Whaddya mean, 47BC? Looks like 2022 to me.

So there I was, descending down into Egyptian tombs and crypts built three or four thousand years before, doing research for the Eye of Isis novels. The craftsmanship of the tomb paintings and temple carvings is such that it does not require much sleight of mind to imagine yourself back in that day.

Although, sometimes? The paintings jerk you right back into the now.

Like this illustration of Anubis doing the haka.
Or the cornrows this woman is wearing.
Or the square knot tying the lotus and the papyrus together to symbolize the joining of Upper and Lower Egypt.

The one major revelation that comes from researching and writing historical fiction is that these people are first and foremost human beings. They laugh, they cry, they love, they build, they fight, they mourn. The primary differences between now and then come from the tech available in our respective times. Writing Silk and Song taught me much the same thing, especially in matters of foreign trade and banking. A mortgage in 1327 was a mortgage in 47BC is a mortgage in 2022–a loan made on the worth of a piece of real property.

And yes, I’m happy to have that argument anytime, anywhere.

The third Eye of Isis novel publishes on November 3, 2022.
Order a signed hardcover here.
Order for Kindle US here.
Order for Kindle UK here.

Chatter Eye of Isis Uncategorized

Dana View All →

Author and founder of Storyknife.org.

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