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daveconifer · 05-05-2010, 03:34 PM

Some Background on the novel:

There are many books and at least one movie that details alleged JFK assassination conspiracy theories. Most of them are rather nutty.

Two books in particular got my attention and inspired me to write Man of Steel. One is the Warren Commission Report itself, which is the official rundown of the federal investigation. This panel, established by President Lyndon Baines Johnson shortly after he succeeded John F. Kennedy, was comprised of may distinguished members including (then) Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger, (then) U.S. Representative Gerald Ford (future president!) and attorney Arlen Specter (current U.S. Senator!)

The other book is Rush to Judgment by Mark Lane. That one is in the “nutty” camp as far as I’m concerned but it does raise some shocking points about the assassination and subsequent investigation. My story was inspired by by Lane’s book although I don’t believe in any of his conclusions. I weaved it around facts I discovered in the report, things I learned about Lieutenant Kennedy, President Kennedy as well as some nuggets that Lane came up with.

What is Fact and What is Fiction?

I didn’t make any of the major story elements up. Everything in the story -- including JFK’s Naval career, what happened in the Oval Office, the police officer in the Dallas police department basement, the content of the Warren Commission Report, etc. -- really happened.

That the reporters in the story are doing research themselves made it easy for me to show exactly what is fact and what is fiction. When Joe and Abby find something and mention the source, readers can be sure that it’s real and can be found exactly where they found it. [There’s one exception to this rule. Near the beginning of the story there is a fake article in which the CIA denies any association with Mark McBride or his father.]

The New York Times headlines from April 1962 are real.

Any dialogue by real people (for example JFK, his staff, the ERC chairman, Warren Commission Panel members, Jack Ruby) is real. I didn't make up quotes for real people. Dialogue by fictitious characters is obviously not real. The words of the fictitious Clyde Gerson reflect the sentiment of many people even today. These opinions can easily be found with a quick Google search. They don't necessarily reflect my own opinions.

R.J. Pomeroy is based on a man that appears in the Warren Commission Report. I used artistic license in crafting his dialogue, although nothing he says or does is inconceivable or inconsistent with history. ERC chairman Kent Castle is fictitious but his activities as chairman are based closely on fact. Any dialogue attributed to him is real.

05-05-2010, 03:34 PM	#6
daveconifer Zealot Posts: 109 Karma: 100001 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle	Some Background on the novel: There are many books and at least one movie that details alleged JFK assassination conspiracy theories. Most of them are rather nutty. Two books in particular got my attention and inspired me to write Man of Steel. One is the Warren Commission Report itself, which is the official rundown of the federal investigation. This panel, established by President Lyndon Baines Johnson shortly after he succeeded John F. Kennedy, was comprised of may distinguished members including (then) Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger, (then) U.S. Representative Gerald Ford (future president!) and attorney Arlen Specter (current U.S. Senator!) The other book is Rush to Judgment by Mark Lane. That one is in the “nutty” camp as far as I’m concerned but it does raise some shocking points about the assassination and subsequent investigation. My story was inspired by by Lane’s book although I don’t believe in any of his conclusions. I weaved it around facts I discovered in the report, things I learned about Lieutenant Kennedy, President Kennedy as well as some nuggets that Lane came up with. What is Fact and What is Fiction? I didn’t make any of the major story elements up. Everything in the story -- including JFK’s Naval career, what happened in the Oval Office, the police officer in the Dallas police department basement, the content of the Warren Commission Report, etc. -- really happened. That the reporters in the story are doing research themselves made it easy for me to show exactly what is fact and what is fiction. When Joe and Abby find something and mention the source, readers can be sure that it’s real and can be found exactly where they found it. [There’s one exception to this rule. Near the beginning of the story there is a fake article in which the CIA denies any association with Mark McBride or his father.] The New York Times headlines from April 1962 are real. Any dialogue by real people (for example JFK, his staff, the ERC chairman, Warren Commission Panel members, Jack Ruby) is real. I didn't make up quotes for real people. Dialogue by fictitious characters is obviously not real. The words of the fictitious Clyde Gerson reflect the sentiment of many people even today. These opinions can easily be found with a quick Google search. They don't necessarily reflect my own opinions. R.J. Pomeroy is based on a man that appears in the Warren Commission Report. I used artistic license in crafting his dialogue, although nothing he says or does is inconceivable or inconsistent with history. ERC chairman Kent Castle is fictitious but his activities as chairman are based closely on fact. Any dialogue attributed to him is real.