Pat here:
As those of you who follow my Magic series know, I like to take my scientific heroes and confront them with my more metaphysically-oriented heroines. Just confronting Ives logic with Malcolm illogical faith creates such fun that I probably shouldn’t be paid for enjoying myself so much.
But I do like to ground the fun in reality and history. I usually don’t have such excellent belief-conflict as I did with MAGIC IN THE STARS. In this first book of the Unexpected Magic series, Lord Theo, my astronomer hero, not only has to deal with my astrologer Lady Aster’s impossible beliefs in the zodiac, but must accept that her charts provide highly accurate predictions. I don’t make it any easier on my heroine, who receives her own comeuppance from my hero’s greater knowledge—because by 1830, astronomers knew a great deal more about the stars than astrologers.
By 1830, astronomy was just coming into its own. For centuries, there really wasn’t “astronomy” as we knew it. The study of the stars was actually left to astrologers like Aster, who could do all the mathematical calculations for the changing positions of the stars. As far back as 3000 BC men were studying the heavens to predict seasons, create calendars, and of course, determine divine meanings. By the 1700s, astrologers had a pretty good record of all the planets through Jupiter and their mathematical calculations could predict with accuracy the placement of the planets in the sky at any given date. So Aster’s math and knowledge is quite equal to Lord Theo’s—except much to Ives dismay, she uses the firmament to predict the future of her family members.
The research on astronomy of this period was fascinating. The Astronomical Society had only been founded in 1820 (it wouldn't become the Royal Society until a little later) by celebrities like Charles Babbage and William Herschel. Herschel discovered Uranus (that's his telescope to the right), and started counting the moons around Saturn with telescopes built with newly refined elements developed by the industrial revolution. Lord Theo, of course, needed to compete with these brilliant men.
But the knowledge of new planets threw the practice of astrology into a tailspin. By 1830, astrologers were relegated to creating not-very-accurate almanacs—all except Lady Aster, of course, because her gift had nothing to do with science and everything to do with being a magical Malcolm.
I think the real fun of this series is that I can take all my lovely historical research to ground the story, then let fantasy weave through the plain fabric of facts like gold and silver threads to add dimension and humor.
I know not everyone enjoys fantasy. What about you? Do you read much fantasy outside of romance? Or are you more likely to pick up a solid historical novel?
I have some free e-books available of MAGIC IN THE STARS. I’ll give one to a random commenter. And because I’m leaving for the RT conference and won’t be able to answer as quickly as usual, play nicely among yourselves. I’ll have Melissa draw a name at the end of the week!