The Archaeologists’ Guide to Reading the Culture: A Farewell to Iain M. BanksAn Archaeologists’ Guide to Iain M. Banks

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Administrator

Iain-M-Banks-near-his-hom-007Last Sunday (June 9th 2013) Iain M. Banks, one of my favorite authors of all time passed away. This was not a surprise.  He had announced he had late stage cancer earlier this year, but that does not make it any less sad.  Since his announcement in April, I had been readying articles to publish in this case, but really now that it’s happened they seem pretty lame. After all, all they did was either praise him (duh), or make a big deal about how he showed me that Science Fiction could be written in a ‘literary’ style, with attention paid to the flow of language as well as to the ideas held therein.

So, instead of saying this badly (like I just did), I decided to honor him in a different way…[1]

waspfacotryFirst, however, for those of you who don’t know, Iain M. Banks was a versatile and talented author who wrote both marvelous ‘literary’ works[2] and some of the most vivid and imaginative speculative fiction to date. For a review of his life, it would probably behoove you to read any one of the numerous obituaries and discussions of his literary influence that are now appearing in print and on the web. One such obituary can be found in the Guardian while a very good discussion of his literary legacy one can be found at io9. For a more first hand and personal view into the man and his writing, see this interview he performed for The Open University.

IainBanksComplicityEarlyFor my part, however, I have decided to honor him by providing a list of the order in which readers might best be introduced to his works.  It is, after all, the one question I get asked about in regards to the late great author than anything else.  Even so, it is just a suggestion and one of the best things about Banks, one of those elements that shows how talented he really was, is that you can pick up any of his stories, even his Culture series, and find a complete, whole story there in.

So, let’s start with his literary works which are, in one sense, the most easily addressed. 

20121016035629!IainBanksTheCrowRoadNot surprisingly, Banks’ literary library can be read in pretty much any order.  I will, actually, be reviewing some of these over the next year, as that while traditionally shelved in the Literary section, they could technically be shelved in the Mystery section just as easily. So, I won’t even really bother discussing these yet, other than to say that my favorites are probably The Crow Road, and Complicity. His first novel The Wasp Factory, won a bunch of awards and The Bridge is high on my to-read list.  I have yet to read any of them that I didn’t like on some level, however, so you can’t really lose there.

Banks’ Science Fiction:

As said earlier, his Science Fiction can also be read in any order, even The Culture series.  Every single one of his books is a stand-alone novel.  You do not need to know anything about any of the earlier books and, for the most part, even the later books do not contain any real spoilers of the earlier books.[3] Therefore, if you find yourself in an airport bookstore and see his any of his books, pick it up![4] After all, you have to start somewhere and while I have a list provided below, it really doesn’t matter. In general, however, if you have a choice when it comes to the Culture series, start with the earlier works. If they are not in stock, however, pick up which ever ones you can get your hands on. You can enjoy any of his works at any point in the sequence.

cupcakesCultureEven so, while I do think that while his Culture series can be read in any order, there are some books that are easier books to start with, and others that are best read towards the end of the list. Indeed, I would certainly say that his first eight Science Fiction books could be read in any order, and that the later Culture ones are best read afterwards to better enjoy them.

But, that brings up a point.  I keep talking about this Culture thing… [5]

The Culture is an ultra advanced, galaxy spanning post-need utopian civilization whose citizens lead an arguably hedonistic life free of concerns.  Governed by a series of hyper-intelligent artificial Minds (they are to Artificial Intelligences as humans are to single cell organisms), the citizens of the Culture, mostly human (though not from Earth) live as long as they wish, have backups of their memories in case they die, can change shape (and sex) at will (even to things that have no resemblance to human, or even animal life), can gland whatever drug or feeling they desire and can, in essence, do whatever they please.

The Culture is not, however, alone in the galaxy. In order to ensure the safety of their society, and influence others to follow a similar path, they have an organization known as Contact, and its somewhat shady covert operations division: Special Circumstances.  With human and hyper intelligent robots called Drones as their operatives, and Minds calling the shots, Special Circumstances directly and indirectly influences the politics and other social development of societies around them.

What is most interesting about the Culture, however, is not the ultracool concepts of Minds and Drones, nor even the clever dialogue and concepts they put forward, but rather the subtleties of the way Banks presents his characters.  Though one could read some of his societies as utopian, even the Culture, also serves as a dystopia; it is a world populated by hipsters desperately seeking something to make their lives meaningful.

Obviously the Culture is his most fleshed out world; it is a fascinating example of how one can both stretch one’s imagination while also addressing social and philosophical concepts.  It does this, however, without hitting one over the head.  Indeed, one can ignore the more heady concepts all together and just read his books as ripping yarns.  That is why I love his writing, and that is why I am so sad that he is gone.

Yet having said all of that, I’m not so sure that reading one of his Culture novels is the best place to start.  They are, as a collection, his greatest set of Science Fiction works, yes, but would one suggest you begin reading Tolstoy with War and Peace? I for one would suggest starting with A Day in the Life of Ivan Ilych or How Much Land Does a Man Need?

To that end, I would probably suggest starting Banks with his collection of short fiction:

State of the Art, Iain M. Banks (Orbit)

iain-banks-state-of-artThis collection of short Science Fiction stories has the appeal of providing bite-sized insights to Banks’ style and imaginations.  In some ways it is skewed because his best work, even his literary stuff, is done on a large canvas.  Even so, the short form gives the reader a chance to dip their toes into the literary pool and test the waters.

Some of the tales are set in the Culture; most are not.  If you like short stories and are unsure about Science Fiction or the darkness that fills many of Banks’ tales, this is probably the best starting point.  Even though I generally prefer novels in which you can immerse yourself fully in the imagination of an author, this is a brilliant book.

Alternately, you might want to start with:

The Algebraist, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2005)

TheAlgebraistThe Algebraist is not a Culture book, but is one of my favorite books by Banks. It is filled with wonderful descriptions, fantastic aliens, great characterizations, and brilliant prose.  I truly enjoyed the book both as an adventure tale and as a thoughtful examination of identity and our view of the other.

After these, you could read any of his non-culture books in any order,[6] but perhaps now would be the best time to dip one’s toes into The Culture.  To that end, many suggest that you begin with Consider Phlebas.  It was, after all, Banks’ first Culture indeed, first Science Fiction novel, but while it is brilliantly written, it is not necessarily easily accessible for every reader.  It is crammed with ideas and showcases much of Banks’ more rambling literary style, which I love,[7] but may not appeal to all.  It is also quite long.

To that end, I would suggest starting with:

The Player of Games, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1988)

Player of GamesThe Player of Games is Iain M Banks second science fiction novel, and the second installment in his Culture series, though obviously it need not be read as a sequel.  The reason I suggest this as the best starting place for the Culture series, is that Player of Games one of his shortest, and for me, his most accessible books.[8] The story is also somewhat straight forward, for Banks anyhow, which helps. It is the story of Jernau Morat Gurgeh, the greatest game player the Culture has to offer. When, much to his surprise, Gurgeh is recruited by the nefarious Special Circumstances branch of Culture’s Contact wing to play a game unlike any other, he discovers that he needs all of his skills and more if he is to win. Winning this game, however, is more important than any he has played before: if he wins he will rule the Empire of Azad, but if he loses he could well die.

