Blake's 7 Avatars in Pro Books

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Blake's 7 Avatars in Pro Books is the professional author practice of modeling their original characters after characters or actors in Blake's 7.

From a fan in 1995:

There is a phenomena that is particularly well-documented among rabid B7 fans, and that is the appearance of B7 "avatars" in professionally published fiction. Sometimes the author admits that she loosely based a character on Avon or Vila or Blake; sometimes it is known that an author is a B7 fan and the readers themselves simply figure out who the author used as a model for particular characters in her novel(s): and sometimes a novel's characters simply evoke a "feel" of B7 to the many fans and there is speculation that these characters are avatars of Avon, et al.

Some authors state up front they have done this. From Lillian Stewart Carl (unknown date):

I will sometimes have actors in mind to play the part. For example, the character of Eric in Ashes to Ashes was almost deliberately written for an actor named Paul Darrow, who was Avon in the British science fiction series, Blake's Seven."

From Gayle F in 1993:

... if I am not asked to believe that Avon is truly Avon of B7, but an Avonic character placed in a new universe and redefined, I could accept some other pairing. And in that case, it would be necessary to make the new universe, and how it has altered the character clear. Even if I knew that someone had used Avon and say, Doyle, in such a fashion, I could accept it. But that is different from the kind of character assassination that is done in bad fanfic. It's probably a difference that makes no difference to Fourth Wavers, but it's very clear to me. Right now, I am now contracted to Dell for two historical romances. Both have Avonic characters, neither is Avon, exactly, and I would have with a free conscience used a male figure from another fandom for a slash lover if I felt I could get away with it in, which I can't, though I have got a slash pairing planned for a future novel, that if I do well with these, I feel that I can sell. I would not have trouble with this idea, because both characters would have to be melted down and reformed within the crucible of the novel. If I did my job right, they would be part of the new world. To me, in that context, changes are valid. Though Avon fans may well like these characters, I'm not pretending to offer Avon himself, then failing to deliver.

A Fan Compilation at Judith Proctor's Website

One list of these for-profit books was Blake's 7 - Books with Avatars, ^{Archived version} located at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 website.

There, fans had this compilation of pro authors who they felt fan casted, either directly or implicitly, characters or actors from Blake's 7, as well as their reasons why.

• Lois McMaster Bujold | David McIntee | P.N. Elrod | Gayle F | C. S. Friedman | Tanith Lee | Jean Lorrah Barbara Paul | Louise Cooper | Patricia C. Wrede | Lillian Stewart Carl | Timothy Zahn | L.J. Smith | Jane Emerson | Gillian Taylor | Chelsea Quinn Yarbro | Georgette Heyer.

A Fan Compilation in "Strange Bedfellows APA"

A fan published a list of possbile/probably avatars in her trib to Strange Bedfellows (APA) #6 in August 1994.

She headed it with:

I've also been trying to read pro books that have characters based on B7 (see related list under AU UPDATE), but so far I've only managed to get through two of them; Brothers in Arms and Art in the Blood. I'm still making up my mind about BiA, but AitB sucks and that isn't a pun on the protagonist's vampiric nature. As a mystery, it disappoints because I knew who the killer was going to be the very first time the character was described. SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER Anyone who has read a lot of B7 fan fic understands the where Blake-bashing is likely to end. Knowing that, and knowing who Leighton is based on, it wasn't exactly a challenge to figure out whodunnit. Just this morning, the "why are there so few B7 AUs" thread was resurrected on the slash list. This is a list of sort of pro AUs. Some use one B7 character (Avon) and some only borrow a line ("I'm not expendable, I'm not stupid, and I'm not going"). I haven't read them all so I don't know what the connection is for each and every one, but here's the info I've gathered so far, mostly from the B7 list and a few from Sarah's list in another apa.

A fan in that next apa, #7, responded with:

In some of the seeming Avon appearances on your list I'd argue that a darkhaired, acerbic, emotionally-lost character is more of another chip off the same archetype that Avon represents so ably, rather than a direct Avon-clone, but in either case the book may well have something I'd enjoy spending a few hours with.

