So, what does an end of a vacation and jostling inside a moving truck have to do with anything? It was the birthplace of “The Biodome Chronicles.” While sitting in the cab of a fourteen-foot truck, I began to sketch ideas with my husband. Originally, this was going to be a video game. (Did that just tweak you? Ha!) I was going to write the storyline, and my husband was going to program an online RPG.
Four months later, I opened my laptop and began an entirely different journey. I had left a career a month earlier and yearned to do something new, but my mind couldn’t conclude what it was I wanted to be when I grew up. I wandered around in a fog, annoying my friends and family with my codependency. Poor souls.
A dear friend and talented author, Bernadette Pajer, figuratively grabbed me by the shoulders and said I should write a book. Oddly, it made sense and seemed like the right thing to do. Since I was a teenager, I had this dream that one day I would write a novel, and Bernadette’s insistence awoke that dream. (Do be sure to check out Bernadette’s series, “The Professor Bradshaw Mysteries.” They are fabulous!) The next week, my father called simply to tell me that he thought my new job—my new personal reinvention—should be as an author and that I should write a book. OK, now I was weirded out. But I decided to listen to their advice, and here we are. You are reading my author’s notes! And I hope that means you enjoyed the story.
So, back to the journey. Memories of my bumpy ride back to Washington state floated to the surface, leading me to disembowel the Closet of Doom (yes, that truly is its name in my home) until I found the spiral notebook that contained all my scribbles. I commandeered the story that was penned inside a moving vehicle for nearly one thousand miles and turned it into a novel rather than a video game storyline. My mind came alive with new possibilities, new plots, and went to work developing the characters. A theme grabbed my fingers and led them across the keyboard until the symbolism and ideas formed a rhythm that set my writing into motion.
I could go on and on about my newfound love affair with novel writing, but I’m sure you want to know how the heck I came up with the idea of live action role-players inside a Mars prototype. And if you didn’t, hopefully that last sentence sparked some curiosity, because that’s the future of this paragraph. The quick and easy answer: my performing arts background. The long answer: It came to me after reading an advertisement requesting applications to join a real Mars colony. As you now know, my imagination went into hyper drive. You can read all the details of this “aha” moment in a blog I wrote for larping.org, at www.larping.org/legacy-of-larp-biodome-chronicles/.
The second part to this long answer came from Jane Poynter, one of the Biospherians who lived inside the Biosphere 2 Mars prototype as a human test subject. Jane Poynter, you are my hero! Your story and journey has captivated me since the 1990s. In her book, “The Human Experiment: Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2,” Poynter discusses how the occasional role-playing opportunities during parties and spontaneous fun moments took her out of the oppressive depression she battled daily from isolation and confinement. My “aha” suddenly had substance and plausibility, and so I ran with it.
Biosphere 2 is a magical place that has held my attention for many years. I don’t feel the experiment was a failure, because it opened our eyes to new worlds, new possibilities, and psychological realities that were illustrated in the most life-like way to date. Imagine if we had learned all we know today because their colony of eight failed on Mars rather than on Earth. What other experiment has gone to such lengths to recreate interplanetary homesteading in a realistic way, providing such a rich plethora of knowledge? If you had a choice between an ecological paradise and a sterile capsule as your colony, which would you choose?
To all the Gamemasters out there, you rock! I am in awe of your talent, creative superpowers, and people skills. I’ve received a taste of your world as I plot away, narrate a story, and referee the player characters that sometimes wish to act out in ways that do not fit the game rules of this series. I do hope that you find Hanley entertaining and do not feel offended by Fillion’s belief of his villainous ways. Fillion’s views are entirely his own and in no way reflect the reality of those who rise to the esteemed position of Gamemaster. The ultimate geeky antagonist is rather fun, though, right?
LARPers, I want to be you. Seriously. If I had free time on the weekends, I would immerse myself as a character in a living story, strategizing how to gain skill and advance within the plot. Alas, I live vicariously through you by giving into the live action role-playing that exists inside my head.
If you want to learn more about the art of escapism through live action role-playing, I highly recommend, “Leaving Mundania” by Lizzie Stark as well as www.larping.org.
Anime and manga fans, I hope you enjoyed my idea of a futuristic youth culture. I became fascinated with many of the high technology concepts coming out of Japan and couldn’t resist the idea. My boys love anime and manga, and we spend a lot of family time watching “Naruto,” “Dragon Ball Z,” and “Pokémon.” As they get older, I know their love of anime and manga will only continue.
To Jordan Boswell and the crew in the Society for Creative Anachronism’s Youth Armored Combat, I had no idea that plunking myself into a medieval life could be so fun. When my son decided to join your war band of youths, I found my happy place. To all the Lords and Ladies from the Barony of Aquaterra in the Kingdom of An Tir, thank you for building a fantastic community that supports honor, chivalry, and the arts.
My thanks to Nancy Chibazakura and Emily Newman for helping me translate Fillion’s American dialogue into the beautiful language of Japanese. Also, my thanks to Jennifer Cook and Claire Lalande for turning Leaf and Willow’s dialogue into the romantic language of French. The worlds of my characters are so much more real and exciting thanks to your assistance!
