New Ways Forward and Publication (Ch.13f : Part 2)

Chapter 13f : Part 2 : New Ways Forward and Publication

Of course Janus had his own family, Father, Mother and one older sister.  He came from Seaward City, having moved to Marta City for work when he was twenty; his family were there.  His parents were still together, they had a loving marriage and a shared career in teaching so they were relatively happy people.  His sister was an Advanced Civil Engineer in a high position, unmarried as remained the norm for most such successful people.  Their childhood rivalry had developed into mutual disinterest and he had seen less of her in recent years than his parents.  They had little in common.  Her modern programming had been completely successful.  She had accepted the rigours of modern life without question and outwardly at least always seemed to enjoy her all-consuming work.  He had made the journey to his parents at least once a year but he felt little reason to spend more time with them.  They didn’t need much of him and he did not need much of them.  He had always preferred to live his own life. 

He had made valuable contacts at some of the places he had worked but the demands of work always made it almost impossible to keep contact when one moved on to a new job.  There was so little time in the evenings.  Contacts made at work were so typically limited to conversation about work, but there had always been characters with whom shared experience made friendship possible.  He had some addresses from those in Marta City.  If they still lived and worked where he had last seen them he would be able to renew contact with some of them.  It would be a strange thing to do after months or years but he was sure some of those people would be grateful to see him again.  Loneliness was a debilitating condition if you allowed it to diminish your confidence to organise your own life and reach out to make friends.  Janus knew he would be alright if he made use of whatever contacts he could find.

He was beginning to see a practical way forward.  It was really only a dream but his first sections were achievable.  He would put his efforts into making friends and forming groups.  He would disseminate his ideas to them and learn from them.  They would expand.  At the least he would have improved his own life and the lives of others.  At best they would have started a chain reaction which might just change the world.  The groups could grow a little like the Maneddonist Churches but they could evolve into political or social pressure groups for change.  Beyond that his vision was unclear but he had some sense that great changes could be brought about.  He would have to see as he went on.

The first positive move had been his sending of his “Creadds” writing to the ten publishers.  It had been an act of faith on his part, an act which had required great courage from someone who cut himself off so completely from the rest of humanity.  Like all virgin writers he had suffered the doubts of not knowing whether what he wrote was of sufficient quality to deserve judgement.  He could enjoy his own work and in enjoying it be judging it to be good, but he would never know if anyone else would appreciate it until it was published.  He had been fortunate to have received a reply from House Xiomondis.  None of the other houses had shown any interest in that script.  Xiomondis held that book in great regard.  He had been so fortunate to find someone of similar ambition to put right the wrongs of society by preaching to the world, someone who had in his youth held back from writing everything he had wished.  Xiomondis had taken him in like a son, offering to publish not only the book on “the Creadds” but also the near finished book on the Reign of Deneldinhew, also the far from finished books about the Black Prince Lew Duneid and the period of Societal Improvement which had occurred during his period of office, and the Communalist Period.  In the months  since “The Creadds” was published, Janus had persevered with his writings with the encouragement of Xiomondis and frequent visits to House Xiomondis for tea and conversation which had enabled him to keep going for longer even as he more frequently felt his creative appetite waning.

Xiomonodis had even visited him in his own flat, curious to see where his artist’s creations had been born, and perhaps eager for an excuse to leave his “busy” office, although Janus had never seen much evidence of this busy office on his visits.  Xiomondis had always seemed to have as much time as he desired to converse.  Janus could appreciate there was much work to be done reading, editing, running the business, finding appropriate talent, considering appropriate legal terms and so on.  He had the impression that Xiomondis viewed his visits as a time to relax in the company of someone whose views he found stimulating.  Janus did not regard himself normally as good company.  How could he be when he had locked himself away from the world for such long periods?  Nevertheless Xiomondis surely felt there was a meeting of minds as did Janus.  When Xiomondis visited the flat he had been enraptured by some of Janus’s paintings and amazed by the quantity and variety of artwork, both literate and visual which Janus had been able to produce during his few months of incarceration.  His business head wondered whether there was some means of printing the artwork to illustrate some of Janus’s works.  It might help to advertise and increase their attractiveness to the consumer.  But no one bought books any more, the market was too small.  There was no point issuing attractive book covers and illustrations because the medium of printed books was considered so out of date, the market so small.

