Salvage and Demolition

One of the frequently referenced items in this story is an Ace double published in, or just before, 1957 with Seconds of Arc on one side and What Vast Image on the flip side. Both stories are by Daniel Gropeshaw. Later in the story we learn the author name is an anagram, and a pseudonym, for Sophia Greenwald. While Salvage and Demolition author Tim Powers often weaves his stories around established facts, Sophia Greenwald is apparently fictional along with her stories.

Page 6 of the Subterranean Press edition has a black and white photograph of the contents of a cardboard box that includes a copy of the Ace double "Seconds of Arc" by "Daniel Gropeshaw." The cover on the book shown in the photograph is the same as the one for the story A Man Called Destiny in the Ace double D-311. The photograph also shows the book's spine with "What Vast Image" being visible as the other title though the artist forgot to flip it. Page 13 describes the flip side of the fictional Ace double as "green and yellow—giant lizards chasing men in a jungle with What Vast Image in lurid lettering across the top." This description does not match the flip side of Ace D-311. Assuming it's not entirely fictional, the author may be describing the cover of The Mind Monsters on the Ace double G-602 or Eye of the Monster on the Ace double F-147.

While the story regularly refers to the character name "Sophia Greenwald" she introduces herself as "Sophie Greenwald" on page 43 and is occasionally addressed or referred to as "Sophie" in the story.

Amazon Kindle's page count 160. Data from Amazon.com as of 2014-06-26.