Reading Notes: Sindbad, Part A

(The roc scene from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Trailer screencap from 1958) taken from Wikimedia Commons)

Scale seems to be a prevailing theme of Sindbad's adventures: a story of larger-than-life adventures of miracles. Is there a way we can play with the element of scale to create a unique setting?

As an example of scale, the second voyage in particular contains vivid depictions of wildlife with rhinoceroses, elephants, and a gigantic eagle, and some sprawling landscapes such as the valley of diamonds and Rohat's monstrous trees.

Scale and fantastic circumstances are also given a sense of danger that comes with adventure that is both exhilarating and immersive, such as the third voyage with the island of savages.

Taking into the elements of scale, dangerous adventure, and rising from nothing, what if we had a world that matched these feelings more realistically? What if we could miniaturize the Sindbad and the various crews he travels with and place them in a larger version of a familiar world, contending with larger versions of common animals and obstacles made out of  everyday objects and environments?

Could utilize first-person perspective to sell a particular mindset, maybe one of greenhorn experience

Might want to change Sindbad's occupation from a merchant to something else that keeps consistent with the message of the stories, but makes sense within the setting.

Survival in the stories is dependent on quick wit, daring spirit, and a little bit of luck.

So far, the first and second voyages appeal the most to writing the kind of story I'm looking for, and I might have to combine story elements to make them work. But I could get more inspiration from the second half of the unit.

Sindbad prefaces his first story with a rags-to-riches premise that continues throughout his voyages. Between this and the theme of overcoming adversity, we can turn this into a good underdog story, I feel.

Bibliography

Mythology and Folklore's The Voyages of Sindbad Unit, stories taken from Andrew Lang's The Arabian Nights' Entertainments