In eSpec Books’ Systema Paradoxa series, writers tell stories about different cryptids that exist in myths and legends and maybe your backyard. But unlike some of them, the cryptids in Ken Schrader’s contribution, Crimson Whisper (paperback, Kindle), are not the monsters they might seem to be. I’ll let Schrader explain in the following email interview.
To start, what cryptid have you written about in Crimson Whisper, where do they live, and what are they all about? Because when I googled “Crimson Whisper,” thinking that was their name, all I came up with was a book of poetry by Susan Stumpf.
The cryptid I chose to write about is the J’Ba Fofi, which are a species of giant spiders that live in the Congo. They’re described as ranging in size from two to five feet in length and are reported to be venomous enough to kill a human being.
They’ve long been documented by the Baka People of the region. The first reported Western sighting was recorded back in 1890, and rumors of them have persisted over the years. In fact, while researching them, I found a YouTube video that claimed to have caught one on a night vision camera that had been posted back in 2013.
They’re ground / web hunters that prey on small animals, but some reports have said that they’ve taken dogs and even human beings.
And now I’m going to have to check out that book of poetry, so thanks for that.
So then what is the plot / set-up of Crimson Whisper, and when and where does it take place?
In an ongoing effort to thwart the villainous Order Of The Sanguine Hand, agents Lydia Wainwright and Keilah Holliday of Her Majesty’s Bureau Of Preternatural Affairs, journey to the remote Congo to investigate a potential threat of unknown origin, identified only as Crimson Whisper. As their investigation takes them closer to the heart of Crimson Whisper, Lydia and Keilah uncover a plot that could have dire consequences for the entire world.
Crimson Whisper is a steampunk tale set in the Victorian era which starts in England and travels to the deepest African jungles.
Is there any connection between Crimson Whisper and any of the other Systema Paradoxa books?
Aside from the over-arching focus of the Systema Paradoxa books, I don’t know of any connection between Crimson Whisper and any of the other books, though the idea of a crossover of some kind is intriguing.
So, how did you come up with the story for Crimson Whisper?
It started with the J’Ba Fofi, really. When I was approached to submit a story for this series, I dove into the cast of possible cryptids for one that (pardon the expression) leapt out at me. When I ran across giant spiders, that sealed the deal. I knew I had my cryptid.
The question then became what to do with them? I didn’t want to write “Jaws In The Jungle,” and, naturally, the J’Ba Fofi had to figure prominently in the story. I already had at least one setting: that being the African jungles, and that took me into Indiana Jones territory. It had that kind of old-school cliffhanger feel to it. From there, it wasn’t a stretch to move the setting back in time to the Victorian Era to put a bit of distance between Indy and myself; rather, I should say between Lydia and Keilah, and the esteemed Dr. Jones.
The Systema Paradoxa novellas are often horror stories, but earlier you said Crimson Whisper was a steampunk tale…
I’d say that Crimson Whisper is solidly in the steampunk camp. Steampunk can include elements of horror as well as other genres, but I wanted to focus on adventure and the fantastic here. From the beginning, I wanted to stay away from making the J’Ba Fofi the monsters of the story, which would be easy to do with giant spiders, but I also wanted them to be potent and dangerous, so there are elements of the thriller genre in there, with a more positive spin.
Crimson Whisper is your first novella, though you’ve had stories in such anthologies as Weird Wild West, Chasing The Light, and Predators In Petticoats. Are there any authors, or specific stories, that had a big influence on Crimson Whisper but not on anything else you’ve written?
The authors who had the biggest influence, in this case, are, without any doubt, Tee Morris and Philippa (Pip) Ballantine. Tee and Pip first introduced me to steampunk with their Ministry Of Peculiar Occurrences series, and their Tales From The Archives podcast. I can highly recommend both.
And as if that weren’t enough, they also introduced me to Rugby, for which I will be eternally grateful.
Additionally, there has to be a special mention of Gail Carriger. Her Parasol Protectorate books are a splendidly entertaining place to get started if you’re interested in steampunk…and it just occurred to me that there may be a hint of Alexia Tarabotti in Keilah Holliday.
How about non-literary influences; was Crimson Whisper influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games? Because the Bureau Of Preternatural Affairs sounds like the Bureau For Paranormal Research And Defense from the Hellboy comics.