This book not only contains some pretty cool action and sci-fi stuff, but also introduces the reader to the workings of The Culture, not to mention Banks’ flow of language, incredible ideas and interesting commentaries on socio-cultural imperialism.  Having said that, there’s some pretty cool sci-fi stuff and action as well.

After this, you might want to step over to another non-Culture book,[9] like:

Against a Dark Background, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1993) 

AgainstDarkBack2Against a Dark Background was Iain M. Banks‘ fourth Science Fiction Novel, and his first not explicitly set in the Culture universe. It is a marvelously interesting read, with strangely dark humor and filled with wonders from Banks’ vivid imagination.  While not as dark as Use of Weapons or Complicity, it certainly has its fair share of grim humor and deep overtones.

The plot revolves around Lady Sharrow and her hunt for the last remaining Lazy Gun, the only weapon ever invented that demonstrates a sense of humor.  Created by a lost civilization, no one understands how these guns work, only that when fired they frequently destroy their target in a random way whose ridiculousness is inversely related to the size of said target.  Thus, target a city and it will probably just blow up, but shoot a person and it will probably kill them in a manner more commonly seen in Bugs Bunny.  Prepare for anvils from the sky, giant electrodes popping out and electrifying them, or the like.

Funny, dark and thoughtful, this is an excellent book for anyone who likes science fiction.

Then… well then it is probably time you start in full force into The Culture. You could very readily read any of his first eight Science Fiction books in any order.

I, however, would probably go to the book that started it all:[10]

 Consider Phlebas, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1987)

considerPhlebasOne of the best Science Fiction books I have read.  It launched Iain M. Banks’ Culture world/series and demonstrates that good Science Fiction can stand up to any other form of literature. Indeed on a literary scale, I would say that it remains one of his best books.
A dark tale told from the point of view of an opponent of the Culture, it was inspired by the Iran-Iraq War and examines a material humanist society at war with a theocratic one.  It is tale of Horza, a mercenary assassin sent on a mission to kill or capture a Culture Mind that is stranded on a planet under the protection of a civilization as technologically far above the Culture as the Culture is above us. Filled with fantastic imagery, ideas and adventure, it is an exciting tale with a dark and contemplative nature.

After that, I would move on to my favorite of all of his books:

Use of Weapons, Iain M. Banks (Orbit) 

use-of-weapons-coverThe third of Banks‘ Culture’ novels, Use of Weapons ranks up in my favorite books of all time.  It is a tremendously dark tale told in an alternating, dual time frame manner, with one set of stories moving forward and the other moving backward in time.  As one reads it, one uncovers the dark secrets and horrible past of the books’ main characters, and exactly what a weapon can be…

Like all of Banks’ novels, this is a stand alone book and in no way requires the reader to be familiar with any of his previous works. Furthermore, it not only has a compelling storyline set in a beautifully described and imaginative world, but is told in a manner that highlights this award winning author’s literary talents.

After the total darkness that is Use of Weapons, one might want to turn to another Non-Culture book, like the very one I have previously-warned-you- off-of:

Feersum Endjinn, Iain M. Banks (Orbit)

IainMBanksFeersumEndjinn“Count Sessine is about to die for the very last time….” With a tag line like that, how wrong can you go? Well, though I love it (and it was the second Banks’ book I ever read, this book is not one for those who don’t like to work at their reading.  Indeed, it is not for everyone.  You HAVE to already have come to appreciate and trust him as a writer.

Feersum Endjuff has a complex multi-perspective post-post-modern form of narrative that includes one character’s point-of-view, written in a first person quasi-phonetic form that approximates a regional  working class British accents (e.g. the title of the book might have been spelled Fearsome Engine). It ain’t easy to start with, but as one reads on what began as a headache becomes one of the best elements of the book, and makes one think about language and what it implies to us about the speaker. I should note that once one is used to the phonetic and text-speech spelling in parts of the tale, it reads like a Ripping Yarn.  As such, its very language makes one think about social identity and class assumptions.

I highly recommend Feersum Endjinn to anyone who is looking for an intellectual teaser wrapped inside a good solid adventure.

After that, I would go back to the Culture with one of my favorites, and, in fact, the first Banks’ book I ever read (talk about starting in the deep end):

Excession, Iain M. Banks (Orion, 1996) 

excessionExcession is Iain M. Banks‘ seventh science fiction novel, his fourth that is definitively set in the Culture universe, and possibly my second favorite of his books.[11] It is an innovative tale told primarily from the point-of-view of the culture Minds.  Though it is a stand-alone novel, it is probably not the best book to start with if you haven’t read a Culture novel before. After all, starting the point from hyper intelligent AI’s with layers of agendas may prove to be a bit of a block to slipping easily into the world he has created.

If you are familiar with his Culture books, however, Excession is a wonderful insight to the inner workings of the most fascinating of Banks’ creations.

Inversions, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1998)

IainMBanksInversionsThough I do not feel that Inversions Iain M. Banks‘ best work, it is a very good book that can be read as a variety of different subgenres, and serves as a companion piece that plays very well against Excession.

Inversions shows no Minds, no Drones, no knife-missiles.  Indeed, if you like, you could read as an excellent High Fantasy Novel.  The actual word-smithing of this novel is amongst the best he has composed, and the ideas he grapples are great, but perhaps the concepts he is trying to portray are just too large for a single volume. Regardless, if you like Speculative Fiction, I think you will enjoy this book.

And here at last, we come to the CHANGE in his writing.  Oh no, not his style or concepts or anything like that. Rather, it is at this point that I think an actual ORDER to reading his books should be adhered to.  Well, maybe no an order, per se, but rather I would say that the second half of the list is really best read after the first half.  Indeed, one could argue that Look To Windward could be the best book to end on.

To that end, the next I would read is likely:

Matter, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2008 {UK}/2009 {US})

200px-Iain_banks_matter_coverIf I were to skip any one of Banks’ Culture books, I would skip this one.  Matter is just not one of Banks’ best offerings.  It has strong characters living in a well developed universe and a rich and complex plot that avoids being convoluted. It does, however, have one of the most obscenely Banksian set of sentence structures I have ever encountered. Really, sometimes no matter how good or successful and author is, they really need an editor who will slap them down.  In this case, despite the fact that Banks’ flow of language is one of the strongest elements of his writing, I felt he let his writing get away from him just a tad.

Regardless, though I feel this is his least successful work of science Fiction, I still gave it a Gamma (A Good Book to Read), which means even at his worst, Banks was better than most.

After this, I would highly recommend picking up:

Surface Details, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2010) 

Surface_Detail_Hb_500x775Though again, Surface Details is not the best of his novels, it’s better than Matter and quite a bit of a ripping yarn told in a post modern manner.  In brief, it is a multi-perspective piece examining events surrounding a virtual war taking place in a virtual Hell.  Central to this is the saga of Lededje Y’breq, a woman from outside the Culture who is tattooed on a genetic level to display her status as an indentured servant.  She, quite rightly, is seeking revenge against her previous owner and murderer.[12]  It has good action, good characters (mostly) and though it never raises to the quality of his best works, Surface Details remains an enjoyable read throughout. It does, however, gain considerable value when read in conjunction with:

The Hydrogen Sonata, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2012)

HydrogenSonata_UK9For me, The Hydrogen Sonata was the companion piece to Surface Details, and I have no doubt there is little coincidence that these two books were written at the end of his life.