The list:

• Banks, Iain ("Consider Phlebas," and "Player of Games," and "Use of Weapons")
• Brust, Stephen ("Tatlos", The Jhereg Series, "Uses I'm not expendable..")
• Bujold, Lois McMaster ("Brothers in Arms", Duv Galeni is based on Kerr Avon)
• Carl, Lillian Stewart ("Ashes to Ashes" and "Dust to Dust")
• Cherryh, C.J. ("Heavy Time")
• David, Peter ("The Siege," reference to Bajoran freedom fighter Ayvon of the Seven)
• Elrod, P.N. ("Art in the Blood," Leighton Brett = Blake, Alex Adrian = Avon, Evan Robley = Vila, Sandra = Cally, Barbara = Servalan, Reva = Jenna, also "I, Strahd" is based on Kerr Avon)
• Friedman, C.S. ("Dark Sun Rising" and "When True Night Falls" - "There was some controversy on the list about whether the characters are B7-influenced or not.")
• Lackey, Mercedes ("Summoned to Tourney")
• Lee, Tanith ("Kill the Dead," Parl Dro and Myal Lemyal are based on Paul Darrow/Avon and Michael Keating/Vila)
• L.E.G.I.O.N. DC Comics ("Vril Drox bears resemblence to both Avon and Blake, Bek is Vila-like.")
• Lorrah, Jean ("Empress Unborn," "Pyrrhus and Wicket are based on Avon and Vila." Also "IDIC Epidemic," and "Metamorphosis," and "Survivors," "Tasha's ex-boyfriend in both TNG books is based on Avon.")
• McCrumb, Sharyn ("Bimbos of the Death Sun," "mystery set at sf con, uses "I'm not expendable.")
• McDonell, Anne ("Too Close for Comfort," a Quantum Leap tie-in novel)
• Paul, Barbara ("The Apostrophe Thief" and "You Have the Right to Remain Silent")
• Simpson, Dorothy ("Element of Doubt" and "Puppet for a Corpse," reference to Servalan)
• Zahn, Timothy (Star Wars tie-ins: "Heir to the Empire," and "Dark Force Rising," and "The Last Command," Talon Kaard is based on Avon)

A Fan Compilation in "IMHO"

The planned third issue of IMHO* was to have included a list, which was likely a contemplation of previous lists.

From IMHO* #2 (1995):

Join us next issue when there will be review? of more zines. books, merchandise, and anything else of interest to B7 fans. We're hoping to publish a list of known B7 "avatars" in the next issue, and welcome reviews of any such books (for example. Kill the Dead.) The next issue will go to press as soon as it is full.

Fan Comments Regarding Specific Authors

Barbara Paul

A year or so back, a friend of mine and fellow Blake's 7/Avon fanatic sent me a copy of a book called "You Have the Right to Remain Silent" by mystery writer Barbara Paul and told me, "I think there's a character in here with certain similarities to Avon, but the author denies it. Tell me what you think."

Since I'd seen Barbara's name on Genie (an American online service) -- and knew she subscribed to one of the Blake's 7 Internet lists I also followed - but hadn't yet read any of her books, this seemed like a good time to check one out and form an opinion about this intriguing possibility. After reading it, I told Sarah, rather dryly, "yes, there are certain...parallels between the characters." To put it mildly! Following up YHTRTRS with "The Apostrophe Thief" didn't change my mind, and when "Fare Play" came out a few months after I'd read the first two, one reference literally had me rolling around laughing, it seemed so directly connected to Avon.

About this time, I started the "Curt Holland a.k.a. Kerr Avon" topic on Genie to discuss the similarities, and Barbara challenged me to detail the parallels, to convince her that the two men were related. So I put together a little list to allow us to count the ways....

[...]

That just about wraps up the case for Holland a.k.a. Avon. The verdict? Well, if they’re not precisely the same person. I'd say they're first cousins, at the very least. And, when you see things this way, it makes for some very amusing reading

Candace Robb

I read the two medieval mysteries by Candace Robb that Sue recommended, and enjoyed them. I can't decide whether I think Owen Archer is a Blake avatar or not. The physical description is certainly perfect, but still, he might just be the generic handsome Welshman. The scarred left eye does seem unlikely to be something that someone would dream up by coincidence, though.

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro

There are two Westerns by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro that have a bit of a B7 connection -- specifically, a hero who, although not exactly an Avon avatar, was to some extent modelled on Paul Darrow. The author is supposed to have said so specifically, though I don't know when or where (perhaps at a con, as she also writes SFF). The books are =The Law in Charity= (Doubleday, 1989) and =Charity, Colorado= (M. Evans, 1993). They are very good in their own right, although in my opinion not particularly B7ish. - Sarah T.

