"If your new department is to become a reality, you must convince the men from the Ministry that you don't represent a threat to order and decency. You must arrange and edit your works to prove yourself entirely harmless."[2]
Established shortly after the Fall of London in 1862, the Ministry was originally founded to review and censor mail arriving from the Surface.[3] In its earliest days, it had only two members: Mr Pages, acting as its Minister, and the Efficient Commissioner,[3] who shouldered the majority of the Ministry’s operations.[4] Since then, it has grown into one of the most powerful and feared institutions in the city.
While the Ministry maintains strict control over written, spoken, and physical content, it is most notorious for its draconian regulation of the written word and confiscation of all manner of "indecent" books. It restricts the manufacture and ownership of printing presses,[5] requiring all publications to be submitted for evaluation.[6] Forbidden texts are often incinerated in the Ministry’s vault-furnaces,[7] which are heavily secured facilities to which only a handful of Auditors possess the keys.[8] Even private letters are not beyond the Ministry’s reach, as mail is routinely examined for subversive content.[9] Confiscated items are stored at various locations around London,[10] but the most dangerous are held at Hookman House, a heavily guarded and fortified archive.[11]
The Ministry additionally requires that public performances be licensed, either through official channels or through bribes,[12] and prohibits any open discussion of the Correspondence.[13] Its agents regularly patrol the University to monitor students and scholars.[14][15] Given the Ministry's vast network and relentless pursuit of censorship, the city's revolutionary elements will take any opportunity to undermine its efforts.[16]
Big Br- er, The Ministry Is Watching You
"A Special Constable at your door! The Specials serve the Ministry of Public Decency. One might say they are guardians against the final fall of night, or catspaws of Mr Pages. In either case, they are rarely good news."[17]
A variety of different agents and organizations enforce the Ministry's mandates. Decency Evaluators are infamous for their diligence in rooting out radical ideas, often resorting to burning any subversive material they uncover,[18] but they are not infallible and may be susceptible to bribery due to their low pay.[19]Censors conduct raids to destroy illicit literature,[20] equipped with cudgels, official stamps, and silver Ministry badges,[21] and have the power to raise criminal charges against authors.[22]
A Special Constable.
The Constables are also partially under the Ministry’s control, acting as an extended arm of censorship enforcement;[23] the Special Constables in particular are assigned to deal with the most dangerous of threats to society,[24] like red honey and unwarranted use of the Correspondence.[23] As if all this wasn't enough, the Ministry contracts private detectives to recover proscribed material,[25] and couriers to transport it securely.[26]
The Ministry's reach extends to other governmental and civic arenas. It keeps tabs on the Foreign Office,[27] assigns auditors to keep anyone without a permit out of the Bazaar's Side-Streets,[28][29] and performs inspections at Wolfstack Docks to root out any contraband beyond the pay grade of the Customs Service.[30] It oversees divorce proceedings,[31] forcing couples through a lengthy and grueling legal process before separation is allowed.[32][33][34] Lastly (but far from least), the Ministry has participated in the organization of major public events and institutions, including the Museum of Mistakes,[35] the Mayoral Elections,[36] and the Grand Clearing-Out.[37]
The Best Books... Are Those That Tell You What You Know Already
"'A mill makes grain. A factory makes – I don't know; socks and so forth. We make Britishness. A priceless commodity here in the heavens. It must be cradled, nurtured and nourished. Without it, we would lose ourselves.' He looks out of his window, unsettled. 'We are very small, do you see? And the sky is so very big.'"[38]
A volume of Ministry-approved literature.
