September 2022 – Sharrukin's Palace

Review: The Welsh Dragon, by K. M. Butler

September 29, 2022 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

Overall Rating: ***** (5 stars)

The Welsh Dragon is a historical novel with a dash of romance, telling the tale of one of England’s most remarkable monarchs in the days before he came to rule.

When our tale begins, Henry Tudor is a very young man, still in his teens, in the midst of that English civil conflict that we call the Wars of the Roses. His uncle – King Henry VI of England – has just been deposed and imprisoned by the House of York. The Lancastrian cause seems all but lost, and Henry is forced to flee England or face arrest and possible execution. He sails with his protector, his uncle Jasper Tudor, hoping to reach France. Unfortunately, an untimely storm washes the Tudors up in independent Brittany, where Henry is forced to live in exile.

At first, Henry has little ambition for his own sake. He has lost lands and title in England, but he is safe under the protection of the powerful Duke of Brittany, and he finds happiness in the arms of a wealthy widow. His tenuous claim to the English throne seems almost irrelevant. The House of York is firmly in command back home, and there are several other men with better claims. Yet Henry’s mother, Margaret Beaufort, is striving to regain a position in England for her son. Meanwhile, the Yorkists refuse to let him live quietly in exile, constantly scheming to seize him or have him killed.

In the end, Henry is forced to give up the woman and the peaceful life he has come to love, and contend for the English throne in his own right.

Unlike Mr. Butler’s previous novel, The Raven and the Dove, this one is set in a much better-documented period. It’s a foregone conclusion that Henry Tudor will return to England, establish one of the most brilliant royal dynasties that country ever knew, and begin leading his kingdom into the modern era.

Mr. Butler’s gift is bringing historical figures to vivid life while he tells the well-known story. Henry himself is a conflicted man, torn between his happy life in Brittany and the ambition he feels compelled to pursue. He matures considerably in the course of the story, growing from an awkward youth to an admirable contender for the crown. Some of Mr. Butler’s more speculative elements – especially Henry’s fictional love interest, the Breton merchant Jehana de Rousson – offer an interesting perspective into how one of England’s more unusual kings might have been shaped.

Mr. Butler has a very clean prose style, and the editing here is very good; I saw only a few copy- or line-editing issues, and these never pulled me out of the story. Action scenes are easy to follow and very exciting. The story alternates among several viewpoint characters, but each section is labeled, and the story is strict in its close third-person perspective.

Mr. Butler is deft in the art of dropping needed exposition into character dialogue or internal reflection, and that’s very useful here. The reader gets to watch characters as they engage in very sophisticated political intrigue, but it’s always clear why they act as they do. The mindset of late-medieval English aristocracy is often alien to us, but the author makes it very compelling.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Welsh Dragon, and I’m definitely looking forward to Mr. Butler’s next venture into historical fiction. Very highly recommended.

Status Report (25 September 2022)

September 26, 2022 Sharrukin Comments 7 comments

Work on Architect of Worlds proceeds at a deliberate pace – I’ve made a bunch of incremental changes to the draft, and left myself notes for sections that need additional content. Every day I work on that feels like it gets me a few more meters toward a set of goal-posts that keep receding into the distance.

The biggest holdup there is that I’m trying to redesign Steps Nine through Eleven of the design sequence. That is, starting with the structure of the protoplanetary disk, then figuring out how the planets form, how they migrate across the disk, and how they end up being arranged in a stable final situation. That’s a part of the design sequence that has gotten tweaked and adjusted many times, responding to observed exoplanetary systems in the real world and changes in the best available theory. Honestly, the current state of that piece of the sequence is an enormous kludge and I can’t help thinking that there’s a better way to do it, more streamlined and yet at least as good at reflecting all the diversity we’re seeing in exoplanets.

The upshot of all this is that the integrated draft is not going to be ready to share with the audience in September. There will therefore be no paid release for my patrons this month, and we’ll see how October goes.

I did share a freebie with my patrons earlier this evening – an update to my alternate-history timeline for the Danassos setting, incorporating the results of a bunch of tabletop simulations I’ve been running over the last few months. That’s probably reached a stopping point for the foreseeable future, so hopefully more time and brain-cycles for me to work on Architect over the next few weeks.

Breakaway!

September 13, 2022 Sharrukin Comments 2 comments

One of my guilty pleasures is the 1970s TV show Space: 1999. I’ve been rewatching it lately, and something about it seems to have engaged one of my spare backup Muses.

