How We Got Here -- History in SF&F

Today is the twenty-first of May. I bring this up because it is a date that has historical significance – though not precisely to science-fiction or fantasy. On 21 May 1941, the German battleship KMS Bismarck left Norway to begin its ill-fated sortie into the Atlantic. Three days later, on 24 May, she sank the British battlecruiser HMS Hood; three days after that, on 27 May, the British sank the Bismarck.

In 1960, the film “Sink the Bismarck” came out, followed by the song of the same title by Johnny Horton. A few years later, as a young boy, I saw the film and became intrigued by naval warfare. I’d also heard the song many times.

The early 1960s were only 20-something years away from the events of 1941, and that history figured quite hugely in the psyche of the time. Hobby stores were filled with model aircraft, ships, and tanks from WWII, war movies mostly depicted that conflict, and one could find a whole raft of books dealing with the subject at the library of even such a small town as I grew up in.

Seventy-three years have now passed since the day Bismarck left Norway. My father, who was a young Canadian soldier stationed in Britain at the time, has passed on, as have the majority of people who remember those times. Living-memory history has become distant, time-shrouded history.

Bismarck started my involvement with the study of other historical periods, and that lasted a good many years. And this involvement has, I believe, stood me in good stead in the writing of SF&F.

SF&F, for the most part, differs from other genres in that its authors have to create whole histories (near-future SF and urban-fantasy stories excepted -- they mostly build on what we already have). When the Prince attempts to retake his rightful throne from the Usurper who killed his father, we have backstory – another name for history. Wherever we start this story – whether from the battle in which the King loses his throne (and life), or from the day the banished Prince begins his trek to retake the throne, or from the day the Prince’s troops start their campaign – the author always has to know the history of the events.

Why did the Usurper want the throne? What did he do in order to take it? How did the Prince survive? Who trained him, set him on his ‘noble path’? Some of this will be important to the story, and thus the author will include it for the reader; some of it won’t have significance, and thus the author will omit it. But the author knows that history. He, or she, created it. It’s How We Got Here.

Many years ago – getting close to twenty, now – I had a “what if” idea. That’s how most stories get their start. What if someone invented a submersible craft? “20000 Leagues Under the Sea”. What if invaders came from Mars? “War of the Worlds”. So, I had this “what if” idea, and it began percolating even as I did other things. At the time, I was busy struggling through a 10-year project that ended up being “Enemy of Korgan” – actually, my original idea for “Korgan” came in 1984 and I didn’t finish the first draft until around 2001, so it’s more of a 17-year project.

One of the things that an author needs to hang a “what if” on is a character. I found that character in a woman named Colleen in 2000. I wrote a short first chapter, and then went no further. I had realized that I needed some history for her. Then another idea, which became “Ghost Fleet”, came up, and I wrote its first draft with blinding speed (in comparison to “Korgan”) finishing in 2 months. But Colleen’s story beckoned, and in March of 2001 I wrote a new first chapter, much better, with my premise more fully formed. 

And that’s where History reared its head. In the middle of Chapter 1, I realized that in order to more fully deal with my saga, I would need a civil war on a planet. The character of “Alan McLean” came to me, basically took over, and wrote “Pelgraff” – a story which would take place after my 1st chapter, but I found so compelling that I couldn’t wait.

Authors do funny things to make their worlds more real. One is to give throwaway lines, mentioning some facet of history, of custom, of … well practically anything, in order to plump up the world. In “Pelgraff”, as Alan McLean sits on an interstellar liner just after the ship’s jump to hyperspace, the Public Address system comes to life, saying “Welcome to the J-Channel”, and telling the passengers they could now move about freely. “What is the ‘J-Channel’? I wondered. As Alan McLean’s persona had taken over my own, he decided to look it up in a reference. The reference told him that the J-Channel had been discovered by Jaswinder Saroya (hence the ‘J’ in j-channel), and how it was a non-linear representation of normal space (i.e. hyperspace). And that was it. Just a throwaway line telling the reader that this universe did, indeed, have a history.

However, as I continued to write “Pelgraff”, I began to wonder who this Jaswinder Saroya was. She began haunting me, asking me to tell her tale. So, in 2002 I did so. A short story named “Courtesan” came into being. This tied Ms Saroya to the same line as Colleen, but 450 years in the past. But, Jaswinder wasn’t through with me. She wanted more than a short story. She kept haunting me. So, to exorcise her, I gave her short story novel treatment. The short story became the first couple of chapters of the novel.

“Courtesan” also suggested how Colleen’s family had become so important; "Not With A Whimper", its sequel, will flesh that out. “Pelgraff” had also mentioned an alien named Korsh, whom I wanted to figure prominently in Colleen’s story. And that led to more ‘history’.

But now – late last year – at long last, I realized that the place to start the saga was with Colleen’s introduction to the spacing Family. Originally, I had intended that she be a descendant of Jaswinder, but then time and circumstance (studying the original premise, and mentally outlining) made it more logical for her to join the family. Going back further in ‘history’ would serve no purpose.

Thus I started plotting once again, the opening scene inspired by a song I’d heard and liked, which related to a poem I’d read and liked. After finishing the first draft of the fantasy novel (somewhat outlined above), I began writing Colleen’s story once more. This time, I have no further doubts as to where it’s going. The history is all behind me. I know How We Got Here.

I’m now over halfway though the first draft – while also working sporadically on the first draft of the sequel to “Courtesan”, and editing the Sword and Sorcery novel loosely outlined above (which still has no title).

Seventy-three years ago today, on May 21st 1941, the German battleship Bismarck began its fateful journey. Six days later, over 4000 men had died, and two mighty, historical ships lay on the ocean floor. Twenty-odd years later, its captivating story awaited a young boy, who began reading history. History, the forming of our lives into stories, has led me to Colleen and her story – as well as the story of her universe. And, having read history, I know that all my characters have their own histories … and I know that history, told properly, compels. I only hope that I’m up to the challenge.