In the Sunless Skies timeline, by 1906, the Ministry of Public Decency has been reestablished in a grand edifice in New London.[39] The Ministry still retains its original purpose of censorship, but it has gained an additional objective of upholding "Britishness."[40][41] Of course, such a concept is impossible to define clearly, but the Ministry tries valiantly nonetheless, through innumerable arbitrary decisions[42] and rigid adherence to tradition and "truth" (not facts, because "facts can point at anything").[43] Ministry officials aim their enforcement at all the same elements the law has always targeted, like revolutionaries, rebels, and striking laborers; but they also punish "the morally depraved" and anyone who speaks ill of the Empress.[44] Above all else, they are terrified of anything new, and all the novelties the High Wilderness has introduced to Londoners.[44]
The Ministry's new focus on nationalism has led to sweeping censorship of any and all literature; even the Bible[45] and Shakespeare cannot escape their clutches.[46] Surviving books are focused on Anglican values[47] like the virtues of labor[48] and so-called moral betterment,[49] and have been bowdlerized to the point of utter boredom.[50][51] Children's books may as well be a thing of the past,[47] and even instructional manuals have not escaped the censors, with potentially dangerous consequences.[52] With most of the Masters of the Bazaar left behind in the Neath or relegated to obscurity, Empress Victoria now has a say alongside the Ministry regarding which romantic content may be published.[53]
Historical & Cultural Inspirations
The strict notions of public morality in Victorian Britain are well-known and well-stereotyped. Many a comment has been made about exposed ankles and other scandalous notions in Victorian fashion, but there was also extensive literary censorship, a practice established through the Obscene Publications Act of 1857. This Act criminalized the sale of obscene material, and empowered courts to define, suppress, and destroy such material; this represented a significant institutionalization of moral oversight, for the sake of preventing the (so-called) moral corruption of the public. While pre-publication censorship was no longer an official practice in Britain after the Licensing Act lapsed in 1695, Victorian authorities continued to exercise control over published content through legal prosecution and public pressure. There were still strict regulations in the world of theater, however; under the authority of the Lord Chamberlain’s Office, dramatic works were subject to prior approval, and could be censored or banned outright if deemed inappropriate.
The latter half of the 19th century also saw a rise in xenophobia, especially in urban centers like London. Waves of immigration from British colonies, Ireland (after the Great Famine), and Russia (primarily Jews fleeing increasing violence) stirred broader cultural anxieties and contributed to a growing distrust of foreigners. Jewish neighborhoods in particular, like Whitechapel, became scapegoats for urban issues like a rise in crime and the infamous 1888 failure to stop Jack the Ripper. Victorian literature both reflected and reinforced xenophobic sentiments; the titular character of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897) has frequently been interpreted as an embodiment of fears of the foreign "other" invading and corrupting British society. Other printed media, like the magazine Punch, frequently caricatured and criticized immigrant communities, with Italian immigrants becoming a favored target.
While these two social issues did not appear to intersect historically to a significant extent, they do in Sunless Skies. In Albion, material associated with anything remotely "other" is suppressed, whether culturally alien or perceived as subversive: a concerted but futile effort to distill and preserve "British identity" by marginalizing and silencing all other views.
↑ 3.03.1Griz: Her Hallowmas Confession, Mask of the Rose"Did you know that he tried to have our department censor and review every single piece of mail that came to us from the Surface? Every piece. Our department. Which means Mr Pages... and Me. I told him that was madness, that there was too much to do. So he did begin a new ministry entirely, the Ministry of Public Decency."
↑Griz: Her Hallowmas Confession, Mask of the Rose"He is also the Minister of Public Decency. It does not yet have a staff. He has instructed me to take on the duties of the Ministry of Public Decency as well."
↑The book trade, Fallen London"The Ministry heavily regulates the manufacture and ownership of printing presses in London. [...]"
↑Play on the last scraps of the Auditor's conscience, Fallen London"He is convinced. […] His passwords open a wooden door, then an iron one, and finally a door of flint. […] Within, a clumsy hill of books is stacked like tinder: […] "Take what you must!" your mark hisses, urgently. You oblige."
↑Rob an outlying depository, Fallen London"This place has been forgotten. Most of the material here isn't worth that much, but there is an awful lot of it. On your third trip you bring a cart. It takes a few days to sift the good stuff out, but it is worth the effort. You finish with a creditable pile of forbidden books, scandalous journals and saleable secrets."