Whereas Surface Details focuses on the morality of Hell, The Hydrogen Sonata focuses on the other end of the afterlife.  The story centers on the Gzilt, a humanoid species of reptilian origin who were deeply involved in the set up of the Culture but never joined, who are only days away from Subliming.[13] Sadly, the Gzilt, however, are having some problems and… well… to understand that, read the book, or at least read my review.

As a whole, the book looks at morality, life after death, and the concept of rewards in the world beyond.  In this, it succeeds brilliantly as a book.  Where it failed just a tad is the same place I struggled with Surface Details; it somewhat turns Minds into superheroes… but I cover that ad nauseam in my actual review.

Having said that, I would rank both The Hydrogen Sonata and Surface Details as Betas if they are read as a paired set that somewhat sum up Banks’ view of religion and, maybe even life as a whole.  To that end, if you read these as the last of his works, you might be well off.

I, however, think that perhaps to give a full circle to his writings as a whole the best book to end on is:

Look To Windward, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2000) 

looktowindward1Despite the fact it was not his last book, or even his last Culture book, Look to Windward really does close out the series quite nicely.  While it is not his best work, it brings to conclusion some elements that he began in Consider Phlebas and addresses the ends of things on all sorts of levels. I may go back and re-read it now.

So.  That’s it.  It doesn’t matter what order you read them in, but read them.  Banks’ helped raise Space Opera and Science Fiction as a whole in both its use of language and general style.  For those who criticize Sci-Fi as simplistic in themes (huh… what do they know?) or use of language (well, there they may have a point), I turn them to Banks.

Thank you and goodbye to Mr. Banks.  My deep condolences to those who truly knew you and whom you left behind.

[1] Regular readers will note that this article is similar to one I wrote in April when Banks’ first announced his illness.  In that one, I listed his Sci Fi works in the order he published them and produced links to my reviews.  Because, as I state here, I keep getting asked for a list of what order to read them in, I wrote this article, but it doesn’t say a huge amount that’s new.  Hell, I’m an academic by training and yes, we do roll out the same articles time and time again with just a few tweaks… so sue me.

[2] I keep using quotes around this because this term suggests that somehow, other genres are not literary – that they are somehow less valuable.  This is not the case.  Indeed, the very foundations of literature come from imaginative speculation… and while I would not qualify Gilgamesh, The Egyptian Book of the Dead, or any mythologies as Sci-Fi or Fantasy, they clearly demonstrate that someone had a pretty vivid imagination.  Regardless, there is no other term for the fiction that’s lumped together under the Literary genre so, I’ll keep using it, albeit grudgingly.

[3] Do you have any idea how hard it is to do this?  Unbelievable.

[4] Well, except maybe Feersum Endjinn.  Reading this will not spoil any other of his books, and it will make sense right off the bat, but it is also one of his most difficult books to read.  It is also one of his best, but really, it helps if you already have to have faith in him as a writer.

[5] This discussion is lifted, almost verbatim from my previous article listing all of Banks’ Sci Fi Works. If you read that, skip this.

[6] Except, once again, Feersum Endjinn, whose style is a bit thick.

[7] Well, mostly.  He does sometimes make my parenthetical comments look short and succinct.

[8] Though my wife didn’t think so.  She found his long, rambling sentence structure a bit dense.

[9] Well, OK, it might be Culture… but need not be.

[10] Though again I will note that his first eight books can be read in any order with no spoilers or lessening of enjoyment.

[11] Though I do love The Algebraist.

[12] Yes.  I said murderer.

[13] For a full description of this, see my full review, but in brief, it is the transference of a whole culture to higher dimensional state that is just a bit like nirvana in its nature.

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My Book Review Site hits its Third Birthday!!! Huzzah!!!

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Administrator

Today I celebrate the third Anniversary of this blog![1] This year saw a continued increase in readership, and as with last year, I thought I’d do a quick breakdown of the most popular posts.

First, however, I thought it only appropriate to note a change to the format of the blog.

For three years now I have posted an article, mostly book reviews, every single week, and that is beginning to take its toll. I’m busy writing my next novel and I just don’t have the time to continue reviewing a book every week. Yet, I love this blog and the community it has opened up to me.[2] As a result, I will switch to posting every other week.

I didn’t take this decision lightly, but my need to get the next book out has to take priority over the need to review other people’s novels. Soooo….

That being said, and a great year behind me, let’s get to the fun and examine the most read articles of the past year….

The Top Ten Posts of Archaeologists’ Guide to the Galaxy’s Third Year (June 2012 to June 2013)

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The Billanobian Hegemony – A Brief Outline

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Administrator

ARAGEmblemStar Trek, Star Wars and Star Lost all had early influence on my imagination,[1] but past the initial love of the spectacular, the two most influential works for my speculative fiction writing were Tolkien‘s Middle Earth series and Frank Herbert’s Dune series.[2] These works in particular, both given to me by my sister,[3] formed a corner stone in my imagination.  They taught me that imagined worlds had to have depth and a canon upon which the story was built.  Really good Sci Fi and Fantasy had to be internally logical and consistent, but not all of those details need be put into the text of the novel.

To that end, there are lots and lots of little background details in Strings on a Shadow Puppet that are hinted at, or passed over, but never gone into.  Most of them never really will be.  Let the readers imagine it for themselves eh?  Even so, there is one topic I get asked about more than any thing else: the Billanobians.

Who are they? What are they all about? And what’s with that freakin’ dance?  Well, since I have about seventy five pages written on it, I thought I’d write a brief little summary on them, just for some fun for my readers.  Mind you boiling it down to a blog post takes away some of the complexity, so keep that in mind if things you read in the book don’t seem to quite marry up.  After all, what culture is completely consistent to itself?

The Billanobian Hegemony – An excerpt from the Encyclopedia Sophynensis

The Billanobian Hegemony is an independent state closely allied with the Sophyan Empire and is the second largest interstellar nation in ‘rediscovered space’ by volume (the Atrucan Cooperative is the second largest by population).  First founded after a cataclysmic misjump by a Colony ship during the early days of the second phase of the Great Human Diaspora, Billanobian society is a highly caste oriented society that is governed primarily by tradition and ritual.

There are between 1200 and 3000 castes within the society, depending on ones’ exact definition of caste, each with given hereditary roles that members may fulfill.  Each caste holds a certain degree of independence within its own social boundaries, with laws varying based upon caste membership, and with numerous dialects used within and between each caste, depending on whom one is engaging in conversation.[4] Each caste has given roles and professions that are open to them, with those at the higher social end having a more restrictive selection of occupational roles, all of which address levels of higher management, while those at the lower end have a wider range of occupations they may undertake, but with little authority or decision making capacity provided in each.  Many of the caste roles overlap in part with roles fulfilled by other castes, and inter-caste relationships are strictly governed by tradition and ritual.  The origins of this system are bound to the circumstances following the misjump of the original colony ship (q.v.).