‘There are illustrations on some Vidscreen books,’ said Xiomondis, suddenly uplifted by his own thoughts. ‘Art books, archaeology, cinema reviews and history, they often contain pictures in illustration.  Works such as yours don’t usually contain them.  Visuals are generally reserved for films and video viewing, but why should not a book be interrupted by visual imagery?’

Janus was surprised.  He had never thought to publish his artwork in any way, so taken had be been with the urgent importance of his written work.  ‘But my paintings are not at all specific to my books,’ he argued.  ‘Would the market not feel them to be inappropriate, or most of them?  Perhaps a short book containing my pictures could be contained on the Vidnet with a short essay by myself of explanation.’

‘Yes,’ Xiomondis reacted.  ‘That is another good idea, which I had not thought of.  There is ample room for ideas here.  We could use the pictures for both.  An art book, and also as illustrations for your other books.  I see no reason why we should not use your pictures more than once if it seems appropriate.  Indeed three or four times in some cases.’  The idea had grabbed him.  Janus could feel his excitement.  It began to infect him.  ‘This could help to sell your works to the public.  It can only widen interest, not diminish it.’

Instead of discussing the major issues they so often discussed they were enlivened by the new topic of Janus’s art.  The alternate views of Marta City from his window.  Marta City as it could be with its heart restored again by a more sensible and civilised society – transposed onto the present buildings.  A feeling of hope and optimism shone out of it.  There was a darker, bleaker version in greys and browns of the city in a technologically advanced future, miserably choked in stress and overwork, the sky darkened.  ‘These two,’ Xiomondis commented, ‘are superb.  You don’t even have to describe their meaning to me.  I can understand it just by looking.  These should help to illustrate your book about current society.’

They had discussed this book frequently on previous meetings.  It was such an important book to Janus because it pulled together all the loose threads of his other writings.  The history showing the successes and failures of previous attempts to humanise society – the Creadds, Lew Duneid’s Revolution and the Communalists, were referred to and contrasted with the present.  The social and economic situation of the modern world was fully described without being bogged down in academic statistics and dry theorising.  The slavery of the competitive god was clearly explained in a way which ought to enlighten ordinary people about the state of society and their own lives.  It was the most important book because it attempted to speak to the people to encourage them towards change.

The problem with the book was that it was not finished.  It was the sort of book which could probably never be finished to Janus’s satisfaction.  There were more details on which to express an opinion.  There were issues he had not thoroughly researched, even that he knew little about.  How could he with his limited career knowledge know the true complexity of his society and pass intelligent judgement upon it?  How could the people agree with him if he could not answer all their questions?  Xiomondis had told him, ‘You will bore them if you go into too much detail.  The script is readable because it doesn’t cover everything.  They can fill in the gaps that are relevant to them for themselves.  You aren’t and can never be the only fountain of knowledge.  You don’t need to be.  Just point them in the right direction.’

Janus intended to place before the world his vision of a better modern world and the steps which could be taken to build it.  He had planned to include all this in his book, but he had been increasingly stuck on this book in particular as he had grown bored and agitated by his hermetic lifestyle and the fresh inspiration had begun to dry up.  He did not have a definite vision of what a better modern world might be.  When he tried to define his thoughts on the keyboard he merely seemed to waffle about regulations, reduced working hours and the end of international free trade, not knowing whether he truly believed everything he was saying.  The situation was infinitely complex and there were no straightforward answers.

Xiomondis kicked new life into the project, salvaging it from a long wait for perfection.  He requested to see the existing scripts and advised that it was good enough to publish as it was, with only a little rounding off on certain topics and a conclusion.  The chapter on Janus’s vision of the future and moves toward that goal was largely written, albeit in confused notes.  Xiomondis advised Janus to keep it simple and not to say too much.  The book would have more impact on the reader if it remained short and he could enlarge on all of his themes if he so chose in the future.  If he so wished Janus could expand his book in the future and have it republished at a later date.  Xiomondis was a willing publisher, feeling it to be his duty to encourage and facilitate a writer such as Janus as much as possible.  And so the book which Janus had felt was furthest away from completion was in fact soon published.  All four were now successfully published onto the Vidnet. Janus now intended to enlarge the scope of his own life.