I recently did a presentation on world-building, so I’ve been thinking a lot about world details, and today I thought I’d talk about how I use telepathy in both the Distant Horizon Universe and Wishing Blade Universe. 🙂
Now, I’ve already done one in-depth focus on telepathy in the Distant Horizon series. You can find that post here. But there are some key differences between the two story universes.
Telepathy in Distant Horizon
In the Distant Horizon Universe, someone with the telepathy power can send thoughts and images, read minds, plant ideas and influence emotions, and possess their target. An extremely skilled telepath can plant “memory seeds” which unfold over time (More on that in this post).
Telepathy has a pretty wide spread of uses, though its capabilities depend on how strong of a telepath the user is and how trained. Someone with telepathy as a secondary or tertiary power isn’t likely to be able to possess their target or plant a memory seed, but they might be able to subtly affect the emotions of those around them.
Artifacts exist that can hold that power if someone doesn’t naturally come by it (they’ll need enchanted apatite), and artifacts exist that can help enhance that power (enchanted emerald).
Alternatively, shields exist that can block the power—whether by shutting down the powers of the telepath entirely, or by blocking a telepath from targeting someone who is shielded. And if the telepath has taken adominogen (an in-universe drug that blocks superpowers), they won’t be able to access their innate telepathy. But once the shield is removed or the adominogen has left their system, they’ll have access to their powers again.
Telepathy in the Wishing Blade
Now, in the Wishing Blade Universe, telepathy comes from pink ribbons of telepathy, a specialized kind of ribbon magic. Mostly, it’s used for communication, sent from the person who has the ribbons to a target, but the target’s mind can’t be read. It’s possible to intercept a ribbon to effectively eavesdrop, but that takes considerable skill. Communication is primarily verbal, though images and senses might also be passed along via ribbon. The thoughts may still convey feeling: amusement, annoyance, anger, the like.
Unlike in the Distant Horizon Universe, telepathy can’t be used as mind control. Even magic’s lure, which is a kind of compulsion magic, doesn’t affect the mind, it only controls the physical body and forces action. Telepathy ribbons might be used to convey a command, but on it’s own, can’t be used to control.
Word magic can affect a person’s mind (for example, wiping memories), but usually isn’t used as an outright mind control mechanism. There are other ways to adjust a person’s mind, but those tend to be much rarer powers that certain deities have, rather than easily accessed by mortals. (We get a really strong example of this at the end of Magebane, when a certain god of merriment manages to take over a town by using his boon, rather than through magic’s lure or word magic).
Crystals (usually quartz, though not always) can be enchanted to hold telepathy ribbons, and anyone can use them to send messages. However, there’s no direct way to block a telepathy ribbon. Magebane could potential destroy or repel the ribbon, while silk might slow it down or prevent it from going through, but can still be bypassed. Glass-stone would likely stop magic from passing through, but there’s no feasible way to use it except as, perhaps, a prison wall. Even then ribbons could find their way through a vent. Ribbons can be removed, however, or destroyed, which would permanently remove a mage’s ability to use telepathy without an enchanted telepathy crystal.
In both universes, using your own telepathy powers or magic can be physically taxing, especially if you’re pushing it beyond what you’ve practiced or are normally capable of doing. And, in both universes, some people are born with telepathy magic or powers, while others aren’t. The exception comes from spirits (Distant Horizon Universe), who automatically gain telepathy, a low-level form of insight, and life-spirit powers when becoming a spirit, and immortals (Wishing Blade Universe) whose immortal magic is a stronger form of ribbon magic, and usually gives them some version of telepathy and healing, and other types of magic depending on what kind of immortal they are.
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Want to see the telepathy in action? Start with Distant Horizon or Magic’s Stealing…
When it comes to fantasy and sci-fi, I love reading about, seeing, and writing about meddling gods, goddesses, and deities. Which is why, when I’m pitching my books at live events, I tend to say that if you like stories with meddling gods, you might like my Wishing Blade series (and several of the Legends of Cirena stories).
But… that doesn’t mean there aren’t any meddling, deity-like beings in the Distant Horizon books. They’re just not gods, and they don’t play such an obvious, prominent role.
Let’s have a look at how this all got started when it comes what’s been an influence on my writing.
Obviously, meddling deities show up pretty heavily in mythology, including Greek and Roman mythology, which was the mainstay of myth discussion when I was in school. The two which, ironically, has a hard time holding my interest. Too much family drama and gods being too powerful, maybe? I mean, if the gods are going to be jerks, I want to see the mortals kicking them off their throne eventually.
When I have been on myth-research kicks, it’s been Egyptian mythology (probably inspired by being a fan of Stargate SG-1), and Norse mythology (I’m not actually sure what inspired that research kick… possibly a children’s play we did in high school?). That, and I went on a whole kick reading about different kinds of unicorns (which definitely influenced the chesnathéme in the Wishing Blade universe.
Anyway, in reading fantasy, the first one I recall reading and seeing involvement from the gods and goddesses was probably from Tamora Pierce’s series, such as The Immortals and the Trickster Duology. (The latter of which heavily influenced how I developed the Cirenan pantheon world in the Wishing Blade Universe).
Meanwhile, in sci-fi, I’ve always been a fan of Q in Star Trek: The Next Generation. The trickster-aspect, the way the non-powerful people respond to his games… and then in other series, those moments when even Q gets baffled…
All fascinating.
Is it any wonder that meddling deities would work their way into my stories?
In the Wishing Blade series, the gods are extremely involved. From Aifa, goddess of relationships, granting her magic to Toranih and Daernan when mortal magic gets stolen, to the Trickster, with his army of shadows made from mortals who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time… The gods get involved, they try to account for prophetic danger, and they can guess incorrectly.
