Hyde Park Sydney
Hyde
And
Seek
For the longest time, author Cadance Bell intended to set some of Letters to Our Robot Son’s most thrilling chapters in Hyde Park. While the location would later move just down the road to the N.S.W. Art Galleries, Hyde Park and St Mary’s Church are still alluded to in the novel, and inspired some of the landscape descriptions of inner-Sydney.
The War Memorial & Underground
Author Cadance Bell’s original intent was to use the extensive tunnel system below Hyde Park, including the Museum and St James stations, as well as the war memorial as the home of the Knowers.
However, she intends to set another book in development, Monster St. James, in Hyde Park, and wanted to save the locations up for that novel instead.
A trip to the war memorial is well worth the journey, for its powerful imagery and hidden details. Of particular interest is the centrepiece sculpture of the soldier laid out on his shield, supported by the hand of a woman.
St Mary’s Church
The original planned home of the Sons of the Acolytes, St Mary’s is a grand catholic church for lovers of stone architecture.
Being across the road from Hyde Park certainly helped make it a top pick, though ultimately author Cadance Bell settled on the O.G. Art Gallery of New South Wales instead.
Of particular interest for Cady was the sculpture of St Mary teaching children to the side of the church. An entire scene, ultimately scrapped, was planned around it.
The church is still briefly mentioned in the book, as the place where robot Frankie saves someone during a brief flashback.
