As mentioned in the author's note, this story has a wild mix of characters and concepts that probably have no business coexisting in literature. But if you made it to the end of "Chartreuse," then you must like something you read! Here is some bonus info to quench the thirst of your curiosity.
Saito Haijime actually existed. He was the second daicho (captain) of the Shinsengumi during the war in the 1870s that brought about the Meiji Era in Japan.
Wilhelmina (Mina) Harker, née Murray, was the wife of Jonathan Harker and the conquest of Count Dracula in Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic novel "Dracula."
Ava-1 is based on the cyborg "Ava" from the artificial intelligence experiment in Alex Garland's 2014 film "Ex Machina."
West is based on the Wicked Witch of the West from the children's novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum. Her surveillance drones are called "Winged Monkeys," which is also from the Oz series.
Major Thomas Jones is inspired by the 1969 David Bowie song "Space Oddity," which depicts the adventures and misfortunes of fictional astronaut "Major Tom" as he communicates with Ground Control. "Jones" was David Bowie's real surname. "Iman" is the name of Bowie's real life widow. Lyrics from the song "Space Oddity" are used in chapter 9.
Dorian Gray and Oliver Twist are the titular characters in novels by Oscar Wilde and Charles Dickens respectively. In "The Picture of Dorian Gray," Dorian sells his soul to the devil so that a painting of him will reflect his aging, ailments, and sins while he himself remains youthful and beautiful forever. In "Oliver Twist" Oliver is an orphan from the Bethnal Green district in London who becomes a pickpocket with the help of a group of young orphans including the Artful Dodger.
Nova, Whitlock, Trip, Genesis, and Phoon are original creations. (Whitlock and Nova are very loosely based on Pinocchio and the Blue Fairy.)
Alniscient is the alternate dimension "Alexa." Her name stems from the word "omniscient" which means "to know everything."
The concepts of Big Brother ("Big Sister" in this novella), the inner party, the Junior Spies, vaporization, doublespeak, and Room 101 are from the 1948 novel entitled "1984," written by George Orwell.
Although nonspecific, many works by sci-fi novelist Philip K Dick are alluded to/paid homage to in this novella. I borrowed small concepts and themes from "We Can Remember it For You Wholesale," "A Scanner Darkly," "Ubik," and "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep." Perhaps others. The genius of PKD seeps into one's subconscious and stays there.
Thank you for joining me on this odd little hodgepodge mashup adventure. I hope you enjoyed getting to know the Negotiators, their friends, and their foes as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Hashtag: Much Love
Mar
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Chartreuse || ONC 2022
Science FictionChartreuse ® ~ A Universal Solution* *if used as directed In an alternate dimension similar to our own, the mobile city of Neo-York is held hostage by its oppressive warden, a mysterious woman known only as "Big Sister." Little is known about Big Si...