They can also try to lend their indirect help, pointing mortals in the right direction, as we see in The Scars of Her Past, when the Oracle shows up in shapeshifted disguise to pass along a warning to Alia, whose past puts her in a position to offer help no one else can.
On the writing side, it can be tricky to make sure that the gods can’t simply solve the problems themselves, but their flaws and limits make them fun to write.
In the case of The Scars of Her Past (Legends of Cirena #5), the threat Alia must confront involves magebane, which reacts explosively to magic. If the goddess gets too close to magebane with her magic, it would react like a bomb, not only destroying the city she’s trying to protect, but possibly unraveling their reality in the area that got hit.
Which means she needs a mortal without magic to investigate.
We also see the Oracle in the Stone and String series (there she goes by the name of Meshon), offering cryptic help and nudging Edyli along, all while trying to stay out of the sight of the goddess of the dead, whose rigid desire for control of mortal fate could get the world destroyed—again—if the gods aren’t careful.
In the case of The Cursed Halls of Kalecen (Legends of Cirena #4), the god of justice was once a chesnathé (more-or-less a very judgemental unicorn) whose horn has been broken. And since chesnathéme use their horns to cast judgement, well… let’s just say his skewed sense of justice is a problem for everyone involved.
Once we get to the Distant Horizon series, the science fantasy world, we get characters like Spectator and Krissa Wolf, both not-quite omnipotent beings who interfere with the lives of our characters.
Spectator is absolutely a meddler (arguably, he set the events of Distant Horizon into motion behind the scenes, though that’s not revealed until Ghost of a Memory… and even then, it’s vaguely stated).
And Krissa Wolf is a character who can make even the most powerful members of the Camaraderie of Evil nervous, because they can’t shield her (they can’t block her powers). I know why that’s the case, but some reveals won’t come until later stories. 😉
In both cases, they’re reality benders, capable of changing the world around them. Each have their own motives, but because they’re fourthwallers (an in-universe religion that believes their world is all one big game or story), Spectator and Wolf want to keep that game entertaining… which means not using their powers to solve a problem unless it’s going to be fun for the ones watching the game unfold.
And there you have it, a glimpse at meddling deities in the Wishing Blade and Distant Horizon universes!
The smell of egg burritos, complete with tangy salsa, wafted through the cafeteria. Apple juice drizzled into the glasses of students who were already ahead of us. If it wasn’t for the Health Scan tomorrow and already being late to the first meeting, this day would almost be normal.
~ Jenna Nickleson (Distant Horizon)
The mystery of breakfast burritos in Distant Horizon…
Okay, so it’s not that much of a mystery, but back when Isaac and I were undergrads in college, we would often meet for breakfast after class in that time when the cafeteria was serving both breakfast and lunch.
And when we did, a common favorite for both of us was the breakfast burrito.
The way the cafeteria was structured, there were different stations you could choose from:
The pizza/pasta station – Their tortellini was tasty in alfredo sauce, but the pizza was generally best avoided. Too floppy. You never knew if the dough was undercooked or if it was extra cheesy.
The stir fry area – On gyro day, this was the place to go to. They made absolutely delicious gyros.
The salad area – Tasty if you were looking for fruits and veggies, or some of the vegetarian options.
The sandwich area – Sandwiches, including paninis, when the panini-maker wasn’t broken, and wraps (a crucial ingredient to our burrito plans).
The grill – Served hamburgers and such at lunch, and things like scrambled eggs and pancakes at breakfast. The guy that usually worked there was awesome and, after the school stopped offering toppings for the pancakes, would still sprinkle chocolate chips onto my pancakes if I snuck them in.
Anyway, if I wasn’t going for pancakes, Isaac and I would go to the grill to get scrambled eggs, and then we’d order a wrap from the sandwich area. We’d add cheese (I think pepper jack or provolone), ham, black olives, and in my case, mayo. They’d toast the wrap, and then once we got to our table, we’d add the scrambled eggs (and Isaac added salsa to his).
Voila! Breakfast burritos!
And my drink of choice was apple juice.
Now, in Distant Horizon’s Community, their burritos would be pretty plain.
Eggs, maybe cheese and salsa.
The mystery is whether or not we got the idea that this would be a favorite of Jenna’s from our experiments in the university cafeteria, or from our favorite breakfast food from our McDonald’s runs when we’d travel, or if the school actually occasionally served small egg burritos.
It’s a mystery we’ll likely never know…
Though now I’m craving breakfast burritos again.
*
Still, I like including real-world details in my stories.
Relatable details helps make stories feel more grounded, especially when there’s a lot of fantastical elements happening. Hence breakfast burritos in Distant Horizon, or the extra details about the cookie store and the glossy red bags in my recently released book, Fae. And it’s a nice way to nod to specific memories.
I feel like I first really noticed this technique when reading the paranormal romance series, Beyond the Eyes, by Rebekkah Ford. That’s actually where I first learned about the idea of using your brights to signal to a semi that they have clearance to pull into the lane in front of you.
(Disclaimer: I did the original covers for the Beyond the Eyes books, which is how I ended up with print copies that I read on my breaks at work).
Oh, and I recently found out that Rebekkah Ford just released a new book, The Last O’Clery Witch! I haven’t read it yet (nor did I do the cover for that one), but you should check it out if you’re interested in Urban Fantasy. 🐺
* * *
Jenna’s favorite food is breakfast burritos. It’s a minor detail, but minor details help make a fantasy world feel more realistic:
A long time ago, back during the unpleasant months of late 2020, I decided that, for the fun of it, I would do a round of character interviews for my Distant Horizon Universe newsletter.
Today, I’m revisiting those interviews. 😉
We’re bringing in Krissa Wolf, resident fourthwaller, to ask the questions.
And warning… it’s going to be a little campy.