Amalia Chitulescu is the amazing digital artist who created the masterpiece that clothes my novel. If ever you wish to utilize her talent, you can enlist her in a one-on-one project on www.99designs.com (user name AJfolio), or you can find her on Facebook at Amalia Chitulescu Digital Art.
To Mark Meyers, curator for the tropical rainforest at Woodland Park Zoo, thank you for arranging a special visit so I could learn more about the flora, fauna and caretaking of enclosed spaces and rainforests. My heartfelt thanks also to caretakers and zookeepers Robyn Russnogle, Justin Sutton, and Nick Schroeder for sharing your time and expertise with me.
Lindsey Stirling, you became one of my muses! Your song, “Elements,” gave rise to the Noble class within my book, as well as the personality types. I listened to your debut album over and over as I plotted, daydreamed, and wrote.
Nathan Fillion, Geek God and Nerd King, I am a fangirl. I do not possess artistic talent to erect a statue in your honor, and so I chose to immortalize you in a different way. I decided that Fillion needed to “aim to misbehave,” and I hope you approve.
No dream can ever come true without a support system, and I am truly blessed by an amazing community of people in my life that made sure that my vitals didn’t flat line when I was ready to give up:
Myles, my husband, you are woven into my soul, and falling more in love with you every day never gets old, even though we do. This book would not exist without your sacrifices and without your incredible knowledge of technology. Although we are no longer 15 and 17, your blue eyes and mischievous smile still make my heart sigh.
Little Myles, Colin, and Violette, my precious children, you make my heart sing. I love waking up every day to your laughter, snuggles, and fun conversations. I love watching each of you grow into yourselves and discover what makes you who you are. Never underestimate your value and worth—it is endless.
Melissa, I have five happies for you: 1) a friendship that spans decades, 2) an inspirational writing partner, 3) sunshine and honeydew, 4) coffee-drinking mamas, 5) two. Love you.
Dad, your wisdom always challenges me to dig deeper and think wider. Sis (aka Adriel Nicole, ahem N
icki), your passionate heart and encouragement moves me. Thanks for being my biggest fan! Penny, your listening ear and caring nature has sustained me. Bryan, your discipline and perseverance inspires me. Kathryn, I appreciate your care and attentions whenever we see each other. Mom, I miss you and send kisses heavenward. To the rest of my family (you are so big, it’s hard to list everyone), I am richly blessed by you. Thank you for always pouring yourselves into me, and encouraging me to take the leap of faith in all areas of my life. I love you!
To my family at Tapestry Church, specifically Mike and Francesca Mesneak and Jocelyn Skinner, thank you for encouraging me, celebrating with me, and praying for me. My hope is that I can show through my characters as the series progresses how we are all a strand, woven in a tapestry of Love. Mikayla Morgan, thank you for praying for me as I endeavored to write a story for your generation.
Melissa, Bernadette, Tracy Campbell, Jennifer Newsom, Katie Kent, Timna Lansel, Jill Reasoner, Corrina Lance, Alexa Newsom, Jennifer Swartz, Adriel, Myles, Bryan and Penny—you are the BEST. There is no way I could have accomplished any of this without your encouragement and your patient ears as I, yet again, talked about my book, or your kind enthusiasm as I spammed your inboxes while asking for your opinions. As beta readers, sounding boards, editors, and some of my dearest friends, my heart is full and humbled. Thank you for being the project crew that truly made this dream a reality.
To Morgan, Joey, Xander, Cameron, Cayden, Olivia, Sophia, Peter, Valerie, DJ, Julion, Geneva, and Cady—thank you for giving my kids some of the best playdates so mommy could write!
Lastly, all errors that may exist while trying to represent live action role-playing, Mars colonization, Biosphere 2, anime and manga, high technology, flora and fauna in enclosed spaces, and the hacker subculture are entirely mine. I am a storyteller, weaving together information that builds and forms worlds in our imaginations. In the famous words of Nennius, a ninth-century Celtic monk, “I have made a heap of all that I could find.”
And now, time to get busy writing book two.
Tsuzuku…
(To be continued…)
HACKER TERMINOLOGY
HACKER – A hacker is an individual who breeches security in a computer system or computer network to capitalize on the exposed weakness, for beneficial or nefarious reasons. Sometimes the term is applied to an individual with expert knowledge of computers and computer networks. A subculture now exists for hackers, formed by a real and recognized community known as the computer underground. This subculture of tech-savvy individuals has also developed a unique language and slang terms defined and collected in The Hacker’s Dictionary (originally known as the Jargon File), which is searchable online.