Government

As implied by its name, the Billanobia is ruled by an oligarchic council selected from members of a hereditary caste based elite.  Membership in this council is restricted to representatives from each of the ruling castes, as well as plebiscite representation from the lower castes. Executive power is shared between a Triumvirate, each member of which having two votes, and a Plebian Advisor, who has three votes.  Thus, if all three Ruling Caste executives agree, their decision holds sway, but if one sides with the Plebian Advisor, the two of them hold sway.  In practice it is rare for any member of the Triumvirate to side with the Plebian Advisor.

In its original form, there was no Triumvirate or Advisor, but rather the council was overseen by a supreme executive chosen from an Imperial Elector caste by other members of that caste.  This individual would vote in the full council in cases of a tie, and would generally oversee the Legal system, but not the military.  This form of Imperial hierarchy was eliminated after the Terran Confederation one the War of Reconstitution, and established the Billanobian Protectorate.  During that period the Ruling Council was disbanded and all members of the Elector Castes were forcibly relocated throughout the new Terran Federation.  Instead, all power placed in the hands of the Earth appointed Governor.

During the War of Extinction, the Ruling Council was reintroduced in an advisory role and returned to permanent place during the Second Empire, with the Mandellan President Protector replacing the role of Emperor. When contact was lost during the subsequent Strife of the Made, executive power reverted to the Ruling Council, and since no decedents of the Imperial Elector families were left in Billanobian Space, the present Triumvirate/Plebian Advisor system was introduced.  Tradition and ritual remain strong in Billanobia, and there is a general desire to return to an Imperial system.  This can only be accomplished, however, if a member of the Billanobian Elector castes is made Grand Master of the Stars (Emperor).

Origins of Billanobian Culture

As previously noted, Billanobian culture has its origins in the Great Human Diaspora. It grew out of the descendents of a colony ship that was launched in a joint private-governmental initiative between a variety of disparate nations from the Terran continent of Asia. Some have, in fact, suggested that the true the origins to the Billanobian caste system can be found here at the start of the project, for roles in this new colony were strictly divided between Administrative, Security, Scientific Research, and Production.[5] Added to this was, of course, the Operational Crew of the ship, whose role was never intended to become part of the eventual Colony, but which was integrated into the social structure after the accident.  These work oriented divisions, combined with the large number of cultural and ethnic identities within the colonial makeup, have led many modern academics to suggest that some form of caste system was always likely to occur.

Regardless, when the colony ship had a catastrophic collapse of the Essar-Rosenthal field, a misjump occurred that left the ship hundreds of parsecs rather than the 0.14 parsecs that was the technological height of the period.[6]  The result was that the ship ended up less than one light year from a star system.[7]

Though the jump drive was irreparable in deep space, the surviving crew and passengers converted the ship into a generation vessel and began a sixty-seven year transit to the nearest star.[8]  Though no habitable planets were present, there were enough raw materials and fuel to repair the ship and make transit to another, more hospitable planet. This repair stage took twenty-seven years in total, and was followed by a second crossing of eighty-eight years in duration.  The need for extreme rationing and strict discipline during this period of transit solidified the cultural hierarchical systems already in place. It is generally agreed that the Billanobian cultural emphasis on science and discovery is tied in part to the need to discover new ways of repairing the ship, attempts to discover habitable locations and the need to help the population to survive both the physical and mental hardships of the transit.

There is also evidence suggesting that the Great Dance had its origin in the long transit.  According to these theories, the predecessor to the Great Dance was initiated as a form of cross-cultural exchange designed to lessen cultural tensions and promote trans-professional cooperation. It is clear from surviving ship records that large social ‘get-togethers’ were held periodically throughout the transit.  These began with each culture performing traditional dances and ceremonies, followed by less formal dancing and social interactions.  Additionally, it seems the Billanobian emphasis on the arts had its origins in the transit, for records show that both the governmental authorities and the ship’s command crew ensured that resources were made available to create and perform art throughout this time.  It is believed this was done to maintain a healthy moral.

The depth of Tolkien's World building may be a bit too much for some, but I love the way he only ever uses internal references.

The depth of Tolkien’s World building may be a bit too much for some, but I love the way he only ever uses internal references.

The second star system to be encountered, Billanobia, was found to have two planets in the Goldilocks zone capable of sustaining life.  One already had indigenous, non-intelligent life, while the other required more substantial terraforming.  The ship landed its population on the first, and set up atmosphere plants on the second.  For over 100 years life continued under much hardship, with food scarcities and harsh conditions.

It is clear that early in the Colonization Period the Great Dance was formalized. Held as large Potlatch gatherings, the annual Dance emphasized the unity of Billanobian culture despite the disparate origins. It is clear that each cultural ethnic group had begun to alter their own traditional dances, and it is known that the first holistic dance was held at this time – with each individual dancer coming together and touching of dancer with every other dancer as a sign of unity combined with individuality.

Dune also has a huge background, but what I love the best about it was that Herbert never showed more than he had to... until his son decided to do the prequel thing...

Dune also has a huge background, but what I love the best about it was that Herbert never showed more than he had to… until his son decided to do the prequel thing…

Whether the Dance helped to create the caste system, or if the caste system began to be represented in the Dance is a matter of much debate.  Most Billanobian Historians believe it was dialectic, but either way, by the point the second planet in the system Hope, was ready for the first inhabitants, the hereditary caste system was already in place, and the progenitor of the system of Electors had developed.

Even before the second planet in the system, Hope, was colonized, the Billanobians had begun building new starships and exploring the surrounding space.  This was done both out of the hope of re-establishing contact with Terran space, and from the need to discover if any alien threats lay nearby.  Instead of threats, however, the Billanobians found that nearby sentient aliens were considerably less advanced on a technological level, with few even having entered into an equivalent of a Neolithic age, and none having entered an early industrial level of technology.

As a result, when contact was made, the Billanobians ‘took the aliens under their wing’ and created protector states which regulated flow of technology in a manner to help ensure the new races maintained their own cultural identities.

Wing as I do about George R. R. Martin from time to time, his internal world logic is superb.

Wing as I do about George R. R. Martin from time to time, his internal world logic is superb.

The continued emphasis on scientific discovery, the desire to once more contact Earth, and the openness with which Billanobians accepted alien concepts and ideas are all thought to have added to Billanobian technology.  Indeed, it is thought these are all reasons why they were able to develop a 0.28 parsec capable Essar-Rosenthal field far in advance of their Terran counterparts.

 

Recontact

Eventually, Billanobian explorers did encounter the far edge of Terran space.  An initial period of jubilation occurred with a large number of delegations sent back and forth between the two human states.  By this point, Billanobian territory was well over three times that of the Terran Confederation, and a great deal of cultural drift had occurred between the two states.

Quickly, the now highly democratic Terran Confederation came to have concerns about the extremely hereditary and hierarchical nature of the Billanobian Empire, while the tradition bound Billanobians were somewhat taken aback by the ‘chaotic’ and individualistic nature of the various more ‘Terran’ cultures they came across. They were also somewhat disgusted by the attempts of Terran based cultures to culturally assimilate the sentient aliens they had encountered.  To that end, it is now sometimes seen as ironic that the Billanobians who were so open to alien cultures were intolerant of different human cultures, while the Terran Confederation was open to any number of human cultural differences (except hereditary hierarchies), but forced alien civilizations to adapt to human cultural standards.