* * *
Interview with Jenna Nickleson and Tim Zaytsev of the Distant Horizon Universe
circa October 20, 2020
Krissa: Hello, readers! Nice to finally talk to you directly. This is the Lobby, a place where fourthwallers, spectators, and meddlers come to chat… and where unfortunate characters who can’t break the fourth wall sometimes get dragged into for author/game master and reader entertainment.
*She gestures to an open, bright room with numerous round tables, and a bar near the door that serves everything from adult beverages to juice boxes. There’s a comfy, plush couch along the far wall, as well as a stool she’s plucked from the bar. The crowd is small today, and those visiting the Lobby give her space.*
Krissa: A few ground rules: our interviewees can come from any time or multiverse strand. Most of them won’t know which timeline, unless they have the insight power, like I do. And once they go back through that door—
*She points to the inconspicuous front entrance beside the bar.*
Krissa: —they lose their memory of their encounter. Got it?
*She rubs her hands together and grins.*
Krissa: Let’s bring in our interviewees!
*The door opens of its own accord. A young woman with short hair—blond at the tips and brown at the roots—steps through. She pauses, takes one look around the bright room, and attempts to turn around. She runs face-first into a gangly young man in a black uniform that flickers with faint fiber optics.*
Jenna:Tim?
Tim:Jenna?
*They stare at each other, neither sure how to react.*
*Krissa waves from her bar stool.*
Krissa: Hey there! You two already know each other, so come on over! Don’t worry, this isn’t another memory attack.
*Jenna’s shoulders slump when she spots Krissa, her expression that of resigned annoyance. She weaves through the tables to stand beside the arm of the couch, her arms crossed over her chest. Tim looks between her and Krissa, perplexed, but takes a seat. He tests the couch’s cushion, grins as it springs back, and settles in comfortably.He turns to Jenna.*
Tim: What’s going on?
*Jenna jabs a thumb at Krissa.*
Jenna: Ask her.
Krissa: You’re in the Lobby. Your loyal readers have questions for you.
Tim: Our… readers?
Jenna: *Annoyed.* She’s a fourthwaller. And I’m guessing reality bender, at this point.
Tim: But I thought fourthwallers believed we were in a game…?
Jenna:*Still very much miffed.* Krissa writes and draws comics. At a game shop.
Krissa: We break the fourth wall for whoever that might be. Reader, gamer, watcher… the current field is kind of limited to readers at the moment. But our time is limited, so if you’ll just answer a few questions, I’ll send you back on your merry way. Let’s start with you, Jenna, since we’ve met before.
Jenna: Fine.
Tim: Are you sure this isn’t an attack by an OA telepath?
*Jenna simply grunts.*
Krissa: Don’t mind her. She’s grumpy because of the brain seed messing with her head. I’ve made sure it’s muted for the time being, because I’d rather talk to her than the seed, but—
*Jenna bolts upright, her eyes wide.*
Jenna: You can do that? Why haven’t you said so?
Krissa: Because I limit my interference, unlike certain meddlers. Now, first question… what do you like to eat?
*Jenna stares at her blankly.*
Jenna: Uh…
Krissa: First thing that comes to mind.
Jenna: Well, there’s breakfast burritos.
Krissa: Oh? Favorite ingredients?
Jenna: Plain, I guess. I mean, a little salsa is fine, but it shouldn’t be excessive.
Krissa: Salt and pepper?
Jenna: In moderation?
*Krissa nods enthusiastically.*
Krissa: I like garlic, so I’ll add that sometimes. But I really like onions. Sautéed onions in almost anything with eggs. How about you, Tim? What’s your favorite food?
Tim: Well, my father is a great cook, so there’s a lot of options. But he makes this really good cabbage soup—
Jenna: *Skeptical* Cabbage soup?
Tim: What is it with you and Val not liking cabbage soup?
Jenna: Wait, she doesn’t like it either?
Tim: Not… exactly. No. She liked the bread Father served with it, though.
Jenna: Uh-huh.
Krissa: Great! Breakfast burritos and cabbage soup! Now then, starting with you, Tim, though I think I already know the answer, have you ever been arrested?
*Tim flinches.*
Tim: That’s kind of how I got my job on the Legion Spore.
Jenna: Well, if you hadn’t let Val trick you into liking her and then kidnapping you—
Tim: She didn’t kidnap me. I went with her.
Jenna: You went with her? Willingly?
Tim: You guys wanted to destroy the Community!
Jenna:I don’t want to destroy the Community. But the Camaraderie creates beasts, and they have to be stopped somehow. The Coalition is our best bet. We get the time stones, go back and fix it, and—
Tim: Have you even figured out how they work?
*Krissa coughs into her hand.*
Krissa: Have you ever noticed how many “C” names there are? Coalition, Camaraderie, Community… and once you go back a few decades, there’s Challenge.
*Tim and Jenna stop arguing.*
Jenna: What does that have to do with anything?
Krissa: You were going off on a tangent. So, have you ever been arrested?
Jenna: That’s how I got into this mess, remember? Special Forces caught me not taking the pill.
Tim: Actually, they caught my hacking, but they couldn’t trace me.
Jenna: I hid you. And… you ran away? With Val?
*Jenna twists her lips and doesn’t meet his eyes. He sulks back into the couch.*
Krissa: All right… change of topics. Special request from a reader… Shoe size. Tim?
Tim: Shoe… size? Uh…
*Tim fights to pull of his boot. Krissa hops off the stool pre-emptively the second before he yanks off the boot and almost hits her knee in the process. His cheeks go red, but he checks the inside of the boot’s tongue.*
Tim: Huh. I’m a size 41.
Krissa: Awesome. Jenna?
*Jenna gives her a sour glare.*
Jenna: Last I checked, I needed a size 40.
Krissa: That was fast.
