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Melissa's
Letter
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| Shades
1 :: Shadow Dance is dedicated to Melissa Abercrombie,
the daughter of one of my work colleagues. In the initial
stages of developing a proposal for the series, I thought
it might be useful to give the outline to some potential readers
to get a reaction. This outline had been written for the publisher,
so was a tad analytical and 'adult' in its descriptions of
my intentions and the book's nature. Nevertheless I got a
great response from everyone I gave it too. |
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Below
is a transcription of a note that Melissa sent to me via
her mother.
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| Dear
Rob, |
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| I
think it is excellent, superb. I can't think of any other
way to put it because I'm speechless, it is that good. I think
it will be even better when you write a whole book! Nathan
and Cassandra are nice and simple names and I think you should
keep all the names nice and simple. Such as John, Melanie,
Joshua, Amanda, Matthew and Nicole. Well, that's just something
to think about. Also thank you for letting me give you my
suggestion. |
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| Always
M. Abercrombie |
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| PS.
It is great!!!!!!! |
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| PPS.
Thanks again. |
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| And
thank you, Melissa (and the others too), for taking the time
to respond - and for being so enthusiastic about the idea.
I'm sure it helped in getting approval for the series from
the publisher. |
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| The
character Melissa Greeley, who narrates
Shades 3 :: Ancient Light, was named
as a tribute to Melissa Abercrombie, of course. After all,
it's a "nice and simple" name. Melissa Greeley is the only
main character that is also fully human - an "ordinary" girl
who proves to be extraordinary. |
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Meanings
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| Larva
('Larvae', plural) |
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| One
meaning of the word 'Larva' relates to ghosts. The ancient
Romans believed that their souls became spirits after death
- and the nature of those spirits were different depending
on the moral qualities of the person while they were alive.
'Lares' were the souls of good people. 'Larvae' (or 'Lemures')
were souls of evil people, and 'Manes' were indefinite, neither
good nor evil. Other stories say that the larvae were souls
that couldn't find rest because they died violently or unnaturally.
They haunted the living in true ghost fashion and drove people
mad. |
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| The
word 'larva' can refer to a mask as well -- something that
hides the true face. |
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| A
'larva' is also an insect in its early grub, or maggot, state
- that is, the form an insect takes after it leaves the egg
until it is transformed into an adult, such as a butterfly.
All larvae will eventually metamorphose (or change) into a
different, adult form of the creature - a butterfly, a moth
or some sort of insect. |
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| Perhaps
the Larvae of the Shades books will turn into something else
eventually. You'll have to read the rest of the books to find
out! |
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| Acheron |
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| You
will find out more about the Acheron that appears in "Shades
1: Shadow Dance" as you read all the books in the series.
But, as the character says himself, there is a real-world
history to the name. |
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Greek mythology, 'Acheron' was one of the rivers of the Underworld
(or Hades). In Greek the word is often said to mean 'I flow
with grief', so the river is called the 'woeful river' or
'river of grief'. The ferryman, Charon, took the ghosts of
the dead across the river from life to death, for a price.
There really is a river named Acheron; it is in Thesprotia
in Epirus, Greece. It is said to flow down into Hades because
its course takes it through steep gorges and even underground
in places. |
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| In
some stories Acheron was a primeval god, born of Gaia, the
earth mother. One story tells how Acheron helped the Titans
(who were battling against the Olympian gods) by giving them
water to drink. As a result he was cursed by the Olympians
to remain underground forever. |
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| Acheron
(as a god) occurs in Roman mythology too. Here he was a minor
deity who angered the gods, was turned into a river (of grief
and mourning) and doomed to remain as a barrier between the
upper world and the land of the dead. It is this story that
Acheron the Tenebran Savant refers to while talking to Nathan
on page 142 of "Shades 1: Shadow Dance". |
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| Jorge
Luis Borges, in his "Book of Imaginary Creatures", refers
to 'the monster Acheron'. He says that Acheron dwelt in the
'lands beyond this world'. The creature was seen in a vision
by an Irishman named Tundal, who was for three days in a death-like
coma. This is Borges' description of Acheron: "He is bigger
than a mountain. His eyes flame and his mouth is so large
that nine thousand persons could fit in it. Two damned men,
like pillars or atlantes, prop it open; one stands on his
feet, the other on his head. Three throats lead inside and
belch undying fire. From deep in the beast's belly comes the
continuous wailing of the countless lost souls who are being
devoured. Devils tell Tundal that the monster is called Acheron.
His guardian angel deserts him, and Tundal is swept inside
with the others. There he finds himself in the midst of tears,
darkness, gnashing teeth, fire, unbearable burning, icy cold,
dogs, bears, lions, and snakes." |
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| Tulpas |
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This
is a Tibetan concept. A 'tulpa' is a mind-generated entity,
a form created by the projected power of thought and emotion.
They are often said to appear in sheets or curtains or walls,
formed out of the inert matter of the world. Nathan's parents
appear as 'tulpas' in "Shades 1: Shadow Dance"
(pages 60-61). |
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| Ghost
Dance |
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| This
is something mentioned by Shine ("Shades 1: Shadow Dance",
page 120). It refers to a special ceremony performed by North
American Indians in which they appealed to their ancestors
to help them in their fight against the white invaders of
their land. It was believed that they could call the spirits
to take up residence in ceremonial robes and shirts, so that
when the warriors wore those garments they would carry with
them the protective power of their dead kin. |
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