« The Backstory: The Pyramid Legacy by Clive Eaton »
We’re back with a fascinating look into Clive Eaton’s inspiration for a book that he published in May (ebook) and June (paperback) 2012. It looks to be a rollicking tale. In our conversations about his backstory, Clive mentioned that he even has an interview with his main character. Read on.
Clive: One evening, as a child, I was totally ensnared by a black and white film on the television. So many years have passed that I can’t remember the title, but the images that really engaged me took place within the Great Pyramid of Giza. Builders were trapped as an Indiana Jones type of sequence took place—large slabs of rock sliding into position, closing off exits, as huge amounts of sand rushed through small gaps triggering a type of domino effect. Every time I see a similar type of sequence today, such as in the aforementioned Indiana Jones movies, my mind is transported back to that original film.
I was drawn back to the pyramids again in 1993 when German robotics engineer, Rudolph Gantenbrink, was under contract to install ventilation fans in the shafts of the King’s Chamber. Many academics have theorised for years about the purpose of these shafts, and amongst the theories were ventilation, transportation of water or energy, and even releasing the souls of the dead to the stars. Some said they had astronomical significance as they pointed to specific constellations in the night sky. Gantenbrink’s work immediately dismissed the ventilation theory when he discovered a door blocking one of the shafts rising from the Queen’s chamber. My first question was in regard to the purpose of the door, and what, if anything, it was concealing. At this stage I was already well aware of one interesting fact—unlike so many other Egyptian structures, the Great Pyramid has NO hieroglyphs, even though hieroglyphs were used in Egypt for several hundred years, prior to the Great Pyramid being built.
After nine years of negotiation with the Egyptian authorities Gantenbrink was finally permitted to drill a hole through the ‘secret’ door. By this stage I was following every news story linked to this exploration, as I was desparate to know what, if anything, the Great Pyramid was concealing. Sadly the only discovery was another door beyond the first door. However, Gantenbrink did discover yet another door, this time in a second shaft heading from the Queen’s chamber. Since 2002 no further explorations have been carried out, or if they have, they haven’t been officially reported. This story about Gantenbrink’s discoveries sent my imagination running into overdrive, and I wanted the Great Pyramid of Giza to be protecting an image; An image which would cast a huge question mark over the identity of the architects of such a monumental structure. After a field visit in 2009, and having the opportunity to personally view the inside of the Great Pyramid, I felt compelled to put pen to paper. The final push I received to writing a novel was the level of engineering required to dress the internal stones so accurately. Even a cigarette paper cannot be fitted between them. Egyptologists claim the Great Pyramid was completed in 20 years, by men with just copper tools and hammers fashioned from rocks. 2.6 million stones, each weighing several hundred tons, dressed with copper tools? I wasn’t convinced. So my main character in The Pyramid Legacy, Ben Anderson, a robotics engineer, has been given the task to really find out what is behind that door in the second shaft. And find something he does …
Finally, this story doesn’t end with my first novel, The Pyramid Legacy. I have now embarked on a sequel, as during my research I also found a common link between the Great Pyramid of Giza and a well visited field in south-west England…
The Pyramid Legacy: Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | iBookstore
Read more about The Pyramid Legacy on Goodreads and at its book page. Read an interview with Ben Anderson, the principle character of The Pyramid Legacy. Hooked? Clive hints about the sequel.
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Reader Comments (1)
Fascinating! The sequel sounds even more so...!!