Infrequently Asked Questions...

What is steampunk?
It's sort of like cyberpunk, only with airships instead of computers. Or, to put it another way, it's science-fiction and alternate history set in the Victorian era. Or something like that. Often involves goggles, for some reason. Probably because of all of that steam.

In Sporeville, Elliott uses a lot of big words, like "heterochromia iridium". Isn't he too clever for a 15/16 yr old?
Well, in Elliott's time, paradoxically, people lacked some of today's prejudices. They assumed that kids could learn things, that boys could read, and that hard work resulted in useful skills. As a result, in some schools 100 yrs ago, teenagers debated philosophy and politics in Latin, and performed classical plays in Ancient Greek, believe it or not. Now, you're lucky to find anyone with a Ph.D. who can do things like that. Advances in education, eh? Not having TV probably helped.

Why is Sporeville misspelt all through your book?
It isn't. Spohrville is the town's real name (named after a Colonel Spohr, relative of the composer Louis Spohr). The title's a play on words.

Why is misspelled misspelt in that last question?
It isn't, it's a strong verb past tense. Like dreamt, or dove. Or snuck. Though "snuck" never really caught on for "sneaked". A nice thing about English is that no one ever succeeded in forcing everyone to use it the same way.

How's the Etheric Explorers Club of your short stories connected with Sporeville?
They're set in the same world - in Knights of the Sea (the sequel to Sporeville), the two lines of stories intersect when Elliott joins the Etheric Explorers Club, and meets the founder.

I'd like to visit Spohrville. How do I get there?
You take the Intercolonial Railway past Easter River as far as Truro, and then ask directions. If your luck is anything like the Gravens', this will probably result in you getting hopelessly lost. Also, people will look at you strangely if you make inquiries about eel festivals. Best if you just go to Wolfville and pretend it's Spohrville. Even if they're not alike in any way.

So you're an author.
Does that mean you're rich, like J.K. Rowling?
Ha ha ha! Oh, that's good... Next question.

Have you ever eaten an eel pie?
Almost. But it was made with mackerel. We couldn't find any eels.

Are there more verses to the Sporhville Fair song?
Yes. But since some fans gave me a verse two of their own invention, I'll provide that instead:

The cold and slimy eel
Tastes great in every meal.
You can mix it into cake,
Though it's difficult to bake;
You can stir it into stew,
Though it's very hard to brew;
But this is not a lie:
Eels taste their best in pie!
-by M & S

Do you base your characters on real people?
Very rarely, and then only for revenge.

When are you going to write more books about Elliott, Paisley, and the Wellborn Conspiracy?
Just as soon as I finish answering all of these questions.