Will Starling (42 page)

Acknowledgements

 

The early years of the nineteenth century were fraught with controversy over scientific explorations into the essence of life itself — much like the early years of a certain other century that springs to mind. Particularly contentious were attempts to resurrect the dead; and in the summer of 1816, the year in which the fictional events of
Will Starling
take place, Mary Shelley sat down at a villa in Switzerland to tell ghost stories with a group of friends and conceived the idea for
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
. Her novel galvanized into existence an entire genre, and my own tale unfolds in the long shadow that Victor Frankenstein and his Creature continue to cast.

Although
Will Starling
is a work of fiction, it rests on a foundation of research, and I owe a debt of gratitude to sources too numerous and varied to be listed here in full. A marvellous overview of science in the Romantic Era is to be found in Richard Holmes's
The Age of Wonder
. To those interested in the history of medicine and surgery, I heartily recommend Wendy Moore's biography of John Hunter,
The Knife Man
. Also splendid is
Digging Up the Dead
, Druin Burch's biography of the Regency surgeon Astley Cooper. A treasure trove of information about early surgeons and surgical practice, it includes a harrowing account of an operation to repair an aortic aneurism in 1817, which suggested the dark anecdote that Will tells about Dionysus Atherton's fictional attempt to do the same. Will's knowledge of potions and remedies, including his advice to John Keats concerning cholera in its premonitory phase, owes much to the 1835 edition of
Every Man His Own Doctor
. Readers are strongly cautioned not to try these remedies at home. If you suspect you have cholera in the premonitory phase, please consult a physician.

The craft of surgery made great sanguinary leaps on Peninsular battlefields, and I learned much from Robert Richardson's biography of Dominique Jean Larrey,
Larrey
,
Surgeon to Napoleon's Imperial Guard
. There are many memorable eyewitness accounts of Napoleonic warfare;
Soldiers at War
, edited by Jon E. Lewis, includes that of Captain Alexander Cavilie Mercer, an artilleryman who fought at Waterloo and saw there a horse that remained upright and alive despite having had the bottom portion of its head swept away by a cannonball. The image haunted my dreams, and proceeded to haunt the dreams of my Umble Narrator.

Sarah Wise, in
The Italian Boy: Murder and Grave-Robbery in 1830s London
, offers a comprehensive study of the Resurrection trade, focusing in particular on the infamous “London Burkers” murder case.
The Diary of a Resurrectionist 1811 - 1812
, available in a facsimile edition, is the actual diary of an anonymous grave-robber.
Victorian CSI
, by William A. Guy, David Ferrier, and William R. Smith, opens a fascinating window onto early Victorian forensic medical knowledge, including a physiological analysis of death by judicial hanging. As for what came after death — or at least what Regency anatomists actually attempted — I am indebted to Andy Dougan's highly readable
Raising the Dead: The Men Who Created Frankenstein
. Other valuable companions included Donald A. Low's
The Regency Underworld
, Kellow Chesney's
The Victorian Underworld
, Judith Flanders's
The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians Revelled in Death and Detection and Created Modern Crime
, Kelly Grovier's
The Gaol: the Story of Newgate, London's Most Notorious Prison
, and Catharine Arnold's
Necropolis: London and Its Dead
. Although Henry Mayhew commenced his monumental chronicling of the London underclass some years after the fictional events of
Will Starling
, his influence is felt throughout. Peter Ackroyd is the author of many wonderful books, and his
London: The Biography
is extraordinary. All inaccuracies are of course entirely my own.

While all of the primary characters in
Will Starling
are fictional, there are cameo appearances by historical figures. Edmund Kean was the greatest actor of the era, and Raymund FitzSimons conjures a vivid portrait in his biography
Edmund Kean: Fire from Heaven
. The young John Keats was indeed a surgical student at Guy's Hospital in 1816; John Abernethy and his quondam pupil William Lawrence were leading surgeons and bitter rivals; and Isaac Bliss's name appears on a list of foundlings at Coram's Hospital, though he is otherwise lost to history. The pioneering surgeon John Hunter is repeatedly referenced in the novel, and his astonishing collection of anatomical specimens — which provided the inspiration for Atherton's Collection Room — may be seen at the Royal Hunterian Museum in London. Oh, and the Real Learned French Dog Tim actually danced for coins in 1816, though he went by the name of Bob instead.

I am forever grateful for the encouragement of Chris Labonte and Scott McIntyre. I owe a deep debt of thanks to those who read and suggested improvements to the manuscript as it evolved, including Susin Nielsen, Amy Weir, and Jude Weir. Mary Sandys provided much indispensable advice on matters historical and linguistic; her close attention led to many improvements, as did Peter Norman's perceptive copy-edit. My editor, Bethany Gibson, was unfailingly wise and wonderful. Heartfelt gratitude as well to Susanne Alexander and the rest of the team at Goose Lane, and to Chip Fleischer and Roland Pease at Steerforth. And heartfelt thanks to my friends at Transatlantic, including David Bennett, Barbara Miller, and Stephanie Sinclair, and especially Samantha Haywood, agent
extraordinaire
and notable keeper of promises.

Throughout the lengthy process of researching and writing the novel, I was wistfully aware of the shade of Dr. O.A. Weir — the first surgeon I ever knew — smiling over my shoulder. Dad, I just wish you'd had the chance to read it.

Author Bio

 

IAN WEIR
is a playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. His debut novel
,
Daniel
O
'
Thunder
,
was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers
'
Prize for Best First Book, as well as the Canadian Authors Association Award for fiction, the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, and the amazon.ca First Novel Award.

His extensive television credits include creator and executive producer of the CBC adventure/drama series
Arctic Air
and writer and executive producer of the critically acclaimed crime thriller
Dragon Boys
. His stage plays have been produced across Canada and in the U.S. and England, and his awards include two Geminis, four Leos, a Jessie, and a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award.

Ian Weir lives in Langley
,
BC
,
with his wife and daughter.