Station Zero

  This is the map of the Wildsea that I worked from while I was writing Utterly Dark. As you can see, it’s a considerably smaller world than the galaxy-wide rail network of the Railhead series , and I think that was part of the appeal: to focus in on a tiny little world in great detail.  Like most of my stuff, it probably goes back to Tolkien. I didn’t consciously base Wildsea on the Shire , but it’s a similar idea - a slightly idealised rural England of the Olden days, but with wild magic lurking just beyond its borders. Here’s a quick tour of some points of interest, starting 1/3 of the way up the west coast at Sundown Watch and moving clockwise.   SUNDOWN WATCH This is the house where Utterly lives, and where much of the action takes place. There’s always something evocative about a house on a cliff top, I think. I remember seeing one at Rinsey in Cornwall many years ago that instantly suggested a story, so that got filed away till the time was right. Around the sam...