There is the general spoiler page for general questions.
I’m making this set of pages for more specific questions.
The rule is: do not ask or comment about a book until it has been at least a month in issue. I think that will make everybody happy re spoilers.
CJ, you mention in many posts that you wish for CC to be successful. I cant help but think you need some kind of blockbuster to make it happen. I for one would love to see a huge inter-galactic Union Alliance novel to merge and wrap up all the loose ends flowing throughout the series.
O-M-G.
{fainted}
If not a big huge blockbuster, what about some other views – like that of an in-system pusher ship at Russell’s that gets involved with shunting stuff to the Mazianni or some other faction?
What about a story set on Eversnow? Something to do with the terraforming?
Maybe a novel about Cyteen’s (and really, Reseune’s) efforts to help psych the population of Earth into being less xeno and space phobic?
A story set on Mars after the fall/absorbtion of MarsCorp?
A novel about ECS1 Gaia, or the lost inhabitants of Beta Station?
A short story about the “Jinxed Miriam B”?
There are so very many stories I’d love to see explored and be glad to purchase in eBook (or hardcover if you publish with Lulu or someone)
I’d love it, and I’d be first in line!
Eversnow? I’m not familiar with that reference
That was a book that got started and never finished: don’t mourn too much–it only had a dozen or so pages…
Oops! Seems I asked for too much. Cant blame me for dreaming!
Well, you usualy write at the personal level, not the Galactic scale. But you hint at huge things in the background, kind of like Tolkien, who wrote when mapping out the TLOTR, that he wanted to hint at a lot of history and lore in the backround of a personl adventure story. So does the AU have a lot of recurring iconic characters and major political strands that chug on in the background, and rear their heads every now and again like Captain Harlock. I think Stephen Donaldson tried to do it for you in the Gap series, but failed miserably; Although the finale, This Day all Gods Die, was brilliant AU fanfic 😉
I guess Merovin counts as an AU forum since its in the Mri peiod. I went back and reread Angel With the Sword. I think I last read it over 20 years ago! I had picked it up after Thieves World. God, what memories! Altair Jones is a great character. And the story just moves so fast. She reminded me of another of your female characters, also poles a boat, maybe from Morgaine but I cant remember exactly. I loved that character too, and I remember wishing she had remained in the story line as a main character! Now which book was she from? hmmm…
Two, I think. 😉
Interested in tau Ceti? Saw this tonight.
“Astronomers have detected five possible alien planets circling the star Tau Ceti, which is less than 12 light-years from Earth — a mere stone’s throw in the cosmic scheme of things. One of the newfound worlds appears to orbit in Tau Ceti’s habitable zone, a range of distances from a star where liquid water can exist on a planet’s surface.”
We really do need a nice large (crewed) expedition to check that out. Could you sort this for us with NASA/Virgin Galactic please cj?
Oh, and the big scary au end tying novel? That would be just fine – for next xmas? 🙂
Good thing it’s not Ceti Alpha V 😉 .
Great article linked over in Shejidan on the Tau Ceti system find. The estimate there was over 800 planets, though it didn’t say how many might be Goldilocks zone with water, i.e. possibly human-habitable. Good odds, though, that when we can get out there, there will be resources to explore, and possible colonies. (Assuming, of course, they aren’t already inhabited. The odds on that could be interesting too.)
So we have a possibility of knowing some little amount as the years go by, before we ever get to the systems.
A manned mission? First we have to solve the problem of spaceships (STL) and starships (FTL) that can make a journey like that. But hey, bring it on!
NASA recently announced that warp drive might be possible:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/warp/ideachev.html#alcub
http://io9.com/5963263/how-nasa-will-build-its-very-first-warp-drive
So there’s FTL sorted (well, at least we’ve started on it.)
Do you think we’d find Cetagandans there on Ceti Alpha V? Oh wait, different author….
I wish we could find a means of circumventing Einstein’s theory, one that would allow us to construct a “sub-universe” that enables us to move with almost instantaneous travel to wherever we choose. Want to see the earliest galaxies? All you need are “Universal Coordinates”, recognize the velocity of the galaxy you’re interested in visiting, make the necessary calculations allowing for its velocity, and punch them in and go. Easy, right? I believe that somewhere along the line, quantum mechanics might find a way, but when? how? who knows? I like listening to Dr. Machio Kaku when he talks about what could be, if we only had the right keys.
Now that Astronomers have established that there really are planets in Alpha Centauri; is there any hope of revisiting the Union/Alliance/Sol Mazianni Universe? Either to explore what happened to the original Earth Station built there (in Alpha Centauri), or the possibility of a Mazianni base there?
