THE LUNAVERSE EXPLAINED: The Arian Calendar

Arian Calendar pic

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After my first disaster, which some might kindly call a "draft", it was suggested by my prime reader that I add dates. It wouldn't just help the reader with the timeline, it would help me as well. She was right, as she almost always is.

But there was a problem. My novel takes place well into the future, long after the sort apocalyptic cataclysm that lives in the back stories of most futuristic science-fiction (explaining to some extent the use of "N.E." instead of "A.D."/"C.E." . It would unrealistic, foolish, to think that civilization would still be using the Gregorian calendar of today's Western world.

The solution seemed simple enough. I'd have to invent one. Simple enough until you have to start doing it. One thing that would still be true, a year now will always be 365 days. Still, 365 doesn't divide into nice even parts. The Gregorian calendar has eleven months of 30 or 31 days, but then there's fucking February. Twenty-eight fucking days, and 29 every four! What the fuck is that? Surely I could do better.

The result is the Arian calendar (download available above), named for reasons I hope you'll soon read about. Still twelve months (each month a different name of course), each 30 or 31 days long. The second to last month, Endleofan, gets a 31st day every fourth year. Sorry, couldn't solve that pesky 1/4 problem...

I didn't change the seasons, mostly because there is little seasonal change in my characters geography. The seasons, are hot, hotter, hotter still and holy hell what the fuck is going on here? I do like the new year beginning with spring though. Don't judge me.

I've debated having this as an appendix in the novel, but I've had other readers since say the dates didn't matter to them. That might be that after this many incarnations, I've drummed out the chaos of the timeline. I'd like to think they are ultimately unnecessary, but helpful. And there's all that time invested...

Be well,

CWC