Jenna: I did track. And I had to figure it out while on the airship, so… yeah. Size 40. Though they didn’t actually use the same measuring system I’m used to.
Krissa: The Community uses the European system, right?
*Jenna nods.*
Krissa: Great! I’ve got more questions, but we’re out of time for now. So, if you want to hang out here for a little bit, order yourself a breakfast burrito and cabbage soup and catch up, I’ll give you an hour before I send you back. As for you readers out there… have a question you want to ask these two? Or do you want me to pull in someone else? Send in an email. Sounds like I should be back on Monday for another interview session.
*Krissa waves before excusing herself to go speak with another member in the crowd. Jenna and Tim exchange confused glances.*
Jenna: So… have you had to deal much with fourthwallers?
*Tim nods and heads toward the bar, where the bartender pushes a menu toward him.*
Tim: Yeah. But I’ve never ended up here before…
* * *
After the first interview, I gave readers a chance to send in more questions. Then, we returned with round two of questions on October 26th!
Again, Krissa Wolf asked the questions, since her status as both fourthwaller and reality bender gives her a bit more leeway with the questions she can ask.
* * *
Krissa: Welcome back! I hope you all had a good weekend. Today we have the second round of interview questions. I’m sure our characters will welcome a chance to get away from their daily lives—
*The door at the front of the Lobby opens, and a frazzled, sand-covered Jenna walks through. Her skin is red and peeling from sunburn. She stops short.*
Jenna: Not this again…
Krissa: To make it easier, and so we don’t have to go through the introductions again, I’ve returned their memories.
*Krissa swivels on her bar stool to face Jenna, and props one arm on the table beside her, which is covered in various sketches.*
Krissa: Enjoying Cairo?
*Jenna glares at her.*
Jenna: It was nice until the sphinx showed up.
Krissa: Oh, I know him. Mysterious fellow. Likes riddles.
Jenna: I noticed.
Krissa: Anyway, you’re not going to have to go through the interview alone, so let’s welcome Tim back, too! And don’t worry, I know you’ve got things to do, so I’ll keep the interview short.
*The door swings open once again, and Tim… also looking a bit sun-burnt but more tired than frazzled, steps through. He glances at Jenna and looks her over, one eyebrow raised suspiciously.*
Jenna: Don’t ask.
*Tim nods slowly, sees Krissa, and then finds himself a seat on the couch. He scoots over to make enough space for Jenna, who reluctantly follows and flops into her seat. The bartender brings over a pair of water glasses, which they each happily accept.*
Krissa: Welcome, welcome. Glad to have you back. It seems like you’ve both been having a rough time. So I’ve got to ask, what’s the craziest job you’ve ever had?
Jenna: Does this one count?
Krissa: Sure… what’s this job?
Jenna: Being a rebel? Getting chased by guardian spirits of time stones, like that sphinx?
*Tim pops up in his seat.*
Tim: So that was you!
*Jenna glowers but keeps her attention on Krissa.*
Jenna: Yeah. That was me.
Krissa: Do you usually get chased by spirits?
Jenna: It’s more common than I’d prefer. It’s happened twice now. Before that I was getting chased by beasties.
Krissa: Did you have a job before you became a rebel?
*Jenna shakes her head.*
Jenna: I hadn’t been assigned a job when I was in the Community, unless you count being a student as having a job. I was hoping to be a biologist once I graduated, if I could test high enough.
Krissa: Sounds fun. How about you, Tim? What’s the craziest job you’ve ever had?
*Tim scuffs his boot on the floor. He frowns as it leaves a black streak on the polished tile, and he quickly tries rubbing it out.*
Tim: Definitely this one.
Krissa: You’re the operator for the Legion Spore, right?
Tim: Yes. My job is to remove the glitches. There are fragments of memories in the code that keep causing it to go haywire, and the results aren’t fun.
*Jenna gapes at him, horrified.*
Jenna: You work on the Legion Spore?
Tim: My techno sight powers kind of made me a good candidate, especially after I got promoted. It’s definitely crazy, but it’s better than being part of the Legion Spore, or a hub.
Krissa: So, just to remind the readers, since not all of them have read your stories yet, the Legion Spore is a living airship, right? Don’t worry, Jenna, I won’t let the brain seed activate.
*Jenna shivers and inches deeper against the couch’s back.*
Tim: Yeah. It’s made from shapeshifters. Their bodies form the hull. Then there’s a large hub on the inside where the Camaraderie hooked up people and beasts with powers, ones like life-spirit, techno sight, and fire elemental. They provide additional powers, which gives it its defensive and offensive capabilities.
Krissa: Sounds disturbing… and fascinating.
Jenna: *Muttering.* If you say so.
Tim: It is. But the Legion Spore is surprisingly well-meaning. It seems to like me.
Jenna: Like you?
Tim: Uh-huh. Actually, it seems to recognize you for some reason. Something about your memories.
*Jenna cringes.*
Jenna: The brain seed likes to attack me with memories from the Legion Spore’s creation. I think Brainmaster actually enjoyed making that thing.
Tim: Wouldn’t have surprised me.
*Awkward silence.*
Jenna: Thanks for saving me from her, by the way.
*Tim’s cheeks turn pink. He scratches the back of his neck self-consciously.*
Tim: Yeah. I mean… she kind of deserved it. And she wasn’t even being practical with her attack. So, yeah. Um, you’re welcome.
*Continued awkward silence.*
Krissa: I’m glad to see the two of you finding common ground again. Let’s move on to the next question. Are you a cat person or a dog person?
Tim: I don’t know. I like them about the same, really. But turtles are really cool. And gerbils.
Krissa: Oh? What do you like about turtles?
Tim: Their ability to hide within their shells. It seems like a nice defensive ability to have. And the shells have these geometric patterns on them. And they’re just… neat.
