RESEARCH: A Mix of Fiction
and Fact
- Pics 'n' Flix:
Wes Franklin stories take place in the real world and I try to make a concerted effort
to describe locations for you in a way that helps you conjur up clear
visions of the Wes Franklin terrain. In the Photo Gallery, you will find
photos identifying where you will discover these locations in the novels. In
addition, I have included a home movie of the
Bellagio Fountain
(Mac users click
here) water show on
the Las
Vegas Strip, as this is the site of the nuclear climax in The Methuselah Man.
- Background Research: While the novels are
strictly the product of a fertile imagination, I
try to include plenty of factual data and events so as to enhance the
story's believability. Here, I have provided some of the more interesting things I
have come across as my stories have evolved. Where possible, I will include
some web links, as well.
Research
I
prefer to have been to the locations I write about in my stories.
For most locations in this
story—The Netherlands, France, and
Scotland—I drew from my direct experiences traveling around those
places, and used
the names of friends or historical figures for my characters. But
for some locations that has not always been possible. In
those cases I find the Internet to be invaluable in learning about those areas
both for geography and history. In those instances, I relied on Google Earth for
terrain and street names, and the Internet for cultural information, as well as
hotels, taxis, and the Souk. I also used a travel book on Syria for names,
language, and customs. And I called on my personal experience of many months in
Peshawar, Pakistan to
establish the sensory inputs I would anticipate were I to travel to Damascus.
I also like to bring in
factual information to enhance the credibility of the stories. A friend of
mine—Una Zeck—once asked me if I did much research for my
stories or did I just know that stuff. I think my first answer to her was
that I didn't do much research, and instead just drew from things I had
learned along the way. After thinking about it, I realized that, while I did
draw from a lot of things I had learned along the way, I actually did a
whole lot more research than I realized! So the purpose of this section of
my website is to
share with you some of the research I've done for the various stories, or,
to put it another way, click on the book title below to see...
Things I learned
enroute to looking up other stuff!!
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