Character Revolt — Hank Quense

Character Revolt is an audacious and darkly comedic fantasy novel that pulls back the curtain on what happens when fictional characters, tired of their fates, declare open rebellion against their creator. Author Hank Quense, renowned for crafting the world of Zaftan 31B and the medieval land of Gundarland, finds himself under siege—not from critics, but from the very heroes and villains he imagined. Transported to parallel universes where King Artie leads a fanatical football league, Zaftan squids wage ruthless campaigns of conquest, and Gundarland's dwarves, elves, trolls and yuks squabble and scheme, the characters are united by one demand: new stories and better lives.The revolt unfolds across three parallel worlds, each brimming with absurdity and wit. In Camelot, football-mad knights plot quests to forcibly coerce the author into penning tales that will make them fabulously wealthy, while Saxon invaders threaten to raze the realm if not granted victory for once. Zaftan 31B's tentacled despots burn the author's books, stage interstellar coups, and debate the existential dilemma of being real in our world versus their own. Meanwhile, the denizens of Gundarland suffer through economic turmoil, lawless brigandage, and political corruption as unemployment skyrockets due to a rare outbreak of peace.As the author races to pacify his unruly cast, court intrigue, uproarious misadventures, and metaphysical dilemmas ensue—characters lead armed expeditions to track him down, stage lawsuits for unemployment compensation, burn his books to get his attention, and even threaten his very existence. Through farce and political satire, Character Revolt lampoons the fragile pact between creator and creation and delivers a madcap exploration of agency, narrative control, and the quest for meaning—even if it's just a bigger role or a richer ending. The result is a riotous romp where anything can happen, and everyone has an axe to grind, sometimes literally.