Krissa: And gerbils?
Tim: I don’t know. They’re fuzzy and cute, and they have these cute little tails.
Krissa: Cool. How about you, Jenna?
Jenna: I’m…
*She pauses, seeming to struggle to remember something.*
Jenna: Dog person. Definitely dogs. They don’t seem to hate me like cats do. But the brain seed definitely likes cats better.
Krissa: Aside from them not hating you, why dogs?”
*Jenna shrugs.*
Jenna: I never got to have one as a pet, but I enjoyed playing fetch with them. And I took a friend’s for a walk once, and that was fun. Now that I have speed powers, I think it’d be awesome to go for a run with one.
Krissa: You definitely seem to value their companionship.
Jenna: Cats just don’t seem to be companions. They only come to you if they want fed. Or if they want to stick their furry tail in your nose while you’re working.
Krissa: Personal experience?
Jenna: I’m… not actually sure.
Krissa: Ah, brain seed experiences. Well, me, I’m a cat person all the way. I like dogs, too, but I adore cats. All right, then, I promised to keep this interview short so you could get back to your lives. So why don’t you enjoy the rest of your time in the Lobby, and I’ll send you back when you’re ready.
As for you readers out there, that’s it for the interviews for now. If you have any more questions, do feel free to ask, and they might appear on Stephanie’s blog.
*She winks, gives a bow, and then heads over to the corner of the room to chat with a little girl in pigtails and a swishy skirt. For a moment, neither Tim or Jenna say anything, though Jenna eyes the girl suspiciously.*
Tim: Want to see if they have cake here?
*Jenna jerks to attention.*
Jenna: What?
Tim: I was thinking marble cake with chocolate frosting.
Jenna: Err… sure? Cake sounds good.
*She gives one more uncertain look toward Krissa, before following Tim toward the counter at the front of the lobby.*
Jenna: So… how’s your life been?
Tim: Kind of crazy, really. I’ve been trying to help Commander Rick track the rebels after the rebels and the guardian spirit ransacked that museum in Cairo…
* * *
I hope you enjoyed the character interviews. ☺️
If you’re curious, the Cairo incident they’re referring to takes place in Ghost of a Memory (Tim) and Fractured Skies (Jenna).
* * *
Catch up with Jenna and Tim in their regular timelines…
Alternatively… “Everyone’s the hero of their own story”
(Which appears to have multiple attributions… so know that I did not come up with that quote, but it is very useful for designing antagonists)
When writing the Glitch saga, one of the parts I enjoyed working with was showing the Distant Horizon universe from a different point of view (in this case, from the point of view of “the bad guys”). Though the Camaraderie of Evil lives up to their name, an aspect Isaac and I wanted to work with was the idea that “everyone is the hero of their own story.”
Most of the villains aren’t doing evil things for evil’s sake. (Most. There are exceptions).
Instead, they’re driven by a desire for security, a utilitarian view of “the greatest good for the greatest number of people,” or a sense that the end justifies the means.
Even the antagonist with the most logical reason to be pure evil has his own motives and reasons for doing what he does. (Though really, he’s been through so much by the time we see him that… uh… it doesn’t really take much to push him into the “he knows what he’s doing is wrong and yet his desire for revenge is a bit too strong to counterbalance that knowledge.)
Sure, there are a couple characters who are outright power hungry, but for the most part, the people we see all want a better life. They just have… not the greatest ideas… about how to achieve that life. (As in, their ideas work, for them, but definitely aren’t “good guy” plans).
There’s a specific scene from Whispers in the Code (book one of the Glitch saga) that usually comes to mind when considering the Camaraderie’s mentality regarding the world:
Commander Rick motions me to the command room and sits in the chair, resting his chin against the bone of his knuckles. I stand before him, feet together, back straight. I wish I felt more confident.
“You will be challenged by much of what we do,” he continues. “In the Community, your tasks were simple: program basic systems, keep everything running smoothly… This job is not so simple. We call ourselves the Camaraderie of Evil because we are willing to take steps others wouldn’t dare consider. That’s the only way we can accomplish security and efficiency. I don’t personally believe we are evil, but the name stuck around from our earlier days, and they were… an interesting bunch.” A thoughtful smile quirks on his lips and he clasps his hands on his knee. Despite the relaxed position, he still carries an imposing presence.
“Yes, sir,” I say.
“The Community is everything we promise. It is safe, secure, and efficient. Everyone has a secure job, with no fear of being mugged on the street or killed because of needless terrorism. They have food, shelter, and companionship. We rule the Community carefully, and the system works.” He pauses as he gathers his thoughts. “However, there is a price. When the Camaraderie was first formed, Lord Black determined that superpowers posed a threat to his utopian ideals. Those with powers must be controlled or eliminated. Those who do not contribute cannot be allowed to siphon off others.” Commander Rick sets his jaw and my chest clenches tight. I know this already, but to hear it directly from the eldest council member is another thing entirely.
“Thus, through Sanjorez’s and Benjamin’s work with the pendants, the Camaraderie learned how to make beasts. Beasts can be controlled. They can fight. They are more efficient than eliminating each individual person that opposes us. No one would contest using elementals and power users in Special Forces. But our enemies would argue that our actions are morally wrong.”
Like Jenna.
The commander smirks. “Like Miss Nickleson, yes. But I have seen her mind. She seeks truth in answers. In her eyes, to have been lied to about the state of the world was a crime. It is not the action of transformation she sees as wrong, so much as it is that we withheld that information from her.” He presses a knuckle to his chin and gazes out at the dark sky. “I believe it is similar to how you are unaccustomed to making decisions which impact the wellbeing of others, and why you have a hard time understanding the art of war.”
I shift uncomfortably as the commander stands.
