood series, did not give scientific reasons as to how their dragons made themselves look like rocks, or the physics of how they were capable of flying. It was just plain fact in their stories, not something subject to debate.

So don't worry about it too much. Someone, somewhere, will always have some negative thing to say about your work. Just let this particular thing roll off you, like water from a duck's back.

They could just label the coffin and FedEx themselves across.

Chris M said:

My fantasy novel is about an evolved species of vampires. They fly, but I've been told they fly unrealistic distances (across the Atlantic, etc.). So, when they are traveling should I have them charter a plane or sprout wings or morph into something smaller. I've read tons of vampire books but I'm afraid to pick one up now because I don't want to inadvertently copy something someone else has done. Just looking for a solution to my problem that makes the most sense and fits with my characters. What do you think?

Thanks,
Chris

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Charter a plane. If they are affluent, I guess they'd much rather fly in comfort than flap their wings across the Atlantic, whether they can do it or not. Plus, you can save the trouble of having them suck fish blood en route.

I didn't think vampires could cross any body of water. Or is that some other creature of ze night.

ProtoMatic said:

I didn't think vampires could cross any body of water. Or is that some other creature of ze night.

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they can't cross running water - don't know whether the ocean counts as running or not.

oscuridad said:

they can't cross running water - don't know whether the ocean counts as running or not.

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But if they're an evolved species like the OP said, perhaps they've adapted to be able to conquer that challenge?

"I just flew in from Europe -- and oy! are my arms tired!"

If you're still kicking around the issue, my two cents (and remember, the US Dollar is on a nosedive lately) is: folks are telling you to allow it since it's a FANTASY ... which is valid. But for myself personally, I'd still want to understand HOW the fantasy element works, and I think it's important that the READERS understand the "rules" by which your creatures operate (otherwise, it's just a jumble of unconnected images and deus ex machinas -- or is that the wrong plural?)

Do they have wings all the time? Because if they can suddenly materialize huge wings, why cannot they re-materialize themselves into a smaller package (the mind-image of a small creature flying doesn't bother me, but the image of a man with wings flapping across the Atlantic just strikes me as ... silly. That's JUST MY OPINION, what one reader might find silly, another will think is weird and surreal and absolutley wonderful! The witches on broomsticks in THE GOLDEN COMPASS struck me as silly too ... but obviously I'm disapproving of a huge bestseller!

My main point would be: remember that even Fantasy worlds have to run by consistent rules to satisfy the readers' expectations. Even if a creature COULD flap across the seas ... why wouldn't he just hop a jetliner to save himself the work?

I always liked how the vampires in THE LOST BOYS just floated around, it was eerie. Every reader has cultural expectations, and re-imagining things can be tricky. Vampires poofing into bats might remind someone of Abbot & Costello, some guy sprouting wings might reek of Superman.

Nothing can sound sillier -- or be more horrifying -- than blue flying monkeys in WIZARD OF OZ.

oscuridad said:

they can't cross running water - don't know whether the ocean counts as running or not.

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Well, Dracula sailed from Transylvania to England.

MargueriteMing said:

Well, Dracula sailed from Transylvania to England.

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case closed. D'Oh!

small axe said:

I always liked how the vampires in THE LOST BOYS just floated around, it was eerie. Every reader has cultural expectations, and re-imagining things can be tricky. Vampires poofing into bats might remind someone of Abbot & Costello, some guy sprouting wings might reek of Superman.

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Didn't the vampires in Salem's Lot float? That's how the movie portrayed it.

And the vampires in the Underworld movies, the master vampires, had wings. I'll have to rewatch that to see what they did with them when they were normal. Maybe they grew them as needed then absorbed them when they didn't.

What's wrong with the whole turning into a bat and flying thing?

And here's a sticking point. Vampire lore states that vampires have to return to their coffin which contains native soil from the place of their birth at sunset. If you fly to Europe, what about your coffin?

Take a plane. Put the coffin in the plane's hold. Your vampires with thank me for it.