Friday, June 05, 2009

Research


I've been looking for a place to use this bit of business for a while, and found a scene in the current book-in-progress today, an assassination sequence set in the lush gardens of Bogor, Java. Behold, the tropical plant called the Corpse Flower.

I came across this a while back and filed it away. It is a beautiful, huge plant, one of the largest of all flowers, and so colorful. (Look at the little sign at the bottom, you get a sense of scale. )

A gorgeous thing. It also smells like a rotting body in the hot sun, which is how it got its name.

Is this a great planet, or what?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"..an assassination sequence set in the lush gardens of Bogor, Java."

that's very close to my home.. :)
Btw, I've read your blog for sometime and enjoy it very much..
Just want to say Hi.. from Bogor.
Thanks,
M.M

Steve Perry said...

When the book comes out -- if I can sell it -- you can lemme know how accurate I was. (I have a silat guy who has been there a number of times who is backstopping me on it, and I'm not getting too detailed.)

Bobbe Edmonds said...

And in the Sumatran jungle, it's just as likely that smell is an actual rotting corpse as it is a flower...

Anonymous said...

I tried to find your book in Jakarta bookstores, but apparently they dont have any yet..
I found one book from Mr. Barnes though..
Could ask from Amazon but the shipping cost is as much as the book..

Till then, I think I could contend myself with reading some bit from your blog..
If you need help about any particulars about Bogor, let me know.. :)

M.M