Santa Cruz, California, with its iconic beaches and unparalleled beauty, has long been a symbol of Californian charm. However, when one steps into the realm of the Creedverse, the familiar transforms into the fantastical, and mechanical! In the alternative reality of my novels, Santa Cruz melds its historical roots with the imagined, bringing to life a city that is as innovative as it is mesmerizing. Let’s delve into the contrasts and convergences of the real Santa Cruz and its Creedverse counterpart, highlighting how fiction can craft an enchanting mirror to reality.
Origin of The Creedverse
For my Creedverse, I’ve worked hard to weave together history, science fiction, and tributes to the modern city. As a native Santa Cruzan, I will admit, this setting is a love letter to where was born, grew up, and went to college, though I strive to portray my 19th-century version in all its grittiness.
Deriving its name from its key protagonist, James Hamilton Creed or “Bodacious Creed,” the Creedverse sets the stage for adventures that redefine the setting. My trilogy, The Adventures of Bodacious Creed, in which he stars, is a window into an alternate universe where Santa Cruz’s familiar landmarks take on novel significances. The goal? To provide a fresh perspective on the city and its inhabitants, presenting readers with a Santa Cruz that feels familiar yet wholly unique.
Historical Divergences
In the world of the Creedverse, Santa Cruz brims with the extraordinary, combining elements of the past with visions weird west, steampunk technology. Imagine the streets of modern Santa Cruz, but set against the rugged backdrop of the Wild West, now peppered with the wonders of steam and gear. The brilliant Anna Lynn Boyd emerges as a beacon of this new age, her inventions casting a long shadow over the city’s landscapes, reshaping Santa Cruz’s history and intertwining it with a future that our world is yet to see.
The Luminiferous Ether and Celestium Alloy
The luminiferous ether, in the Creedverse, is more than just an abstract concept; it is the lifeblood of a technological renaissance. While scientists in our world could only speculate about its existence, in the Creedverse, Anna Lynn Boyd transformed this energy into tangible reality. Her creation of celestium alloy ushered in an era in which steam engines became marvels of efficiency and power. This metallic wonder didn’t just revolutionize transportation; it became the cornerstone of numerous technological advancements, pushing the boundaries of society deemed possible in medical science, personal stealth, and mechanical cognition.
Economic Landscape and Technological Dominance
While the Creedverse’s Santa Cruz flourished as a technological wonderland under the aegis of Miles Morgan’s companies, this progress did not go unchallenged. The vast empire of innovation, spanning Morgan’s Automatons to Morgan’s Mechanicals, brought unprecedented prosperity to the city, but also engendered its own set of complications. The restrictive California Technological Rights Act, designed to ensure Morgan’s dominance, inadvertently birthed a shadow economy, where innovation thrived in hidden corners and alleyways. The city, though at the forefront of technological advancement, found itself grappling with the moral ambiguities of black-market trade, spearheaded by formidable adversaries like the Evil Eye Syndicate.
Inter-City Relationships
Santa Cruz’s meteoric rise as a technological behemoth in the Creedverse didn’t just reshape its local landscape; it also redrew the city’s relationships on the broader geopolitical canvas. As Morgan’s companies expanded their influence, the city became more than just a coastal paradise—it emerged as a nexus of progress, drawing attention from cities and regions far and wide. This newfound prominence brought with it both alliances and rivalries, as other cities either sought to collaborate with Santa Cruz’s brilliance or challenge its dominance. The Creedverse’s Santa Cruz, in essence, became a focal point in a web of inter-city dynamics, influencing and being influenced by the ever-evolving world around it.
Roundup
The real Santa Cruz has always held a special place in the hearts of those who visit. However, the Santa Cruz of the Creedverse offers a juxtaposition, blending the charm of the past with the wonders of a steampunk-inspired future. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling, showing how a familiar locale can be reimagined into a place where historical tales coalesce with futuristic fantasies. Whether one prefers the sun-soaked beaches of the real Santa Cruz or the steam-filled streets of its Creedverse counterpart, one thing is certain: both versions of the city offer a unique and unforgettable experience.
Sound fun? It is! Step into a world where the old west meets futuristic marvels, where steam-powered machines walk beside gunslingers, and where the line between life and death is as thin as a razor’s edge. Dive into The Adventures of Bodacious Creed trilogy, which kicks off with Bodacious Creed: a Steampunk Zombie Western. Then, journey northward with our hero in the second installment, Bodacious Creed and the Jade Lake, as the heart of the adventure pulses in the streets of San Francisco. The saga culminates in Bodacious Creed and the San Francisco Syndicate, where alliances are tested, and destinies forged.
And for those enamored by the enigmatic Anna Lynn Boyd, the upcoming spin-off trilogy The Anna Lynn Chronicles beckons. I’m currently writing the first novel, Anna, Daughter of Creed, and I intend to enthrall readers with a deep dive back into Santa Cruz. Don’t just read a story—live an adventure!
“The only difference between reality and fiction is that fiction needs to be credible.” ~ Mark Twain