OVERTURE
Introduction
and Dedication
This story has aspects that make it very personal to me. I tend
not to write introductions to my Spontoon Islands work, but this one is
an exception.
Typically, my stories are written with heavy
input from my constant collaborators, M. Mitchell Marmel and Walter
Reimer. The stories are produced as a result of numerous
conversations and drafts. In some ways, the fun of the conversations is
an end unto itself, especially when a string of jokes is in the offing.
Sinnessteuersymphonie
was an exception to this. I had been considering the story for
over a year. When I draft stories, I refer to the internal,
unwritten drafts as "rehearsals," visualizing them within my mind as if
upon a soundstage. Scenes are adjusted, and further "rehearsals"
are held. This story, as I said, had been under consideration for
some time.
Walt, in the meantime, had been working on
another project of his own, a pastiche of 1930s action serials called "Rocket Rat," which took the old
Buck Rogers stories as its starting point. Being a big fan of
1930s popular culture, this had a great deal of appeal to me.
One thing, however, created a triggering
flash in my mind. Walt, as is his wont, had engaged an artist to do
some work; in this case, a pastiche of the lobby cards commonly seen in
movie theatres of the time. Walt's choice was, I thought,
inspired. The artist, when I saw the final result, had squarely
caught the spirit of the story, complete with jut-jawed hero, female
interest, and wholesome sidekick. Well, that was one of them. The
other picture was of the villain (boo! hiss!) and his lovely and
terrible minions (rowr).
The drawings clicked a last piece of the
puzzle for me. My story, I decided, would be done in the spirit
of an homage to the pulp adventure/science fiction stories of the
1930s. Another decision: I would get the artist Walt hired to do
appropriate illustrations for my story.
Unusually for me, this story was written
in one fairly short, sustained burst of writing. The chapters
rolled out fairly smoothly. One interesting thing that happened was
that the last chapter of the story turned out quite differently from
what I had planned. The characters, in effect, overruled me as to
how the story should end.
I did indeed engage the same artist Walt had
used. The first drawing was done in time for the 2008 Ursa Major
Awards, and to my mind was a wonderful evocation of the pulp adventure
magazine covers of the era, done in marvelous period colour (or in the
case of the background, sinister shadows).
The other drawings for the first two chapters
followed suit, and were more in the same vein of evoking old-fashioned
drawings. This added the right spirit to the story. I have
always felt that illustrations add spice and flavour to any story, and
it's little wonder Amazing Stories and its ilk would commission artists
in the same way I did.
Unhappily, there were circumstances that
caused the last drawing in the series to be produced in March.
There were plans to finish one batch of drawings, and begin
consideration of others, when the artist died rather suddenly, leaving
a number of fans deeply saddened and mourning the loss of an individual
who brought a great deal of enjoyment to those who saw his work.
I could commission someone to finish the
job, but frankly, I don't have the heart. There was only one
artist who could have done the work for Sinnessteursymphonie, and I
will leave his work as is.
This story is dedicated to my brother
Connecticut Yankee, artist Russell "Rusty" Haller. Rest in peace.
EOC
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