Declare
Encyclopedia
Declare is a supernatural
spy novel by Tim Powers
. It presents a secret history
of the Cold War
in which an agent for a secret British
spy organization learns the true nature of several beings living on Mount Ararat
. In this he is opposed by real-life communist traitor Kim Philby
, who did travel extensively in the region. Philby's father, St. John Philby
, was a noted Arabist
whose book The Empty Quarter (on the Rub' al Khali
) was extensively used as source material for the novel.
In 2001 Declare won both the World Fantasy Award
for Best Novel
and the International Horror Guild Award
for Best Novel, and was nominated for a Locus Award. It also appeared on the final ballot for the Nebula Award
, however it was later determined to be ineligible because of the limited edition that appeared the year prior to the trade edition. It was published in the UK for the first time in 2010 and subsequently shortlisted for the 2011 Arthur C Clarke Award for best science fiction novel.
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
spy novel by Tim Powers
Tim Powers
Timothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
. It presents a secret history
Secret history
A secret history is a revisionist interpretation of either fictional or real history which is claimed to have been deliberately suppressed, forgotten, or ignored by established scholars.-Secret histories of the real world:...
of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
in which an agent for a secret British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
spy organization learns the true nature of several beings living on Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat is a snow-capped, dormant volcanic cone in Turkey. It has two peaks: Greater Ararat and Lesser Ararat .The Ararat massif is about in diameter...
. In this he is opposed by real-life communist traitor Kim Philby
Kim Philby
Harold Adrian Russell "Kim" Philby was a high-ranking member of British intelligence who worked as a spy for and later defected to the Soviet Union...
, who did travel extensively in the region. Philby's father, St. John Philby
St. John Philby
Harry St John Bridger Philby CIE , also known as Jack Philby or Sheikh Abdullah , his Arabic name, was an Arabist, explorer, writer, and British colonial office intelligence officer...
, was a noted Arabist
Arabist
This is an article about the western scholars known as Arabists, not the political movement Pan-Arabism.An Arabist is someone normally from outside the Arab World who specialises in the study of the Arabic language and Arab culture, and often Arabic literature.-Origins:Arabists began in medieval...
whose book The Empty Quarter (on the Rub' al Khali
Empty Quarter
The Rub' al Khali or Empty Quarter is one of the largest sand deserts in the world, encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, including most of Saudi Arabia and areas of Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. The desert covers some The Rub' al Khali or Empty Quarter...
) was extensively used as source material for the novel.
In 2001 Declare won both the World Fantasy Award
World Fantasy Award
The World Fantasy Awards are annual, international awards given to authors and artists who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in the field of fantasy...
for Best Novel
World Fantasy Award for Best Novel
This World Fantasy Award is given to the fantasy novel or novels voted best by a panel of judges, and presented each year at the World Fantasy Convention.-1975:...
and the International Horror Guild Award
International Horror Guild Award
The International Horror Guild Award is a recognition presented by the International Horror Guild to recognize the achievements of those who create in the field of horror and dark fantasy. Nancy A. Collins, the founder of the award, felt there was a need for an award granted by a large,...
for Best Novel, and was nominated for a Locus Award. It also appeared on the final ballot for the Nebula Award
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
, however it was later determined to be ineligible because of the limited edition that appeared the year prior to the trade edition. It was published in the UK for the first time in 2010 and subsequently shortlisted for the 2011 Arthur C Clarke Award for best science fiction novel.
External links
- The Works of Tim Powers, the author's authorized website, has an interview focusing on Declare, and an extensive publishing history of the book with images from and of the various editions.
- Powers comments on the genesis of the book in an interview in the March 1998 issue of LocusLocus (magazine)Locus, subtitled "The Magazine Of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field", is published monthly in Oakland, California. It reports on the science fiction and fantasy publishing field, including comprehensive listings of all new books published in the genre. It is considered the news organ and trade...
. He comments on its relationship to actual history and Roman Catholicism in an interview in the February 2002 Locus.