Geometric Title Image Finally Annotated and Explained

You may have wondered what the geometric title image of this novel was. If you are curious, and have a little time, I will finally explain.

Here are the original (1997) and more complete (2010) images, at reduced sizes; click each to view full size.

1997     2010

It (either version) is an instance what I call a "story map" -- and it helps me keep track of some character/plot events in longer stories, as I write them. There is a lot of detail in the one for this story, and it will take me a little setup explanation. First, however, I'll start with some background, going way back....

The origins of the story map idea is not in writing, however, but in watching/reading. Not long after the 1977 "Star Wars" movie came out, and not even ten years old yet, I bought (with my allowance I suppose) an omnibus of the six comics comprising the length of that movie. With memories of the movie, a vinyl record of the dialogue/soundtrack, and the omnibus comic, I noticed something interesting, about how all the characters moved about, getting separated, coming back together in different combinations, at different locations, all throughout the story. The characters were flung around throughout what I thought was an expansive plot.

Well, I was already a major fan of road maps by then, or almost any sort of map, really. One day, I wondered if I could map out "Star Wars" by character and plot. So I did. I wish I still had that map -- not to mention the omnibus comic (I wore the record out back then). Yet the story map idea stuck with me, and I've used it on certain selective occasions, in various contexts and in various forms.

When I started writing novel-length stories, I realized, about a quarter of the way through The Law of Indirection (TLOI), that I ought to map out what I had so far -- especially since my writing style is usually non-linear -- to better "see" what I had written and had in mind for later writing. When I reached about the same point in The Transfer (TT), I found it extremely helpful to start one there too, and actually expanded it to draw in preceding context and even foreshadow events I was planning for other stories set before and after TT.

Unfortunately, I ran out of time to finish TT's map, as the story itself had a deadline. The novel was to become part of scifi.con 2.0 "online convention" at the Sci-Fi Channel's "The Dominion" website, in 1997. I knew I simply had to stop updating the map and finish the story! Besides, I do not recall any intent to use the image there anyway, where a different visual metaphor was planned. So once I had enough prose in place, I stopped updating the map.

Nonetheless, after that event was over and eventually removed from the website, I posted the whole story, with the image as it was, to my Metaforms website, probably in 1998. A few hardcopies I produced also had this as the cover image. I thought this unannotated story map, like the one for TLOI in 1994 (a year before I released the story), could simply be used as a geometric pattern for a cover image, while for me it would still being right there and handy to reference. (Note that not all of my stories have maps, and that the image in "Dance of the Flammon" is not actually a story map at all, but essentially a city map!)

Then, in 2010, when I was correcting mistakes in the text of TT, I decided to update/finish its story map as well. What resulted is currently posted on the cover page of the TT copy at Metaforms.

I also decided it might be interesting to explain the image, to those who have read the story. However, before I proceed, let me point out that this annotated story map and explanations of it contain SPOILERS for TT! So I would suggest you only proceed if you have read the story.

S P O I L E R S ! !

S P O I L E R S ! !

S P O I L E R S ! !

Okay, that over, just a little bit of further introduction. Not every character in the story is represented, and only some plot points. The story map simply has no room for lots of characters and plot points. Sometimes non-characters (e.g. Eagles) are represented. This story map also presents events which take place before TT, to set context. Look for arrows which point out the start and end of TT's timeframe for each timeline. Also, I have chosen not to annotate a few lines where I may end up spoiling stories which have not yet been released as of June 2010.

Here is the annotated diagram. A detailed key and notes will follow.

Timelines (Realities) One of the timelines (Ω) was labeled in TT, the rest labeled later for convenience. α (alpha): "primary" reality (in my stories), which in TT is currently ~7 years after Breakaway (equivalent of 2006, on the Moon anyway). Represented by the middle "row" in the story map. ο (omicron): alternate reality, diverged decades before Breakaway, with some subtle but visible differences by Breakaway. During TT, it is in September 1999. Top row of map. Ω (omega): alternate, diverged from alpha timeline years before Breakaway (still beyond the left edge of the diagram, however). The differences remained negligable -- until the Moon encountered Psychon. In TT, it is ~14 years post-Breakaway (equivalent of 2013, on the Moon anyway). Σ (sigma): brief pocket of space-time filled with Sandra doppelgangers. Represented by cluster of thin vertical lines in the middle.

Notes Victor, Paul (also Kano and Tanya) presumed dead in an incident near the α-timeline Moonbase (events in Bridge One) but reappear under equally mysterious circumstances years later (in Bridge Three). αPaul jumps forward seven days (within the same alpha-timeline). Also notice the other half-circle, representing αVictor jumping backwards seven days, and thus leading to seven days where there are "two" Victors. ΩJohn and ΩMaya think their Helena and Tony died. Represents Paul, Victor, David, and Tanya ('omega' versions), who, like in alpha-timeline, disappear and do return (like in Note #1). However, there was insufficient room to draw all that in the omega-timeline, even in revision; so I show just the one line, which seemingly ends not long before Psychon. αTony's brief time in the omega-timeline is not shown, due to lack of room in the story map. ΩSandra eventually died at hands of so-called Zalkers, as did numerous other omega-line characters, including Alan and Kano, prior to omega-line events in TT (but discussed in the story). ΩHelena and ΩTony kidnapped by ΩMagus to a planet later labeled Haven. This Magus acts more subtly than the more familiar version -- and operates essentially out of sight. The other members of omega-Moonbase think Tony and Helena are dead, until near the end of the story, when we hear they have been found by the 100+ as they finish Operation Exodus from the Moon to Haven. αTony is thought to have journeyed ~4000-4400 years into some timeline's future (but not necessarily Omicron's); his line in this upper right part of the story map is more symbolic of a "distant jump." Two Eagles transfered from omicron to omega timeline enable surviving "Omegans" to operate Exodus from the Moon to planet a planet dubbed Haven, leaving behind four alpha-timeline doppelgangers. Also: There is no real "scale" to this diagram. Some periods of time are highly "expanded" and some are heavily "compacted" -- and it varies between each "row" (third) of the diagram too! The slightly wavy lines of tiny dots represent a separation in space (e.g. different planets). This sort of line is absent if character lines are drawn far apart in the first place; it is only used when character lines are close on the map but not in space. Many other alpha-timeline personnel traveled, but most do not recall their travels at the end of TT. Even if they did, that would have been far too much to draw in this particular story map!

Character/Other Abbreviations J = John H = Helena V = Victor M = Maya A = Alan P = Paul T = Tony S = Sandra 2E = 2 Eagles #.. = see Notes

Well, there it is. Developing and using this methodology has helped me write longer stories, and was also one of several factors which helped me recover some ideas for the rest of my story series -- ideas I had forgotten when I was away from fan fiction for awhile. What can I say; I like maps. :-)