Today I’m thrilled to bring you the cover reveal of Creation by Bjørn Larssen! I’ve been sitting on this for a while now and I’m really excited for you to see it as well! I also have a short excerpt for you at the bottom of this post.
Creation is Bjørn Larssen’s upcoming first novella in a series of novellas about reimagined Norse mythology, titled Why Odin Drinks, set to be published on August 18, 2021.
Bjørn Larssen is a Norse heathen made in Poland, but mostly located in a Dutch suburb, except for his heart which he lost in Iceland. Born in 1977, he self-published his first graphic novel at the age of seven in a limited edition of one, following this achievement several decades later with his first book containing multiple sentences and winning awards he didn’t design himself. His writing is described as ‘dark’ and ‘literary’, but he remains incapable of taking anything seriously for more than 60 seconds.
Bjørn has a degree in mathematics and has worked as a graphic designer, a model, a bartender, and a blacksmith (not all at the same time). His hobbies include sitting by open fires, dressing like an extra from Vikings, installing operating systems, and dreaming about living in a log cabin in the north of Iceland. He owns one (1) husband and is owned by one (1) neighbourhood cat.
Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal winner (‘Storytellers’)
2020 Stabby Award Nominee (‘Children’)
Find out more about Bjørn at http://www.bjornlarssen.com
Cover by: Ragrfisk (https://www.instagram.com/ragrfisk)
Ever woken up being a God, but not knowing how to God properly? Your brothers keep creating mosquitoes and celery and other, more threatening weapons. What can your ultimate answer be – the one that will make you THE All-Father and them, at best, the All-Those-Uncles-We-Don’t-Talk-About?
“FML! That answer’s why I drink!” – Odin
Perfect for fans of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, and Mrs Brown’s Boys.
“An ingeniously ridiculous, relatable, and refreshing spin on the Norse myth of creation.”
– Steven T. Dunn, M.A. in Medieval History and Norse Studies, Founder of Fjorn’s Hall
“A masterful take on Norse creation and existence that is witty, hilarious, and downright entertaining, as sidesplitting as it is thought provoking. Five Audhumlas for Creation!”
– Lyra Wolf, author of Truth and Other Lies
“A hugely fun read full of the trials and tribulations associated with family dysfunctionality, encounters with four-pronged milk dispensers and one-pronged non-milk dispensers, admiration and awe towards avian ass-thetics, worrying regarding wolves in wolves’ clothing, and the universal distaste of Odin’s most hated vegetable.”
– Rowdy Geirsson, author of Norse Mythology for Bostonians
Excerpt from Creation by Bjørn Larssen
A revelation knocked rather than struck. It was, indeed, very distracting. For Odin.
“I’m hungry,” he said.
“I’m thirsty,” said Vili. He looked surprised.
“I’m cold.” Vé’s smug grin fell off his face, replaced with a scowl. “What do we do now?”
Odin was not happy. Now that his brothers had so generously shared two new words with him, he was forced to understand their meanings. He would have preferred to learn them at some other time. Preferably when he was not cold, not hungry, and not thirsty.
“My stream,” said Vili and pointed towards his earlier creation. “You can stop being thirsty with it. Not like with your…river.” He dropped to his knees and dunked his face in the cold water. “Bllrbpl,” he judged, water pouring from his hair and beard. “I’m even more cold now, but not thirsty. It works.”
As Odin attempted to hold his hair and beard out of the water with both hands, regretting he didn’t have a third one to lean on, Vé muttered something that ended with a triumphant “ha!”
“What is that?” Vili asked. “It looks awful.”
“Who cares what it looks like? It’s useful. It’s good for you. It’s celery. When you put it in your mouth, you stop being hungry.” To demonstrate, Vé bit of a chunk of the soil-stained, misshapen thing. His eyes popped out and jaw stopped moving, face turning red. Odin and Vili took a careful step away when Vé attempted to hand them the remaining part. “It’s gweat,” he mumbled, swallowed loudly, and dropped to his knees to drink some water. “Wonderful,” he added when he’d finished spitting. “You must try it.” And, just like that, the first threat had been uttered, the first meal as vile as everything else Vé created.
He’d eat rocks before celery, Odin decided, then sighed quietly. As difficult as it was to believe, the rocks were even more inedible. Which meant remaining hungry.
Vili, his face slightly green, turned the celery in his hands. His eyes rose and met Odin’s. Vé stared as well; Vili’s gaze – pleading, Vé’s – challenging. Odin had to come up with something better than a larger celery. Something that would show his brothers their place. A smash hit that would change everything. One that would satisfy the cold, the thirst, and the hunger all at once. Combining food, drink, attire…
The creation produced a questioning sound. Odin didn’t, but only because he’d temporarily forgotten how to breathe.
“What’s this?” Vili asked.
The creature seemed half-resigned to its fate of existing, half-curious as to the answer.
Odin’s baffled mind feverishly searched for the right word. “It’s a…cow,” he said.
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