But the tale of Sky and Rain never truly went away, it’s always niggled in the back of my mind. Somewhere in the attic there is a folder full of drawings and character designs for that very first story, (and the sequels!). A few years ago I tried to write a new and definitive version of what I could remember of that very original plot, but I only managed about a chapter and a half. It was dreadfull!
So this version you’ve just read is quite a different beast from any of them.
While Sky has always been the same, and her tale of being a clone of a dead woman has always remained, the story around her has changed quite extensively.
Because the story was written and designed for a series of games, the first game was going to focus solely on Encarta Island. Something I tried to honour in that terrible failed first draft of this story years ago. (It was too videogame and just read like terrible fan-fiction.) The second game was going to focus on the Asylum. I have obviously condensed those two stories and locales into one, because I felt I could tell a better tale in one book.
Originally, the story of the first entry was going to be one of an outsider watching the main protagonist going about their business. Something that was going to be reflected in the game’s design, would you compromise your objectives to intervene with the main hero’s journey? Or would you prefer to skulk about in the shadows and remain hidden?
That kind of story couldn’t translate very well into book format, so it was the first thing that had to be changed. No longer was there a heroic Ant looking for his sister Nat. (The cringing! Ugh! Self referential I know, the only reason I’ve kept that slightly more-than-embarrassing idea was because it became a Nat looking for an Ant). Nat was always a fundamental character in the plot, her significance however drastically changed. Casting her as a double agent breathed new life into Nat’s character and made her presence quite notable in a very intertwined plot. She was also a good contrast for Sky.
When I decided that Sky’s character would be rebooted mid-story, I found that Nat was a fundamental thread that linked two very disparate halves of a plot. (This mid-book character reboot is the one thing I’m crossing fingers, toes and you name it, in the hope I’ve pulled it off!)
Her role in the second story was to visit the rundown asylum on the search for her missing brother. (Inverting the first game and the first plot) It would be that what led Sky to tail along, making the player once more a third party to the plot. However, the Asylum had a very different meaning once the new plot for this book came together.
The character(s) of Zena/Ashley changed drastically from the very original plot of the second. Once upon a time they had been a pair of siblings who had rendered themselves invincible and gone mad. They were to be dressed up as each other and be antagonists throughout the entire game. They would be reoccurring bosses and a general pain in the ass. This concept was far too complex for the reborn story, so it was scaled way back. Zena/Ashley became an extension of the idea of cellular memories, of an unstable marriage of two personalities. And also something of a tragic beat in the story.
Rain was always the antagonist behind the scenes, she was going to star in a prequel game (do you see how much I had this planned out!) that was to be set on an Island overrun with dinosaur like creatures. It was going to show her fall from grace. Obviously this is never going to happen now. I have endeavoured to make Rain quite a bit more human and make her back story a little tragic. Something she never had in the original game ideas. Much like the subtleties and commentaries on the concept of clones would never have been feasible within a gaming context.
The main hero, who was going to carry the original plot, Ant is completely excised. In fact he is only briefly mentioned. His entire existence is something of a mystery, does he actually exist? Of course you learn that he never did, and with that I’ve kind of had a bit of a Hitchcock moment. You can clearly see that Nat is up to no good, but Sky is unaware.
Now lets address an elephant in the room, there’s no escaping the many allusions to the Resident Evil franchise, something that was going to crop up with any form of bio terror attacks and large corporations. I’ve peppered this story with little homages and pastiches of the franchise, I’d be interested to see who figures out what references what. (Get in touch!)
For me, most importantly, the bulk of this story is told against the backdrops of bio attacks, while they’re important to the plot they’re not the sum of it. This is not a story about an evil corporation creating B.O.W.’s (Or is it?) I was concerned the second act would suffer from a lack of “danger”, but I felt it was important to distinguish that not everything was going to be about a biohazard. I was also aiming for “plausible fantasy” which has been something all of my books have aimed for. So that’s why there wasn’t any killer sharks…
Despite it being pretty absurd that there’s an entire asylum underneath an asylum. (I know! What can you do!)
For me this book is about identity and the concept of cloning. I think a lot of the characters represent different facets of the ideology and potential issues with cloning. For me that was the fun bit, having these very curious characters dealing with very curious scenarios.
Leaving the ending open for a sequel was something I initially wanted to avoid, but ultimately couldn’t. The place where Sky naturally ends in the plot, the sum of her character arc, is ripe for a follow up. But it was important and couldn‘t be left any other way. Her rejection of the company that made her was a poignant theme and pivotal moment in her life. Knowing that was exactly where Sky had to end, with her loyalties lost and her own identity as a clone in question, meant I could leave the other threads hanging free. Rain was never going to die, in a world of clones it was impossible for her to die. Her existence, and persistence, is symbolic, and it’s also very much like a virus. In fact her entire plan is very much a viral affair. Nat’s undoubted reveal as a double agent served to nicely tie up what could’ve been gaping plot-holes.
I want to thank you very sincerely for reading this book, I hope it was satisfying.
And to Lynne, I’m really sorry I even dropped that horrendous draft in your inbox.
I am deeply ashamed of myself! But thank you as ever for reading them!
And to S Bloomfield, I’m sorry you was forgotten in the last mentions. It was not intentional and really was just an oversight. Thank you for being one of the posse out there spreading the good word!
The Rain In The Sky Page 22