↑Light Fingers: The Hookman House Caper, Fallen London"Hookman House. The Ministry of Public Decency's archive of confiscated works. A library whose shelves are lined with razor-wire. Grim […] dogs patrol the corridors. The guards are carefully-selected; they must be both illiterate and cruel. […]"
↑'Obtain' licences from the Ministry of Public Decency, Fallen London"You fall back on the traditional lubricant for the wheels of bureaucracy. Precious objects, in substantial quantities. Irksome, but […] at least they're efficient. And you pick up some fascinating secrets in the careful pre-bribe negotiations."
↑A few quiet seminars, Fallen London"The Ministry of Public Decency has forbidden speaking about the Correspondence, but a few discreet meetings with masked scholars might be profitable."
↑Deal with the evaluators, Fallen London"If your new department is to become a reality, you must convince the men from the Ministry that you don't represent a threat to order and decency. You must arrange and edit your works to prove yourself entirely harmless."
↑Help plant an agent in the Ministry for Public Decency, Fallen London"You meet the revolutionaries' agent […] outside the Ministry […]. You introduce her as […] a […] clerk […] The Jovial Contrarian meets you afterwards. […] "[T]he Masters censor material […] [W]e will find out what that is...""
↑Bury it deep, Fallen London"The Men from the Ministry are disciplined and intellectually competent. […] You have judged it perfectly. The objectionable sections of your material exceed their grasp by inches. Your work shall not suffer their rough hands or their consuming flames."
↑Come to an equitable arrangement, Fallen London"Decency Evaluators are paid a pittance, but this one is too honest to bribe. Fortunately, you discover with a little digging that he has a desperate need for fine candles."
↑The Persona Engine, Fallen London"[...] We questioned the publisher and raided homes. Sometimes the owners weren't in – we'd enter regardless. [...]"
↑The Persona Engine, Fallen London"[...] His cudgel and his official censor's stamp hang at his side. As you near, his silver Ministry badge catches the gas-light. It glints. [...]"
↑ 23.023.1Talk about the other Special Constables, Fallen London""They work with the Ministry […] does good work too. Keeps the nightmares out of the streets, stops the things from crawling out of the wells […] it's Mr Pages' personal fiefdom. And they're his puppets […] she looks very like the Cheery Man."
↑An unmarked black coach, Fallen London"A Special Constable at your door! The Specials serve the Ministry of Public Decency. One might say they are guardians against the final fall of night, or catspaws of Mr Pages. In either case, they are rarely good news."
↑Escort duty, Fallen London"A senior diplomat and a veteran spy collar you beside the bust of Lord Palmerston. "Would you mind accompanying this month's reports to the archives at Decency?""
↑Turn back, Fallen London"Ministry Auditors prowl the fashionable streets here, looking for those who do not belong. You are unimportant to them. That makes you most unwelcome here."
↑Seek a divorce, Fallen London"Unhappy souls wishing to sever the marital bond may seek a divorce from Her Majesty's Courts. If the Crown - and the Auditors from the Ministry of Public Decency - are satisfied by your petition, they will dissolve your marriage."
↑Testify that love has faded, Fallen London"You present a written account to the Glowering Judge. […] At his request, you read it aloud. You speak of happier times. The Judge listens for any note of uncertainty in your voice. The Auditors examine your deposition for tear-marks."
↑Prepare your Theft from the Museum of Mistakes!, Fallen London"Very few are permitted to visit the Museum. It's the direct responsibility of the Ministry of Public Decency, which manages secrets too lethal or embarrassing or disgusting for public exposure. […] be very, very careful. […]"
↑Perform a Flash Lay - learn campaign secrets, Fallen London"The Ministry of Public Decency has assumed oversight of the Election. If you can pass as one of their senior officials, you will have both authority and excuse to go snooping about the three campaigns' headquarters.'"
