Expedition to White Maple Islands Analysis

I hope you enjoyed my second short story! If you want to leave any comments about it or discuss it even further go ahead and comment on the story or Groups section, I would love to hear from you. Especially what dinosaurs are your favorite and what would you do if you were being chased a dinosaur?!

I took various inspirations from some of my favorite works of literature involving dinosaurs; The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, and Michael Crichton’s The Lost World. His creation for the Jurassic Park series came from Doyle. I wanted to write something involving dinosaurs because I have not found much media about dinosaur horror perse. Universal Studios has not given the fans of the JP franchise much. We as fans have had some decent movies, I think the ‘dragon in the castle’ typesetting of Fallen Kingdom was nice but then Dominion was more of an action-packed cash grab. The videogames that have been released have been park builders with Jurassic World Evolution I and II. Recently, Jurassic Park Survival has been a talking point among videogame insiders and JP fans, I must admit though that I am disappointed that it has taken this long to get a game focusing on surviving all alone in Isla Nublar. An Alien Isolation thriller would work well with the JP franchise. I understand that the real horror of JP is the notion that we as humans think we can play God and control chaos. But when you have a great foundation on the unknown limits of genetically modified dinosaurs, you would think there would be more stories out there from Universal detailing people’s lives being impacted by these creatures. The latest films have touched up on this but I don’t think it is enough. If you look up Battle at Big Rock on YouTube you can see the potential that dinosaur thriller and horror can have. It is a short film showcasing people getting used to the brutality and magnificent power of these dangerous beasts. It would be great to see Universal take on more projects such as that short film. I do wonder if people think that JP has a monopoly on integrating dinosaurs with humans. I find it difficult to come up with a story where greedy science is not involved in bringing chaos out. When I was trying to come up with ideas on how I wanted to do this story I could not think of a way to make it logical that dinosaurs would encounter humans without the humans bringing them back somehow while playing God. I thus decided to go with a safe route like King Kong where there is a deserted island hidden in the Pacific. 

The story unfolds in 1937, focusing on an expedition by Meridian Securities Corp. to the remote White Maple archipelago. The expedition encounters mysterious and dangerous circumstances, including the loss of contact with the SS Lucia and a subsequent rescue mission that ends in tragedy. The setting is isolated and perilous, adding to the suspense and sense of unknown threats lurking on the islands. There's a pervasive fear at the beginning of the story. The unknown creatures or inhabitants of the islands are described with unsettling details that hint at supernatural or monstrous qualities. The narrative is deeply entrenched in a military context, with Oliver Driscoll's reflections on his past service, his longing for purpose, and the camaraderie with his fellow soldiers. The letter format provides a personal touch, revealing his inner thoughts and emotions amidst the impending mission. There is a strong theme of adventure and heroism woven throughout the text, especially as Oliver anticipates his deployment to the 'White Maple' Islands. He idealizes the mission as a chance for valor and to prove himself as a soldier, driven by the tales of past exploits shared among the crew.

I wanted to use detailed descriptions of the natural surroundings, such as the ocean, sunsets, and dense jungle of the islands, to evoke a sense of awe and foreboding. The contrast between the beauty of nature and the danger it conceals adds depth to the setting. The anticipation of encountering 'savages' and establishing a base on the islands introduces themes of cultural clash and colonial undertones. The soldiers' preparations for combat reflect their mindset of conquest and defense against an unknown enemy. We soon learn we cannot control that which we do not understand. 

As the narrative progresses, survival becomes a central concern. The challenges posed by the environment, wildlife, and unexpected events like the ornitholestes attack highlight the soldiers' vulnerability and the harsh reality of their mission. I wanted to use an epistolary format because the use of letters creates an intimate connection between Oliver and Denise. Allowing for personal reflection, emotional expression, and the unfolding of events in real-time. It also serves to frame the story from Oliver's perspective which I felt it easier for me to convey the severity of the situation he finds himself in. As the story continues the group faces increasing isolation and desperation as they encounter new, deadly creatures and lose hope of rescue. We can follow the protagonist's reflections revealing a profound sense of hopelessness and existential dread until his death. 

The dinosaurs I picked for this story have no particular meaning to me other than I wanted to add tyrannosaurs and dilophosaurus. I felt it was best to leave it to the reader to see the descriptions of these dinosaurs instead of just writing down the names with no crescendo to the suspense. Corporal Parent is the only one who has studied dinosaurs, his finite knowledge assists the protagonist in seeing the dangers these creatures possess, but also his eventual demise underscores the fragility of even the most prepared. I wanted this to be a gripping tale of adventure and horror, thus the explanation of the bass tones of the tyrannosaurs. With modern research, some believe that the T-rex did not roar like we grew up hearing that iconic roar from the JP movies. Instead, researchers believe that it bellowed very low in a frequency only picked up by them to communicate and locate prey. I find that more terrifying thinking about feeling some form of ‘thump’ pulsing through your body only not being able to detect you are being hunted.

I hope you enjoyed this story, I do plan on making more dinosaur stories as it is fun thinking about ways in which how one would react to being sniffed out by some big theropod. I will add the link to the video Battle at Big Rock so you can see some suspenseful dinosaur action. Also, check back to the blog in August as I will post the third short story, hint; the dead love to dance. 

https://youtu.be/C7kbVvpOGdQ?si=EXIUtm0UuVS5Kcps