Pith and Vinegar

Andrew Wright scuffed his feet nervously on the opulent rug underfoot. Motes of dust fluffed into the air, caught by the light of the setting sun streaming in through the tall window. He shifted self-consciously from side to side, just enough to relieve the minor aches caused by sitting in the same place for — he glanced at the grandfather clock at the end of the hall — just over an hour now.
The Magister in charge of London’s chapter of the Order of the Golden Dawn was not a man to be kept waiting, but apparently the same rule did not apply in reverse. Andrew had been with the Order for nearly two years now, and had been very dedicated. But somehow, he felt it might all be for nought. He felt empty, as though he were just playing at learning rather than delving into greater truths he instinctively knew were out there. He had no idea how Magister Hall would react, but expected the worst out of habit. Better to expect disappointment and be pleasantly surprised than to expect a reward and be disappointed.

(continue reading…)

Greetings, everyone, and welcome to Founding Utopia.

Utopia is typically defined as an ideal community or society, taken from a book by the same name written by Sir Thomas Moore in 1516. It sometimes carries the additional meaning of an unrealistic ideal which is impossible to achieve in a practical sense. Utopia comes from the Greek, meaning “no place.”

This story follows a Scientist inducted into a secret order of geniuses who develop Science beyond the abilities of the common people. Unbeknownst to either the order or our protagonist, they’re on the cusp of one of the defining moments in their shadow history.

Founding Utopia (FU if you’re nasty) has been planned out, in general terms, to cover a period of roughly five years in the closing days of the Victorian era. Our introduction begins in 1892, and our epilogue will take place in 1898. The meat of the story will be set between 1893 and 1897. So this will probably take a long time to complete.

Cliché, but I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoy writing it.