We gathered again in the Bishop’s study. Robert Tappister was caught between irritation that I had information to give and satisfaction that his own man had found out so much. The Bishop leaned back in his chair, staring vacantly into space, absorbing what I had to tell. Jimmy perched on the edge of the table. … Continue reading Chapter 5 – Council
Crossing the courtyard I waved to a couple of the carpenters who were working outside the hall. At one end of the great hall was the private theatre the Bishop maintained. I let myself in through the wicket in the double doors leading backstage. A barred window at the far end of the space showed … Continue reading Chapter 2 – Stage Door
Boredom had won and driven me out into the Old City with some of the usual suspects. Waking up on the couch in Diego’s scruffy flat was a painful experience. My mouth tasted foul. I had a crick in my neck and bruises on my ribs from things I had slept on. The tatty blanket … Continue reading Chapter 1 – October, Anno Domini 2153
Following on from my little rant in the last couple of posts - too many 'Whys'?? - about our culture's obsession with speed, at the price of quality of life and experience, I thought I would start a series of articles on what I imagine post-apocalyptic life and technology might look like, starting with travel … Continue reading After The Deluge… Part 1: Slow Train
I wanted a close, almost claustrophobic, setting for my alt. history world in 'Renaissance'. I needed a space in which it was normal that people who wished to be discreet might disguise themselves, as a matter of course, as a response to societal oppression. I turned to the example of Venice. Alley in the back … Continue reading Italian Inspiration Part 3
I am fascinated by the complex history and politics of the medieval Italian city states. Their energy, enthusiasm, violence, political and economic chicanery all add up to a glorious resource on which to draw. They were a melting pot of religious fervour, economic, artistic and intellectual ingenuity at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and northern … Continue reading Italian Inspiration Part 1
The other factor in the event of an apocalyptic event or global pandemic would likely be that people turn to religion, most probably in a fairly fundamentalist form. The demands that such a form makes on the individual may make it seem more powerful, more useful, in confronting the disaster. This, I think, is natural … Continue reading Why Post-Apocalyptic But NOT Dystopian? Part 3
Jeremiah Hope 