The Wars of Reconstitution

Within twenty years a state of war existed between the two human states.  Initially the Billanobians won almost every engagement, and those planets conquered had Billanobian culture enforced upon them.  Almost half of Terran space was taken before the Terrans adapted, at which point a three generation long conflict began.  Eventually, the Terrans won. Some say this was due to the rigid caste system and strict adherence to tradition of the Billanobians, others note that the cultural diversity and lack of centralized economic structure of the Terrans was the cause.  Regardless, the Terrans eventually overran Billanobian space, forced the Imperial Electors to disperse and resettle on the other side of the Corridor, and placed a Military Governor in charge of the core Billanobian regions.[9]

This strict external rule was relaxed during the War of Extinction,[10] when military forces could no longer be spared to occupy a human population, particularly once all humans realized that they faced total annihilation of the Graast were not overcome.  It was only through a combined concerted effort by all humans (and indeed the numerous subjugated alien sophants) that the Graast were able to be defeated.  Even this required the creation of the ‘Made,’ the genetically enhanced populations that many believe include, but are not limited to, the Mandellans.

After the War, Lu-Yi Mbuna Ryppavitch Melnosse Mandella was declared President of the Terran Federation, permanently re-established the Billanobian Ruling Council who immediately declared him Regent Grand-Protector of the Stars.[11]  Soon, the Federation was reconstituted as the Confederated Human Empire, and more popularly called the Second Empire.  Though arts, the economy and science flourished during this period, it lasted only one generation before the Mandellans and others began infighting and the Strife of the Made began.

The wars and conflicts that so defined the Strife left Billanobia greatly untouched, though the economic collapse did  have its effects.  Billanobia, like many other cultures, withdrew from external conflict, focused on itself and a return to its cultural traditions and while it did not expand in technology, territory or economy, it did survive the long dark that followed.  When the growing Sophyan Confederation Republic reestablished contact, they found a society much like that of the Original Billanobian Empire still intact.

The SCR had its roots both in Terran and Billanobian cultures, and as such, the two societies quickly found common ground.  Both economic and military cooperation grew and cultural exchanges soon occurred.  Many hierarchs from one nation soon established hierarch status in the other, for Sophyans this was done by establishing decent from Billanobian hierarch castes, and for Billanobians this was done through meritocratic accomplishments.

When the Hon. Drusilla Rheathena Aureleus of the House of Aureleus, Matriarch-Magestrate of Sophyos, and eventual President of the SCR, married the war hero Alexandro  Pleiades, a sophyan citizen who was a direct descendent of one of the Billanobian Elector castes, a growing movement toward formal re-unification was initiated in both states.  This was aided when Lord Pleiades took part in the performance of one of the minor tributary dances of the Great Dance that was performed at their wedding, and brought his new wife into the mix in what was deemed by all to be a traditionally acceptable manner.

When their son, the Right Hon. Lord Octavius Pleiades was made Emperor, the movement for unification grew all the more, and was further strengthened by his participation in the Great Dance itself, performed on Billanobia.

[1] They were, after all, some of the earliest speculative fiction stories I came across, particularly Star Trek and Star Lost.

[2] Oh, yes there were dozens of other tales put in there, but as far as reading speculative fiction, these books were some of the first one’s I read.  In part this was because my elementary school library had almost no science fiction at all (actually, it also had no Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew or almost anything else a kid would want to read.

[3] Well, Fellowship of the Ring and Dune.  I had picked up The Hobbit on my own when I was in fifth or sixth grade, and all the sequel books to each series on my own as well.

[4] To that end, there is variation enough with the Billanobian caste language that some linguists argue that Billanobian is not a single language but a variety of languages tied together by a series of petite pois and pidgin languages. Others argue the linking dialects form a solid enough bridge that the variations should indeed be considered dialects.

[5] With Production including such disparate categories as Agriculture, Manufacturing, Native Resource Development and some levels of administration.

[6] Indeed, this was fortunate since most such misjumps result in large scale explosion or dispersal on a quantum level.

[7] This again was quite lucky, as that the misjump occurred on the second jump in the ships’ transit and as such, it still had the bulk of its fuel. Those few other ships that have survived such collapses of the Essar-Rosenthal field been found from similar failures are either far too far from any star system to make a journey or if in anyway close to a star, without enough fuel to make the transit.

[8] Named Doomfall.

[9] The ‘Terrans’ also underwent significant change after this period, reconstituting themselves as the Terran Federation, with a more centralized government.

[10] The war with the Graast, the first and to date only Alien race that not only had equal technological development, but superior technology.  Indeed, many areas of Graast technology still confound us.  Though apparently extremely caring to their own kind, the Graast were inherently incapable of empathizing with species other than there own, and saw all intelligent species as a threat that must be destroyed.

[11] Only direct descendents of the Elector castes could actually be declared Grand Protector (Emperor).

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The Technical Manual Description of the HMS Hunter

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Administrator

Space Operas and Military Science Fiction novels often focus on the technical aspects of the worlds they are set in.  While Strings on a Shadow Puppet certainly does this to a certain degree, there are a lot of infodumps and technobabble that I left out in favor of focusing more on the characters and other elements of the setting.  Even so, I do have an Encyclopedia Sophensis, as it were, that I work from that includes some more technical descriptions of the world.

That being the case, and as that I am still recovering from my operation (Hydrocodine!  Whoo hoo!)  I thought I’d post my entry for the ship that serves as the setting for much of the novel, the HMS Hunter.  Indeed, before deciding to call it Strings on a Shadow Puppet, the book had the working title of HMS Hunter for the longest time.  In the end, I thought the title I chose said more about the book than simple the name of a ship would, but still, the Hunter plays an important role in the novel, and I thought that some readers might like to see a more technical description of it, this one a bit in the style of a Janes’ Fighting Ships kind of an entry.  To that end, it is a bit long winded with a number of compound sentences (and indeed some comma splices) that are intended to make it read a bit like a technical manual. [1]

Excuses aside, here is a description of the Spectre class of reconnaissance and assault warship (e.g. The HMS Hunter, HMS Stalker, HMS Jaeger, etc.).

Spectre Class Stealth Ship -

HuntereDeck1The Spectre class stealth vessels are designed to be small, maneuverable and fast, but most of all, they are intended to provide a low observable platform for both space and atmospheric operations.  The hull of the Spectre is streamlined, allowing it to operate within atmospheres. The overall atmospheric maneuverability of the ship is, however, somewhat reduce in favor of its stealth capacity.  All Spectre class ships present a long, sleek profile which is roughly shaped like elongated diamond in plan, with the bows forming the longer portion of the design, and the aft being squatter in shape. However, when engaged in atmospheric operations the vessel extends its delta-shaped retractable wings from its port and starboard side, forming the more classic wedge or ‘arrow head’ shaped configuration usually shown in images of the ship. This appearance gives the vessel the infamous, bat-like appearance commonly associated with such stealth-operational atmospheric craft.

