The Chronosmith Chronicles is about to kick off with its first book,
After Vincent! Altrix co-founder Paul Driscoll pens the first installment in the new series — bringing four Altrix characters into their own world.
We're sitting down with Paul for his gateway into the new adventures:
Who are the
Chronosmiths?
Following on from the huge success of the Doctor Who charity
spin-off Seasons of War, Kara Dennison and I were commissioned by Declan May to
write a Seasons of War novel. The result was Gallifrey, published in 2017, a
Time War novel set in the Doctor Who universe, but featuring our own
characters. Tor Fasa, Mordicai, Kendo and Savalia were such fun to write that Kara
and I decided to continue their adventures. Those who enjoyed Gallifrey will be
able to make links between the new series and what has now effectively become a
prequel, but we were keen to remove them entirely from the Doctor Who universe,
making them accessible to non-fans and newcomers.
Is After Vincent a
reboot?
Not exactly. Gallifrey ended with our four leads having to
flee Gallifrey and go into hiding on a planet called Percusia. To protect their
anonymity they have buried the truth about their origins and have made a pact
to implant alternative backstories into their memories. The process is similar
to the chameleon arch used in Doctor Who. They see themselves as Percusians by
birth now.
Is The Chronosmith
Chronicles a Doctor Who Spin-Off?
That is down to the reader to decide. We won’t be marketing
it as such, but you will see a few nods to Doctor Who and indeed to other
franchises. The Chronosmiths think they have fled from a war played out between
the Percusians and a race of rhino-like warmongers called the Zechos. They have
travelled across the Time Winds into a whole new universe. There they will
encounter various races and species unique to the series, as well as an Earth
that roughly corresponds to our own. There will be no mention of the Doctor,
the TARDIS, Daleks, Cybermen and Time Lords etc., but that doesn’t mean they
could never exist in the Chronosmiths’ universe.
Isn’t this just
Doctor Who by another name?
The Chronosmiths travel across time and space in a semi-sentient
ship called the Hexachron that can change its external appearance using
perception filtering technology. Internally, it has the potential to house an
infinite number of rooms. Sounds like Doctor Who, right? Inspired by the show
and some of its core ideas, the ship and the mission of the Chronosmiths is,
nonetheless, quite different. Unlike the TARDIS, the Hexachron has a fixed
internal dimension, one that can be occupied simultaneously by all kinds of
rooms. The Chronosmiths' mission is to correct and respond to false and
misleading history. This could be anything from a lie passed down within a
single family to a myth that has propped up a centuries-old intergalactic war.
So book one of the
series is about Vincent Van Gogh, the man and the myth?
In the 83rd Century, there is a religious
movement known as Goghianism which has elevated the artist to the status of a
god. The Chronosmiths will travel back in time, meeting the real Vincent. They
are on a specific mission from an employment agency called Aliens for Hire, but
will also get the opportunity to challenge some of the tenets of the religion,
propagated across the universe in the artist’s name. Some of those beliefs are not
all that far removed from contemporary portraits of the artist, as seen for
example in the Kirk Douglas movie, Lust for Life, and the many others that have
followed it.
Why did you chose to
write about Van Gogh?
There are so many links that can be made with the Chronosmiths
and Vincent. Mordicai and Savalia are in a Romeo-and-Juliet type relationship,
with Mordicai hailing from the city and Savalia from the village where never
the twain shall meet. This reminded me of the 19th century artist,
specifically his relationship with the prostitute Sien Hoornik. Many of Vincent’s
struggles with mental health are rooted in the fact that his family was part of
the bourgeoisie. There is a narrative of mutual disownment that chimes with
what all four Chronosmiths have done with their own past. Savalia has an
artistic spirit and I could see great potential in her meeting the painter, but
there is also a dangerous side to both characters. This leads to Mordicai
identifying with Paul Gauguin and others who tried to be friends with Vincent.
Kendo, Savalia’s cousin, has anxiety issues and so there was a possible connection
with Vincent for her too. And as for Tor Fasa, well, he like Vincent has gifts
that sometimes feels like a curse to him.
Did the Doctor Who episode
Vincent and the Doctor influence your thinking?
Not really. There may be a sly reference or two, but you’d have
to read carefully to spot them. Unlike the Richard Curtis story, this one is on
an epic scale as we flit between the past and the future and travel along
various points in Vincent’s life.
What myths about the
artist are you challenging?
Primarily the myth of the tortured genius and the way in
which mental illness can be romanticised as a reason for an artist’s
brilliance. But the book also looks at religious belief, and the protestant
ethics that Vincent both lived by and fought against. Poverty, the treatment of
asylum seekers, and the nature of charity with a big C are also under the
microscope. I’ve tried to present the artist in all his brilliance, without
overlooking his faults. I adore Don McLean’s song, Vincent, in particular the
cover version by one of my favourite folk singers, Martyn Joseph, but it wouldn’t
make it onto the soundtrack for the movie adaptation!
Which of Vincent’s
paintings feature?
Oh, there are plenty that are name-checked, some we get to
see him working on, and others take on a special role in the 83
rd
century. One in particular is important, Vincent’s early self-portrait which is
of a skull smoking a cigarette. One of my hopes is that some readers will want
to check out Van Gogh’s portfolio and look up some of the lesser known works. But
don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten the sunflowers and the starry, starry night.
That cover suggests
that the Chronosmiths are directly involved in Vincent’s death. Aren’t you simply
inventing a new myth?
Spoilers! All I can say is that I have endeavoured to avoid
sensationalising Vincent’s story, or making out that aliens had any substantial
influence on either his work or his mental state. So if they are around in the
fields of Auvers or thereabouts, we will find them experiencing Vincent’s
story, not shoehorning him into theirs. That said, the circumstances
surrounding Vincent’s death remain the subject of much debate.
How will the rest of the series play out?
Did I mention spoilers? One of the tasks of After Vincent
was to do some world-building work, hence the novel being a fair bit longer
than the other books. I have also
introduced a number of recurring supporting characters, from the multi-species
Aliens for Hire to rival time travellers, the Time Riders, whose noses are
severely put out of joint by the arrival of the Chronosmiths. But that world
building will continue throughout series one with Kara, Jon and MH’s books as
well as my own second offering. Watch out for other returning characters who
will be introduced later in the run, beginning with a very significant figure
who makes a dramatic entrance in Kara’s book, Eleanor’s Tears. It is all leading
up to a dramatic finale in book six.
What are you working
on next?
My next Chronosmith book is Sceptre of the Innocents, set
right at the end of the Middle Ages in County Durham. It features a new alien
species, plus the Zechos taking centre stage for the first time, an alien
artefact that causes mayhem on the streets of Medieval England, rebellious nuns
with a penchant for magic, and a leper turned boy bishop.
The Chronosmith Chronicles #1: After Vincent will be available soon!