In 1995, Paul Darrow (the actor who portrayed Avon) said to fans at Visions that

Chelsea Quinn Yarbro had written a book for him, a western. He gave the title and I remembered it as Love and Chains. When I got home, I looked in WorldCat and it's The Law in Charity. Avon, chains...it made sense at the time.

Gayle F

Gayle F

"Prince of Cups" -- A steamy romance from a well known Blake's 7 fan writer set in the political intrigues of historical Italy. Written for those who like a dark, Avonic hero, gypsies, tarot cards, and lots of sex.

A big, fat (471 pp.), juicy historical romance set in fifteenth-century Italy, with quite a lot of very steamy (heterosexual) sex scenes. There's something very familiar about dark, handsome, tormented Antonio di Fabiani-- especially when the heroine first sees him, dressed in black and silver. His resourceful servant Giacomo is played by someone we know, too. These two are the only really obvious B7 avatars-- and they are definitely intentional-- but there are also some other characters who resemble B7 folks at least a little: a wonderful sexy villainess and her creepy henchman, a feisty auburn-haired heroine with psychic powers of a sort, and a handsome young man who appears at first to be a romantic rival of the hero but turns out to be an ally. The action moves right along, with lots of interesting historical detail along the way. I love the scene in which the hero wakes up in bed with Lucrezia Borgia and realizes that he has just done something really, really stupid!

Georgette Heyer

This comment is by Gillian Taylor, a pro author who was on the list at Judith Proctor's site.

Georgette Heyer

"These Old Shades" 1926:

This is a dashing eighteenth century intrigue featuring the Duke of Avon. The really spooky thing is how similar this character is to the B7 version. They are not only physically similar, (apart from the Duke's regrettable tendency to wear pink and purple), they are similar mentally and morally. The Duke even remarks "My word, when I give it, is surety enough." The duke is always in control, knows more than anyone else and doesn't suffer fools. The similarities are almost too close to believe.

I've not read any of Heyer's other books, but I enjoyed this one. She clearly knows her setting well, and has a knack for deliniating character. I would recommend this to anyone. -- Avatar review by Gillian Taylor

Gillian Taylor

"Darrow's Law" -- A long time ago, in a galaxy not very far away, Paul Darrow once said that he'd like to be in a Westerm. Now I don't make movies, but I do happen to write Western novels; and I've been a B7 fan since 1978.(my God, I feel old). "Darrow's Law" is by Gillian F Taylor (me) and was published by Robert Hale last year 1999. Robert Hale westerns are intended for libraries, so anyone interested should ask theirs to get it, but any good bookshop should be able to order a copy.

The story is about a sheriff (Darrow) and his deputy (Keating) who have a relationship not unlike that of a certain embezzler and thief. The western characters aren't identical to the SF ones, but certainly close enough to entertain fans. Their troubles really start when a rich, beautful woman arrives in town with the intention of gaining complete power...

If anyone wishes to check my style before buying or borrowing the book, I had a short Avon/Vila story published in the last Horizon fictionzine. The story is Long Odds.

I hope you and others enjoy reading Darrow's Law as much as I enjoyed writing it. Direct feedback from anyone who does read it would be welcome, so feel free to mail me about this if you wish.

[email redacted here]

'Darrow's Word' is a sequel and set a year later. The prime suspect to a murder is a charming, lovely and spoilt young woman who finds out that her wiles have no effect on Sheriff Darrow. Darrow and Deputy Keating must keep her locked up until the trial, but her brother is determined to rescue her. Darrow and Deputy Keating must fight blizzards, besotted lovers and gunmen to ensure justice, because Darrow, when he gives his word, always keeps it!

Jane Emerson

For B7 avatars other than Blake, I heartily recommend City of Diamond by Jane Emerson. This is an excellent space opera, well worth reading even for those with no interest in B7. There's an Avon avatar that I would never have known about if the author hadn't mentioned it (but once you know, it's obvious) and a Vila avatar that I blush to admit I didn't recognize the first time around.

Jean Lorrah

Jean Lorrah

"Survivors" -- A Star Trek: The Next Generation book. Darryl Adin is an Avon avatar, and a former lover of Tasha Yar.

