Exotic tales

It might sound unbelievable, but trust me: There are pythons living in Iowa. And 6-foot-long iguanas. And 200-pound African Tortoises.

Christian Schoon, author of “Zenn Scarlett,” a young adult book soon to be released by Random House, gave me each animal's back story as he walked me through Witty Kitties Inc., an animal sanctuary outside of Solon.

He points to a 7-foot-long alligator relaxing by a large pool, “This guy was rescued from a basement in Iowa City.”

It's jarring to see these exotic animals against the Iowa landscape. That sense of dislocation is paramount in Schoon's debut novel. The young protagonist, Zenn Scarlett, lives on Mars and is in training to become an exoveterinarian - a veterinarian for large, otherworldly animals. Animals from around the galaxy come to her cloister for aid and Zenn, 17, sees to their needs with a calm, empathetic and fiery presence.

For research, Schoon relied on his 20-year hobby of reading scientific journals “for fun,” as well as close friends veterinarian Dr. Jenni Doll and her husband, Torben Platt, a reptile expert, who together with a crew of volunteers, work to maintain the animal sanctuary. “I'd hang around and ask a lot of questions,” Schoon says. “They're both very patient.”

While the animals in Schoon's book are out-of-this-world, Schoon purposefully made them all somewhat similar to earth mammals in order to provide “the earthy hook to hang the alien on.” Schoon might begin by describing an animal as being a 70-foot-long otter: “Then once that's established, I can get more exotic. I can add eight limbs.”

He also takes readers' common perceptions and plays with them. “Take a character like Hamish - he's like a beetle. Most people have a problem with insects, so I made him friendly, naive, a nice guy. I like the idea of using a character to help people confront a phobia.”

While this is Schoon's first novel, he's no stranger to writing, having had a successful career as a scriptwriter in Los Angeles. While he enjoyed writing for Batman, Power Rangers, and other programs, over time Schoon found scriptwriting too limiting.

“You had a character bible, a show bible, and you had to stay within those parameters. It's also a major team effort, and I'm more of a hermit at heart,” he says.

So Schoon traded in his fast-paced life for the peaceful refuge of a 150-year-old house in rural Iowa. His office is decorated with memorabilia from his other lives, including his first bass guitar and photos from his days touring the country, playing music.

But no matter his profession or location, Schoon's commitment to writing and animal welfare has remained constant.

After getting settled in the house, Schoon and his wife reached out to Doll and asked how they could help with her animal welfare efforts. Now they host rescue horses on their 11 acres.

“This house begs for something grander than just living here,” Schoon's wife, Kathleen says. “The place comes with a sense of responsibility.”

Schoon agrees, “You got to do your bit.”

Reading:

• What: Christian Schoon will read from “Zenn Scarlett”
• When: 5 p.m. May 11
• Where: Prairie Lights, 15 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City
• Cost: Free
• Author website: Christianschoon.com

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