LOCATION AND ATMOSHPERE: THE INSPIRATION FOR RUST-CITY

It is a common question people often ask writers: where do you get your inspiration from? As a reader, I can say that I have asked this question about my favorite authors plenty of times – where is it all coming from? What is the secret that unlocked their imagination? What do they see in the world that we do not? As a writer, on the other hand, I must admit that the question baffles me. Because – to be perfectly honest – I often barely know my sources of inspiration.

Rust-city is not a real place. There is no equivalent for Deirdre Morgan or Sebastian Cadwalder in my life. The situation in the book is not meant to represent any situation in the real world (although, as is often the case with science fiction, the resemblance to political and social upheavals is always there, simply because science fiction in itself is a reflection on society and the extremes it can reach given the right tools). I have never seen anything like the Forest of Ash, and I have never met anyone like Malena Stirling. If people are expecting clear sources of inspiration, then I am afraid they will be disappointed. This is not how I usually work.

However, I am not going to say that I had no sources of inspiration whatsoever when creating Rust-city, because that would not be entirely the truth. I did have things that inspired me and spurred the story on. Only, these were slightly more roundabout than one would expect.

The depressing, dreary atmosphere suits Rust-city quite well.

It constantly rains in Rust-city. The depressing, dreary atmosphere suited the story I wanted to tell very well. The constant dreariness and greyness was inspired by how my own city looks during late autumn, when you can have days on end without sunlight.

The Medieval Town which is part of Rust-city was inspired by a trip to Brasov (I found it a fun challenge to insert a medieval setting in a science-fiction context). The scene where Sebastian Cadwalder attends an organ concert came into my mind while I was at an organ concert myself in the Black Church (if you’re ever in Brasov in summer, do check out their bi-weekly organ concerts, it’s all about atmosphere with organ music, and the acoustics in the Black Church certainly deliver on that).

The Medieval Town was inspired by a trip to Brasov

The main mode of transportation in Rust-city is the Above-ground, a train flying on suspended rails. There are several scenes taking place close to or in Above-grounds. They were mostly inspired by my own time spent in train stations – although the trains in here do not move even remotely as fast as an Above-ground, unfortunately!

A couple of months before starting to write “A Song for Rust-City”, I went to an old music festival which used to take place every autumn in my town (unfortunately, it got discontinued after the pandemic due to lack of funding…). I listened to a soprano singing Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater, and she was completely amazing. Her voice, her presence, her demeanor, with everything she had she could pull you into the music and make you feel exactly the emotions that she wanted you to feel. I can hardly remember her face and unfortunately do not remember her name at all, but a lot of Gaila Starborne came from her.

There are, no doubt, many other examples that I have forgotten. Crafting a story is a complex process, not dissimilar to putting together a puzzle. Each piece finds its place, although some are unexpected and surprising.

If there is one thing I hope though, is that one day Rust-city and the characters that inhabit it might become a source of inspiration in turn for someone. And, if they do, I would really love to hear about it.