“You will do well, m’boy. You will adjust.”
I nod, but I still have a sinking feeling in the back of my throat. To be efficient, truly efficient, I’m going to have to make choices I’d rather not make.
Indeed, Tim does end up having to make choices and decisions that the rebellion would never consider.
And I’ll throw this out there: the Glitch saga doesn’t have a happy ending.
I hope you find it a satisfying one, especially when read in conjunction with the rest of the Distant Horizon series, but things have gone horribly wrong, in large part due to the actions of the Camaraderie.
And things continue to go wrong in the Distant Horizon series, because the things the Camaraderie has done (and even the rebellious Coalition of Freedom) don’t have a simple solution. Like real life, politics and war are messy.
Tim recognizes that much of what the Camaraderie does is questionable, or should be stopped. (And he does try to stop some of those things, or at least mitigate the problems).
But with their actions already snowballing into a terrifying boulder down a slope made slippery by too many people before him, it’s not something he can stop on his own.
Will the things he does help others make things better, even if his story ends tragically? Will his actions matter, allowing for a bittersweet ending? Will his actions have made an impact on those around him… even those who have been working with the Camaraderie for most of their lives?
It may not be immediately evident at the end of the Glitch saga, but once we get to book three of the Distant Horizon series (Starless Night)), I’m hoping a lot more of that becomes apparent. And it should become even more apparent by the time we get to book four, Changing Tides.
Do you have any favorite books where the story had a tragic ending, and yet the character’s actions still made a difference?
* * *
Delve into the Camaraderie’s dark and tragic secrets…
Today I thought I’d go into a little more detail about the mysterious time stones.
These are the artifacts both the Camaraderie and the Coalition of Freedom are trying to obtain throughout Distant Horizon, Fractured Skies, and the Glitch saga.
The Camaraderie wants the stones because they know how much the rebellious Coalition wants them… and thus the ancient artifacts make good bait.
The Coalition wants the stones because of their theoretical ability to travel time… which means a chance to upend the Camaraderie before they get their start, but also to keep them out of the Camaraderie’s hands.
Though no one is entirely sure if they can travel time (except Spectator, and he’s going to make everyone figure it out for themselves), the stones do have a few properties that have been clearly demonstrated:
Primarily that they have a very powerful spirit guardian… (possibly a constructed spirit, per Jenna’s research in Fractured Skies). There are five different stones with artwork reminiscent of five different cultures (Maya, Inca, India, Japan, and Egypt), and a matching guardian. Not much is known about the origin of the stones, save for them being “Catonian,” at least according to the Camaraderie’s alchemist.
Each guardian, however, has the usual spirit powers (life-spirit, telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation), in addition to their own unique power set. (Such as the spirit dragon in Distant Horizon being a water elemental). Some of the spirit stuff gets covered in Fractured Skies, but it gets covered a whole lot more in the next book… for reasons. Trying not to spoil the ending of Fractured Skies or the beginning of Starless Night.
Anyway, while these guardians protect the stones, they’re limited to a certain region. Once defeated… if the stone has been moved far enough… they don’t manifest again. (Otherwise, keeping even one of the stones on an airship would be a terrible idea).
The next question becomes… how exactly is anyone supposed to use the stones?
They know there’s something about a “circle of stone,” but which circle of stone? And can the stones really travel time? Or might it do something else entirely?
And if they can use the stones to travel time, should they?
* * *
Collect the mysterious time stones while trying to thwart an evil, superpowered regime…
Have you wanted to try out our tabletop games, but aren’t local? Or maybe you don’t have a second person to play those games with?
Well, now you can try Phalanx in your favorite web browser!
Now, some quick housekeeping…
The browser edition is in beta. Why? Well, neither Isaac nor I are great HTML coders, so this edition was created using Claude AI, based on the game mechanics Isaac designed, with me doing the work of guiding Claude in bug fixes, game corrections, and making sure the design and mechanics still matched Isaac’s vision.
Which means that it’s still a little… clunky.
Therefore, “beta.”
But it is functional, and has let me scratch the itch of playing the game even when no one else is available to play it with me. 😁
I recommend going full-screen, but it’s available in both web browser and on mobile.
Now a caveat… I’ve only been able to test it on Windows 11 with a Chrome browser and on an Android phone.
But have a go, and please consider filling out the survey linked at the top of the game (click “Provide Feedback”). That’ll help us refine the game in the future. ☺️
Want to know more about how Phalanx came about?
Well…
Originally, Isaac and I had Distant Horizon.
And in Distant Horizon, the characters played a card game called Battle Decks (Originally called Beastie Wars, but that sounded too similar to another franchise).
At some point, Isaac decided it’d be really cool to figure out the mechanics of the game, so he did. He ended up making a few different faction sets, including a steampunk version based on the universe the Camaraderie members (antagonists in Distant Horizon) came from.
And because we can’t just leave a story referenced, we decided to write the story of that universe, The Multiverse Chronicles! (Back in revisions! Yay!)
But then Isaac wanted to come up with a game that made sense for those characters to play, something simple, that they might have at taverns or in small bags easy to tote along while traveling on foot.
And one day I came back from work to a fully-fledged game designed in pencil on a manila folder using pennies and nickels for game pieces and art drawn on cut-up index cards.
We refined the game, then eventually created a boxed edition on The Game Crafter… but that site is really meant for prototypes, and ordering a single copy was expensive, and not quite how we wanted the game to look.
We also created a bag edition, in which Isaac ironed on the game board to cloth bags he sewed, and all the game pieces fit inside the bag. Looked cool, and we sold almost all of those, but they took a lot of extra time since we were hand-sewing the bags.
The other edition we made involved pairing up with a local wood-carver (actually, two, because our first round sold out), and had them create a really elegant wooden board edition.
