Peter Kazmaier
asked
Peter Kazmaier:
I noticed in the glossary of The Halcyon Dislocation you give a pronunciation guide for the university name "Halcyon." Was there a reason for choosing this pronunciation for the university name [hell-SIGH-un]?
Peter Kazmaier
I wanted a name for the fictitious university in The Halcyon Dislocation that was exotic (as opposed to naming it after a town or state) and reflected the nature of the conflict that occurs at this university in the story. The pronunciation [hell-SIGH-un] carried within it the sounds reminiscent of hell and Zion (from Mount Zion), a key landmark in Jerusalem.
As an author, I understand many, if not all readers, will recognize halcyon as a common word referring to (a) a mythological bird that laid its eggs on a floating nest on the sea (b) a species of tropical Kingfisher (c) an adjective for calm or peaceful as in "halcyon days of summer" and have their own pronunciation at hand.
Still, especially for the audio book, it was important to me to use the shibboleth that I indicated in the pronunciation key and not lose the name connection to the conflict at Halcyon.
As an author, I understand many, if not all readers, will recognize halcyon as a common word referring to (a) a mythological bird that laid its eggs on a floating nest on the sea (b) a species of tropical Kingfisher (c) an adjective for calm or peaceful as in "halcyon days of summer" and have their own pronunciation at hand.
Still, especially for the audio book, it was important to me to use the shibboleth that I indicated in the pronunciation key and not lose the name connection to the conflict at Halcyon.
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