Celebrating ten years of Doc Talos storytelling: 2015-2025.
One of the most important decisions to make a decade ago as the Doc Talos concept was coming together in all its wide-ranging detail, was of course the choice of the Talos name itself, as well as the first names of the main characters.
Based on the pulp character Doc Savage (and also strongly influenced by Philip José Farmer’s novel “A Feast Unknown”, and its character James “Doc” Caliban), it was certainly important to choose something distinctive, which would echo those influences and yet stand on its own.
With my own strong interest in Shakespeare (my mom was a Shakespearean scholar, and my own real first name was chosen after a character from “Macbeth”), I considered the last name Palomon. Drawn from the play “The Two Noble Kinsmen” by Shakespeare and John Fletcher, it had a ring to it reminiscent of Caliban. But ultimately I rejected it as too obscure. I wanted something that would resonate more easily in the modern collective consciousness.
My introduction to the name Talos came from two sources. First, the Greek myth of the “bronze automaton”, first encountered by me in its awesome incarnation by Ray Harryhausen in the movie “Jason and the Argonauts”. A man of bronze! Second, the name appeared again in the lore of my favorite TV show from the 1960’s…Star Trek. Talos IV was the name of a mysterious, dangerous planet…so perilous even trying to visit there incurred the only death penalty in Starfleet law. It was the setting for the original Star Trek pilot, and was (for its time) almost unprecedented in its thoughtful, cerebral storytelling. Also, as a precocious pre-teen in the ’60’s, I was quite entranced with the character of Vina and her many illusory incarnations (played by Susan Oliver), who informed some of my ideas for Doc’s cousin Pat.
So Talos it was to be. For first names, James was a natural for Doc (it’s my own middle name as well as being Caliban’s name). For the second star of the Talos series, Pat, I wanted a nickname that would evoke her fierce and rebellious spirit. Trish had been used by Farmer and I didn’t want too much name repetition…Tricia or Trixie felt a bit too slight. So finally, it was Rickie, which felt just perfect for a strong-willed, dynamic heroine.
And there we had it. James and Rickie Talos were on their way.
Doc Talos 