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"How Do I Read The March Of The Eccentrics?"

Who's Who, And What's What, In The March Of The Eccentrics?

"HOW DO I READ THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS?"

It's the question everybody's asking.  (At least everybody who's come to this web site!) 

?????????  How?  As in, how???????

What they mean by this is that THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS novel is over 6,000 pages (14 pt. type in the PDF format), or 4,000 pages (12 pt. type, pre-conversion draft) if you go the Amazon Kindle route.  Either way, it's a sizable read, and poses a major threat to OK Cupid, Youtube, Computer Gaming, and Facebook time if not properly managed.  Not many people, nowadays, are wont to give such a big slice of their free-time pie to a book (even a digital book), when there are flashier, louder, more accessible, popular, and socially buzzing alternatives around to draw them in and hold them.

For me, having written the book, there are two major challenges to face and overcome.  The first is the challenge of getting prospective readers in the door in the first place; the second is to keep them from backing out once they are there.

In both cases, the book's size constitutes a major factor:  Individuals who do not know the book hesitate to get involved at the outset, because they are afraid of making a commitment to something gigantic and unfamiliar, when their recreational time is already conflicted between hundreds of competing possibilities (our society churns out such possibilities at a maddening rate, its compensation for thwarting us in other regards).  Meanwhile, individuals who do venture in may find the project daunting, especially if they hit one of the slow-downs or snags that all literature (except 'bang-bang, boom-boom, kiss-kiss, it's over' literature) contains; they may become disheartened seeing how far they are from the end while so many other limited, deliciously finite activities are knocking at their door.   Size, size, size...  it does matter.

For me, as the book's loving parent, the keys to making things work for both of us are to preview the book (as I have done on this web site and elsewhere) in ways that will interest potential readers enough to keep them from opening fire the instant they hear the novel's page count; and, then, to soothe these readers' legitimate remaining concerns regarding the book's size.  That, of course, needs more than a pep talk:  concrete measures are also required; and I am pleased to announce to you that they have been taken!

But first - an excuse!

As I explain in the book, itself, the MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS novel grew organically and wildly out of circumstances very unfavorable for writing - conditions so contrary to the prospect of creating a genuine opus that it is a miracle it was ever written in the first place.  The control necessary to birth it in precise stages, in the form of volumes in a series, was not there, nor was the faith that I would last long enough to get out more than a portion of it before I collapsed, and was wiped off the face of the earth like my friends before me.  There was, therefore, besides the lack of a functioning system of 'command and control' as I wrote the novel, a sense of urgency to 'get it all out while I could' which did not allow time for slowing down to sculpt the story into separate components, nor for interrupting the creative process of the larger work with business aspects related to those components.  The novel did not lack my guidance during this time:  but it was guidance given on the run, guidance by instinct and improvisation; and thus the novel developed via reflex and hunch and reaction, not via craft, which is why it exudes life but does not embody perfection.  All the while, I held the reins of the horse, but the horse was too powerful and too stubborn for me to lead it anywhere except where it wanted to go.  In the end, I take credit not for taking the horse where it went, but for not falling off it as it ran there.

This explains how THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS grew to be 6,000 pages long!  It wrote itself, dragging me behind it, and would not be any less, nor suffer the indignity of being pragmatically organized.  But that still does not explain how you are going to read it!

This is where another contribution of my wonderful wife, now no longer with us, comes in.  For one birthday, many years ago, she gave me a copy of Julio Cortazar's HOPSCOTCH (RAYUELA, in Spanish).   This brilliant, complex novel begins with a Table of Instructions for the reader, proposing two possible alternatives for dealing with it, the first being to read Chapters 1-56 straight through to the end, the other being to embellish and deepen the novel by adding the 'expendable chapters' (57-155) to the chapters of the first part according to an apparently erratic yet considered plan.  (For example, Chapter 2 would be followed by Chapter 116, followed by Chapters 3, 84, 4, 71, 5, etc.)  The linear approach to reading the novel would be replaced by a kind of hopping and skipping around, a going back and forth, and to and from: a game of hopscotch!

As I sat there regarding the finished version of THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS in April 2013, wondering what I could do to sell a novel which was the size of ten to readers who are accustomed to novels the size of one-half, memories of Cortazar's unique novel structure leapt into my mind.  I could help!  By emulating HOPSCOTCH'S Table of Instructions in my own novel (but in a far less complicated or artistically revolutionary way), I could provide my readers with a literary ROADMAP, or NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM, which would enable them to jump around inside the book according to their interests and available reserves of free time.  Taking on THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS would no longer be an all-or-nothing proposition, 6000 pages or the highway!  Within the orienting framework provided by the CHAPTER REVIEWS and SUGGESTED READING TRACKS sections, readers could now move around the novel as they chose, bypassing some material whose subject or style enticed them less, or which they simply lacked time to explore, in order to key in on areas of maximum appeal, which they, themselves, could identify thanks to the structure guides.  The CHAPTER REVIEWS would provide context for this pick-and-choose style of navigation and allow for isolated tracts of the novel to be engaged without the sense of being lost, or disconnected from the whole.  My gigantic book could, in this way, be cut down to size, and become a source of enjoyment with something for everyone, rather than a commitment of months with too much for anyone.  Thank you, Julio Cortazar, for showing me the way and helping me to save my baby!  

What, exactly, are the CHAPTER REVIEWS?  Well, they are just what they claim to be - chapter reviews!  Each (or nearly every) chapter review is presented in three varying font sizes, VERY LARGE AND IN CAPS (the first layer of presentation), to give a general idea of chapter content in the form of a teaser; "standard font size" (the second layer), which is used to present a more detailed version of the review, but while withholding some of the outcomes for the sake of those who wish to maintain the greatest level of suspense; and reduced size type (the third layer),which is used to describe the key outcomes of the chapter (reduced size makes it easier to avoid them, if desired!)  It is the reader's choice to read only the first layer of reviews, or the first and second, or all three.  In case the CHAPTER REVIEWS section is not enough of a compass for the interested reader to step confidently into the novel, a complementary section (actually located in advance of the Chapter Reviews) is provided:  SUGGESTED READING TRACKS, which concretely offers a few different hopscotch possibilities for the journey.  To top it all off, in the illustrated PDF version of the novel a PORTRAIT GALLERY is provided (thanks to the collaboration of artist Katalina Gutierrez), which helps readers to get a basic understanding of some of the major characters of the chronicle even before a single page is read!  And if you understand the characters, most any part of the novel, itself, will become comprehensible.

All of this is explained in the introductory sections of my novel; but I thought, why not put it here, as well, so that it can be found not only inside my novel, but outside of it, as well!  Anything to get people through the front door (I will kick it down, myself, if need be!) 

Once you are in, and once you have assumed mastery of your own read, I think you will enjoy yourself in THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS, and navigate within its vastness with comfort and a sense of freedom.  Its size will no longer be seen as an enemy (the enemy of your time and of your control of the next several months of your life!), but as a generous friend, who lets you into his orchard so that you may fill your bucket with as many fruits, of whichever kind, you desire.

Wishing you the best possible reading experience -- and reminding you, if you are ever befuddled or at a loss -- I am only an email away, and would be happy, in as much as I can, to help clarify things even further, or provide additional contextual tools for your benefit.

Thanks for not running away (are you still there?)

- J Rainsnow, February 16, 2015.

^ HOPSCOTCH, by Julio Cortazar.  Not my copy, but the same edition with the same cover: a gift which helped me to pull my drowning baby out of the overflowing river. 

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WHO'S WHO, AND WHAT'S WHAT, IN THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS?

Following is another guide to help readers who wish to follow a non-linear, hop-around approach to taking on THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS.  This guide is not meant to take the place of the CHAPTER REVIEWS, but to complement them.  It uses major characters of the novel as focal points for holding the story together:  knowing who they are and knowing something of their connections, one can generate context for parts of the novel which one has jumped to without being fully prepped by reading prior sections.  The characters listed are, for the most part, referred to in multiple chapters (it is assumed there is no need to explain their presence and role if they appear only in the chapter one is reading.)  In addition to citing characters, some acronyms, places, and other terms are also included in this list for clarity's sake.  The list is alphabetically arranged, so that one may easily refer to it with one hand, as one is reading the novel with the other...

This list is not designed to be read for its own sake, but to be available as a reference work for consultation if one chooses to skip around in THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS rather than reading the novel straight through.

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ABU, ELLEN SCHEHERAZADE.  The daughter of mad scientist, Julius Herman Abu.  See "Ellen."