Wow! I’d love to be able to claim to be riffing off Hellboy, but any similarities between people / places living, dead, or otherwise are purely coincidental. though Indiana Jones — especially Raiders — was an influence, as was Brendan Frasier’s version of The Mummy.
Now, along with Crimson Whisper, you also have a short story in an upcoming anthology called Grease Monkeys: The Heart And Soul Of Dieselpunk. What is that anthology all about?
Grease Monkeys is all about dieselpunk stories, as you might have gathered from the title. But let me step back a bit and try and explain what dieselpunk is.
Dieselpunk is a close cousin to steampunk, in that both genres will let you play wonderfully fast and loose with what’s possible technologically at the time. It steps away from steampunk in that dieselpunk is closer to our modern time and it’s starting to show the wear and tear brought on by technological advancements. For the first time in history, you’re putting the words “machine” and “gun” together. When you do that, the world can’t help but change, and not always for the better. The brass — where it hasn’t been replaced by steel — has gotten a bit tarnished. There’s dents, or chips in the paint, and a vague smell of exhaust. It can still be a hopeful genre, but it asks you to love it, warts and all.
And what is your story in Grease Monkeys about?
My story is called “Stormspike.” It follows Rosamund Thorpe, Chief Engineer aboard the HMS Arc Royal, a flying fortress on patrol above the North Sea. Rosamund and her second, Abigail Shaul are working to find the cause of a strange series of electrical disturbances plaguing the Royal. As a storm approaches and the disturbances get worse, Rosamund discovers that she and the Royal aren’t alone in the cold, gray skies.
Is there any connection between “Stormspike” and Crimson Whisper? Are we witnessing the birth of the Shraderverse?
At first, my answer was going to be, “No.” Then a few things started to trickle in. Without giving anything away, Keilah is a scientist and inventor. She’s made a Tesla gun and the Arc Royal’s primary weapons are a pair of massive Tesla Cannons, which could be considered an expansion on Keilah’s design.
Keilah also named her gun Abigale.
I wouldn’t call them direct connections, and they were certainly unconscious on my part, but I won’t discount the possibility that they take place in one, cohesive Schraderverse.
Going back to Crimson Whisper, earlier I asked if this novella was influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games. But to flip the script, as kids don’t say anymore, do you think Crimson Whisper could work as a movie or show or game?
I definitely think that Crimson Whisper would work best as a movie, particularly when you consider how much of the first draft I had to cut to bring it in under the necessary word count. I had a lot of fun writing about Lydia and Keilah’s adventures and am definitely going to write more of them. As a series of adventures, I think you could go either with movies or television, especially with the Order Of The Sanguine Hand as a potential series throughline.
And if someone wanted to make that movie, or a show, who would you want them to cast as Lydia, Keilah, and the other main characters?
The process of writing Crimson Whisper was new for me in that, as I was creating the characters, I dipped into Google Images looking for actors and actresses to get a kind of feel for what my characters could look like and what their personalities might be.
For Lydia, I found a picture of Kiera Knightly. Not from Pirates Of The Caribbean, but from a poster for the movie Colette. She was in period costume, her hair was up, she was wearing a hat, and the look on her face was so…Lydia.
For Keilah, I found a picture of Tessa Thompson [Thor: Ragnarok]. It was a modern picture, but again, something about the way she looked just said, “This is Keilah.”
For Director Rutledge, it was a picture of Lawrence Fishburn [The Matrix] in a pinstripe suit, looking every bit like the head of an organization like the Bureau Of Preternatural Affairs.
Finally, for Jonathon Mundayne, I found a picture of [Tombstone‘s] Sam Elliott in a leather jacket, looking at me like I owed him money.
For each character I had a shortlist of potential images of different people that I was considering, but between Lydia and Mundayne, it’s hard to say who I decided on casting quicker.
So, is there anything else you think people need to know about Crimson Whisper?
I know that spiders are a bit off-putting for some folk out there, and I’d imagine that my giant spiders would be even more so, but give them a try. They’re not the true monsters of the story.
Finally, if someone enjoys Crimson Whisper, and it’s the first Systema Paradoxa novella they’ve read, which of the earlier ones would you suggest they read next?
If someone who read Crimson Whisper wants more, I’d suggest going through the rest of the books. Look at those amazing covers, read through the back cover copy, and go with whatever piques your interest.