"Metamorphosis" -- (review by Julia Jones)

This one is a sequel to ST:TNG Survivors, which I haven't read yet. I bought it because one of the secondary characters is Darryl Adin, original character from Survivors, and Avon avatar. If I hadn't known Adin is an avatar, I certainly wouldn't have spotted it from this book, but having been told that Adin's prototype is Avon I have no trouble believing it. Some of Adin's crew also seem suspiciously familiar. The book's probably not worth getting purely as an avatar-fest, but it's worthwhile as a Trek book. The basic plot device is Data learning the hard way about the old saying "Be careful what you wish for - you may get it".

I found it a satisfying read. It might not stay on my overcrowded bookshelf, but unlike far too many Trek books I've read, I don't consider this one a waste of money. It's further evidence for my recently formed theory that the quickest way to select a few good Trek books from the dross is to look for ones written by B7 fans.

"IDIC Epidemic -- Landing party Seven, who make a brief appearance, include a computer expert called Chevron (Avon's alias in Powerplay), and the rest of the group make a good match to the original Liberator crew.

["Survivors" and "Metamorphosis," both Star Trek: TNG tie-in books, include a character named Darryl Adin, who is viewed as a Avon avatar.]: This one is a sequel to ST:TNG Survivors, which I haven't read yet. I bought it because one of the secondary characters is Darryl Adin, original character from Survivors, and Avon avatar. If I hadn't known Adin is an avatar, I certainly wouldn't have spotted it from this book, but having been told that Adin's prototype is Avon I have no trouble believing it. Some of Adin's crew also seem suspiciously familiar. The book's probably not worth getting purely as an avatar-fest, but it's worthwhile as a Trek book. The basic plot device is Data learning the hard way about the old saying "Be careful what you wish for - you may get it".

I found it a satisfying read. It might not stay on my overcrowded bookshelf, but unlike far too many Trek books I've read, I don't consider this one a waste of money. It's further evidence for my recently formed theory that the quickest way to select a few good Trek books from the dross is to look for ones written by B7 fans.

["Empress Unborn"]: Avon and Vila appear as a burnt-out telepath and his faithful companion.

[IDIC Epidemic]: Landing party Seven, who make a brief apperance, include a computer expert called Chevron (Avon's alias in Powerplay), and the rest of the group make a good match to the original Liberator crew.

"Spock watched Landing Party Seven arive, six people drawn from engineering, computer sciences, medicine, economics, security and ship's stores. Kirk sometimes referred to this team as the 'IDIC party,' because their talants were so diversified, but the designation was actually one of the captain's jokes, for to hear them squabble you would think they could not agree on so much as who would stand on which transporter pad.

Despite their disagreements, though, they were as efficent as any other team. They were directed by the engineer, Rogers, a portly man with curly brown hair. Running to the marine vehicle that landed just after them, they began to assemble it, thr giant security officer holding the pieces together by sheer strength while the two women in the party bolted them into place.

Meanwhile, the third man assembled the onboard computer with almost Vulcan consentration, while the last member of the team, a small, nondescript sort of man, always had the right tools ready to hand to those who needed them."

Joel Cornah

In an interview with the SciFiFantasyNetwork, Cornah says of his 2016 novel The Sky Slayer:

“I already had a heroic character in my fantasy world – Rob Sardan – and he had just failed in a big way in one of my previous novels – The Sea-Stone Sword. He desperately needed an Avon. Someone to tell him he was full of it, that he was dangerous, and that heroes need to keep their feet on the ground, even if their heads are in the clouds. This needed to be someone who Rob could respect, too, otherwise why would he listen to them? … I had a character I’d been developing for another project in the same universe but I suddenly felt like she would fit this role. … Anyone who has seen the first few episodes of Blake’s 7 will remember that it begins with a prison break, and that’s how I start The Sky Slayer, though it is a very different prison and they escape for very different reasons. They sail a ship unlike any other, faster and stronger than most, and dearly desired by their enemies. These were not all intentional parallels, though I feel they bled through subconsciously and now that I look back on it I see them!”

ilsa-fireswan analyses the text and picks out some of the B7 quotes. Snippets from a much longer post:

"By the middle of The Sky Slayer the Blakes 7 influence is clear to me. I already knew Rob was Blake but have now identified Avon, Vila, and maybe Cally. No one is a 1:1 character exchange, but the influence is obvious. And once I saw the obvious I went back to the original interview and realized it was book 2 they were discussing! Since the character dynamic works so well, and these characters are just as fun as their inspiration, the adventure and arguments are both believable and entertaining."