ABU, JULIUS HERMAN.  A British mad scientist, father of Ellen S. Abu.  As a young man, he was a sensitive, sometimes troubled, but always brilliant student, excelling especially in mathematics, but with a curiosity and intellectual ability spanning many fields.  He received degrees in Physics from Oxford and Princeton, then took on a teaching and research position at Oxford, where his controversial discoveries shook the world of science to the core.  In the 1960s, he formed a political organization, the International Brotherhood of Scientists, dedicated to controlling the way in which potentially dangerous scientific knowledge was released to society, and predicated on the need to take an active role in transforming society so that it should not misuse that knowledge.  His movement, for a brief time, joined forces with the '60's countercultural revolution and peace movements' in an effort to change the nature of Western civilization, but things ended poorly, with Abu ridiculed, condemned, and harried.  He left England for Ireland, where he was received as a hero, and only after his prestige was restored, did he return to his position at Oxford.  But lingering disagreements over the nature of scientific responsibility and research transparency haunted his relationship with the mainstream scientific community and its traditional funding sources.  Abu, once more feeling isolated, created new links with a group known as the Adventure Club, an organization of kindred spirits (mainly explorers and adventure-seekers) with whom he bonded; and also new bonds were formed with fringe political groups, many with an anti-English leaning.  As Abu's conflict with conventional English society intensified, his mind began to destabilize; he sought solace in questionable affairs, lustful escapades, and even acts of sheer delinquency, at the same time as he sought to develop powerful new technologies which would enable him to survive the repression of a society which he now perceived as 'being out to get him.'  Eventually, British security forces were compelled to move against him, leading to his flight from the UK, and his pursuit by British Special Services (and Sir Winthrop) across the globe.  Abu eventually ended up in Vista del Mar, Mexico, where he built a powerful military base and lab complex guarded by Irish and Scottish rebels and local Mexican thugs.  Freddy Wells, seeking pleasure and escape from his failures in NYC, accidentally stumbled into Abu's lair at Vista del Mar, fell in love with Abu's daughter, Ellen, and ended up becoming a member of Abu's team.  Abu's resentment and hatred of Freddy was intense at first, and over the years diminished only slightly.  After beating off a major military assault by the new US Dictatorship and British Special Forces at Vista del  Mar (once they discovered the location of his hideaway, they struck), Abu proclaimed the emergence of the Eccentrics movement and from then on battled with Freddy over the direction the movement ought to take.  Only the unifying efforts of Ellen were able to hold the movement together, as her father wished it to concentrate on scientific advancement and the defense of nonconformist lifestyles, while Freddy wished to see it deployed on the side of social justice throughout the world. As the Eccentrics adventure develops, Abu remains perpetually poised on the brink of utter madness, yet occasionally shows flashes of his youthful humanity and idealism.  The healing effect of his daughter, and other moderating forces including Jeremy Collins, Dr. Mowbray, Liam Pearce, and  even, at times, Don~a Esmeralda, is at all times crucial for keeping him on track.

ABUISTS.  Supporters of Julius Herman Abu, including elements of his pre-Eccentric support base, comprised of Irish, Scottish and Welsh rebels, as well as co-opted Mexican officials and security forces.  But even after the Eccentrics movement has taken off, Abu's supporters are still sometimes referred to in this way. 

A.D.N.  The Alliance of Developing Nations, an organization formed by Kenneth Bouachiba to further the work begin by the UNGAEEB, and bring together nations of the Third World willing to work together to break out of the pro-US/pro-Soviet bi-polar client-state system and to launch a new historical trajectory in conjunction with the Eccentrics.

ADVENTURE CLUB.  A club of worldwide adventurers, explorers, thrill-seekers, and individuals otherwise dissatisfied with the kinds of life choices offered by conventional society.  Julius Abu bonds with this club at a moment when his scientific career is suffering due to the sanctions and conditions placed upon him by academic and research institutions; once established, the bond becomes unbreakable:  Abu, and these bold, unconventional men were born for each other. 

ALTSCHULER, MICHAEL.  A brilliant, cynical student who befriends Freddy as they study together at the Davidson-Lewis Academy.  He shakes up Freddy's faith in the political establishment, and introduces him to drugs and countercultural scenes.  Altschuler's cynicism does not cause him to drop out, but Freddy, taking things differently, can no longer stay on track and abandons school to seek another path in life.  The two part ways with some bitterness, Altschuler remaining on the 'respectable track' in spite of seeing through it, Freddy giving himself to the streets and whatever they may bring.  The two reconnect, but with a strong residue of tension, at a later date, after the Eccentrics adventure has begun to unfold.  Altschuler is then a lawyer, Freddy an Eccentric warrior and statesman.

ALYESHA.  An alluring belly dancer who drives Abu mad with lust.  His lack of control around her leads to serious repercussions with authorities, and is a sign of his rapid slide towards insanity. 

AMAZONIA JENKINS.  A very loquacious, quirky, race-conscious and touchy African-American woman from NYC, who does not so much 'play the race card' (though she sometimes does), as constantly suspect that she may be being discriminated against.  Her jumpiness, at first dismissed by enraged 'others' who feel unjustly accused of racism, does eventually succeed in expanding the consciousness of those she moves among; as time goes on, her high intelligence, initially concealed by her unbearable attitude, becomes evident, as well as other unsuspected virtues.  She and Freddy have a strange relationship, hard to figure out, with the possibility of romance always just around the corner.

ANTIMATTER BOMB.  A weapon Julius Abu has the means to construct, the possible existence of which acts as a frightening deterrent to the USD's nuclear arsenal.  Abu finds various uses for antimatter technology, including applications as a deep-earth burrowing aid, and a component of 'energetic armor.'

ANYA TREVGODA.  A beautiful Russian woman employed by the Soviet Ministry of Culture, and charged with the mission of seducing Freddy as a way of drawing the Eccentrics (with their amazing technology) closer to the Soviets.  In spite of her official duty, she develops a genuine interest in Freddy that goes beyond merely following orders. 

A. PACO LIPS.  A major Punk rocker in NYC during the 1980s, a despiser of the neo-hippie movement and hater of Jack Foster. 

ARTESANA.  Artesana Barrios. A Colombian mime/street performer and seeker of life and understanding, who Ellen first meets in Nepal. 

ASH, FRANKIE.  Bass-player for the Dirty Dogs band/Foster's bandmate. 

A.U.N.  The 'Alliance of Upright Nations', an anti-Eccentrics/pro-conformity grouping, determined to beat back the rising tide of individuality and the clamor for political freedom supported by the Eccentrics movement. 

AZTLAN.  A 'free zone' in the United States, established by the U.S. dictatorship to prove to the world that it is willing to experiment with the possibility of restoring democracy (which was previously dismantled in the face of 'terrorist threats.')  The zone is in New Mexico, and is inhabited mainly by Chicanos.

BARRIE O'DONNELL.  An Irish revolutionary, member of the F.I.U.B., and Abuist from the start.  He plays a crucial role in helping Freddy to gain acceptance among Abu's soldiery, and is a staunch warrior-brother of Freddy throughout.  As time goes on, he and Maud Donovan develop something.

BLIND WILLY.  A blind bodyguard assigned by Abu to 'protect' Freddy during his perilous international travels. 

B.K.L.  Big Kill Laser, any one of Abu's powerful battlefield lasers. 

BLUNT, HENRY 'THE EXTERMINATOR'.  A brutal English underworld figure, in competition with Mr. Brain and Antony Rigo.  He doubles as an exterminator of vermin. 

BOHO TOWN.  As used in this novel, parts of New York City which are inhabited by bohemians, culture rebels, artists, and nonconformists, which might encompass parts of Greenwich Village, Soho, and the Lower Eastside.  It is the general area in which Freddy and his New York buddies live and hang out before the Eccentrics adventure begins. 

BORGSTROM, EYJOLF.  The pro-Eccentrics Swedish Prime Minister, who opens the doors of his country to U.S. refugees from the American dictatorship and allows US opposition groups to set up camp there.

BOUACHIBA, KENNETH.  A Tanzanian national, Secretary General of the United Nations and a champion of increased global equality at the moment the US turns into a dictatorship.  He meets Freddy shortly after the Battle of Vista del Mar and urges Freddy to bring the potential power of Abu and the Eccentrics movement onto the side of international fairness and justice, to promote a world of hope, progress, and dignity for billions of disempowered and underrepresented people.  His exhortations and advice, combined with the influence of Graciela, help move Freddy towards a new vision of what the Eccentrics can do, and play a part in the genesis of the Social Justice Wing of the Eccentrics.  Bouachiba plays pivotal roles in forming the UNGAEEB, the A.D.N., and creating the alliance that will take on the task of liberating Africa from oppression.

BRAIN, MR.  A notorious Sicilian gangster (whose real name is Giovanni Davila).  He is known for his combination of ruthlessness and brilliance, and is the arch enemy of Tony Rigo, Abu's mafia ally, who has clashed with him both in London and throughout Italy.  Mr. Brain naturally joins forces with those committed to destroying Abu and Rigo. 

BRIGITTE HULL, NURSE.   Dr. Mowbray's principal assistant in the Vista del Mar Infirmary. 

BROTHERHOOD OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENTISTS.  An organization created by Julius Herman Abu in the 1960s, embodying the principle of 'scientific responsibility', and committed to preventing high-level scientific research which might possibly be misused from falling into the hands of morally underdeveloped societies.  Eventually, the organization means to transform the nature of Western civilization and to place elite research scientists from around the world into a position of influence from which they may benevolently guide the human race away from its self-destructive tendencies.  The organization is shattered in its confrontation with the existing power structures of the West, and Abu sorely discredited.  Much of his bitterness and alienation towards the world stems from the trauma of this humiliating defeat.

CHARGER, JULIAN.  A charismatic, handsome British intelligence agent and military leader, connected with Special Services.  He helps to save London from atomic-bomb-wielding terrorists; leads the attack against Abu at Vista del Mar, and later another attack at Mt. Etna, Sicily; and also serves, for a time, after the political fall of British P.M. Ethan Foote, as Great Britain's Minister of Defense.

