The Black Hand, vol.58
Greetings, my little May fiends! I’ve been in my edit cave for a month with the manuscript for NO ONE TO FEAR, and have now emerged –hunched and blinking – into the sun…Much has been left by the wayside, but I’m glad to be getting back to normal life and routine again. Speaking of normal routine, our May Live Q&A is happening this Friday 22 May at 8AM – this is the last time the Live is open to everyone, so get on that…
Human chimera whut
This is why I stay on social media, istg – someone posted about how DNA weirdness is weird, and cited the issue of human chimera. I had never heard of this so I dug around (as is my wont) and discovered that…omg, this is the perfect idea for a story, why has nobody told me about this sooner???!!!
So we all know that human DNA is fixed, like fingerprints, right? That’s been the basis of every crime scene analysis since DNA was first admitted for use in criminal court in 1984-85. Forensic DNA tests are solid on this principle and have been used countless times to get a verdict around evidence collected at crime scenes, which assumes that every human has a single set of identifying cell codes.
The only problem is…the principle might be wrong.
Turns out that in very special circumstances, some people can have 2 sets of DNA (I know, right?). It happens most frequently in people with what they call ‘vanished twin’ syndrome (sometimes called twin resorption) – which is basically when one embryo absorbs its twin in the womb, during the early months of development.
Sounds weird and gross, although it’s not that uncommon – it’s estimated to happen in up to 1 in 8 multifetus pregnancies, and nobody much notices because it happens so early. But it can have some weird side effects, such as teratomas (cystic growths containing different types of cells, including skin, hair, and bone) and – in more extreme cases – parasitic twins.
And also, it seems, it can leave you with 2 sets of DNA.
Genetic chimeras have cells from different genotypes – you can see it in flowers and ants and marmosets, where they have intermingled cell lines. In humans, it’s entirely possible to find someone who has a more than one cell line as a result of vanished twin syndrome. A human chimera can go their whole life not knowing that they have two sets of DNA; there aren’t many markers for the condition, unless you have eyes of slightly different colours, or different hair patterns on either side of your head.
But it sure as hell can complicate things if you’re trying to get a kidney transplant from a family member, as Karen Keegan discovered in 2002 when she had to undergo histocompatibility testing and realised her DNA was completely different to two of her three children…Or if you’re trying to prove the maternity/paternity of your kids, like Lydia Fairchild (also in 2002), who went to court to contest a charge of welfare fraud.
The other way you can get 2 sets of DNA? Have a bone marrow transplant!
This has been well-documented in an article about a guy called Chris Long who worked for the Washoe County sheriff’s office in Nevada. Before he had his transplant (to treat acute myeloid leukaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes), his colleagues in the forensics department asked if he’d volunteer to have his DNA recorded before/after the procedure. And what do you know, about 3 months after his transplant, the DNA of his blood had changed to that of his donor. Swabs of his lips and cheeks contained his DNA – but also that of his donor. Four years after the procedure, all the DNA of his semen had changed to that of his donor. Long had become a human chimera.
But what do you do if you’re investigating a crime in Alaska where the DNA found at the scene matches with someone who’s already in jail (unimpeachable alibi!) at the time the offense occurred? Then you find out if that person ever received a bone marrow transplant from his brother – the donor, who was eventually convicted of the crime.
Then, if you’re a forensic scientist, you acknowledge that DNA is not as infallible as you think.
And then, if you’re a crime writer, you NOTE ALL THIS DOWN FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, lol.
May Live Q&A
It’s happening this Friday 22 May at 8AM AEST (I haven’t heard that this is a bad time for anyone? If it’s bad for you, please lmk and I can work out better timing)
Notifications will go out tomorrow, with a reminder and a chance to add your questions to the Q&A chat, and another notification will let you know when the recording is happening.
And yes, I’m keeping it open again for one more month – so all subscribers can attend. But this is that last time it’s open slather, so if you’d like to attend next month, hit that Nailbiters sign upppp.
NO ONE TO FEAR progress update
I’m excited for this book! I shared an excerpt in Nailbiters this month, because it’s very alive in my brain right now.
Simon gets to show off some new super-skills, while continuing to figure out whether he’s still a monster at heart…Nomi gets to discover a little more about the care and feeding of her domesticated (is he though?) serial killer neighbour. There’s a lot of callbacks to All Shall Mourn in this book, although it’ll read fine to people who’ve never hit that story (you haven’t read it yet? Go forth!) and yes, there is a significant amount of sexual tension between our two MCs – you know I love writing those parts 😊 – all during the Christmas/NY celebrations of 1987-88.
The book still has to go through 2 more rounds of dev edits, a copyedit, and a proof – and we still need a cover. That’s definitely happening over the next few months, so I’ll keep you apprised of milestones.
Self-Publishing Bootcamp
I’m gonna be in Brisbane to teach a Self-Publishing Bootcamp weekend with Queensland Writers Centre in Brisbane on 13-14 June, so if you’re in my class, please wave!
Melbourne ComicCon
Also gonna be haunting Artist Alley at Melbourne ComicCon on 6-7 June, and I will most certainly have copies of all your faves, including All Shall Mourn and No One Is Safe, so please come say hi!
NONE SHALL SLEEP college band AU
Like seriously this is the best thing that’s happened to me all month 😂😭
So I don’t get a lot of fanart for the None Shall Sleep series (why? I don’t know, but I guess fantasy/romantasy lends itself to pretty artwork, and blood dripping books, less so) but this month an IG user called @loopytunezzzz has been making fanedits of the books and I love them SO MUCH, I cannot even tell you. This one in particular, which is a fanedit of all the None Shall Sleep characters as members of a college band, is really pulling at my heartstrings omg:
Like the caption says, I read this amazing fanfiction once (back in my own fic-writing days, dear lord) which was a The 100 fic called “the feelgood hit of the summer” by disco_vendetta (brinn) – which is also, in keeping with the theme, an AU fic from the perspective of a Rolling Stone reporter writing an article about the (main characters as) members of a successful indie band. Not only is it an amazing The 100 fic, it’s an amazing piece of writing whichever way you slice it. If, like me, you have any love in your wizened old heart for The 100 (justice for Bellamy Blake, btw, now and forever), then go read it, I guarantee it’s a great time!
But otherwise, please go check out loopytunezzzz vids – their sapphic Emma/Kristin vids are incredible, their AU band edits are incredible, basically all their stuff is incredible, I rec it hard 🖤
Widow’s Bay
I’m watching it! It’s really fucking good!!
A friend asked me if it’s too scary and I was like “um YEAH” (especially episode 2 holy shit) but also I guess it’s not as scary as something like Welcome to Derry? But the thing I like most about it is that it’s batshit weird and it goes hard both ways, so the comedy is genuinely funny and the horror is genuinely scary. Call it “if Jordan Peele rebooted Northern Exposure” and you’re about there.
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Okay, that’s it – I’m completely tapped out. I have what a friend described as “decision fatigue” from working out which sentences/words/paragraphs go where (or should not go anywhere at all), and now I just want to lie down and eat corn chips in bed while reading the new Murderbot book Platform Decay (it’s out, it’s out, this is not a drill!). Mostly, I want to rest my typing hands, which have kinesiology tape on them at the moment (another reason why I’m enjoying the Live! I just get to be embarrassing with my mouth instead of my hands! whoops, that sounded…kinda obscene, sorry)
ANYWAY - have an excellent week, stay cool, and I’ll catch you either on Friday or next month.
xxEllie