We’ve talked to Dennis O’Flaherty, author of the new steampunk novel, King of the Cracksmen.
First of all can you tell us a bit about King of the Cracksmen?
I’ve been a science fiction and fantasy reader for a long time – Weird Tales was still on the newsstands when I became a fan, not to mention those great EC comics, Weird Science and Weird Fantasy (which of course my Mom threw out regularly). It’s only recently, though, that I got into Steampunk, and when I did it was love at first read.
One of the first things I noticed after I’d read enough of the existing titles was that the great majority of steampunk novels were set in Victorian England, and I felt that too many U.S. steampunk writers were missing a good bet by looking overseas for their backgrounds. I like books with strong and complex characters, and Victorian England clamps that whole straitjacket of class distinctions on the characters before you even get started, lords and ladies and forelock-tugging proles. Here in America, though, we had an incredible variety of intriguing characters making their way through a brand-new world in the wake of a brutal war and under the pressure of rapid industrialization and westward expansion. Comparing that to staid Olde England in the same period it was no contest – the U.S. is where I wanted to see my characters interacting.
I had already begun a straight historical mystery about a New York safecracker (“cracksman” in the lingo of the day) in the 1870’s and the minute I started thinking Steampunk it all just kind of transformed and set itself free, becoming much more fun to write. I’ve set up a dynamic opposition between my outlaw hero and a repressive government headed by a usurper who has imprisoned President Lincoln (still alive in “my” 1870’s) simultaneously adding as many entertaining historical figures and happenings as I could while keeping the whole thing speeding forward like an action/adventure flick .
Can you give us some insight into your main characters, Liam McCool and Becky Fox?
Liam McCool is a tough New York Irishman and Civil War vet from the slums of Five Points who has grown up street smart in a day when the popular catchword is “No Irish Need Apply,” while teaching himself everything he can from books. His best pal since childhood is a Russian immigrant named Mike Vysotsky and the two of them have founded and co-chair a gang called the Butcher Boys which has given a haven to other smart immigrant misfits. Unlike the historical Hudson Dusters and Dead Rabbits and Whyos, the Butcher Boys aren’t into partying and street fighting – they’re serious thieves who figure that the only difference between them and the Astors and Vanderbilts is that they go to jail when they’re caught stealing.
Becky Fox is based on Nellie Bly, a 19th century wonder woman who was one of the most daring and intrepid reporters of her time. Despite Becky’s high-society family background and (rare) college education she’s proudest of exploits like posing as a drunken prostitute to get the facts for an exposé on New York’s infamous Women’s Prison, riding with Mexican bandits for a story on the French Intervention in Mexico and smuggling herself into Mecca during Ramadan disguised as a deaf-mute Arab. Currently an undercover reporter for the Freedom Party headed by Mark Twain, she’s a perfect match for Liam McCool, and I have some fun with the two of them wrestling with their natural independence while becoming more and more attracted to each other.
It’s an interesting setting you have with the United States after the Civil War, however with all the land west of the Mississippi sold to the Russians. How did you come up with this steampunk / alternative history setting?
I spent a lot of years involved in academic historical research, specializing in Russia but with the U.S. as my private passion, and these interests remained strong long after I became a professional writer. Since I’m also an avid mystery reader, it was natural that I’d try writing a historical mystery, but I just couldn’t get it off the ground. Then one day I saw a copy of K. W. Jeter’s Infernal Devices on the Express shelf at my local library and I was so intrigued that I took it home and plunged into it. Wow! It was like sticking my finger into a light socket. Why take history seriously when you could play with it and make it a springboard for all kinds of wacky humor and action/suspense craziness? I never looked back, and all those years of serious research went right into my blender along with a hefty dash of pure fun.
What goals might you have set for yourself when writing King of the Cracksmen and how do you feel about the end result?
I wanted to make sure that up front, King of the Cracksmen was a fast and enjoyable read, a five finger exercise for the skills I learned in my years as a professional entertainment writer. At the same time, I wanted to make sure it had some serious things to say as well, since I believe having fun and being serious aren’t mutually exclusive. As a historian I knew that the Gilded Age in the U.S., when steam power drove the triumph of money and the dehumanization of labor, had so many parallels to the present day that people who vibe with the “punk” side of steampunk would find it an exciting background for the story. I think the balance worked out pretty well, and so have numerous readers.
How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurred you on?
I’ve been writing something or other ever since I was a little kid, so it’s always been as natural as breathing to me. But there are important differences in your mind set between being an avocational writer and a professional writer, so I think the biggest change in my life was the decision to become a pro. I was living in Berkeley CA at the time, going to law school at USF, and I started hanging out at the Pacific Film Archive which was then under the curatorship of Tom Luddy, a great film aficionado. Night after night of seeing stuff like the Méliès brothers and early Romanian cinema and the original Technicolor print of “Blood and Sand” sent my mind inevitably in the direction of scriptwriting, and before long I was in Hollywood trying my luck. Which was pretty good, everything considered, and led to lots of interesting experiences and the typing of several kazillion words.
What sort of challenges, as a writer, might you have faced before King of the Cracksmen was published? Any insights you would be able to share for those aspiring writers seeking advice?
Writing is all challenges as far as I’m concerned and nothing ever changes that. The biggest one is that huge blank page or blank computer screen that you have to fill with words that catch what you’re feeling and seeing and set them down so that the incredibly varied denizens of the reading world will feel positive about taking the time to read them. Whew! Makes the sweat pop out on my forehead just thinking about it.
As for advice to novice writers, it’s simple. You have talent. I’ve seen that repeatedly when people show me stuff they’ve written, people all seem to be endowed with natural expressive talent. They may cover it up on purpose, or they may let their environment suppress it, but it’s there, take my word for it. The one thing that sets the newbie apart from the professional is sheer stubborn sitting and doing it and sticking to it until it’s done. You’ll know when that is, and you’ll be able to find people who know how to read what you’ve written critically and help you. Do it long enough, and be a ruthless enough self-critic when you compare yourself with your favorite models, and eventually you’ll sell something.
What is the hardest thing about writing?
I just described it: it’s keeping your butt glued to your chair and writing until you’re finished. No video games, no socializing at your neighborhood tavern, no streaming a TV show you missed, just words, words, words until your work is ready to go.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I’m not just a book lover, I’m a book freak. I love the smell of books, the way older printed books have the bite of type on the paper so you can feel it with your fingertips, the way a well-made book pleases all the senses, stuff like that. If they figure out how get that into a digital medium, I’ll give it a try, but till then it’s paper all the way …
What kind of books do you read, any favourite authors?
I read everything, all the time. I read the cereal box when I’m having breakfast. Lots of Marines bitch about Parris Island, but the only thing that really drove me crazy there was four months with nothing to read but the Bible and the Marine Corps Guidebook. Right now I’m reading Olen Steinhauer’s The Cairo Affair, Kadrey’s Sandman Slim, David Mitchell’s The Bone Clocks, Jim Butcher’s Ghost Story and (re-reading) Stephenson’s Snow Crash. Single author whose works I’d want on a desert island? Mark Twain.
What do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
Dancing to the funkiest R&B available at local clubs (the band has to have a baritone sax!).
What’s next, what are you working on now?
Writing a sequel to King of the Cracksmen, of course! Stay tuned, if you liked “King” you’re gonna love The Calorium Wars!
* * * * * * *
Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2015