CHARLIE.  An elementary school kid from New Zealand, picked on by bullies.  In order to defend him from harassment, the Eccentrics are willing to go to war.  Yuki Onomatsu leads a rescue fleet to his aid in what becomes known as 'The War for Charlie.'

CHEEKY.  Judy Shannon, aka 'Cheeky.'  An Englishwoman working in New York in the publishing business, a Beatlemaniac with roots in the 1960s in the UK; a good friend of Donna. 

CHLOROPLAST DYNAMO.  Powerful machinery created by Dr. Quilo with help from Abu's tech team, in which photosynthesis is replicated in an industrial setting in order to produce food on a large scale for the world's hungry.

CHOLO.  A young Mexican boy, originally contracted by Claudel Krebs on behalf of British Special Services to serve as his guide at Vista del Mar, as they seek to locate the fugitive Abu.  Freddy meets Cholo there, and the two take a liking to each other.  Later Cholo joins the Eccentrics forces as Freddy's bodyguard, and is at his side on numerous adventures. 

CHRISTIAN, JIM.  A powerful American televangelist, head of a fundamentalist Christian Empire that initially mobilizes a mass base to beat back intellectual, cultural and individual liberties in the United States, then manipulates its followers to support the overthrow of American democracy.  He is very close to the corrupt leadership of the new American dictatorship, and a diehard opponent of the Eccentrics movement.  But his greatest rival is probably the earnest Christian preacher Reverend Luke, who also carries a Bible in his hands, but sees the world and his 'Christian mission' in a completely different way. 

CINDY.  Freddy's first girlfriend, a suburban princess type who would have been perfect for him if he had not become disillusioned with suburbia, mainstream society, and the lucrative and important career that he was being prepared for by the Davidson-Lewis Academy. 

CLAUDIA BLACKWELL/ABU.  Julius Abu's socialite wife, never at ease with his eccentricity and antisocial tendencies, yet craving the prestige of being associated with a man of genius.  Mother of Ellen, Abu's beloved daughter.  Claudia and Abu finally have a complete falling out, as first, his idealism, and later his madness, come between them.  The separation/divorce is bitter. 

CLEAN CONDUCT SQUAD.  A unit put together by Freddy Wells and Barrie O'Donnell to clean up abuses of power by Abu's private security forces in the early days of the VLA, when those forces number many thugs and roughnecks.  The C.C. squad, which enacts a code of honorable conduct based upon the 'Justice Principle', also seeks to rein in the excesses of the mentally unstable Abu.

CLEOPATRA.  A deluded woman from modern-day London who believes she is Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile.  Abu falls in love with her (he has a special place in his heart for madwomen), and as he sees society rip into her and attempt to bring her back to normality by most ruthless and psychologically destructive means, his prejudice against the social mainstream is deepened.

COLLINS, JEREMY.  A brilliant Oxford physicist who is mentor to the young Abu, then witness to his pupil's amazing development as the greatest scientific genius of the ages (of this there can be no doubt).  Collins is always a stabilizing force in Abu's life, seeking to moderate between him and the more conservative and conventional strata of English society which want to embrace Abu's genius but cannot endure his personality.  It is always a difficult battle, but Collins never fails to stand by his beloved protégé no matter how intense the heat.  Nor will he believe all the awful things others say about Abu (even when they are true - 'it simply could not be!')

COMMANDER ACHMED.  Freddy's 'nomme de guerre' during the wars of liberation in Guatemala and Africa, when he must hide his identity so as not to implicate the highest levels of the Eccentrics leadership in these endeavors (the movement is not yet ready to risk an all-out confrontation with the dictatorial U.S military).

COMMANDER COMPLETION.  Freddy's alias in the war in Northern Ireland.

COMMANDER TRIUMPH.  A vicious agent of SNID, Britain's Special Services detachment in Northern Ireland.  He is charged with the task of destroying the I.R.A. and all other proponents of Catholic power or 'one Irish nation' in the North. 

CORBISHLEY, FRANK.  An early member of Abu's VLA, and participant in the Battle of Vista del Mar.

CORDOT, SIMON.  A prominent member of the Adventure Club, present on Reginald Smythe's expedition to the Amazon, and elsewhere. 

COSMIC REINCARNATION.  Abu's theory of a recurring Universe, in which the Universe is believed to go through vast cycles of creation, expansion, contraction, destruction and rebirth, reproducing endless repetitions of itself.  Within this theory exists the possibility of eternally repeating lives, and thus, some measure of human immortality.  His theory, scientific rather than religious, helps to rescue the scientific framework from its perceived emotional disadvantages vis-a-vis religion.  

CRYPTOZOOLOGISTS.  Scientists dedicated to the search for 'unknown' animals, whether these be real animals now believed to be extinct (such as dinosaurs), or animals mainstream science believes never existed (such as the Yeti).  Cryptozoologists, often allied closely with the Adventure Club, feature prominently in the Eccentrics movement and are, at times, converted into a formidable military force. 

DANFORTH, GENERAL.  A stalwart VLA military officer, conservative in temperament and especially used by Abu as a watchdog to attempt to control and protect his daughter on her perilous journey to India and Nepal. 

DAVIDSON-LEWIS ACADEMY.  An elite school in Manhattan, specializing in the training of future diplomats, foreign service personnel, and international relations experts.  Freddy Wells and Michael Altschuler both attend, Altschuler graduating and moving on to studies of law, while Freddy drops out to pursue his new countercultural dreams.

DAVILA, GIOVANNI.  The real name of Mr. Brain.

DEREK.  Derek Gunning, a friend of Donna in NYC having good connections with cultural underground movements. 

DEVRIES, JULES.  Sometime President of the Adventure Club, and uncle of Simon Cordot. 

DEVRIES, SUZANNE.  Ellen's alias/persona while she lives with her father as a fugitive at Vista del Mar, before they are discovered and forced to resume their actual identities.  'Suzanne' is a stylish, sophisticated French woman, who Ellen plays brilliantly, in spite of being English. 

DINOSAUR.  Julius Herman Abu's beloved Irish Wolfhound.

DIRK.  An old boyfriend of Donna, before she was with Freddy.  She maintains loose contact with him afterwards, which causes Freddy some moments of jealousy and doubt.

DIRTY DOGS.  The shameless, decadent, madly ambitious, 'succeed at all costs' rock band of Jack Foster in NYC, consisting of Foster (guitar/lead vocals), Gordon (guitar/vocals), Ash (bass/vocals), and Jerry (drums/vocals).  Later, after Jerry departs, the group evolves into the Eccentric Dogs, featuring Joe Seedy as its new drummer...  Before the Eccentrics adventure begins, Freddy helps Foster write lyrics for the group, and goes to many of the Dogs' shows as Foster tries to lift his band up from the rough little clubs where it has begun to a higher level ('higher level' not in terms of content or morality, but in terms of the amount of money made and the quality of groupies procured).

D.O.C.  Defenders of Civilization.  An international organization of mercenaries supplied and largely supported by the US Dictatorship to oppose the Eccentrics and affiliated liberation fighters from around the world, without officially implicating the US government. 

DON GIOVANNI ROSSOLIMO.  A mysterious millionaire living in the Fernando de Asturias Castle in Vista del Mar, Mexico.  Julius Abu's alias while he is in hiding. 

DON~A ESMERALDA.  Esmeralda Posada, niece of the President of Mexico, and the major love interest of Julius Abu after he arrives in Mexico.  While Abu, at this point in life, views most women as mere sex objects to satisfy his lust, he develops a genuine true-love infatuation for Esmeralda, who triggers his long-buried instincts for chivalry.  He courts her accordingly, with propriety and diligence.  Don~a Esmeralda is a high-class, brilliant woman accustomed to the best, but she is also energetic, vigorous, and an excellent rider of horses.  She favors elitist politics, and influences Abu to support her position against the populism of Graciela. 

DONNA.  Donna Baum, a bohemian NYC photographer and actress, who has a penchant for attracting unusual male (platonic) friends, who are won over by her combination of sexual desirability, camaraderie, and nurturing.  In her circle at the time that Freddy meets her are Mick, Gary, and Tannenbaum.  Freddy and Donna become lovers and share an intense bohemian romance in the midst of a worsening political and cultural crisis in America.  Donna hopes to promote a new form of 'responsible counterculture' to transform American society before it is too late.  Freddy's friendship with the irresponsible, hedonistic rock-star-wannabe, Jack Foster, and his related problems with drugs and infidelity, cause a rupture in this otherwise beautiful relationship, and play a major role in leading Freddy to leave New York and 'run away from it all' to Mexico:  but there, of course, he will run into Julius Herman Abu, and become a part of the great Eccentrics adventure...  After Freddy has become a key player in the Eccentrics movement and linked up with Ellen, he and Donna become reacquainted.  From then on, tension and nostalgia define their connection.  But they are both dedicated to continuing their work to make the world better.  Donna works for the US Freedom Committee in Sweden, then does transformative cultural work and political counseling in Free New York, and Free Media work on behalf of the US from Canada.

