It has been suggested that I ought to do background posts on all of my stories that have been accepted (in venues other than here, obviously). Partly because it gives readers an insight into my thinking and partly because the person who suggested it is a completist.
So, without further ado, here’s some background on Spindrift, a short story in my New Dryas world.
Publishing Details
Spindrift was published in 2009 by Wanderings, a magazine website. It is no longer available, mainly because Wanderings has ceased to exist. I may try to rehome it again at some point.
Inspiration
I’ve always liked the idea of a “space elevator” (it’s a US English term in origin, so I shall resist the temptation to write “lift”). It’s just one of those ideas that holds a certain romanticised attachment for me. Although the materials science isn’t what it should be to actually make this possible, yet, I still kind of feel it’s something we should collectively be working on.
You know what? Let’s make this easy and anyone who’s unfamiliar with Space Elevators can go read the Wikipedia article: [External Link]
There are other problems besides the scientific, of course. In order to be as stable as possible, any elevator needs to be on the equator, which leads to all sorts of political issues. It occurred to me that my New Dryas world’s timeline might be able to support one (or more) space elevators as it recovered from the initial climate change.
As a result, the space elevator had a major role in Spindrift and a supporting role (providing wide-spread communications) in stories set in the same time period.
Space Is An Ocean
(Title borrowed from TV Tropes article: [External Link])
Spindrift is the spray that comes off the sea in a strong wind (Beaufort Scale Force 8, apparently). Not being a sailor myself, the word has come to me from my father – who has sailed, as well as designed and built a couple of his own boats based on some basic designs that anyoen can buy and modify. He had always intended to name his dream design / build “Spindrift” – because he liked the idea of being blown before the wind, wherever it took him.
Unfortunately, his sailing days had to be put behind him when certain choices came up. But the name has stuck around and I borrowed it for a boat and a story that fit the description.
Despite the section name, the boat is an actual sailing boat, by the way. A part of the Spindrift‘s existence is to contrast life at the top of the space elevator with life being blown before the Earth’s winds. Despite the words we tend to use to describe space, they’re not the same – or not so much that there isn’t a contrast to be made.
Spoiler Notice
Just in case anyone wants to actually talk about Spindrift, it’s best not to read any comments below unless you’re prepared to read any spoilers.