I have always been a big fan of the original James Bond novels and short stories by Ian Fleming. Several of these take place in Jamaica and the Caribbean. I am unsure but not many thrillers have put New Guinea and the Melanesian Islands at the heart of a story. I think I can recall one of Dennis Wheatley’s occult novels taking part in what were then the New Hebrides, now Vanuatu. Since he wrote a large number of novels it would take some time to verify this. I wanted to set Pax Britannica in what is now Papua New Guinea and in the book British New Guinea.
To do this, I used the conceit of a virtual history, where the historical timeline leading to the demise of the Stuart monarchy did not happen and Britain was still an imperial super-power. I found Niall Ferguson’s Virtual History invaluable for this purpose. This gave me the vehicle to drive the story, and the events in New Guinea which dominates the story. Much of the New Guinea folks in the story are drawn from my wife Nellie, and her extended family, living on Emananus. Nelly was intrigued by my story, typically she never reads my books. Mick Doyle became ‘Dolly’, and the novel the ‘Dolly Book.’ She reviewed the Tok Pisin and Mussau used in the book for which I will remain very grateful. Any subsequent linguistic errors in the book are mine. Papua New Guinea continues to be a fascinating place, though one that should not be visited lightly. Personal security can be compromised, especially in the capitol, Port Moresby. I experience two bad break-ins to my house and my car seemed to be a permanent ATM for the local ‘rascals’. The civil war on Bougainville brought many guns to PNG, where they had been rarely used in the past.
On the positive side, the country is jam packed with minerals, precious metals, gem stones and hydrocarbons. It has extensive forests for logging, though that has its downsides. The waters around PNG contain huge coral reefs, and a massive tuna resource. But crime is an issue, and I always feel nervous when Nellie pays a visit, as kidnapping and ransoming wealthy local people is a problem. Still, PNG and the Melanesian Islands are a great background for story telling.