The Spectre class vessels have configurable camouflage hulls, allowing them to alter their color scheme and provide differing appearances to optic sensors. In normal operations, however, the hull is generally set to a matt-black, sensor absorptive configuration that, combined with its angular hull design, drastically reduces its sensor footprint, effectively making it invisible in space operations.  Indeed, outside of an atmosphere these ships are practically impossible to pick out even with active sensors unless they use their maneuvering engines.  Inside an atmosphere they generally considered more difficult than most any other stealth vehicle to detect.

The general layout of the Spectre class is spread across two decks.  The lower deck is the longest and widest in shape and is home to gunnery command, the four cabins that serve as crew quarters, one lounge/galley/mess for relaxation in off duty periods, central engineering where the ships drives were located, two ships holds for personal weapons and supply storage, and an armory that includes practice/shooting facilities for combat drills that utilizes holodynamic walls to provide a sense of distance and depth.[2]

Draft of HMS Hunter's Upper Deck

Draft of HMS Hunter’s Upper Deck

The top deck normally consists of the bridge and the modular bay.  Spectre class bridge configurations are frequently described as more of a cockpit than a true bridge, as that it is relatively small.  Even so, it is designed to provide more than adequate room for a side-by-side workstation for the single pilot and nav/com combination that is recommended for effective operation of the ship in a combat environment.

Each workstation on the ship is configurable to the individual crew’s preferences, but includes i/o ports[3] for direct networked interaction between the operator and the ship, as well as a holodynamic user interface and a mechanical backup in case of prime control failure.  Most crew use some combination of the three.

The modular bay is of course designed to be fitted with a variety of modular components based upon the ships’ specific mission.  Most commonly the ships are set up with extensive sensor, navigation and communication arrays due to their frequent use as surveillance and/or ECM vessels, but a number of other modules could also be fitted in place.  These included additional weapons bay, accommodation for two more crew members, a stasis-berth module capable of carrying 16 crew/marine/passengers, and a variety of other combinations.

This was one of the bits of concept art I came up with the my book, back when it had a different working title and I was going to use a pseudonym. As you see over the next few days, the value of a real artist is beyond the technical skill, but in vision. The art that follows shows why you use a professional artist.

This was one of the bits of concept art I came up with the my book, back when it had a different working title and I was going to use a pseudonym. As you see over the next few days, the value of a real artist is beyond the technical skill, but in vision. The art that follows shows why you use a professional artist.

Primary access to the ship is gained through the aft personnel airlock, the rear ventral airlock (with retractable docking clamp), and/or the larger dorsal ‘baydoor’ airlock, all of which are normally covered by outer hull plating during flight.  This plating can be retracted, however, to allow for immediate access and/or drop capability.  The act of opening the dorsal bay during atmospheric flight makes the craft extremely difficult to handle and so is not recommended by the manufacturer.

The standard power sources for the Spectre class vessel is a combination of two aft mounted Hyporia Manufacturing, K-class fusion rockets with a single Prime Distributor’s Ltd HO model fusion power plant set between and above of them. The fusion rockets are generally known to require a good deal of maintenance, but if properly tended to can produce a constant high yield, frequently measured in excess of 4.67Gs, for extended periods.  These are, of course, the ship’s principle mode of high speed locomotion in extra-atmospheric operations, but the large fusion tail produced by the rockets are highly visible even to the naked eye.  As such, they are considered unsuitable to most of the ship’s stealth oriented deployments.  Additionally, they produce highly toxic radioactive output if used within atmospheric environments.

To solve the issue of low-observable locomotion the ship is also fitted with mid-yield reaction mass thrusters capable of a maximum output of 1.22G’s, and standardly used at between 0.4 and 1G of thrust.  While this is slow for many combat operations, the detectable output of this system is negligible, and reaction material can be gleamed from the waste products of gas-giant fuel skimming processes.  As a result, it is ideal for most reconnaissance operations and any stealth assault missions the ship may be asked to carry out.

For atmospheric operations a set of two Hyporia turget engines can be deployed from the ventral side of the wings, allowing reasonable atmospheric handling.  The turgets are, of course, capable of being power by the fusion reactors, and as such provided a speedy and stealthy solution to planet-side missions.

At this point one should note that the Hyporia K-Class rockets were well known for their capacity to be capable of being sealed to the outside environment and used as standard fusion generators.  While they did produce power in their unsealed rate, if used while sealed, they did not produce the fusion plume, and instead provided a useful secondary power source for the ships in question.  This allowed the HO fusion power plant to be used almost solely to power the Essar-Rosenthal drive (‘jump’).

The one shortcoming of the Hyporia engines is that while they could be turned from power-plant to fusion rocket in an instant, the reverse is not true. If used as a fusion rocket, it is required to shut down the engines for a period of no less than one hour before the outer hatches can be closed.  This is then followed by a 20 minute restart process.  Fortunately, normal operations mean that the Spectre class ships remain in stealth mode, using the Hyporia engines to power the reaction mass thrusters (or the turget engines if on lurker duty[4]) and then rapidly open the fusion rocket vents to obtain high-g accelerations while striking at their enemy. Obviously, such an attack run style of assault sacrifices the stealth ability of the ship, both during the run and for the one hour cool down period afterward.  It also strongly limits the Spectre’s capacity to operate within atmospheres rapidly after the fusion rockets have been used, though this limitation can  be somewhat overcome through use of the HO model fusion power plant. Most commanders, however, tend to prefer to keep the power plants in reserve for the Essar-Rosenthal drive when possible, and maintain their stealth capacity throughout a combat.

Despite the great importance of the power-plants and engines, it is the Essar-Rosenthal drive that most engineers considered the soul of the ship. The Spectre class ER drive is manufactured by Hammonrie-Manufacturing Inc.  Capable of high yield responses, the Omicron model ER drive is able to project a 4X field, making it capable of a 0.423 parsec jump. This makes its interstellar capability among the fastest in the Empire.[5] Thus, even considering the jump-recovery period, the Spectre class vessels are capable of travelling 3 parsecs within one week, which makes them ideal for rapid and long range scouting and reconnaissance missions.

Though initial trials encountered a series of problems with the interface between the Hyporia Fusion Rockets and the Prime Distributor’s Ltd HO model fusion power plants, these were sorted out soon after the vessel was put into operation.  Since then, the Spectre class of vessels have proven to be almost as versatile as the Phantom II’s class, but with a considerably higher degree of low-observability that has proven them to be more useful in the roles of reconnaissance and surveillance. While the limits of their low-observability configuration made them less well armed and slightly slower than other vessels of a similar tonnage, it has also made them very difficult to track and almost impossible to initially detect when rigged for silent-running. This combination of stealth capacity, significant weaponry and ability to perform long-range solo operations make the Spectre class vessels ideal for rapid strike missions, lurker patrols and missions behind enemy lines.

[1] Note, the diagrams included were pretty rough drawings that I did for my own logic before writing the book.  They do not exactly match the configuration described in the book and are not canon.  Indeed, even while writing the text, I thought to myself that these were too rectilinear, without enough odd spaces that would be necessitated by the ship configuration.  Still, it gives the reader a general idea of what I was thinking.