DOOMSDAY DEVICE.  A powerful device which could destroy the earth by means of injecting powerful antimatter streams into its core.  Once he has reestablished himself at Vista del Mar, Abu uses threat of this device to protect him on his trips abroad, turning on the machine linked to a timing mechanism that only he can deactivate, and thus guaranteeing his safe conduct as he travels amidst potential enemies. 

DORJEE, THE MIGHTY.  A Sherpa folk hero.  Cholo, believed to be his reincarnation by the Sherpas, is elevated to the status of a living god within their domains. 

DUKE OF WINSLOW.  'Winslow' is an invented name employed by Victor Rutherford to take the place of a real dukedom.  The Duke of this undisclosed locale is a firm believer in, and supporter of, Julius Abu, one of Abu's few allies in the British upper class.

DURO ARMOR.  A super-potent form of body-armor worn by some VLA infantry units, and also used in other military applications. 

D.W.P.  Defenders of White Power (supposedly Defenders of World Peace), an international racist/mercenary organization backed by the US dictatorship to serve as a proxy in the wars in Africa. 

ECCENTRICS.  Unusual, unorthodox, unconventional, independent people who do not easily fit the mainstream social mold.  Julius Herman Abu created a movement which drew large numbers of them together, so that "Eccentrics" most often, in this chronicle, refers to adherents to that movement. 

ECCENTRICS MANIFESTO.  The political document in which Julius Herman Abu described the history and proclaimed the destiny of the world's Eccentrics, and created the foundations for the worldwide Eccentrics movement.

ECCENTROPOLIS.  The new capital of the Eccentrics movement, constructed by Abu in Mexico, not far from Vista del Mar.  It is known for its technical wonders, and for its unusual population, drawn from around the world.    

EDY.  A NYC friend of Donna, who is more stylish than conscientious, but appreciated, nonetheless. 

ELENA.  Elena Labruyere, a mature French woman who the young Abu fell in love with.  When she decided that their relation ought to end due to their age difference, Abu was devastated.  Before that, however, the lovers managed to become embroiled in a major international incident between Britain and France. 

ELLEN.  Ellen Scheherazade Abu, the daughter of British mad scientist Julius Herman Abu.  Father and daughter love each other madly.  Abu, even in the midst of his quarrels with British society and with Western civilization, itself, was always a doting, attentive father; and his brilliant, sensitive daughter, gifted from a young age in music and writing, adored him beyond measure.  Ellen's own mother, Claudia, was known for her coldness, and disinterested; but a wonderful French maid, Gabrielle, who also became Abu's lover, stepped up to fill her shoes, while Abu's many interesting friends, including members of the Adventure Club, provided her, at times,  with an especially stimulating childhood environment.  When Abu was finally set upon by British Special Services, who were compelled to take action against his depravities (which he never allowed Ellen to witness), the great scientist fled Britain with her, and the two of them endured for years as hunted fugitives.  In Mexico, their final place of refuge, Abu took on the identity of a Don Giovanni Rossolimo, a mysterious millionaire, while Ellen played the role of Suzanne DeVries, his alluring mistress.  Once Freddy appears on the scene, he falls in love with Suzanne, only later learning her true identity.  They become romantic partners and lovers, much to the horror of Julius Abu, who despises Freddy and does his best to break them apart on many an occasion, and by many means.  (One of these means includes concealing an 'impotence transmitter' into a locket worn by Ellen, so that Freddy will be unable to have normal intercourse with her.)  During the Eccentrics adventure, Ellen works as an assistant to Freddy in his capacity as chief Eccentric diplomat; she also campaigns for animal rights, does modeling, becomes involved in the study of Buddhism (to her father's horror), and takes up the cause of freedom in Tibet.  She is frequently worried by Freddy's close relations with other women, including Yuki, Graciela, and possibly Amazonia.  What keeps her busiest throughout the adventure are the moods of her father, who she alone can soothe and lead away from the frequently maniacal impulses which threaten to destabilize him and upend the movement for a better world which they have begun.

EMIR OF SOHAR.  The strong-willed, dignified, fair-minded yet intensely proud ruler of the Arab Gulf Coast Emirate of Sohar.  A natural ally of Julius Abu and the Eccentrics, his emirate was badly shaken by Jack Foster's notorious diplomatic mission to the Middle East.  Yet he persevered to enable the possibility of a rapprochement with the Eccentrics at a later date.

ENVOY, THE.  A representative of Tibetan Buddhism sent by the Dalai Lama to serve as Ellen's spiritual guide and aide before and during her expedition to India and Nepal. 

ERIC SNYDER.  Ricky (not Rick, he's someone else!); see 'Ricky'!

ESMERALDA POSADA.  See 'Don~a Esmeralda.'

EVANGELICALS.  As presented in the novel, Evangelical Christians of varying persuasions, without a monolithic agenda.  -- Some are swept up in the movements of Jim Christian and other preachers linked to right-wing politics, and are mobilized to support the replacement of American democracy by a new authoritarian government.  Before that, these movements harry free-thinkers, culture rebels, and 'the liberal establishment', and even provide foot-soldiers for notorious goon squads which utilize violence (in the manner of Nazi Storm Troopers) to intimidate citizens who do not see things as they do.  On the other hand, other groups of evangelicals, such as those inspired by the Reverend Luke, are opposed to the big right-wing movements, maintain their belief in live-and-let-live diversity, and bravely advocate the restoration of American democracy.

EXPLORER'S CLUB.  A New-York-based club of international explorers, where Abu and some of his friends from the Adventure Club sometimes hung out. 

EXTRACTION POD.  An automated, high-speed, stealth flying device, invented by Julius Abu, which is able to pluck endangered friends and members of his organization out of perilous situations and deliver them back home. 

FEF.  Food Enhancement Formula.  A high-powered substitute for regular food:   miniscule portions, perfectly metabolized by the human body, are able to keep their recipient healthy and vigorous in spite of the lack of other sustenance. 

FERNANDO DE ASTURIAS CASTLE.  A colonial-era Spanish castle in the Mexican town of Vista del Mar, converted into Abu's hideaway and command center sometime after his flight from Britain.  After his reemergence, it remains as his principal command center and residence, though, later, he also maintains apartments and offices in Eccentropolis, as well as another headquarters base inside Sicily's Mt. Etna.

F.I.U.B.  The "Free Irish Unity Brigade", 'unity' in this case meaning unity between the North and South of Ireland.  It is a revolutionary Irish group, separate from the I.R.A. and committed to trying to wage the war of liberation with a little more humanity than the northern Irish battlefield is accustomed to.

FLYING CAR.  Just that:  a flying car invented by Abu.  He often uses it not in the most appropriate manner, to spy on local women bathing in a river and to alarm the local citizenry by swooping in low.  Controlling Abu's use of the car becomes an issue for Freddy Wells and others attempting to 'clean up' Abu's act at Vista del Mar so that the Eccentrics movement can become a legitimate, morally credible political force.   

FOOTE, ETHAN.  The British Prime Minister who succeeds Glazer.  He gets on well with Freddy and the Eccentrics movement and seeks to work with them for the benefit of the UK and the world.  However Abu's erratic and unpopular behavior, and the Irish issue, cause him to lose a great deal of political capital at home, undermining his position with the British public and bringing back to the forefront forces determined to crush the Eccentrics. 

FOSTER.  Jack Foster, AKA 'Beatnik Jack Foster', an ambitious rock musician and leader of the Dirty Dogs band (whose other members are Ash, Gordon, and Jerry).  He provides guitar, vocals, and primitive songwriting skills, enlisting Freddy to help him write the lyrics.  On their first meeting, Foster and Freddy share a mind-altering acid trip which plays a major role in pulling Freddy out of school and drawing him into the street/boho underground culture of NYC.  As a corrupter, Foster is masterful, for he is charismatic and persuasive, eager to try everything under the sun (and moon), infatuated with drugs and n.s.a. sex, and his excitement is contagious:  in spite of the unsustainability of his lifestyle, he is nearly impossible to resist, for somehow his charm is able to cover over his most egregious faults and transgressions, engendering blindness and overly generous forgiveness in others, and the desire to tag along.  Along with Freddy, Foster works for a while as a messenger, at the same time as he struggles to build and promote his band, and lead it to glory in any way he can.  In NYC, he battles with Donna for influence over Freddy, pulling Freddy towards the most thrilling and destructive options of the counterculture, while Donna tries to offer Freddy a sanctuary of true love and the chance to work constructively on behalf of a conscientious alternative to the mainstream. 

(After Boho Town):  After Freddy burns out in NY, hits the road, meets Abu, and becomes a key player in the Eccentrics movement, Foster comes back into his life, first as an American exile in Sweden, then as a not overly helpful assistant on Freddy's peace mission to Ireland, then as Abu's new 'hippie favorite', who is meant by Abu to displace Freddy.  Foster's diplomatic catastrophe in the Middle East causes some decline in his influence, but he fights back by becoming Mayor of Free New York, an important political role he wields in conjunction with his continuing music career.  Throughout the novel, he remains a major force in the Eccentrics movement.

