AC student to publish mythology inspired book of political satire – Algonquin Times


Barrhaven-raised Alec Chapman jumped right into the music media and film foundations program after high school.

It’s been the perfect “pathway program” for his future career as a writer. Now almost graduated, he’s got an odyssey to share.

Cover art for Bane of The Gods: Tears of the Black Sky by Alec Chapman.
Cover art for Bane of The Gods: Tears of the Black Sky by Alec Chapman. Photo credit: Supplied by Alec Chapman

The fiction novel follows a naive 19-year-old boy, Anastasios, or Anakin for short, who wakes up in an abandoned temple with no memory of who he is or how he got there, and trouble ensues. He discovers he is being hunted by the Greek gods and cannot remember why. A book of survival, escape, love and tragedy, Bane of the Gods: Tears of the Black Sky draws influence from mythologically influenced Percy Jackson and God of War.

Chapman likes to write stories through a video-gaming lens. He’s informal and conversational. The book works in game-like levels and is filled with “boss-fights,” where the gamer is confronted with their most challenging foe. The cover art reveals a boss fight that takes place midway through the story when the crew uses magic to battle a leviathan overseas. The art was created by Cheeze, or @blu3_ch33z3_official on Instagram.

Catrina McBride, Chapman’s mother, is a professor at the Algonquin College School of business and is also the editor of her son’s book. “I tell him the honest truth to ensure that he can believe me when I say that something is great,” she said.

This is the first book McBride has edited. “Alec has always been into Greek mythology from an early age, so I’m not surprised to see him integrate it into his writing,” she said. “The coming-of-age character developments are something Alec has gone through and is certainly a universal experience.”

Former geology professor at Queens University and grandmother to Chapman, Sandra McBride, takes the role of his second editor. After two years and four drafts, Bane of the Gods is finally ready for the public eye, they say.

Chapman always knew he was going to be in the entertainment industry. His imagination and creativity were a helpful outlet in the face of adversity growing up. “I initially decided to start writing because I needed a way to create mental room for me to function. I write because I have to. The way my brain works leaves me no other choice.”

Chapman after a class on Jul. 17.
Chapman after a class on Jul. 17. Photo credit: Mila Leclair

Behind elements of fantasy and fiction, Chapman’s novel, at its core, reflects on an over-reaching government. “This book comes from a very real place of frustration with governmental powers. With out-of-touch people making unilateral decisions about people who have no say in how their lives are run,” he said.

After graduating from the music, media and film foundations program, he plans to study film.

Chapman is currently writing another book called The Royal Apothecary that he plans to make, starting the first of a seven-book series called The Legacy of Vronos. Chapman plans to work other jobs to support himself as he publishes more work and paves his way in the industry. “

Bane of the Gods: Tears of the Black Sky is Chapman’s first published book and will be available in hardcopy and digital on Amazon.



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