[2] Combined with direct feed and other virtual reality elements, these practice halls are extremely good at simulating situations such as ground based combat, boarding parties, and other personal combat environments. Ship-to-ship simulations are generally performed using the actual duty stations of the crew.

[3] Sophyan Naval protocol requires that no sensitive ship systems can be controlled through wireless communications, with the sole exception of repair robots that work through a tight system of short range Line of Sight (LOS) communications systems, except in extreme emergencies where short range radio comms may be used at the discretion of the CO and Chief Engineer.  This protocol exists in order to remove both the possibility detection through stray signals and more importantly, and the possibility of the ship systems being hacked.

[4] Lurker Duty – the act of hiding inside the atmosphere of a planetary body in wait in order to observe or attack another ship.  Normally this is reserved for operations inside of gas-giants, utilizing the denser elements of the atmosphere to hide the ship from both passive active sensor arrays.  It frequently involves the ambushing of a ship or subcraft in the process of refueling.

[5] Maximum ‘jump’ capacity is, of course, 0.62 parsecs and normal passage is 0.1428.

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Posted in Art, Chronicle, Conspiracy, Espionage, Far Future, Hard SciFi, Identity, Military Science Fiction, Military Science Fiction, Mystery, New Space Opera, Part of A Series but can be Read without reading previous volumes, Political Drama, Post Colonial, Post Modern, Ripping Yarn, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Art, Space Opera, Spy Thriller, Stand Alone Novel, Strong Characters, Technical Diagrams, Thoughtful, Thoughtful Espionage Tale, Thriller, Totally Geeky Tech Talk | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

OFFICIAL RELEASE – Strings on a Shadow Puppet: a new, dark space opera by T. L. Evans, now available for Kindle and in Paperback from Amazon and most bookstores near you

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Administrator

Part military sci-fi, part space opera, and part espionage thriller, Strings on a Shadow Puppet is filled with compelling characters, dark conspiracies, and enough fast paced combat to keep any action junkie on the edge of their seat, Strings on a Shadow Puppet will keep you turning the pages until the last plot twist is revealed.

 

 

Today, Valentines’ Day, 2013, I am delighted to announce the Official Release of Strings on a Shadow Puppet – the dark far future space opera that combines the thrills of military science fiction with the thoughtful intrigue of espionage and mystery. Set in a dystopian future, it examines the nature of democracy and civil rights by pitting them against each other in an action thriller. With sympathetic characters, dark conspiracies, and enough fast paced combat to keep any action junkie on the edge of their seat, Strings on a Shadow Puppet will keep you turning the pages until the last plot twist is revealed.

Charlie Alden (Smart Girls Love Sci Fi) says Strings on a Shadow Puppet: “…thoughtfully questions notions of social class, democracy, and freedom, in a way that is, frankly, very timely…. For me, this is where the author exceeds my expectations of the genre.”

It is available now in paperback and Kindle format from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and through most bookstores (though you may have to order it).

Sample chapters are provided for kindle

mybook

and in pdf format for American (aka letter sized paper - StringsOnAShadowPuppterSampleForLetterSizedPaper) and International (aka A4 sized paper StringsOnAShadowPuppterSampleForA4SizedPaper) paper.

and now, for those who are interested, a little background and setting:

Strings on a Shadow Puppet is set in a far future, post-human diaspora universe[1] with faster-than-light travel[2] and multiple intelligent alien species. Humans, however, remain the dominant presence and sentient aliens (or sophonts) are frequently treated as second class citizens.

Though numerous interstellar states exist, the most significant are the Sophyans, who thirty years prior to the story underwent a centralization of their government known as the process of Imperiliazation. This resulted in a single strong executive leader (the Emperor) and a Senatorial body made up of and officially recognized Hierarchy.[3] It also defined the purpose of the Empire as that of defending and protecting its citizens, with most laws governing the population made by member states and local governments, and most imperial laws made to govern those political bodies and ensure civil rights.

Disparate elements of the society objected to this process, most notably the Federalists who supported transfer to a democratic republic, but only for humans. All aliens were to be subjugated. When the Federalists lost the power struggle, they rebelled and began a generation of civil war.

Thus the story opens, thirty years later after the Empire is officially sanctioned, and focuses on the struggle between the Imperial and the Federalists rebels who use guerrilla and terrorist tactics to oppose those they see as having stolen Sophyan culture.

Buy copies now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or through your local book store. Sorry, but electronic versions are limited to kindle for now.  If there is enough demand, I will happily make it available in e-pub format. 

Book reviewers should contact the author at thomasevans at sophyanempire dot com to receive review copies. These can be provided in kindle, epub, pdf or traditional print formats.

[1] Post-human diaspora = humanity has spread across the stars and Earth is little more a memory (i.e. it doesn’t come into the story at all).

[2] Well, technically, not FTL. I use the Essar-Rosenthal drive that effectively bi-passes space through use of “jump” technology that more or less instantaneously transports ships from one location to another. Navigation using this drive is impacted by gravity wells and disparate speeds of ships, stars, etc. making the navigational process complex. I could go on. I have pages and pages written describing the engines and more importantly, the navigational process used. However, I will spare you and perhaps put that on my author website at www.sophyanempire.com instead. Assuming, of course, anyone is interested.

[3] Determination of Hierarchical status varies, with different member states defining their hierarchs based on their appropriate individual form of government. Thus some (most) Hierarchs representing member states are hereditary, others are elected to terms, etc. The Papers of Imperialization, however, also introduced Meritocrats, individuals who gain Hierarchs status and voting members of the Senate due to personal and/ or professional accomplishments. This created a set of Senators chosen from across Sophyan space, rather than with ties to specific member states and/or economic entities.

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Posted in Cyberpunk, Espionage, Far Future, Hard SciFi, Identity, Military Science Fiction, Military Science Fiction, New Space Opera, Original Fiction, Part of A Series but can be Read without reading previous volumes, Post Colonial, Post Modern, Ripping Yarn, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Spy Thriller, Stand Alone Novel, Strong Characters, Thoughtful Espionage Tale, Thriller, Unique or Imaginative World, World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Teaser for Strings on a Shadow Puppet

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Administrator

This is an easy link for anyone to hear the talented Jamie Muffett read the opening scene fo my book, Strings on a Shadow Puppet,available this Valantines Day (14 February, 2013) from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and most booksellers near you. 

Note, while the audio on this video is wonderful, the video is somewhat limited. It is, after all a static (more or less) picture of my book cover.

Soon, however, I will be releasing a book teaser that has promise of being something worth watching for its own right…

For more about the narrator, Jamie, go to: http://www.yourbritvoice.com/

For more about this book, buy it… at

 Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or most booksellers near you.

Posted in Military Science Fiction | Leave a comment

First Book Review!!!!

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Administrator

And one that is remarkbily positive!  Hurray!

When is a book like a seven layer cake?

soaspfinal-cover-image001When it has at least as many layers and is twice as yummy to dig into.

 

Posted in Conspiracy, Conspiracy Novel, Cultural Contact, Cyberpunk, Espionage, Far Future, Identity, Military Science Fiction, Military Science Fiction, Mystery, New Space Opera, Original Fiction, Political Drama, Post Colonial, Post Modern, Ripping Yarn, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Spy Thriller, Strong Characters, Thoughtful, Thoughtful Espionage Tale, Thriller, Ultratech, Unique or Imaginative World, World | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is this book the start of a series?

