Goodreads asked Stephen Alder:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Stephen Alder I was reading a book about the Celts and was intrigued by a picture of Ogmios, who had chains coming out of his mouth that are attached to the ears of his followers, personifying the power of persuasive speech. He literally had a captive audience. Then I dreamed about an old man whose recitations evoked such intense imagery in his listeners that it become virtual reality in front of them.

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