FREDDY.  Freddy Wells, the principal narrator of THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS (along with Victor Rutherford).  Freddy was raised in suburban Long Island, and attended the prestigious Davidson-Lewis Institute of Political and Economic Studies (sometimes referred to as the Davidson-Lewis Academy) in NYC.  Being groomed to serve in the State Dept. or to take on some other important political job, he eventually became disenchanted with the American foreign policy of the day, and not wishing to be a cog in a machine whose end-product he did not approve of, he dropped out to experience the NY bohemian subculture firsthand, and to launch a new career as a beatnik-style writer, determined to change the world from the bottom.  During this 'waking-up and toughening-up' phase in the grip of the streets, he fell in love with Donna and met many interesting characters, such as Foster, Mick, Gary, and Tannenbaum.  Eventually, however, burn-out was inevitable, and problems with Donna as well as the degenerating condition of the US, which was sliding towards repression, disheartened him.  He lost himself in drugs and liquor and finally 'hit the road', traveling to Mexico with the hope of erasing all of his pain and failure by hurling himself as far as he could from the city of his defeats.  In Mexico, however, he ended up falling in love with Ellen and connecting with Julius Herman Abu, the brilliant mad scientist whose extraordinary technology offered the faltering world a chance to right itself, if only Abu could be won over to the side of worthwhile causes.

During the Battle of Vista del Mar, Freddy distinguished himself as a soldier in the Eccentrics army, wielding Abu's giant laser against swarms of incoming aircraft and naval vessels, and carrying out other feats of leadership, as well.  This was followed by his romantic liaison with Ellen, who brought him into a role of importance past the objections of her father:  this led to his emergence as a major world figure (as Abu's chief diplomat).  Skillfully, Freddy negotiated a series of alliances which converted the Abuist movement from a small and purposeless band of 'outlaws' and 'fugitives' into a world power supporting an idealistic agenda.  At nearly every turn, Abu opposed Freddy's emphasis on Social Justice (in which Freddy was inspired by Graciela and Kenneth Bouachiba), and battled to return the Eccentrics movement to a less political and more quirky phenomenon.  As time went on, Freddy became involved in certain major liberation projects (Guatemala, with Graciela; Africa, with Amazonia; Ireland, with Barrie and Maud).  All the while, he sought means (with Donna et al) of restoring democracy to the U.S. (which had become a dictatorship).  In these efforts, he proved himself to be a military mastermind, on a par with Manfeld (though their skill sets were somewhat different).

Romantically, Freddy's great love interest was Ellen, but during the course of his work he was exposed to many beautiful and captivating women, including Graciela, Yuki, Amazonia, and Anya - and Donna, who had come before Ellen, was never fully out of his heart.  The presence of these women, combined with Abu's nefarious efforts to sabotage Freddy's and Ellen's sex life with the insidious Impotence Transmitter (hidden, unbeknownst to the lovers, in a locket worn around Ellen's neck), led to cases of infidelity which strained their relationship, and threatened the future of the Eccentrics movement, which depended on that relationship to hold its conflicting tendencies together. (Freddy's political vision required Abu's technology to project it, while Abu's scientific virtuosity required Freddy's political skills to give it meaning and surround it with friends.)  Throughout the chronicle, Julius Abu and Freddy are at near constant odds with one another, with only Ellen's powerful influence over both of them preventing the movement from breaking apart.

FREDDY JR.  Freddy Simon Sanchez, Freddy's son by Graciela.  But for some time, until the truth is finally revealed, he believes it is another man's child.

FREE NEW YORK.  As a result of negotiations following the Battle of Vista del Mar between the Abuists and the U.S. Dictatorship, a special free zone is created in New York City where the people are allowed to form their own local government, no longer under the control of the Police State.  Free New York very soon develops a special connection with the Eccentrics movement.

FUQUAY OYO.  A Nigerian doctor/biologist who works with Gary and other researchers to tackle a variety of health issues in Africa, including the WPV. 

GABRIELLE.  The loyal French maid who helped Julius Abu to raise Ellen (and who also became his lover).  She was dearly loved by both Abu and his daughter, in their different ways.

GANDHI JULIUS WELLS.  Freddy's son by Ellen.

GARY.  Gary Gronika, a friend of Donna and former science student from N.Y.U. who was kicked out of their graduate program, and as a disgruntled, underachieving genius (perhaps?) becomes Freddy's friend in New York City before the Eccentrics adventure begins. The two later reconnect and Gary becomes an integral player in the Eccentrics movement.  He is socially pretty clueless, yet there is something very genuine and beautiful about him, if one can get past the boorishness and lack of grace. 

GEORGIE.  A Jamaican Rasta, living in New York.  A musician and a messenger, part of Donna's circle (through Marcia); he also becomes a friend to Freddy before the dictatorship.  Afterwards, he volunteers to join the VLA (the Eccentrics Army) and plays a role in the war to liberate Africa. 

G.F.U.  (Gravitational 'F***-upper'), a high-tech device invented by Abu which allows the local gravitational field to be disrupted as a defense against incoming bombs, artillery, and troops.

GLAZER, PRIME MINISTER.  British Prime Minister during the London Bomb Scare.  Displeased with his performance during the crisis, the British people oust him the first chance they get.  However, this is only possible because he refuses to follow the example of the US government, which used the threat of terrorism to permanently disable their democracy.  Glazer, on the contrary, lifts the emergency law regimen after the crisis is resolved, paving the way for his own political demise, but making that sacrifice in order to preserve something which is even more dear to him than his career:  the British political system.

GORDON.  A guitarist for the Dirty Dogs band/Foster's bandmate.  Very much a druggie.

GRACIELA.  Graciela Sanchez.  Originally, a Mexican student at UNAM (National Autonomous University of Mexico) and political activist with the MRV (Movement of the Living Revolution), a populist committed to social, political and economic justice.  Freddy meets her briefly as he is traveling through Mexico, and they are attracted to each other, before he alienates her by telling a lie to try to make himself more appealing to her; for at this time he is only a wandering hippie, with substance abuse issues and little to offer her.  Later, after he turns his life around my connecting with Ellen and Julius Abu, his path and Graciela's intersect again.  Graciela plays a crucial role in inspiring the Mexican people to reject a military coup at the same time that Freddy is helping Abu to beat off Mexican coupists, British commandoes and US dictatorship forces in the Battle of Vista del Mar.  Freddy later appoints Graciela his Latin American Bureau Chief, and with Graciela solidifies the Social Justice Wing of the Eccentrics.  Don~a Esmeralda, Julius Abu's aristocratic Mexican girlfriend (and later wife) is the staunch rival of Graciela, pitting her elite views against Graciela's popular vision at all times.  Graciela accompanies Freddy in his war to liberate Guatemala from a dictatorship backed by USD forces.  In the life-and-death heat of the struggle, they have an affair.  A child is born, and Freddy, believing it is the child of another man, sours on Graciela; but they retain a strained working relationship in spite of that.  After the war in Guatemala, Graciela continues to pursue social change in Mexico, in spite of Esmeralda's opposition, and also steps up to the plate to support a massive revolution in the 'Southern Cone' of South America which is in the hands of ruthless, pro-USD dictators.  Late in the chronicle, she and Esmeralda are forced to join forces as Mexico, itself, is threatened by the USD.

GRAVITATIONAL DYNAMO.  A device invented by J.H. Abu which is capable of generating alterations in the local gravitational field.  Alternately, a power generator which utilizes an enhanced gravitational energy field to produce electrical or mechanical energy.  

GRAVITY MINE.  A landmine which levitates enemy soldiers into the air.

GRAVITY PACK.  A personal flying device, strapped to the back or 'climbed into', which uses gravity manipulation as a means of achieving and maintaining altitude.  Other components are most often used to provide propulsion.  The devices have military applications, but Tina and Abu also use them for joyrides in the sky.

GREAT ONE.  A way of referring to Julius Abu, utilized by some of his private security forces.

GREGORIO.  A crippled Italian who is distraught by Abu's theory of cosmic reincarnation (a constantly relived life).  His plight becomes a symbol of the need of the HERE AND NOW to address the ills of the world immediately, and effectively.

GUERRERO.  A state in Mexico, scene of an extreme pro-capitalist experiment by Don~a Esmeralda, which is opposed by Graciela, who contests the massive wave of privatizations and dismantlement of social services enacted by Esmeralda. 

HALL, CHRIS 'BAGIPIPES'.  An early member of Abu's VLA, and a participant in the Battle of Vista del Mar.

HARPIES.  Flying sonic warfare devices utilized by Abu's army.

HOLOGRAPH PROJECTOR.  A military device used to create holographic illusions to confuse and mislead the enemy.  Advanced features allow the illusions to be particularly effective and sometimes combined with sound.  The projector becomes the special realm of the Chicano tech team from Aztlan.

IDEALISTIC RAZORBLADE.  An important neo-hippie band of the 1960s, especially influenced by the folk-rock of Bob Dylan, and spearheaded by the talent of J.J. Clark. 

IGLUK.  An Eskimo (specifically Inuit) physics professor, a friend of Peter Royal and member of the Adventure Club, who accompanied Abu on his expedition to the North Magnetic Pole.  Although he was quite in demand at the university, he was addicted to the old-style life of the aboriginal Eskimo, and belonged to a small Canadian group known for its survival skills as well as its sexual openness,  playfulness (have to stay warm some way), and delightful customs (except for prudes) which featured prominently in the expedition to the North Pole.  Like Royal, Igluk retains a sense of solidarity with Abu long after the conclusion of that expedition. 

INVISIBILITY FORMULA.  Exactly that:  a formula for rendering human beings invisible, invented by Julius Herman Abu.