Fancy! But definitely more expensive, so we were only able to stock a few at a time.
Looked great at festivals, though.
Eventually we had an idea for putting the board game on a mouse pad, but hadn’t found a feasible way to do that until more recently.
But that version is finally complete and debuted at the Flower Moon Spring Market back in May! Woot!
Even so, all those versions were limited to what we could do locally.
We kind of tinkered with the idea of a computer version using a program called Tabletop Simulator a while back, but didn’t get far with it. And then came Claude AI.
I’d been working with Claude for a bit on other projects, but if you know much about Claude, it’s known for coding. And at some point I asked, “If I gave you the rules and art and details for a game we made, could you make a computer version?”
Said yes, so I tabled that idea until I had a chance to gather the pieces.
Eventually I started up that chat, worked through a few details with Claude, and *mind blown.* Didn’t take much to get a working prototype of the browser game running.
After more tinkering and testing, we finally got the browser version to a point that I decided it was ready for its first reveal. I sent it off to the Distant Horizon Universe newsletter!
And now, finally, I’m doing the public reveal.
I expect there will still be bugs, though I’ve done what I can to smooth anything out that I’ve found. But I would love for you to have a look, give it a try, and let us know what you think!
Since I was talking about updating the Whispers in the Code cover a couple weeks ago, today I thought I’d do a behind-the-scenes bit about the Glitch series. While I was in the process of writing Glitch, I’d often run the scenes in my head multiple times to get a feel for the surroundings, what was present in the environment, and what Tim might be feeling. There were a few scenes, though, that I particularly enjoyed writing.
First… the “Bedtime Story” sequence.
It’s starts out innocent enough (and a result of a glitch), and progressively gets more and more creepy as the Legion Spore begins to morph its surroundings to match the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf.
“End recording and transmit.”
Yes, Master Zaytsev. Is there anything else we can do for you?
I nuzzle the flat pillow under my neck. Uncomfortable, but I’m sure it’s made for simplistic support. “No. It’s bedtime, now.”
Would you like us to read you a bedtime story?
“What?”
You like this one, remember? You like the story of ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf.’
I sit up. The Legion Spore’s voice is different. It’s still clipped, not quite oriented, but its inflections are not the same as the artificial voice I heard all afternoon. “Bedtime story?” I don’t remember programming it to read bedtime stories—unless Benjamin has an unspoken interest in oral literature.
Once upon a time, there was a foolish little boy who stood guard over the shepherd’s sheep. The shepherd told him, ‘If you ever see a wolf, son, with large gold eyes and strong sharp teeth, you must immediately call for help.’ The little boy listened closely, for he was mischievous, and full of play.
The hairs rise on my arms. This doesn’t sound like the AI at all. “Legion Spore—acknowledge me.”
The shepherd knew of the little boy’s tricks, so he gave him a stern warning. ‘You must never cry wolf if there is none, for when the townspeople come running, they will be angry if you have disturbed them for nothing. Promise me, son, that you will be honest, and call for help only if there is danger.’ The little boy agreed with every bit of passion he could muster, and the shepherd went on his way. Do you know what happens next?
I shiver. Yes, I know the fable, but this isn’t right. “Legion Spore, I do not want to hear a story.”
The first night, the little boy did as he was told. But it was all very tedious, and staring at sheep was certainly the most boring task he had ever done.
“Legion Spore!” I push the covers aside and throw my legs over the edge of the bed. I pause. The floor is no longer made of ivory. It’s returned to the basic metal grate, while the walls have lost their leatheriness, now just a soft, fleshy musculature.
So the next night, the little boy did the most exciting thing he could imagine. He cried wolf.
I reach to the vessel with my mind, but the Legion Spore has erected some kind of firewall. I launch myself out of bed. This isn’t good. If the Legion Spore isn’t responding, I can’t command it.
All the townspeople came running. But when they got there, the little boy laughed. ‘You should see your faces!’ he cried. The only creatures in the field were the sheep and their lambs.
I scramble up the ladder, my sweaty fingers clutching the rungs. My fingers slip, but I quickly catch myself. Once on the next floor, I search out the controls on the central command point.
I’m locked out.
A lot of fun to write… though Tim was definitely relieved once he found and removed the source of the glitch.
That said, I think that sequence is one of the reasons I like the Legion Spore so much. For all that its creation is a monstrosity, it also has a certain innocence to it… and is utterly perplexed as to why Tim is so frazzled once the glitch is fixed.
Another sequence I enjoyed writing comes later in Spirits of a Glitch, when the Manticore (a malicious version of the Legion Spore) erases Tim’s memory, trying to gaslight him for its own purposes.
This was particularly interesting for me since I wrote it from Tim’s perspective over the period of time it’s happening… so while the reader can see everything as it happens and the side effects of what’s happening, Tim’s memory gets clipped multiple times before he finally figures out what’s going on.
I’d share that one, but then it’d be pretty spoilery… so you’ll have to happen on that section yourself. 😉
There were plenty of other sequences I very much enjoyed writing, but those two stood out in my mind.
* * *
Read the rest ofthe Legion Spore’s tale of the Boy Who Cried Wolf… (but what happens when the “wolf” knows how keep the “villagers” from hearing the boy’s cries?)
Sometimes we authors like to test different book covers to see if one might resonate better with readers. And Whispers in the Code, being a spin-off from the Distant Horizon series, has been through several iterations in my attempt to signal just what kind of book it is. (Genre-mashup. It’s very much a mashup with a lot going on… though horror underlies the entire trilogy).
Part of the job of being an indie author is figuring out which cover attracts the right readers (or rather, which cover is conveying the genre that best fits your book). It’s something I’ve struggled with for the Glitch saga, because it’s a genre mashup.
