Even if you are a Goodreads member, you may not have taken much notice of the ‘Ask the Author’ section. I answered the standard questions that Goodreads sets some time ago (around summer 2013, by the look of it) but I’ve recently updated some, because of questions you’ve asked me.
The latest question came from Judy S – thank you, Judy! I found it so interesting, that I thought you’d like to see it – and my answer.
I’m confused about the timeline or should say the “when” line. The time tunnel transported George twelve years into the future, but into an era that is similar to our modern times. It was only twelve years and I shrugged, thinking this is weird. It wasn’t until book 2 that I realized the series is set in medieval times. Is this correct? Or have I lost my marbles?
You’re thinking of the world as the one we live in, rather than a parallel one.
The Realms (George’s land) are feudal, so yes, there are similarities with mediaeval times, because the kings and their castles see no need to change things. Occasionally George (and others) rediscover inventions from the past, or invent them again out of their own skill. In fact George’s strawberry juice fuel cell does something clever, which is to help the Realms jump the steam-age completely.
Across the Great Western Ocean, their technology developed differently, but still relatively slowly, and they don’t seem to have discovered steam power either, although they use wave and tidal power to run trolleys (something Saku was involved with), even in the great city of Hattan on the east coast. Their society is very different though, and more 1920s in the gangster feel.
Ships that run between the continents are still sailing vessels, and there isn’t – yet – a great push for inter-continent trade. Telecommunications are in their infancy on both sides. And flying machines have been invented about a century later than Bleriot did in our world. (You’ll find those in book 3)
So you could think of the series as something like steampunk without the steam. Fruitpunk, maybe.