ISHIMATSU, MR.  A powerful Japanese magnate, head of the Ishimatsu Corporation which is known for its accomplishments in electronics, robotics, machine-building, and various high-tech services.  Mr. Ishimatsu helped Julius Abu years ago to carry out a scientific expedition in the Sea of Japan, but there was a falling out, Abu believing he had been ripped off by the cunning Japanese businessman.  Nonetheless, the possibility of restoring their relationship was explored after Abu emerged from hiding and consolidated his position in Mexico; new contracts and understandings were then negotiated by Freddy Wells, in his capacity as Chief Eccentrics Diplomat, and the Ishimatsu Corporation subsequently became one of the principal suppliers of high-tech equipment and industrial machines to the Eccentrics' movement.  Besides its technical and industrial accomplishments, the Ishimatsu Corporation stands out for its unique business culture and unconventional (erotic) means for promoting worker productivity.  

ISHIMATSU BURROWING MACHINES.  Impressive underground burrowing vehicles created by Ishimatsu Enterprises from specs provided by Abu's tech team.  The machines are used to create an elaborate system of tunnels and underground highways for the Eccentrics and the VLA.

JAGUAR TANK.  The premier fighting tank of the VLA, employing many advanced features and decidedly superior to its US, Soviet, and European counterparts.   

JERRY DANIELS.  A Southern rocker, and original drummer of the Dirty Dogs band/Foster's bandmate.  He later leaves the band to join the VLA, and serves in various actions, including the African campaign, where his relations with Amazonia are 'interesting' and bumpy.

J.J. CLARK.  Leader of the Idealistic Razorblade band.

JOSE CARLOS ABU.  Julius Abu's son by Esmeralda.  Also known as 'Brillantithicus.'

JULIA SANCHEZ.  Lead singer and guitarist for 'Los de Abajo', a Mexican-American band which becomes associated with Aztlan and the Eccentrics' cause. 

JULIE MANKES.  A London dancer and personality in the counterculture, who introduces Abu to a world he had little knowledge of, and provides him with some joyful moments, as well as humiliating and disillusioning ones.

JULIUS HERMAN ABU.  A British mad scientist and founder of the Eccentrics movement.  See "Abu, Julius Herman."

JUNECTAF.  Joint U.N.-Eccentrics Task Force.  Various JUNECTAFs are created to deal with issues such as world hunger, international health, global environmental protection, resource development, etc.  Some of the most altruistic and important work of the Eccentrics movement is performed by its gifted scientists working with U.N. technocrats in the context of the JUNECTAFs. 

JUSTICE PRINCIPLE.  A Principle brought into being in the early days of the Abuist movement by Freddy and some others which was meant to give that movement a clear moral aim, steering it towards higher ground.  These guiding codes (along with enforcement privileges) were meant to reel in the more unruly elements of the VLA and to also limit Abu's own depravations in the early days, so that a socially constructive project might be built up from the raw foundations of his power.  The 'Clean Conduct Squad' was created to oversee the implementation and preservation of the Justice Principle. 

KAREN.  An actress friend of Donna in NYC.

KATE.  A NYC friend of Donna; a politically active progressive. 

KREBS, CLAUDEL.  An operative of British Special Services working under Sir Winthrop in an effort to track down Julius Herman Abu, then a fugitive from Britain wanted for the potential threat his technology posed to the world, as well as to answer for crimes allegedly committed on British soil before his disappearance.  Freddy encounters Krebs in the Mexican town of Vista del Mar at the very beginning of the adventure, just as his path is about to cross that of Julius Herman Abu.    

KURT CARLTON.  Director of the US Freedom Committee in Sweden, in charge with fostering policies which will support the restoration of democracy in the United States, protecting political prisoners and refugees, and forging links with freedom-loving nations around the world.

LONDON BOMB SCARE.  A political turning point in world developments, as a cell of radical Kurdish extremists threatens London with an atom bomb which has been smuggled into the city.  London is saved, thanks to the heroic commando work of Julian Charger, but not before civil liberties have been rolled back and tremendous damage and loss of life have occurred as a result of the ensuing panic, and the measures to control panic.  In the UK, civil liberties are eventually restored, but in the US, right-wing forces use the still fresh threat of terrorism to enact emergency provisions which convert the US into a police state, known to its opponents as the USD (US Dictatorship). 

LOS DE ABAJO.  A Mexican-American band associated with Aztlan and, later, the Eccentrics.  The name means 'the underdogs' or 'the ones who are down, or at the bottom.'  It mixes emotive rock with social content.

L.S.M.s.  "Light Switch Mines", landmines capable of being turned on and off, creating numerous tactical advantages for the defenders. 

M-4.  The Fourth of July Movement, a militant organization of US rebels and freedom-fighters seeking to overthrow the U.S. dictatorship by force.  They are based in Canada and operate clandestine cells within the US.  The US Freedom Committee disagrees with their methods. 

MAGNETIC RAILGUN.  Powerful high-tech artillery developed by Abu. 

MAHALIA.  AKA Sadie Robinson.  A young African-American woman who plays a major role in Mick's training course to 'become black', and later accompanies him to Africa.  She and Amazonia do not get along at all.

MALLUS, GENERAL.  A major military leader of the U.S. dictatorship. 

MANFELD, GENERAL.  A German officer, formerly affiliated with NATO, and son of a deceased Afrika Korps' officer.  He beat out a number of other 'interesting' candidates to win the position of chief military commander of the Eccentrics' army.  Although his attitude and history made many of those around him exceedingly uncomfortable, his military genius was undeniable, and his commitment to freedom and justice became increasingly evident as time went on.

MARCIA.  Georgie's girlfriend, and a friend of Donna.  She is a Hunter College student with a progressive social consciousness, and expertise in Caribbean politics and history.  

MARK REILLY.  Boyfriend of Sarah, most often in some faraway place of adventure.   

MARIO.  A Chicano mechanic from the Aztlan crew who becomes a specialist in operating and repairing holographic projection devices. 

MATDEVS.  Or MATS, at other times BIWTs, and still other terms.  Mind Altering Technology Devices, (Brain Influencing Wave Technology).  Devices perfected by Dr. Saduj and others which enable the mental states of human targets within a limited area of effect to be manipulated and altered.  In this way, the minds of enemy soldiers can be altered from aggressive and brave to passive and fearful, etc., etc.  It is also possible to induce temporary paralysis.

MATTER DISPERSER.   Matter dispersion weapons.  Devices which temporarily 'thin out' matter so that operatives can pass through solid objects, such as walls.

MAUD DONOVAN.  An Irish freedom fighter associated with the F.I.U.B.  She is regarded as an outlaw by many British citizens, and resented for her seduction of important British figures on behalf of the I.R.A. and F.I.U.B., her theft of millions from British banks, and her support of armed struggle in Northern Ireland.  She is a feisty and clever character, as charming as she is dangerous, and eventually connects romantically with Freddy's great friend, Barrie O'Donnell. 

MCELROY, REVEREND. The 'Reverend' part is applied jokingly.  McElroy is a hard-drinking, foul-mouthed, but spirited Irish military officer of the VLA from the early days on.  He is in charge of Abu's security at Vista del Mar, and later takes on other important military roles, as well. 

MCCRORY, RYAN.  An Irish peace broker, committed to bringing Protestants and Catholics together to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the conflict in Northern Ireland.  But it is not to be an easy task. 

MICK.  Michael Prince, the son of a wealthy businessman who has set up shop in a (New York) Soho loft and set out to become a famous writer, as well as a major revolutionary figure (he idolizes Che Guevara).  He has a crush on Donna Baum, and becomes Freddy's friend in the days before the Eccentrics movement takes off, although there is tension between the two due to their mutual interest in Donna.  Later, he joins Freddy in wars of liberation in Guatemala and Africa. 

MILENA.  A Yugoslavian beauty who helped to strengthen Abu's connection to Yugoslavia during his days as an outcast.  From Yugoslavia, Abu received valuable industrial parts and supplies. 

MINIATURIZATION.  Referring to Abu's ability to miniaturize objects (usually with the understanding that the process may later be reversed, and the objects restored to their normal size).  Yuki at one time has a pocket book endowed with this technology, and at a later time a suitcase. 

MODSAMs.  "Modern samurai", especially warriors trained by, or affiliated with, the culturally and technically revolutionary Japanese corporation "Ishimatsu Enterprises."

MOLE TANK.  An armored vehicle utilized by the VLA, provided with Ishimatsu burrowing components which allow it to tunnel under the earth. 

MT. ETNA.  The massive Sicilian volcano in which Abu constructs a secret military base and lab complex during the later stages of the Eccentrics adventure. 

MOWBRAY, DR.  The head doctor at Julius Abu's headquarters at Vista del Mar, Mexico.  He is a kindly, level-headed man whose humanitarian instincts are sometimes at odds with Abu's passion and fury.

M.R.V.  'Movement of the Living Revolution', Graciela's political organization and alternative to the ruling PRI (Party of the Institutionalized Revolution) in Mexico.

NEO-HIPPIE.  A musical and cultural movement of the 1980s, influenced by the counterculture of the 1960s, and determined to resurrect and re-create the transformative spirit of the Woodstock Generation in its own times.  There is tension between this movement and the rising Punk movement.