L.J. Smith

I also read the L.J. Smith "Vampire Diaries" that Rebecca mentioned. For the first three books I couldn't decide whether the Blake-Avon resemblance of the vampire brothers was coincidental or not. Then I read the fourth book, which lifts such obvious B7 lines as "That makes it all worthwhile" and "Make me die, it's the only thing you can make me do" and "I don't need you... Anyone who follows me, I'll kill." Definitely too much for coincidence there! Rebecca, do you know the author? You mentioned, as I recall, that she's a big fan of B7.

I knew L.J. Smith (Vampire Diaries author) for awhile and can assure you that she was most definitely a Blakes, and Blake 7, fan. She also wrote some of the best B/A stories I've read, under a pseud, of course. And no, I can't tell you what it is, since I'd promised to keep it to myself. You'll also find familiar quotes and fannish inside jokes in the subsequent series about the witches, which I liked even better than the vampire ones. I have the impression that she got so wrapped up in her commercial writing that she gafiated some years ago now.

To go back, then, to the question I asked at the beginning: what I really learned about Blake from the Vampire Diaries is that Blake isn’t the kind of character who could easily play a love interest in a teen romance about vampires. The situation is a bit more complicated than the idea that the author doesn’t simply like Blake (although many shippers don’t, believe it or not) and thus took Avon, but left Blake. Blake needs a plot and an external (i.e. not-personal) motivation, if he’s going to make any sense as a character. He needs something to fight against and for, and even if that plot is relatively small it probably needs to exist outside of the romance arc.

[...]

It is definitely possible to write a love story for Blake (I’ve written, let’s say … a few), but Blake’s number one concern is the revolution. Vampire Diaries doesn’t have any equivalent, no matter how small. It would be very difficult for Blake to be in it, because he wouldn’t have anything to do. Avon’s story, meanwhile, is about obsessive love, and he looks like a vampire. I think you can see what happened here.

Lillian Stewart Carl

"Ashes to Ashes" -- 1990. A long romantic mystery in the Barbara Michaels vein. One of the characters is a handsome, charming lawyer with a big nose and dubious morals. He's not especially Avon-like in personality but could easily be played by Paul Darrow -- and since the author is definitely a B7 fan (she has an excellent story in the zine =Probability Square=), the resemblance is probably no accident. The sequel, =Dust to Dust=, has no obvious B7 avatars; but a character does at one point appear in a B7 tee shirt.

Lillian Stewart Carl is known to have been a B7 fan. I always wondered whether or not she had ever written any of the characters into her books and not long ago, someone pointed out she had written an Avon avatar in her book Ashes to Ashes.

Ashes to Ashes is sort of a romance, sort of a ghost story, sort of a mystery. I enjoyed it quite a lot, but not for its B7 aspects. It is a good romantic mystery in its own right.

The Avon avatar isn't. An avatar for Avon, that is. He is most definitely an avatar of Paul Darrow. He looks like Paul, he talks like Paul (sans British accent), he dresses like Paul, and some of the things that happen to him actually happened to Paul (there is an incident with a cat near the end which really happened to Darrow, albeit under entirety different circumstances and with an entirely different outcome). This explains why one reader said she didn't think the character was very "Avonish." The character's name, by the way. is "Eric Adler."

The main character of the book is actually the heroine. She's a very interesting character and a strong one. The other main character is a young Scottish professor named Michael and 1 found him my favorite in the book. It's obvious from the description of him that he is not meant to be Vila and/or Michael Keating, although I can see a little bit of the Vila about him. I don't know if he is based on anybody or just made up out of whole cloth, but he is. IMHO. the most interesting character in the book. I highly recommend the book as a good read.

I have been unable to find this book on the local bookshelves, other than the used bookstores. It is usually shelved in the regular fiction areas. I've been told there was a sequel called Dust to Dust, but have been unable to confirm this.

Lois McMaster Bujold

Lois McMaster Bujold has written an entire series of multiple-Hugo-winning science fiction novels around the character of Miles Vorkosigan. These are excellent novels and I would recommend them quite independantly of the Blake's 7 connection that a few of them have.