Black Hat – someone who maliciously hacks into secure systems to corrupt or gain unauthorized information. The hacker subculture often refers to this person as a “cracker” rather than a “hacker”
Bletcherous (bletch) – disgusting, makes you want to vomit, usually in reference to an object, and rarely regarding people
Cretin – congenital loser, idiot, someone who can’t seem to do anything right
Defragment (defrag) – an action to reduce the fragmentation of a software file by concatenating parts stored in separate locations on a disk
Faraday Cage – a grounded metal screen (usually copper) that surrounds a piece of equipment to exclude electrostatic and electromagnetic influences
Fatal Exception Error – an error that closes down and aborts a program, returning the user to the operating system
Glitch – a sudden interruption in electric service, sanity, or program function, sometimes recoverable
Gritching (gritch) – to complain; a blend of “gripe” and “bitch”
Honeypot – a decoy computer system on the Internet created to attract and trap people attempting to penetrate secure systems belonging to others
Kernal Panic – an action taken by an operating system when detecting an internal fatal error from which it cannot safely recover; also known as “the blue screen of death”
Loser – an unexpectedly bad situation, program, programmer or person
White Hat – someone who hacks into secure systems and instead of corrupting or taking unauthorized information, exposes the weakness to the system’s owner so they can strengthen the breech before it can be taken advantage of by others (including black hats)
ANIME TERMINOLOGY
Anime / Manga – Anime is a distinctly Japanese style of animation, while manga is the term for comic books that feature anime-stylized characters. Anime differs from American cartoons in that it is more often created for teens and adults with a range of topics that typically explore serious themes. It has been criticized by parents in the United States for discussing such taboo topics as teen suicide, violence, social rebellion, spiritual ideas, and sex. However, anime and manga include many genres, including romance, comedy, horror and action, and feature several series for children, Pokémon being the most notable and successful in the U.S. Many video games, for general or mature audiences, feature anime-style characters and themes. In Japan, and even in the U.S., anime fans have formed a subculture with punk undertones emulating goth, emo, or cyberpunk movements.
Bishounen (bishonen, bish, bishie, bishy) – literally, “pretty boy” in Japanese, a term used to describe a young man—including in anime, manga, and video games—who is notably beautiful and attractive
Henshin – “to change or transform the body”; in anime and manga, this is usually when a character “transforms” into a superhero
Hikikomori – someone who purposely stays in their house all day long, isolating themselves from society, and who usually spends all their time on the Internet, playing video games, or watching anime
Jitsu – martial arts term for “technique” or “art”
Otaku – in Japan, originally a very negative term to describe a recluse who has no life, usually because their world revolves around fictional characters, such as in anime and manga; in America, the word has been applied by anime fans as a positive term for fanboy/girl
Nosebleed – used by fans about someone whom they think is hot or exciting; when an anime or manga character has become sexually excited, it is portrayed with a sudden nosebleed
ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS
Cob – a type of structural mud made from clay, sand, water, and straw that is applied wet between stones or in clumps to form walls. Cob homes, shops, and barns became the preferred building type during the Middle Ages, especially in the British Isles. The mud structures reached the height of popularity with Tudor-style architecture made famous for the external geometric timber designs, stone or brick accents, oriel window boxes, and lead multi-lit latticed windows. This is the most commonly featured style of building in fantasy storybook villages.
Cyberpunk – a literary and visual media genre that takes place in the future or near future Earth and is most notably known for the film noir detective-like qualities of the story, high technology (computers, hackers, robotics, artificial intelligence), and a degraded society. The world or place setting is typically regulated and influenced by large corporations and wealthy elite rather than traditional governmental bodies. The protagonist is usually a rogue/misfit, a loner in society with a dark past. The cyberpunk genre is prominently featured in anime and manga in Japan.
Dungeon Master (DM) – individual in charge of organizing and planning the details and challenges of a given adventure in the table-top role-playing game “Dungeons & Dragons.” He or she also is a participant in the game, but their key role is to make all the rules and control the story, telling the player characters what they hear and what they see. The only part a DM does not control are the decisions/actions of the player characters.
Emo / Emocore – an alternative rock subculture influenced by the punk music scene that emerged in the 1980s, featuring lyrics about self rather than traditional punk themes of society. The Emo scene exploded in the 1990s with the indie rock grunge sce
ne and popularity of pop punk, and was later brought back to mainstream teen culture in the early 2000s through the Internet social media site MySpace. Individuals belonging to this subculture have a unique and notable fashion, the modern looks and trends believed to have been influenced by the anime and manga subculture. The Emo’s (sometimes called Scene Kids or Ravers) are described as being "emotive" in nature, giving rise to the idea that the boys possess more feminine traits and qualities than their non-emo counterparts.
Gamemaster (GM) – individual(s) who officiate and referee multi-player role-playing games (table-top or live action). They arbitrate and moderate the rules, settle disputes, create and define the game world/environment, blend and weave player character stories together, and oversee the non-player character roles and influence in the story. The Gamemaster’s specific job and function is unique to each game.
Live Action Role-Playing (LARP) – a style of game that transcends traditional table-top or video game role-playing into live action where people physically become a character and act out their role in a defined fantasy setting. A LARP must contain three consistent ideas in order to be considered true live action-role-playing (expanded in more depth by larping.org): collaborative (a mutual operation where everyone understands they are a character and must work together toward a common goal); pretending (a necessary element for each LARP, such as the game world/space, weapons and characterization, to name a few); and rules (agreed upon by the community of gamers and refereed by Gamemasters but usually sustained by an honor system among players).
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