Sam Frykenberg ’16 Publishes Debut Novel
Now a medical student, the Biology Major who wrote a fantasy YA novel at Stonehill is “thrilled” to self-publish his final work.
Late at night, on the second floor of the MacPhaidin Library, biology major Sam Frykenberg ’16 would find a quiet desk and write his novel.
He’d write on the third floor of the Science Center. Or in the Chapel of Mary. He'd write on weekends, rainy days, nights before falling asleep in his residence hall.
Frykenberg worked on his YA fantasy novel, “Paradise,” throughout his sophomore and junior years at Stonehill, finishing winter of his senior year.
Looking back, he recalls Professor Jared Green’s Microfictions class “the most influential class I had for writing. The environment allowed us to flourish as writers.” He also loved Professor Laura Scales’ Wonderlands class, which “explored many fantasy fictions that delved into other worlds.” (Read Professor Green's review of "Paradise".)
The manuscript lived on his computer until a few months ago. With encouragement from his family, the 28-year-old medical student at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine decided to self-publish. “Paradise” released May 22—complete with a hand-drawn map of the mythical land, by his dad.
“What drew me to writing was stories. I’ve always loved stories. I was blessed as a child to have my parents reading to me. Later, the point of reading was to get at stories,” said Frykenberg, who was reared on fantasy epics and magical words in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series, C.S. Lewis’s Narnia, George R. R. Martin’s “Song of Ice and Fire."
“Different worlds. That’s the reason I get drawn into fantasy fiction—the novelty of those worlds, the sense of exploration and wonder,” he said. “It’s fun when you can use magic, not just as flashes and bangs, but a way to get close to something deeply human."
Growing up in Andover, the middle of three brothers, Frykenberg says he never exactly dreamed of being a writer but was “always a storyteller. There were always stories in my head."
In a sense, it's his love of story that drew him to medicine: “My mother was a pediatrician, she brought home stories to the dinner table,” said the pre-doctoral fellow.
According to his online description, “Paradise” is the story of six children who arrive on an island and “meet its mysterious and mouthless inhabitant. Their new guide shows them the rules of the island and gives them each a personal service. However, as they explore their new home and unlock its secrets, the mysteries they encounter threaten the purposes they have found, their bond with one another, and their very existence.”
The biology major also played intramural volleyball and sang in Stonehill’s chapel choir, among other activities. So how did he find time to work on a YA novel?
He didn’t consider writing a novel work. It was fun. “It was just a story on my mind at Stonehill, and I put it together a little bit every night.”
Holding the finished product in his hand now feels “fantastic. It’s amazing to see it in print,” he said. “I’m delighted to have a final version available for the world to read.”
Learn more about the book on Sam's website.
Lauren Daley ’05 is a freelance writer.