Space: 1999 was a very odd duck, kind of the epitome of the kind of science-fiction programming you’d find on British TV in the 1970s. Probably due to its creators, the inestimable Gerry and Sylvia Anderson. It’s a mix of hard SF and wild space-operatic fantasy, with FX that were superb at the time but that look very dated today, and writing that veered from interesting to horrible. The cast were very good, and they did the best they could with the material they were handed.

For the past couple of weeks I’ve been thinking about building a RPG scenario around a similar premise. It seemed likely that I would need to update the technology a bit, and the timeline, and find a way to make the core premise more palatable. Still, I find the basic notion – a near-future space outpost, on a course it can’t control, its crew trying to survive a series of challenges – quite appealing.

So here’s a side project that I might post freebies for, on an occasional basis. The working title is Space: 2049, and it will probably end up as a collection of notes and RPG material updating the original show for a more modern sensibility. I’ll probably use GURPS for the game-oriented pieces, since this is all going to be fan-derivative work for free anyway.

To begin with, have a timeline!

Timeline of Moonbase Alpha – to Breakaway

1990	Birth of Victor Bergman, in London, United Kingdom.
2007	Birth of John Koenig, in New York City, United States.
2009	Birth of Helena Russell, in Denver, United States.
2011	Birth of David Kano, in St. Andrew, Jamaica.
2013	Birth of Robert Mathias, in New York City, United States.
2016	Birth of Alan Carter, in Sydney, Australia. Birth of Antony Verdeschi, in Florence, Italy. While teaching at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Victor Bergman has an annus mirabilis, publishing no fewer than five papers to revolutionize modern physics. In particular, Bergman’s theories suggest the possibility of direct control of gravitational forces.
2017	Birth of Paul Morrow, in London, United Kingdom.
2018	Birth of Tanya Aleksandr, in Weimar, Germany.
2023	Birth of Sandra Benes, in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
2028	First practical applications of Bergman gravitational technology are developed. The new technology promises to revolutionize transportation, especially in space.
2029	While attending MIT, John Koenig meets Victor Bergman, who becomes his lifelong mentor and advisor.
2033	Victor Bergman is awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. Construction of Moonbase Alpha begins in the crater Plato, by the American space agency NASA. The new base is intended as an industrial center, and a headquarters to coordinate exploration of the solar system.
2035	Launch of the Sojourner One probe, an unmanned vehicle using the experimental fast-neutron drive invented by Dr. Ernst Queller. The probe appears to be successful, but vanishes without a trace within days of launch. Launch of the Sojourner Two probe ends in disaster when the Queller drive cuts in too early, killing hundreds of people. Dr. Ernst Queller is found not to be at fault, but he goes into seclusion regardless. Outbreak of the Pacific War, a global conflict between democratic and authoritarian power blocs. Construction of Moonbase Alpha, and other space exploration activity, is paused during the conflict.
2038	End of the Pacific War, after Earth narrowly avoids a nuclear exchange. A number of new international institutions are established in the aftermath, to stabilize the global community and deal with several ongoing crises. Among these is the World Space Commission, a unified body coordinating human space-exploration efforts. A new era in manned exploration of the solar system begins. The World Space Commission takes oversight of the Moonbase Alpha project, resuming construction. Bergman gravitational technology is integrated into the base’s design and architecture. World Space Commission awards contracts for the development of a new transport spacecraft applying Bergman gravitational technology – the Eagle.
2042	First Eagle transport spacecraft are deployed.
2044	Manned expedition to Jupiter is lost after a massive engine failure. Lee Russell, medical officer and husband of Dr. Helena Russell, is presumed dead. Discovery of the “ninth planet,” a small ice giant orbiting Sol at distances between 360 and 600 AU. The new planet is named Ultra.
2046	Several Hawk fighter craft are deployed to defend against a putative attack on Earth from space. Manned expedition to Ultra departs, commanded by Tony Cellini.
2047	Expedition to Ultra returns to Earth, with Tony Cellini as its sole survivor. Cellini is grounded after a diagnosis of severe psychological strain and paranoid delusions, but has a partial recovery and is later reassigned to Moonbase Alpha. Working at Moonbase Alpha, Victor Bergman discovers the so-called Meta Signal, a pattern of phased gravitational waves that seems to carry considerable encoded information. World Space Commission announces the first evidence of intelligent life in space.
2048	Victor Bergman hypothesizes that humans could use gravitational waves to respond to the Meta Signal. He begins an effort to decode and translate the signal, but progress is very slow.
2049	A scientific expedition is planned to the apparent source of the Meta Signal. Construction of the spacecraft begins at Moonbase Alpha. 9 September: John Koenig arrives on Moonbase Alpha as its new Commander, replacing Anton Gorski. Koenig has been assigned to get the Meta expedition launched, but he discovers an outbreak of medical and psychological issues among the crew, far worse than he had been led to believe. 12 September: Commissioner Gerald Simmonds arrives on Moonbase Alpha and immediately comes into conflict with Commander Koenig, who remains cautious about pushing forward the Meta project. Simmonds begins to insist that the expedition move into its next phase without further delay, and also presses to have Dr. Bergman issue an immediate response to the Meta Signal. 13 September: “Breakaway.” On the insistence of Commissioner Simmonds, Koenig authorizes a first response to the Meta Signal. The result is catastrophic – intensely focused artificial gravitation, which reaches out from deep space and accelerates the Moon out of Earth’s orbit. Moonbase Alpha finds itself hurtling into deep space, at speeds which make any evacuation back to Earth problematic. 16 September: The runaway Moon disappears entirely from Earth’s view, and all contact with Moonbase Alpha is lost. In fact, the human response to the Meta Signal has engaged a billions-of-years-old Forerunner stargate network. The Moon is now being conveyed through the network to an unknown destination.

