Have a Whimsical New Year!

Writers can be odd creatures at times. Our minds drift from angst to whimsy, and our flights of fancy can be dizzying.

Recently, with the deaths of Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher, George Michaels, and the year-end summaries reminding us of other beloved celebrities lost in 2016, things have been a bit sad. The best antidote I can offer going into the new year is a glimpse into the madcap minds of Penna & Silbrith.

Rarities in the Miskatonic Library Vault

For the significance of the library and the dark secrets its books contain, I was inspired by references made by other Cthulhu Mythos writers. When Lavinia alerts Neal to the dangers of books in The Locked Room, she has good reason for the warning.

Stargazing in Caffrey Conversation

We've sprinkled references to astronomy beginning with The Woman in Blue. My initial inspiration was the canon episode "Where There's a Will." In that story, some of the scenes were shot at the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. The plot, which revolves around hidden coded messages, a sundial, and a sextant, not only gave me the idea to develop Peter's interest in astronomy for our series but it also sparked the creation of Azathoth. At one point, Neal refers to Peter's "astronomical puzzling expertise." From that one phrase popped out an entire hutch of plot bunnies.

Neal and the Unknown

How would you react if for no apparent reason you began to dream about worlds you'd never visited? What would you think if you alone could see creatures unlike anything you've ever heard of? That's the situation Neal has been grappling with in Arkham Files. He's narrowed down his choices to (1) he's hallucinating, (2) he's the victim of supernatural forces, or (3) he's somehow become able to perceive other worlds and extraterrestrial beings.

Echoes of The Woman in Blue

In Arkham Files: The Locked Room, Diana returns to the team's initial encounters with the unknown cybercriminal they dubbed Azathoth.

Neal and Peter and Regrets

Recently it hit me that a couple of classic holiday stories are about regrets. In It’s a Wonderful Life, George Bailey wishes his life had been different. In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge has a chance to contemplate his life and wants to make changes.