Side question: I named Cypher after Terry Goodkind's Richard Cypher, but I just now realized that Cy also could be short for Cyborg. (Sometimes I'm a little slow.) Darn it.
So do we keep the name Cy or rename him? If so, what should his new name be?
Meanwhile...
The next scene in our novel finally describes Cy's mechanical eye, as he sees his reflection for the first time since the attack. This has to be good, something unique and memorable.
How are you picturing his new eye? Do you have any ideas? Thus far, the only description in our story is that the part of the eye through which Cy sees is red and that he does not have an eyelid with which to cover the eye. (It may actually have a cover should we choose to give him one, but it will have to be manually operated.)
While looking for imagery to spur my creativity, I found an awesome drawing that's reminiscent of the character development that I have planned for Cy. (Why yes, I do want him to become a badass. A nice badass, but a badass nonetheless.)
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| "Torbor", http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/barton-town/blood-promises/t.68591571_46/ |
While we're at it, here's another image that I'm using as a focus for Cy and Moxie, as they would be probably about half to 2/3 of the way through the novel, once they become allies/lovers again.
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| "Gravity of Love" from Magna Carta |
I want Cy to retain some of the ethereal beauty of the fey, regardless of how mechanical he becomes because: 1) I think it's a nice juxtaposition to his increasingly mechanical body and also to the grittiness that his character will develop as he loses his more youthful innocence, and 2) to appeal to female readers. (You gotta have a handsome hero; it's just more fun that way.)
Some of the images that I've collected for inspiration for his mechanical eye follow.
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| "Cyborg and Human Relations," http://wallpaper-s.org/20__Cyborg_and_Human_Relations.htm |
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| "Cyborg Eye," origin unknown |
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| "Cyborg Soldier," origin unknown |
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| http://fileitt.site11.com/images/uploadinta.php?page=5 |
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| "Cyborg Eye" by Marianne Little, http://www.flickr.com/photos/27764102@N02/5540391463/ |
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Please share your ideas and opinions! Should we keep the name Cy? How should his mechanical eye look?
Hello again!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read the stories and the eye came up the first image that came to my mind was like that of the borg eye you have pictured. I assumed it would be large and pretty obnoxious looking given the tech used. A cover of somesort is a good idea but I would think, concidering his dislike of the stuff attatched to him he would probably try to cover it better. I could see him wearing something that would cover a good portion of his face...something similer to the robes the jedi wear in starwars, large enought to pull down and cover your face when you don't wish to be seen but easy enough to throw back when he's ready to kick a**.
I like the name Cy, but can imagine him making the same relation to being a cyborg. Perhaps just having him dislike his shortened name and wanting to be called by his full one would be enough....cause Cypher is a sexy name. :)
I don't like the idea of the mechanical eye being extremely huge, but I can see how it probably would have to be, given the tech involved. The Borg eyes were a bit much for me, but something along those lines would probably be about right.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bishi about his name. I can see him insisting on being called "Cypher" rather than Cy.
I don't think the eye needs to be extremely huge. These parts were invented by the gnomes, and they're expert steamwrights. Also, having his eye be leagues ahead of regular steam technology matches with his arm, which is amongst the first that they've seen that pulls steam from the blood.
ReplyDeleteI was picturing a borg eye when I was writing chapter 1, but I think this has been overdone. It's what most people think of when they think of cyborg eyes.
As for Cy insisting on being called Cypher because of the relation to cyborg... There's just one thing. Do you think they have the word cyborg?
Cyborg definition: the study of human control functions and of mechanical and electronic systems designed to replace them, involving the application of statistical mechanics to communication engineering.
This indicates to me that their culture is much more advanced and organized in their scientific study than I had originally envisioned. I am totally okay with this; it fleshes out the magic users and rich people better and it's unusual for fantasy/steampunk (yet another way we're breaking traditions!). But I wanted to run it by you first before I started using it.