While I really like the original cover, I think it might convey more of a space military vibe… which it isn’t. Someone who goes in looking for the tropes of a space military story probably isn’t going to find what they’re looking for.
So, around October of 2019, I got the inspiration to test a new cover for Whispers in the Code.
My thought was, depending on how it goes, I’d either change the rest of the series to match it, or switch it back to the original.
Original Cover (February 2018)
Version 2 (October 2019)
While I still really like the newer cover, which I redid in hopes of hitting a more cyberpunk/dystopian vibe, and it did pick up a few more readers in KU (Kindle Unlimited)… it seems that those readers didn’t get very far before they stopped reading (in contrast to Huntress, where they typically finished in a day or two and moved on to Changeling).
Though I didn’t have a whole lot of data to back that up, since Whispers in the Code wasn’t getting many readers, I did wonder if it’s possible that either A: Something was wrong with the book, or B) Readers were picking up the book expecting one thing, and finding something else (such as getting a lot more “magic” or a style of writing that’s more similar to what I’ve seen in YA and urban fantasy than solid cyberpunk).
So…
In February of 2020, I decided to try giving another cover a trial run for Whispers in the Code.
I put it together fairly quickly, and there’s a few things I wanted to change if I switched to this cover style for the series. But I hoped to convey more of the horror elements and more of the “magic” sense of things, while still hinting at the fact that technology is present (since it is set in the future).
Version 3 (February 2020)
I left the new cover up for a few months to see if it would get a better response from readers, though I knew I also needed to consider how to drive traffic toward it. I had hoped putting it in Kindle Unlimited would give more people to take a chance on it, but that wasn’t going to help if I’m not targeting the right readers.
In August of 2020, I did one more revamp to the Glitch series ebook covers. While I really enjoyed writing the series, it still hadn’t gotten much attention from readers.
At this point, I attributed that to a few factors:
Wrong cover for the audience
Very cross-genre, hard to market
Jumps right into the action without a lot of explanation
And so the August 2020 cover marked the fourth version for Whispers in the Code. For this version, I drew in part from the style of Distant Horizon, but tried to play up the paranormal aspect a bit more.
I also redid the blurbs.
Though I’m still iffy on the blurbs (and which one is really better might be a blog post for another day), these covers are the most true-to-the-book representations, I think.
(And while I haven’t analyzed the data on the different downloads, especially since for a time they were in Kindle Unlimited before I launched them wide and made Whispers in the Code permafree, I do see a handful of downloads of Whispers in the Code without extra marketing.)
Version 4 (August 2020)
I’m hoping these covers will attract readers interested in science fiction, thrillers, and stories with paranormal elements.
And one of the things about the Distant Horizon universe is that it has a lot of different elements to it. The issue that creates is knowing which readers to target when marketing.
For example:
It’s science fiction… with a lot of technobabble jargon and what-if world building, set in the future of a world similar to this one except that super powers started showing up sometime in the ’50s and an organization of super villains took over around 2012 to 2016.
It’s paranormal… because there are both the technical equivalent of ghosts (the Legion Spore’s glitches haunting the airship), and very literal ghosts (the spirits like Benjamin… a mad scientist who attached himself to an enchanted artifact).
It’s steampunk (actually gaslamp)… because there’s a lot of clockwork type references and aesthetics pointing that Victorian/Edwardian direction–though now that I’m more familiar with gaslamp fantasy, I’d say it’s gaslamp because of the heavier focus on “magic” and secret societies with a mysterious agenda (the Camaraderie of Evil).
It’s fantasy… because there’s a lot of epic type world building, enchanted artifacts, “magic,” lords and ladies, ballroom dances…
It’s a psychological thriller… because of the page-turning, high stakes element and mental games the main character faces…
An important part of marketing is knowing who to target and how to let them know this is the kind of book they’ll want to read. But with so many elements, it can be hard to pinpoint which genre is the best fit to work with (and some authors will switch marketing focus over time to bring in different readers).
This time around, I’m trying to lean into that gaslamp, paranormal sci-fi route… though I’m still not sure I’ve quite nailed that yet.
From a technical standpoint, an issue with the book itself is that it jumps right into the action and doesn’t take time to explain what’s happening, unlike Distant Horizon or Deceived. With that in mind, it may be that this series is better for readers who have already read the other series, rather than starting with this one. It’s a spin-off, and that may be hurting its chances of being read on its own.
*
So there you have it… four versions of the Glitch series covers. Eventually, I want to redo the box set cover. I’ve got ideas… I just need to set aside the time to revamp it.
* * *
Read the books whose covers keep changing…but at least now they match the mood!
Sometimes it’s really obvious and you just point at that one and say “That one!”
For all the other times… We’re scratching our heads, trying to think if anything stood out while making revisions.
So when it came to figuring out the title for Galina’s story, we turned to the Distant Horizon Universe newsletter!
We proposed six ideas:
1. The Deception 2. Deceived 3. Quarantined 4. The Warning 5. The Outbreak 6. The Secret
But we weren’t 100% sold on any of them at that point.
So we asked readers:
Knowing that Galina’s story will be a young adult dystopian thriller in the same vein as Distant Horizon and Glitch, and having read the three sneak peeks from these newsletters, do any of those titles stand out to you?
Do you have an idea for a better title?
And we did get a few responses! (Which we very much appreciated).
Ultimately, we ended up settling on “Deceived,” which became part one of Galina’s Saga (which we later just called the “Deceived” series). Because, of course, we ended up having plenty more plot fodder itching to be written.
Which is why we now also have its newsletter-exclusive prequel, Initiated, and its sequel, Betrayed!
And yes. Figuring out those titles was also a pain. But at least we had the convention of the title to work with.
* * *
Now I just have to hope I can remember what I planned to title the next book in the series…
Stephanie Flint - Author and Artist 