ALIX OF DREAMS - AFTERWORD

began Alix of Dreams back in 1988. I was mostly inspired by Barbara Tuchman's brilliant A Distant Mirror: the Calamitous Fourteenth Century. I perceived the era of which she wrote to be one of complete madness, and was intrigued by the idea that to the people who lived then, it all seemed quite natural. As the title of her book implies, that era and this one bear some similarities; perhaps we will be viewed in much the same way, with our proliferation of nuclear weapons, terrorism and religious extremism.

But as fascinating as the era was, I was also possessed by the need to express my belief in the power of Dream. After all, if the denizens of the fourteenth century survived, perhaps it was because they didn't lose their ability to dream of a better time. The complex Arthurian cycle, with its tales of chivalry, honor and the great Quest was emminently popular throughout the era. The character of Lancelot arrives somewhere around this time, as well as the morality play involving Guinevere's infidelity.

In fact, students of Arthurian lore may find a reference or two, not least of which is the naming of the character Riothamus. This name comes to us out of the mists of time via Geoffrey Ashe's The Discovery of King Arthur, where he postulates, with plenty of good evidence, that Arthur was in fact a Romanized Briton general of whom some Roman records exist. I simply could not resist the urge to hint that Alix' mentor might be far more than he appears.

The book, ultimately, wrote itself. Cliche, I know, but true nevertheless. I did not struggle with the content, except at the end, when it came time to actually organize it into a cohesive story. I rewrote it several times over the next seven years, mostly with an eye to style and grammar, but I was never quite happy with the ending. It was not until I met my lovely fiance Bonnie Black, to whom this work is dedicated, that it finally came together under her expert guidance. To her I owe my sincerest thanks.

Originally, Alix of Dreams was written as a novel to be, hopefully, published in book form. But I found the idea of submitting the manuscript to publishers daunting, and so started thinking about alternatives. Finally, I settled on the idea of combining my computer, art and writing talents to produce something unique. This web site is the end result... so far. I would have liked to go further by including multimedia into the project, but for most people on the Web, sounds and movies simple take too long to download. I know that, eventually, this limitation will no longer exist, and perhaps a new revision of Alix of Dreams will come to be. The project is constantly evolving and improving in small ways, and I leave it to the gods to guide this work into its next incarnation.

A few words on artistic liberties taken in Alix of Dreams: I have no idea if there is anything resembling a forest near Toulouse. I have not had the good fortune to visit that place, and as much as I have been able to research the history of Toulouse, I don't know if one ever stood there. It was simply necessary to have a forest, so I put one there.

The Black Death did sweep Europe at the time that I have set this novel. However, it was transmitted by fleas carried on rats that stowed away on trading ships from points east, not in the manner that I so fancifully put it.

The Cathars were a complex society of people with a complex set of beliefs. I have read somewhat conflicting accounts in the course of my research, and in the end settled on the material I found the most compelling. Whether they survived as late into the fourteenth century as I have written in these pages is debatable.

The Knights Templar were wiped out by the Pope and the King of France long before this story takes place. Many authors have postulated that the Templars were only driven underground, and that their heirs lived on into the present day. Modern organizations like the Freemasons are based on the Order of the Knights Templar and the Hospitalers.

Some will read this work and find it to be blasphemous. No apologies. I wrote about a Christian god because that was the pervading presence in the era I portrayed. While I am not fond of the effect the Church has had on Western culture over the last two millenia, I do not intend disrespect to those who believe in the Christian god and follow the tenets of that faith.

I published Alix of Dreams this way because I wanted it to be read. It has been an ache in the back of my mind for too many years, and my aim is to share it with you, the reader. I will make nothing from this novel in the way of monetary compensation; all I have to make it worthwhile is your response, good or bad. I welcome your comments. You can send e-mail to me at loki@alchemy-group.com. Note: your comments may end up published on my site; if you don't want them published, please note this in your e-mail.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

B. Clifford Shockey lives in Southern California's San Gabriel Valleywith his wife and daughter, and their two dogs. In his day job he works as database consultant. The rest of his time is spent improving his house, participating in events sponsored by the Society for Creative Anachronism, where he is known as Sir Ciaran MacDarragh, and writing and fooling around with his computer, which is how Alix of Dreams happened.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Here are a few titles which will give you more information of the historical era of which I have written in these pages.

A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous Fourteenth Century by Barbara Tuchman (1979, Ballantine Books, New York)

The Medieval Reader James Bruce Ross and Mary Martin McLaughlin, ed.(1977, Penguin Books, New York)

Witchcraft, Magic and Alchemy by Grillot de Givry, translated by J. Courtenay Locke (1979, Dover, New York)

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