The Caffrey Conversation series begins in fall 2003 and as of The Mirror, we've advanced to spring 2005. This week I posted the first chapter of Visions from Beyond, the first Arkham Files story. If you'd like to visit the world of Arkham Files, you'll need to reset your clocks.
This fusion of White Collar with the world of the Cthulhu Mythos is set in the year 1975 or roughly 30 years before the time of Caffrey Conversation. Neal and Peter are are professors at Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts.
Visions from Beyond begins in mid-September, 1975—six months after the the end of the Vietnam War. Saigon fell on April 30, 1975. The next month, Neal begins dreaming of Abydos. A coincidence?
In 1975, there were no cell phones. Answering machines for home use didn't yet exist. Long-distance phone calls were expensive and infrequent. The personal computer was just getting started with the first models—Altair kits—appearing in 1975. In April 1975, Bill Gates and Paul Allen formed Microsoft. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak designed the first Apple computer in 1976.
Mash was one of the most popular TV shows. Star Trek and Mission Impossible were being shown in reruns, but there were no VCRs to record them. The first season of Saturday Night Live was in 1975. For listening to music, the record turntable was still king. I've pinned some of Neal's favorite songs to the Arkham Files Pinterest board. In 1975 George Lucas was finishing the final draft for the first Star Wars movie.
The town of Arkham is a Lovecraft creation. In Arkham Files, it has a population of about 100,000 or roughly the size of Providence, Rhode Island. The town is on the Massachusetts coastline. Instead of jogging along the Hudson River, Neal runs along the banks of the Miskatonic River which cuts through the center of town. He and Peter live a few blocks apart in Arkham's historic district. The university is a close walk away.
It's time to get out your bell bottoms and turn on your lava lamp as we journey back to the world of Arkham Files!
Arkham Files: Visions from Beyond on Archive of Our Own
Arkham Files: Visions from Beyond on FanFiction
I curse Johnny Depp and his remake of Dark Shadows but it does help me remember the attire of the time. If I know 'Peter' he owns a paneled station wagon. lol The one thing about Lovecraft is that sunny bright days never seem to exist in Arkham. The seventies are a perfect modern era for Lovecraft. This should be great fun.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Peter wanted something a little racier than a station wagon to satisfy his inner Mario Andretti. After prolonged negotiations with El, he settled on a Ford Torino. But you'll be happy to know that Mozzie drives a paneled Hornet Sportabout in midnight blue. I've pinned both cars to the Pinterest board. Diana won't be able to resist tossing in occasional blue skies for Neal and Peter. She dismisses any ghouls glibbering their complaints. After all, Diana's not the sort of woman to be intimidated by a ghoul or two.
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