World's largest (and ugliest?) Santa Claus
discovered by novelist virtually roaming
the fjords of Northern Norway

Blazing Reader,

My forthcoming novel, All the Humans Are Sleeping, is principally set in Northern Norway — in a post-apocalyptic farm stationed 5,700 feet up near the summit of Mount Jækkevarri. I've spent a good many hours virtually exploring the surrounding fjords and villages via Google Maps, Wikipedia and translated local sources (e.g. newspapers, county websites, etc.).

One thing that stood out, quite literally, was Gollis — a 30-foot tall plastic statue of Santa Claus located in the village of Lyngseidet at the base of Mount Jækkevarri. Built in 1992, the villagers claim it is the world's largest Santa. It has also been voted Norway's ugliest tourist attraction by the tabloid Verdens Gang.

Judge for yourself, here's a full-length photo of the Norwegian landmark:

Sadly, I haven't found a way to weave Gollis into All the Humans Are Sleeping, but I have a feeling he'll be waiting for me when I write the sequel.

— John C.A. Manley

PS I spent a Christmas in Norway way back in 2000, where the locals tried to convince me Santa Claus was a hoax. They claimed that Christmas gifts were instead delivered by an army of Nissen. In my next post, I'll explain what the Nissen are and how I tried to hunt one down.

PPS For an excerpt from All the Humans Are Sleeping, with some amusing AI-generated illustrations, check out a reprint of my article "Personal Pronouns for Robots" over at GetWokeUp.com

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story, the forthcoming All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of speculative fiction. Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber at: https://blazingpinecone.com/subscribe/