NEW YORK FOCO.  A group of New York bohemians and non-mainstream types brought together by Donna and Mick for the purpose of laying the seeds of a new urban culture in the U.S., which will foster progressive and cooperative values that will benefit both individual and society.  The experiment is cut short by the rise of the US Dictatorship. 

NONLETHAL WEAPONS.  Weapons which are capable of neutralizing threats by enemy troops without causing death.  Examples would be holographic projectors, MATDEVs, sonic warfare devices, etc.  Ellen is particularly interested in having such weapons integrated into the VLA, as part of her effort to humanize war (as a first step until it can finally be abolished).

NORMALIZATION ZONES.  Also 'free zones', or 'experimental zones.'  Areas within the dictatorial USA which are designated for political experiments in re-democratization; mostly this is for show, to gain international political capital, but there are temporary concrete benefits for the people living in these zones.

NRMM.  The National Redemption Militias Movement, a liberation group opposed to the new US police state, which believes in the use of armed resistance to restore democracy to America.  It is most often referred to as the M-4 Movement.  The US Freedom Committee is wary of supporting it, for fear that the M-4's actions may upset its own, more cautious re-democratization strategy.

O'HIGGINS, GENERAL.  A US military officer who deserts the USD (United States Dictatorship) Army, along with his troops, during the U.S. invasion of Mexico, and later becomes involved with the Free American Army, closely connected to the VLA, the Eccentrics Movement, and the US Freedom Committee.

PARTREE, STEVE.  A prominent neo-hippie musician of the 1980s.  Freddy knew him when he was just another struggling musician, serving as a dispatcher for the messenger company that Freddy worked for.

PASANG.  A Sherpa girl who marries Cholo.

PEARCE, LIAM.  An Irish scientist, and longtime ally and supporter of Julius Herman Abu. 

PEDIPULATOR.  A large robotic machine with arms and legs, which is controlled from within by a human operator harnessed to a mechanism which transmits his movements to the machine.  It vastly amplifies the capabilities of the human soldier.

P.R.I.  "Party of the Institutionalized Revolution', the ruling party in Mexico, which Don~a Esmeralda supports, and Graciela opposes with her M.R.V.  The P.R.I. supports Julius Abu's presence in Mexico (after reestablishing its position in the face of a military coup and a US incursion), and is shifting towards (or remaining entrenched in) a more conservative stance that is in line with Esmeralda Posada's and Abu's politics, in contrast to Graciela's leftist/populist orientation. 

QUILO, RAVINDRANTH.  An Indian professor and research scientist whose great ambition is to end world hunger by developing an efficient technology for creating food via industrial-scale photosynthesis. Abu and his technicians provide valuable aid to the brilliant professor, who is drawn into the Eccentrics movement.  Either a Hindu or (most likely) a Jain (why don't they just ask him?), Quilo's extreme dedication to life is difficult for his Western colleagues to fathom.  Many cultural clashes line the way of their cooperation.  When Ellen wishes to go to the Indian subcontinent on a great and multi-layered expedition, Dr. Quilo is there to help. 

RABEY, DWAYNE.  CIA chief of the US Dictatorship.

REVEREND.  See "McElroy, Reverend."

REVEREND LUKE.  A U.S. evangelical preacher who manifests the truly righteous and compassionate side of Christianity in America.  He is at odds with Jim Christian and the great, politicized televangelists who have supported the repression of democracy in America.  Although he does not agree with many aspects of the Eccentrics movement, he can still sit down and talk with the Eccentrics without hypocrisy or ill will, and is on the same page with them regarding the need to re-democratize America.  The big evangelical preachers who favor the dictatorship determine that Reverend Luke ought to be eliminated - if they can find a way get away with it.

RICK.  Rick Clemente, aka 'Chupaflor (Hummingbird)', a Chicano street muralist and artist from East LA, then Aztlan, who works with the Eccentrics as a holograph-projection specialist. 

RICKY.  Nickname of Eric Snyder, a young American man who Ellen meets in Nepal.

RIGO, TONY.  A major mafia figure with Sicilian roots. Abu first meets him in London, where Rigo runs several criminal operations.  At that time, Abu is in an unstable mental condition, and using his invisibility formula to commit a series of crimes for which he needs a collaborator who will be able to fence the stolen goods.  The two form a working relationship.  During those days, Abu is introduced to Rigo's daughter, Tina, who is a young child, and he delights her by making her wonderful high-tech toys.  Years later, after Abu has fled England, resurfaced in Mexico, and established a secondary base in Sicily, the scientist and the gangster and his daughter reconnect.   Rigo's main enemies, besides lawful international authorities, are underworld rivals Mr. Brain and Henry Blunt. 

ROGUE SNID.  An illegal continuation of the SNID, which remains in Northern Ireland after the British government officially pulls out of the struggle there.  No longer backed by Great Britain, the Rogue SNID forges new links with the US dictatorship. 

ROCKET SLED.  Sleds fitted with rocket propulsion systems and generally armed with high-tech weapons capable of being use against armored vehicles and aircraft, as well as infantry.  They are utilized by the Abuists in Antarctica and Canada. 

ROYAL, PETER.  A giant Danish explorer and Adventurer, who participates with Abu during his expedition to the North Magnetic Pole to study gravity and magnetism.  He is a member of the Adventure Club and a true eccentric in his own right, and retains a sense of loyalty to Abu long after the trip to the North Pole.

RUFORD, SCAR.  A Canadian adventurer, and leader of the Eccentrics' elite cold-weather units, whose prized weapon/mode of transport is the notorious rocket sled.  He participates in actions in both Antarctica and Canada.

RUPPRECHT, COLONEL.  A German subordinate of General Manfeld.  A competent military officer, though not of the same caliber as his boss. 

RUTHERFORD, VICTOR.  One of the main narrators of THE MARCH OF THE ECCENTRICS.  He is a British scholar, journalist and historian with a special affinity for the intricately written chronicles of the Victorian era:  a man not wholly caught up with modern times, somewhat ethnocentric, with an eye for detail and what is interesting, whether it is likely to be well-received in his own times or not.  He is an eyewitness to the making of history during the Eccentrics adventure, and his writing style also has a major effect on other narrators of the story. 

SADUJ, DR.  A brilliant scientist who works for Abu, developing an advanced form of lie-detector to help weed out informers and spies, and after that devices capable of altering human mental states, which can be used on the battlefield.  He excels at some of the more ruthless aspects of technology, and is a highly valuable, though somewhat unsettling member of the Eccentrics' team.  In Abu's Mt. Etna base, he becomes obsessed with Tina Rigo, who is very close to Abu (in the proper sense of a niece with her Uncle).  In spite of the vast age difference between them, Saduj tirelessly pursues Tina as a suitor, determined to wear down her resistance and make her give in to his advances.  Abu's defense of Tina from this inappropriate predation threatens to alienate the unpredictable Saduj, which could have grave consequences for the future of the Eccentrics movement. 

SANTA'S CHICK (AND THE EVIL ELVES).  A prominent neo-hippie band of the 1980s, featuring lead singer Val James.  Freddy and Foster saw them when they were still trying to break in, and performing in clubs in NYC.

SARAH.  Sarah Clancy, one of Donna's NYC friends.

SIR WINTHROP.  A prominent English bureaucrat and member of Britain's Special Services intelligence/commando agency, heading the Julius Herman Abu search-and-elimination department.  He is the agency's specialist on Abu, and Abu's most intractable enemy throughout.  It is surmised that his extreme hatred of Abu's nonconformity may have its seeds in his troubled relationship with his own brother, the notorious cryptozoologist and nonconformist Reginald Smythe.  Unlike the suave and skillful Julian Charger, Winthrop is sometimes bumbling, more enthusiastic than he is talented; but his tenacity is undeniable (and especially infuriating to Abu).

SMYTHE, REGINALD.  A zoologist from Cambridge, England, with paleontological expertise and cryptozoological interests.  He believes that pockets of dinosaurs still exist on the earth, as well as mammoths, Yetis, prehistoric ground sloths, and the Loch Ness creature.  His fanatical determination to find these animals which conventional science does not believe in estranges him from the mainstream, but endears him to the Adventure Club, in which he becomes a major figure.  Smythe's journey to the Amazon with the Adventure Club in search of dinosaurs is chronicled, as well as his participation in Abu's expedition with Peter Royal and Igluk to the North Magnetic Pole.  After Abu has been chased out of England, and finally, successfully, reemerged at Vista del Mar, Smythe and Abu restore contact.  All in the name of searching for cryptids (unknown animals), Smythe becomes embroiled in wars in Guatemala, Africa, and Nepal/Tibet on behalf of Eccentric forces. 

SNID.  The Special Northern Irish Detachment of British Special Services:  a high-tech, ruthless, elite unit created to beat back the gains of the IRA and FIUB in Northern Ireland. 

SOCIAL JUSTICE WING.  The elements of the Eccentrics movement most closely linked to Freddy, Graciela, and Kenneth Bouachiba, who wish to use the Eccentrics' influence and power to help overcome poverty and injustice throughout the world.  Abu and Esmeralda Posada distrust them, believing that technological advances will do more for the world than the S.J.W.'s  'revolutionary agenda.'