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Administrator

This is a question I get asked a lot, and the answer is: sort of.

What Strings on a Shadow Puppet is not is the start of a serial. That is to say, it is a stand alone book and while there may be other stories that will likely be other stories set in the same world, some of which may have the same characters, I will do my damnedest to never end on a cliff hanger.

Each book will have a beginning, middle and end, and while some may include spoilers for earlier tales (i.e. if a character dies in one book, their absence in the subsequent books will probably tell you something), you will always be able to pick up one volume without having read the others.

What is more, I promise that if I do turn this into a series, there will be an end so you can feel some sense of completion. Oh, yeah… if that’s the case, the last book will probably not really stand alone. I’ll be closing out storylines, and so in order to avoid thousands of “Hey Bill, you remember that time that we…” I’ll just start it up where the natural story line begins.

How’s that for a promise?

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  4. Andromeda’s Fall: A Novel of the Legion of the Damned, William C. Dietz (ACE, 2012) (sophyanempire.wordpress.com)
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Posted in Chronicle, Conspiracy, Conspiracy Novel, Cultural Contact, Cyberpunk, Cycle, Espionage, Far Future, Identity, Military Science Fiction, Mystery, New Space Opera, Original Fiction, Political Drama, Post Colonial, Post Modern, Ripping Yarn, Saga, Science Fiction, Space Opera, Spy Thriller, Stand Alone Novel, Strong Characters, Thoughtful, Thoughtful Espionage Tale, Thriller, Unique or Imaginative World, World | Leave a comment

Two Weeks to the Release of Strings on a Shadow Puppet!

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Administrator

I must admit, I am quite nervous and excited about the upcoming release.  So much to be done, so little time.  Here I was, ready to launch before Christmas, but somehow it seems there is still so much to do.  A very exciting day.

Posted in Military Science Fiction | Leave a comment

The Art of a Book Cover Part 2 – The Winner for Strings on a Shadow Puppet

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Administrator
Sophyan Empire

Sophyan Empire

Cover art is crucial to a new novel’s, or least a new novelist‘s, success. Thus, with the help of Vladimir Shpitalnik (http://www.shpitalnik.com/), I held a contest among talented art students in order to determine who would design the cover of my forthcoming novel, Strings on a Shadow Puppet.  Each entrant not only had the chance win a small stipend and see their work on a book, but also received credit towards their degree, thus guaranteeing at least some reward for the effort they put forward.

Two weeks ago, I showed the finalists in the competition; today, I will reveal the art of both the runner up and the winner.  It was a very difficult decision, for all of the work was of extremely good quality, but in the end, I had to choose a cover that would both sum up the book and make it stand out in the field.

ARAGEmblemFor reasons far too complex to go into here, I ended up deciding that the works by Katharine DeCusati (Shauni) (shauni101@gmail.com and/or kdecusati.blogspot.com) and Kevin Klakouski (facebook.com/kevguyillustration) best summed up my work and presented the best face for marketing.

Katharine’s final submission showed a vision of ship that serves as the backdrop for much of the story, the HMS Hunter.  Using a scene from the novel as inspiration, she set the ship in front of a gas giant, but demonstrating the vision of a visual artist, she went one step further.  She painted the planet in a rainbow of colors and put a moon in partial eclipse of it. This, in turn, reflected the description of the eyes of a mandellan lord as described in the book. A manedellan is a form of social elite with a genetically manipulated heritage that plays heavily into the themes of the novel.  Their eyes are described as have “… the tell tale prismatic eyes that revealed his genetically modified background: wheels of color that told of his mandellan descent.”

To that end, Kat’s piece both hit unique elements of the book, while also pulling upon the kind of marketing typically used in Military Science Fiction books; a very compelling compilation.

Cover submission by Katharine DeCusati (Shauni) (shauni101@gmail.com and/or kdecusati.blogspot.com) all rights reserved.

Cover submission by Katharine DeCusati (Shauni) (shauni101@gmail.com and/or kdecusati.blogspot.com) all rights reserved. Image not to be reproduced without prior written authorization.

In contrast, Kevin’s submission called upon a different element of my novel: the Wayang Stalkers.  In the book, the Wayang are a set of cyberized terrorists who can shape shift into a variety of forms, including an exaggerated stylized shape reminiscent of Javanese shadow puppets. Indeed, for those of you who do not know, “Wayang” is the Javanese term for a specific form shadow puppetry that often depicts religious themes, and frequently used as a form of social commentary.

This piece by Kevin Klakouski (facebook.com/kevguyillustration ), was created by actually making a working shadow puppet in the style of Wayang theatre. The creepy nature of this captures some of the nature of the tale.

This piece by Kevin Klakouski (facebook.com/kevguyillustration ), was created by actually making a working shadow puppet in the style of Wayang theatre. All rights reserved.

Kevin’s submission used this as inspiration, and instead of producing a painting, he created an actual shadow puppet and photographed it in various poses.

Both artists worked very closely (and indeed very patiently) with me to create numerous options that I had to choose between.  They made it a very difficult choice, both because their works were brilliant, and because it created a situation where I had to choose not just an art work that represents my writings (which is hard enough), but an entire marketing approach.

Do I choose a cover that plays upon a specific subgenre, or do I choose one that stands in contrast to that genre?

That is to say do I use a Space Ship that is likely to cry out to the Military Science Fiction/Space Opera crowd, or a Shadow Puppet that speaks to the creepy and conspiracy ladened feel of the book?

In the end, I decided to go with the cover that would stand out from the crowd, particularly  the crowd of books that fill the computer screen that readers are most likely to buy the book using.

Final eBook cover for Strings on a Shadow Puppet

Final eBook cover for Strings on a Shadow Puppet

Let’s face it, most people will be seeing this book represented as .jpeg in a list created either by a direct search on Amazon or in the section noted as: “people who enjoyed this book also enjoyed…”

To that end, I decided that standing out from the crowd was more important.  There are thousands of books that show spaceships.  Indeed, I own many of them.  What I needed something that would catch the potential reader’s reader’s eye and make they ask, “Oh… what’s that?”

Yet the book will not just appear as a eBook on Amazon, it is also going to be available in paperback.   Though the cost of the physical book is considerably more expensive (due to the cost of production and the desire to maximize the franchises that will carry and/or be able to order said book), I do think the end result is quite sharp and exciting, as you can see below.

Paperback Cover of Strings on a Shadow Puppet. All rights reserved.

Paperback Cover of Strings on a Shadow Puppet. All rights reserved.

So, in the end, you can see a wonderful set of artists can truly make a difference to the final product.  The vision they bring, as well as the skills they have, can create something truly unique and eye catching.  I would highly recommend working with any of these artists, and will shortly be producing a page on both “The Archaeologist’s Guide to the Galaxy”  (www.sophyanempire.wordpress.com) and my author site (www.sophyanempire.com) that will show the submissions and give contact details for each of the artists.  I can highly, highly recommend all of them, as that they each listened carefully to what I said, and worked hard to bring my visions to life.

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