An Interesting Alternate History

September 12, 2022 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

*Alexander Putting his Seal Ring over Hephaistion’s Lips*, by Johann Heinrich Tischbein (1781)

While I slog through the Architect of Worlds draft, I’m still thinking about Hellenic alternate histories for my Danassos setting.

One of the most popular premises for a Hellenistic AH is the one in which Alexander the Great lives longer, perhaps long enough to see a legitimate heir born and recognized. Lots of people have played with that one . . . but I think I’ve found another one that’s just as interesting.

Suppose Hephaistion had lived longer?

Hephaistion, son of Amyntor, was Alexander’s closest friend and companion from boyhood, possibly his lover, certainly one of his most talented officers. Alexander trusted Hephaistion absolutely and without reservation – and that trust was apparently well-earned.

Hephaistion wasn’t just lucky enough to strike up a close relationship with his king. He was a competent diplomat and battlefield officer in his own right, often entrusted with important missions. He was apparently quite intelligent, patronizing the arts, maintaining his own years-long correspondence with Aristotle. With one or two exceptions, he got along well with his colleagues on Alexander’s staff. Most importantly, he understood Alexander – his ambitions, his ideas about building and governing a world-empire, his desire to build bridges between the Hellenic and Persian worlds. He was well-respected both among Makedonians and among Persians.

When Hephaistion died in 324 BCE, possibly due to complications of a bout of typhoid fever, it just about unhinged Alexander. The king lived only another eight months afterward, and it seems that the loss of his life-long companion had robbed him of something vital. When Alexander died in turn, at Babylon, he had made no provision for a regency or succession. That omission led the Makedonians to revert to their historical pattern of behavior, fighting ruthlessly over the throne, only this time on a much grander scale than before. The result was the complete extinction of Alexander’s royal line, and the permanent division of his empire. In the end, while Hellenistic culture came into its own, it was the rival empires of Rome and Parthia that inherited Alexander’s political ambitions.

If Hephaistion had survived to a decent age, it might not have added too many years to Alexander’s tally. By the time of his arrival in Babylon, Alexander had pretty thoroughly burned himself out and wrecked his physical health. Yet if Hephaistion had survived his king, there would have been no question of who would serve as Regent. He would also have been a competent guardian and foster father for Alexander’s son by Roxane. Doubtless others among Alexander’s generals would still have reached for their own ambitions, hoping to unseat Hephaistion or carve out their own kingdoms, but the imperial structure would have started out on a much sounder footing. It’s possible that Alexander’s empire would have remained intact for at least another generation.

This has possibilities – not least because I’m not aware of anyone else who has run with this specific premise. I’m going to tinker with the idea as time allows.

Planning for September 2022

September 3, 2022 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

Once again, the planning for this month is likely to be pretty straightforward.