Brothers in Arms, 1989. From the extremely popular, multiple-Hugo-winning "Miles Vorkosigan" space opera series. A character named Duv Galeni, who bears a very strong resemblance to Avon, appears as Miles's superior officer, complete with passages reminiscent of scenes from "Rumours of Death" and "Blake." I think there's influence from fanfic as well; "nutmeg" as a term for eye color has got to be lifted from Susan Matthews. Broadly B7-ish themes include the ethics of cloning, revolutionaries who go too far, etc. The whole series is heartily recommended on general grounds, even aside from the special B7 interest. The Vor Game, 1990. Another Miles Vorkosigan book, with a dandy villainess who has Servalan's ruthlessness, her femininity, and her "Gambit" costume, but not much resemblance otherwise. She's a petite blonde, more like Anna Grant in physical appearance. Memory, 1996. Duv Galeni reappears, although he's mellowed considerably and is less Avon-like in this later book from the series. - Sarah T.

For those of you who haven't gotten BROTHERS IN ARMS (Avon's avatar) or THE VOR GAME (Servalan), run, do not walk, to your nearest bookstore and have the manager order them for you. I heard she's picked up another Nebula (or Hugo, I always get them mixed) for GAME. Way to go, Lois!

P.N. Elrod said in 1992:

Other zine grads I know are Lois and her best friend Lillian Stewart Carl. Lois' Shards of Honor started out as a Star Trek story. I'm also delighted to announce that Lillian's story "Beauty" will be in Avon: On-Line #4 making it a (nearly) all pro zine. She nailed the characters down so hard and so accurately I couldn't resist it. I also have to mention that she has an Avon avatar in one or both or her master novels, "Ashes to Ashes" and/or "Dust to Dust."

P.N. Elrod

Fun fact: the author in question is Pat Elrod. She is better known as P. N. Elrod, author of The Vampire Files series, and the early books of that series were written around the same time she was doing these. I’ve seen some comments to the effect that a number of characters therein resemble her versions of the B7 characters. (It’s been years since I read that series, so until I dig out the copies i have, I can’t personally comment.) As that series takes place in the 1930s, if that commentary is true, it adds more fuel to @drawing-blog-of-fun‘s Blake’s 1927 AU series. (It miiiiight also explain all of the “Avon is a vampire” stories I saw popping up in the old ‘zines.)

[Elrod herself]: I just wanted to make a public thank you to the B7 fans who were nice enough to take the time to write me about them, especially book #4, Art in the Blood, with its B7 avatars. I'm really very grateful for the attention THE VAMPIRE FILES has received. Thanks to your enthusiasm, I'll be signing a contract for three more titles in the series! The 1st book, Red Death, will detail the early adventures of vampire Jonathan Barrett, who was introduced in my third novel. (Hold onto your hormones, as he's more or less "based" on Pierce Brosnan, woof!) Anyhoo, between this and other projects, I AM planning on having a fourth AVON: ON-LINE zine and anyone interested in more info can SASE the above address.

[Elrod herself]: Since I'm the wrong gender to play Jack Fleming, I'll have to go as Barb Steller, who was Servalan's avatar in my 4th book. I am planning to give her her own series -- providing I can scrape together the time to write it all!!

[Elrod herself, responding to a fan's book review]:

But really, thank you so much for the nice words. You did leave out one minor detail about Strahd, though: that I "cast" Paul Darrow as the infamous count in the "movie" I run in my mind during the writing. (Basil Rathbone got the part of Alex!) Anyhoo, I figured that that bit of info might be of interest to Blake's 7 fans, so they can understand why a review of a non-Blake's 7 related book was included in Tarriel Cell. As for Red Death, I fear the only connection is to Brit TV in general by my "casting" Nickolas Grace from Robin of Sherwood as Dr. Beldon.

[Elrod herself]:

Do you always cast actors as characters in your books?

Sometimes, but not always. It helps me get a handle on them, but often a character jumps full-blown into my head and boots me into writing. I've a few of those on the back burner waiting to appear in books. Mind you, I don't steal any other writer's character'not consciously! When I "cast" someone I look on it like seeing an actor playing a different part, an inspiration thing. In Art in the Blood if you were looking for Alex Adrian to be a clone of Avon from Blakes 7, you'd be disappointed. I was "seeing" how Paul Darrow, the actor who played Avon, would play the part of Adrian. And it worked! Same thing for those times when I've visualized Basil Rathbone as playing a character in a story. I'd try to imagine how he would do a scene. It makes the characters marvelously independent of me! When they act all on their own away from MY ideas, I know it's gonna fly and fly high.

Patricia C. Wrede

I've also just acquired Pat Wrede's The Raven Ring, which the author herself says has a Vila avatar in it, but no other B7 characters. I haven't read it yet, though.

Patricia C. Wrede

"The Raven Wing" -- A "medieval urban fantasy." Karvonen is a Vila avatar (not Avon).

