This is a Canadiana passion project that will follow my web series, The Last Coffle.
It is a modern take on a Canadian classic: James De Mille’s A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder (1888).
This novel was the subject of my masters thesis at the University of Calgary. So I am uniquely familiar with the topic.
Synopsis
This story takes place years after the Lagina brothers and Prometheus Entertainment left Nova Scotia, having given up their search for the fabled Treasure of Oak Island.
Four minor celebrities in a polyamorous marriage, all with academic and/or entertainment backgrounds, have recently purchased the historic property to do their own reality show called Island Renos.
During construction, on a corner of the island not explored by the Laginas, they accidentally unearth a large diameter copper pipe that leads into a sealed chamber.
They believe that they have found the treasure of Oak Island and are planning a big social media reveal.
Their producer, however, is afraid that this one-shot-lark will make their Island Reno show a joke.
In order avoid the risk of looking foolish, the decision is made to open the chamber and see what is inside.
All they find inside the chamber is a manuscript, purportedly penned by James De Mille.
As they read through this strange manuscript, they debate its origins—each drawing on their own backgrounds and experiences.
One insists it is a fake, left behind by the Laginas. Another believes it is genuine and debates its proper genre. Another debates its meaning. And so on.
However, as the four read on, they realized that the story makes reference to some of the artefacts found by the Lagina brothers a century after De Mille’s death.
Thus, the mystery of the manuscript deepens. As they continue reading through it, they begin to wonder if the story they are reading is fact or fiction.
I could honestly care less if anybody ever reads Strange Ms. This is going to be SO MUCH FUN to write.