↑The Grand Clearing-Out: An Announcement is Made, Fallen London"[..'.']And then, at the very bottom, in minuscule print: The Ministry of Public Decency reserves the right to inspect, confiscate, destroy, censor, censure, or condemn any items retrieved from Beneath London's Streets."
↑The Ministry of Public Decency, Sunless Skies"A huge, horseshoe-shaped building of white stone, white columns, clocks, and iron gates. Inside, its walls are panelled with dark wood. Crimson carpets – worn by frequent passage – flood the floors. Within its cubby-hole offices, auditors toil to protect the sensibilities of Londoners here in the heathen sky."
↑Ask what the Ministry does, exactly, Sunless Skies"We make Britishness. A priceless commodity here in the heavens. It must be cradled, nurtured and nourished. Without it, we would lose ourselves. [...] We are very small, do you see? And the sky is so very big."
↑The Ministries, Sunless Skies"[...] the Ministry of Public Decency (which curates the notion of 'Britishness' with the same care a lepidopterist uses to pin a butterfly to a board.)"
↑And who determines what constitutes Britishness?, Sunless Skies""Why, we do. In consultation with the most impeccable sources:" He indicates the beautiful books on his shelves, with a smile. "Spencer. Tennyson. Blake." Paine? You ask. Hardy? Mary Prince? "No," he frowns. "No, not them.""
↑How does the Ministry pursue its task?, Sunless Skies""Firstly, with the truth. Which is not, I must make clear, the same as 'facts'. Facts can point at anything, but the truth is straightforward. It puts us on the right path. "Secondly, by respecting and preserving our traditions. They are not quaint. They are not outmoded. They are tried and tested! After all, they brought us here, didn't they?""
↑ 44.044.1What does the Ministry consider an enemy?, Sunless Skies""Oh, the obvious, of course. Revolutionaries. Rebels. Strikers. The morally depraved. Those who besmirch Her Renewed Majesty's good name (God save her)." He rubs his chin, thoughtfully. "But there are newer, more seditious dangers, too. We stand in the vault of heaven, and we must defend our way of life against the enticements of the new. A thing is not more precious because it is strange. People forget that.""
↑ 47.047.1Provide books to a school, Sunless Skies"The children fall upon anything that's new. Their old book of morally-appropriate fairy tales has been read so much that its pages are now fragile as tissues. You spend an hour watching them read the new works (which mostly consist of sermons) [...]"
↑Lower unrest with patriotic literature, Sunless Skies"London produces a torrent of Ministry-sponsored pamphlets with titles like 'THE VIRTUES OF LABOUR,' 'THE SUN SHINES ON HARD WORKERS,' and 'TOIL FOR YOUR EMPRESS AS SHE TOILS FOR THEE.'"
↑Take tea with the ladies who brunch, Sunless Skies"Improving Literature for the New Generation is passed around the table like cards at a particularly vicious game of bridge. Clemence has underlined the passages she thinks Florence most needs to hear, whilst Jeremy has brought something of his own devising, likening the other members of the circle to the seven deadly sins."
↑Lower unrest with patriotic literature, Sunless Skies"Perhaps the literature has stoked the fires of patriotism, and inspired them to dutiful work. Perhaps it is so turgid that they have been reduced to a soporific obedience. The effect is the same."
↑Rouse him from his gloom, Sunless Skies"You leave a slim set of approved signalling manuals – stamped by the Ministry of Public Decency – on the galley table. Discovering them, the Signalman flicks sulkily through. First he tuts. Then he snorts. Then scoffs. "Look at this! They've classified all Scorn-Fluke spasms as 'displays of bravado'! And here – they've not distinguished between the red-chevron flags at Port Prosper and those at Lustrum. That'll get someone killed!""
↑A slim clasped box, Sunless Skies"It is a book of love poetry; a collection deemed both acceptable by the Ministry of Public Decency and Her Renewed Majesty."