Review by Julia Jones: Fantasy novel in an urban medieval setting. A young woman from a mountain warrior tribe goes to the city to retrieve her soldier mother's belongings after her mother dies in battle. She discovers that there's something fishy about her mother's death--and that someone else is eager to obtain her mother's kitbag. So eager, in fact, that she realises that she dares not leave the city until she's dealt with the threat, lest it follow her home to her family. The plot is actually fairly thin, but the tale is such enormous fun to read that you don't notice. This is a comedy of manners, with some wonderful characterisation and character interplay. It's also very well written in terms of being accessible for people who haven't read other books by Wrede set in this culture.

Eleret Salven makes several new friends in the city, including the handsome young nobleman Daner and the master thief Karvonen. A very amiable, garrulous thief who's a self-proclaimed coward with a taste for pretty female warriors. Vila fans should thoroughly enjoy this one. Recommended, although you may have to hunt for a copy.

Tanith Lee

For a failed fan-project based on Kill the Dead by Tanith Lee, see Ghyste Motura.

Kill the Dead: This is the story of Parl Dro, the ghost slayer (look at Paul Darrow's autograph and you will see where the name comes from). His eventual sidekick, Myal Lemyal, bears a strong resemblance to Vila. Although I don't like all of Tanith Lee's books, I did enjoy this one. It has a strong plot and an extremely novel twist at the end. - Judith

The earliest and best- known example of this sort of thing. A fantasy featuring ghost- killer Parl Dro and minstrel and pickpocket Myal Lemyal, with plot elements suggestive of "Sarcophagus," one of the two B7 episodes written by Lee herself. Parl Dro is plainly an Avon clone, and his name is said to derive from Paul Darrow's scribbly signature. Furthermore, the book is dedicated to "Valentine," P.D.'s middle name. Fans generally see Myal as Vila, but in this case the resemblance is less obvious. - Sarah Thompson

Tanith Lee wrote the B7 episodes "Sarcophagus" and "Sand."

[fan comment]:

Yeah, "Kill the Dead" is a good book (novella, actually, I think), and it's DEFINITELY Avon and Vila--there's no doubt there. The "Avon" character is named "Parl Dro", the "Vila" character has a name similar to Restal, as I recall, and they are physically and temperamentally so close as to be fan fiction by any other name. Tanith Lee wrote two produced scripts for B7, and she also dedicated "Kill the Dead" to "Valentine", which is Paul Darrow's middle name. It's a well-written, fairly gripping fantasy with tons of good character relationship stuff between "Avon" and "Vila". Suzan Lovett did at least one lovely piece that I've seen prints of, with Darrow and Keating's features used for the characters. I'm not sure if it's still in print--I had to dig thru the used bookstores for my copy. Our public library had a hardback version where it was put with another novella and together the two were titled "Sometimes, After Sunset", so you might find it that way, too.

[Ros Williams]:

According to Tanith's interview some years ago for LPF, Myal Lemyal is based on herself. I quote from my own precis of the interview:

"...KtD. Are the main characters Avon and Vila?"

It would be foolish for a pro writer to use a copyright character in a novel. Parl is based to a point on Paul Darrow. I have a habit of using personalities in this way -- as images, a sort of hologram, not the actual people. Myal is not based on Vila or Michael Keating but on myself as a male projection in a talented, accident-prone mood (note the name - My Al, Le My Al...) The confusion over this arose as I can identify with Vila and have occasionally said so..."

Parl isn't much like Avon but I think there are extraordinary echoes of Paul. It sounds as though there are copyright problems which are causing her to be very cautions re what she says nowadays. The Americans have read or seen a recent interview of hers, used by Jenkins, which appears to contradict the one she gave to Liberator Popular Front. I had to send a friend in the U.S. a copy of the original to prove my points. You'll recall Silver Sky was written for Paul, not Avon. KtD is an interesting story, although the chapter when the dream dissolves and Parl tells all is disappointing after all that dramatic build-up. Apparently Tanith was a newspaper journalist and I think she uses the wrong technique at times in this story -- she writes a mystery so we have no real opportunity to enter Perl's mind until it's almost too late, thus we lose some of the poignancy. However, the finale with Myal is superlative. Myal is my favourite character in this story. He is beautiful but coincidently not like Vila. The nearest I can compare is a playful, fey, modern version of Legolas. (January 1994) </ref>