SONIC WARFARE DEVICES.  Devices capable of harrying or incapacitating enemy soldiers by means of sonic transmissions.  Utilized by Abu's army.

SPECIAL SERVICES.  A top-secret British intelligence and elite, high-tech combat organization.  Sir Winthrop is in charge of its special anti-Abu ops. 

STAGGER, ROGER.  A major right-wing evangelical leader and supporter of the USD.  He is an ally of Jim Christian, and at odds with the Reverend Luke. 

STOCKFORD, MORRIS.  A cryptozoological  partner of Reginald Smythe during their Himalayan adventure to prove the existence of the Yeti, or Abominable Snowman.  He knew Ellen when she was a child, and the two share some moving moments during their expedition in Nepal.    

SUZANNE.  Suzanne DeVries, the beautiful French mistress of Don Giovanni Rossolimo.  Suzanne is actually Ellen Abu in disguise and playing a role, in order to help conceal her father's identity while he is in hiding at Vista del Mar. 

TANABE, KAZUO.  Nephew of Mr. Ishimatsu, and a former Sumo champion.  He works for Ishimatsu Enterprises.

TANNENBAUM.  A mentally unstable actor, one of Donna's NYC buddies.  She is always struggling to keep him from 'completely losing it', which is a challenge.  Tannenbaum has a great affinity for the Eccentrics movement, and surfaces at various times throughout the chronicle.

THEONA.  Wife of the Duke of 'Winslow' (who is an influential supporter of Abu).  Theona is sexually interested in Abu, and willing to betray her husband to have an affair with him, but Abu is determined to remain loyal to his good friend, the Duke.

TIME DISTORTION.  Referring to Abu's ability to effect small-scale, local speed-ups or slow-downs of time.  In addition to its importance in the field of pure scientific research, the technology has important military applications.  As the power available to the time distortion generators is increased, dangerous consequences become increasingly possible.

TIME TRACKS.  History-trajectories, one of which is the one we experience, but many others of which are located alongside it as unrealized possibilities whose existence could be 'activated' by means of extraordinary inputs of energy.  However, to do so would require the replacement of the current 'central time track' by the new time track 'energized' to take its place as the primary experienced track.  Abu's advanced studies lay the groundwork for understanding this relationship.

TINA.  Tina Rigo, daughter of the notorious Italian gangster Antony Rigo.  She first met Abu when she was a child.  The famous scientist endeared himself to her then by making her beautiful high-tech toys, while cooperating with her father in pulling off a string of mysterious crimes in England.  Later, Abu was forced into hiding by British Special Services, and Rigo's life was, also, at times, forced to go underground.  Abu and the Rigos reconnect late in the Eccentrics adventure as Abu sets up shop inside Sicily's Mt. Etna, which is to be his key base in Europe.  There, Tina and Abu fall in love again (it is a beautiful, platonic, Uncle-niece relationship, with everything just as it should be).  Tina grows from Abu's knowledge and kindness to her, while her youth and spirit help to rejuvenate and delight the heavily burdened scientist. But then comes Dr. Saduj, whose inappropriate lust for Tina clashes with his extraordinary usefulness to the Eccentrics' cause, and leaves Abu in a terrible quandary:  for it seems he must either abandon Tina to the relentless courtship of Dr. Saduj, or else risk destabilizing his movement by upsetting a brilliant and dangerous colleague.

TONE DEAFS.  An important 1980s band.

TRANSMUTATION.  A term frequently employed in reference to technologies utilized by Abu to do just that: (e.g.) to convert sand and other common materials into precious metals and other rare substances for sale, or use in industry. 

TRUE BELIEVERS.  Another important 1980s band, part of the movement to mix music with social change a la 1960s.

TUNNEL SYSTEM.  A system of underground tunnels created for the Eccentrics by the Ishimatsu burrowing machines.  The system allows Eccentric forces to move, unharried, from strongpoint to strongpoint deep beneath the surface of the earth. 

UFAD.  United Front for the Restoration of American Democracy.  This organization is referred to, alternately, as the UFRD.  It pursues non-violent means of attempting to turn the USA from the police state it has become into the democracy it was.  Its activities are supported by the US Freedom Committee.

UFRD.  United Front for the Restoration of Democracy.  This organization is referred to, alternately, as the UFAD.  It pursues non-violent means of attempting to turn the USA from the police state it has become into the democracy it was.  Its activities are supported by the US Freedom Committee.

U.L. CRAFT.  Ultra-light aircraft, as in able to exceed the speed of light!  A high-tech invention of Abu which is more spectacular than practical. 

UMEZU, TAKAJI.  A former member of the Japanese Imperial Army who did not hear about the Japanese surrender in 1945, but remained in hiding in the jungles of the Philippines for years after WW II ended.  Only recently convinced to come out ('Yes, the war really is over'), he is recruited to become an officer in the Eccentrics' VLA, where he develops a close relationship with Mr. Ishimatsu, Yuki Onomatsu, and the Ishimatsu MODSAMs.  He also cooperates with Freddy in the war to liberate Guatemala. 

UNGAEEB.  The 'United Nations General Assembly Emergency Enactment Board'.  It is a creation of UN Secretary General Kenneth Bouachiba, who seeks to restructure the United Nations in order to prevent the will of the majority of the earth's people from being obstructed by recalcitrant superpowers in the U.N. Security Council. 

USD. US Dictatorship, the regime which replaces America, the democracy.

U.S. FREEDOM COMMITTEE.  An organization, based in Sweden and directed by Kurt Carlton, whose aim is to promote the restoration of democracy in the United States (which has become a dictatorship).

VALDAN~O, CARLOS.  A former Venezuelan military officer leading a guerrilla uprising against a pro-U.S. govt. in Venezuela.  He is popular among liberals and solidarity activists in the U.S. before and after the rise of the U.S. dictatorship.

VAL JAMES. Lead singer of the 1980s band 'Santa's Chick and the Evil Elves.'  A versatile and important performer who Foster has a crush on, disrupting her shows more than once with a combination of lewd/romantic behavior. 

VALERIE LEVIN.  A U.S. Marxist who attempts to convert Freddy to a radical socialist perspective after he drops out of the Davidson-Lewis Academy.  Freddy is too free-spirited and oppositional to be won over by her efforts.

VISTA DEL MAR.  A beach town on Mexico's Gulf Coast, in the state of Tamaulipas.  Once a haven for hippies and pleasure-seekers from the U.S., it has now been converted into the stronghold and command center of Julius Herman Abu and his Eccentrics movement. 

VLA.  The "Victorious Liberation Army", the official name of Abu's private army, later expanded to become the military force of the Eccentrics' movement. 

VODOLOVSKY.  The repressive top man of the Soviet Union, aggressive, domineering, and cunning.  Under his direction, the USSR rejected the efforts of internal reformers, and hardened its line, choosing to escalate its competition with the West rather than to pull back from it. 

VOGEL, SIGMUND.  A highly pragmatic member of the International Brotherhood of Scientists.  Abu resents him for being 'too political', for rejecting many of Abu's theories of social change, and for underestimating the potential world-changing clout of top-level research scientists.  Abu ends up driving Vogel out of the Brotherhood, an act which later causes him great guilt and regret. 

WELLS, FREDDY.  See 'Freddy Wells.'

WPV.  White Power Virus.  A gene-specific virus targeting blacks which is created by white power advocates in southern Africa in a desperate attempt to avert the possible coming of black majority rule.  Abu's biological research teams, spearheaded by Gary and Fuquay, fight against it.

WU, GENERAL.  A very tough and repressive Chinese general in command of the Chinese reaction in Tibet.  He threatened Ellen's project of improving the situation in Tibet, yet she did not give up the hope of being able to influence him to come to a humanizing compromise.

YERTLE.  Also 'YURTLE.'  Ellen's pet turtle, whose destroyed shell was replaced by an artificial one containing especially durable compounds.

YUGO-60s.  High-tech infantry rifles utilized by select units of the VLA.  Known for their amazingly ample clips employing miniaturization /re-expansion technology, as well as for their range, accuracy and power.

YUKI.  Yuki Onomatsu, a Japanese teenage rebel who paves the way for the ganguro movement with her colored hair, wild clothing styles, and unconventional behavior.  She has a desperate crush on Freddy, and throws discretion to the winds as she senses that a connection with him can save her from the destructive power of social rejection, and lead to an amazing collaboration that can change the world.  She and Freddy become 'connected', and she helps Freddy to feel alive again after his sexual failures with Ellen (which were secretly brought about by Abu's technology).  Yuki becomes a leading figure in the worldwide defense of Eccentrics' rights and the protection of nonconformists, and leads campaigns against bullying in Japan and around the world.  She is appointed a youth-culture specialist in the Ishimatsu Corporation, and develops a special friendship with the elderly World War II veteran, Umezu.  During the War for Charlie, she is promoted Admiral of the Eccentrics Navy, and leads the effort to save a New Zealand schoolboy from bullying.  She accompanies Ellen on Ellen's multi-layered journey to India, Nepal, and Tibet, in which they discuss enlightenment, politics, and Freddy, and in subsequent actions she directs Abu's army of Pedipulators and his North African centers of gravitational disruption.  Underneath her wild and seemingly distracted exterior, there is keen intelligence, a great will, and extraordinary sensitivity.   

YURI DECHEN.  Cholo's daughter by Pasang.

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