In August, I got some incremental work done on Architect of Worlds, and I also finished writing the first section of my Hellenic-alternate-history-fantasy novel Twice-Crowned. That last went out to my patrons and readers about mid-month.

In September, I think those two projects are going to be reversed in priority. I’m planning to spend the bulk of this month working on the draft of Architect of Worlds, and maybe making a little incremental progress on Twice-Crowned and the Danassos setting in general.

In particular, I think I’m going to be focusing on three tasks for Architect:

Rationalizing the mathematical formulae throughout, so I’m using consistent variable names and the format of the formulae is consistent.
Making sure each step in the design sequences has a “modeling notes” section, to point readers toward some of the scientific literature if they want to investigate further.
Polishing the steps in the design sequence that involve placing planets in their orbits – I’m still not entirely happy with how this works, and there may be ways to streamline the process.

If I can get the Architect of Worlds draft into some kind of polished form by the end of this month, and there’s enough genuinely new material in there, then that may be a charged release for my patrons. The other option, if the amount of new material isn’t extensive enough, is to make it a free update. We’ll see how things go.

The planning schedule for this month:

Top Priority:
- Architect of Worlds: Continue work on preparing a complete draft of the book for eventual layout and publication.
Second Priority:
- Danassos: Continue work on the new rough draft of the novel Twice-Crowned.
- Human Destiny: Continue compiling material for the eventual Atlas of the Human Protectorate.
- Human Destiny: Design additional new rules systems for the Player’s Guide and add these to the interim draft.
- Human Destiny: Begin work on a new Aminata Ndoye story, set during her first year at the Interstellar Service academy.
Back Burner:
- Human Destiny: Finish the novelette “Remnants” for eventual collection and publication.
- Krava’s Legend: Review and possibly rewrite the existing partial draft of The Sunlit Lands, and write a few new chapters.
- Krava’s Legend: Write the second short story for the “reader magnet” collection.
- Scorpius Reach: Write a few new chapters of Second Dawn.
- Scorpius Reach: Start work on a third edition of the Game of Empire rules for Traveller (or Cepheus Engine).

Review: The Rings of Power (First Two Episodes)

September 2, 2022 Sharrukin Comments 0 Comment

Okay, I stayed up way too late last night binge-watching the first two episodes of “The Rings of Power.” Here’s a snap review based on my first impressions.

Initial reaction: I’m sold. A few potential spoilers to follow, so be careful scrolling down.

As a Tolkien geek, I had to be a little concerned that the studio didn’t have the rights to anything but the trilogy itself. There’s a lot of material for a story set in the Second Age that they don’t have available. On the other hand, there are the Appendices to the trilogy – more than enough material to tell a good Second Age story, even if one would have to fill in a lot of details.

What matters is whether the end result is recognizably rooted in the legendarium, and so far I have to say I’m very pleased. I’m already seeing some very interesting takes on known characters and cultures. Our introductions to Galadriel, Elrond, Gil-galad, and Celebrimbor are all superb. The other cultures we get to see – societies of men in “the Southlands,” the Dwarves of a living Khazad-dum, and especially a tribe of proto-Hobbits – all strike the right notes.

They are taking some liberties with the canon timeline. For example, they’re clearly going to be compressing a couple thousand years of Second Age history down into a single human lifetime. I suspect they’re also going to be rearranging a few events and making up a few out of whole cloth for the sake of the story.

(Meanwhile, yes, there are several roles cast with actors of color. I have absolutely no problem with that, and the idiots review-bombing the series on that basis can piss right the fuck off, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve long since reached the limits of my patience with that nonsense.)

A couple of bits of business did have me scratching my head. There’s a whole sequence with Galadriel in the second episode that struck me as just weird. No, I don’t think even a first-rank Noldo Elf can expect to be able to swim the Atlantic.

There’s also a character, identified so far only as “the Stranger,” whose role is a complete mystery. Putting down my bet right now: what we’re seeing is the first arrival of Gandalf in Middle-earth, several thousand years before he first appears in canon. Which is going to be a surprising but very neat bit of story, if I’m right about what’s going on there.

None of that was sufficient to pull me out of the story for more than a moment or two at a time. The story is otherwise superb, the character acting and development are very good, and the visual spectacle of the thing is just gorgeous. I suspect they’ve got a long-running success here, if they can keep up the pace and the audience doesn’t prove to have pre-judged the thing before it gets a chance.

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Month: September 2022