the vast gulfs of time
I’ve been reading an anthology of science fiction stories from the early 1980s. Good stories, all, but they all assume that the Soviet Union would be around well into the 21st century, which perhaps is a testament to the predictive accuracy of science fiction.
Then it occurred to me that I keep thinking of the fall of the Soviet Union of having happened recently, but it has already been twenty-four years. There are likely many people who have visited this page to whom the Soviet Union and the Cold War were not living memory, but increasingly dusty history.
Which is something to bear in mind if you are writing a series with an immortal or a long-lived character, like a wizard or a vampire or something. The immortal might find himself talking about something he remembers vividly, like seeing King Richard fall at Bosworth or watching the Imperial Guard charge for the final time at Waterloo, only to realize that to most of listeners he is reciting obscure facts about the distant past.
Of course, you notice how immortals in fiction always claim to have been there for the significant events of history? Like, maybe they just lie about it to make themselves sound cool. An immortal could say he was there when Caesar was assassinated, but “there” could actually mean he was in a tavern several miles away, badly hungover and arguing about his bill.
-JM
I would like to give your demonsouled series a 5 star rating but find I can’t seem to get back to your first volume to do so. I only will give a 5 to books I consider to be of literature quality. Only the test of time really defines literature, but on rare occasions I’m privileged to come across books that seem to have that potential. Your writing sure looks headed in that direction. Without your kindness in allowing use of your works in Kindle’s lending library, those of us of a certain age and very limited income would never be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor. You are indeed greatly appreciated.
Thanks for the kind words about the DEMONSOULED books! I’m glad you liked them, and that you could get them while they were in the Kindle lending library.
One of my favourite Buffy quotes is apropos here:
Pretentious vampire: When I kill her, it’ll be the greatest event since the crucifixion! And I should know. I was there.
Spike: You were there? Oh please. If every vampire who said he was at the crucifixion was actually there, it would have been like Woodstock! …I was actually at Woodstock. That was a weird gig. I fed off a flower person and I spent the next six hours watchin’ my hand move.
That was funny! It reminds me of a SF story I read (can’t think of the author right now) were the Time Police set up permanent watchers around the Crucifixion because so many time travelers were coming to see it that it was causing temporal instability.