Deesha – we know that there were mysterious transmissions coming from Beta (Alpha Cent) and that they were suspected. I got the impression that jumping to Alpha Cent was a difficult proposition, due to distances from Earth – and that somehow the shorter jump was either not economical or technologically prohibitive.
But I think it would be interesting to see a story of the Mazianni and how they’re surviving after the Company Wars. At the same time, I’m fairly sure that Our Esteemed Author is deliberately keeping them mysterious.
As I followed the tech, both in Union/Alliance & also in Chanur, Short jumps between stars were nowhere near the problem that long jumps created. That point is moot however, as the root was simply discontinued pre FTL Tech level due to the mysterious loss of the station, and the emerging markets on other routes. Remember the Stations were originally built for commercial gain. It was simply never looked at again, after-all Sub-light ships have to expend a great deal of investment for a trip into the Deep, and with no station there (for whatever reason) refueling and returning to occupied space becomes Hazardous for no expected return.
ooops, The ‘Route’ was discontinued pre FTL
thought you might like this article about tweaking the hypothalmus with hormones to produce a healthier longer life! matbe this is what cyteen’s resource does …http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/may/01/scientists-ageing-process
Sorry – I meant economically for the ships. I mean, that’s why Dublin Again and the other super-cargo ships were bypassing the Hinder Stars when they found Gaia Point – no need to spend all that time and fuel getting to Earth if they could just short hop from Pell/Mariner back to the Motherwell.
Having looked into a similar jump situation for my own writing, and knowing that most of the jumps that feature in AU are roughly 6-8 lights, Alpha Cent’s kind of a cul-de-sac, and unless there’s something economically interesting, there’s no reason to reopen the star. Something tells me, however, that Earth’s military and AlSec have probably poked their nose in there, which is probably why a chunk of the Mazianni have gone off and away through Tripoint.
Something of interest? Well the thing that drew the Sub-Light Stationers away from Earth Authority was the discovery of a Planetary System; it seems top me that knowing as we do now, that extra solar planets exist in this otherwise unexplored system, further investigation will take place. Difficult enough pre-FTL. Post FTL however such investigation might have been delayed by the war with Union controlled space, Clearly in the book ‘Cyteen’ mention is made of Sol (Earth) poking its nose in elsewhere. Might this be part of a link to the region of space referenced by ‘the Chanur books’? Might this also be linked into the Alpha Centauri System?
Bingo. 😉
If the timeline were only different, that could be the link between the disappeared Beta station crew and humans turning up in Compact space… only there’d be lots more than just one Tully! 🙂
I’m a newcomer to this particular comment thread, but have posted in the Foreigner and Fantasy threads. I have yet to read all the AU books, but love the ones I have read. I’m popping in because I’m just finishing The Faded Sun and am LOVING IT! Only problem is that it’s only available in formats that have very small print and I’m wondering if, since it’s out of print, you have any plans to turn it into an ebook to be for sale at Closed Circle? Or perhaps I could nag Audible into making it available there.
Upthread, someone mentions other mri books? Could someone tell me what they are?
If you check http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/c/c-j-cherryh/ you will find as complete a list of Ms Cherryh’s as I know of.
However you will find that ‘The Faded Sun’ trilogy (published 1987) actually contains the three ‘Mri’ books that you refer to.
Kesrith (1978)
Shon’jir (1979)
Kutath (1980)
There will be a DAW e-book, from Amazon/B&N.
The Faded Sun is all there is, really.
On the subject of E-Books. I live in Scotland, and so Amazon comes under a UK Prefix, not USA; searching for your books under this Prefix turns up very few of your books on Kindle. I have a kindle fire, and would like to continue my book buying using this as a medium, rather than paper. I have most of your books in paperback format but find that I need to downsize my library (hardback/paperback) down to the lack of room to keep them. Amazon seems from my search to cover three prefix’s. Amazon.com ;Amazon.uk ; and Amazon.CA:
Amazon.com shows 3 books
Amazon.uk shows 9 books
Amazon.ca shows 20 books
Sadly the particular titles that I want to keep are not showing, titles like cuckoo’s egg for example, and a great many besides.
Is this something that you can comment on? Are there deals in progress to release some of these books world wide? and on kindle?
Its curious though as in amazon.uk for example depending on how you search sometimes only four books show. Clearly there seems to be some glitches going on here.
Hi, I’m a newbie to both this site and this forum, so please let me know if I do or say anything that’s incredibly bad form.
I’d be really interested in a book that would fill in at least part of the gap between “Hellburner” (which covers the advent of the rider ship, and where we first meet Signy Mallory’s second-in-command-to-be, Graff) and “Downbelow Station”, where the Mazianni fleet and their rider ships are already battle-scarred.
Although any mainstream Union-Alliance book would be great; it’s been a good while since “Finity’s End” and “Regenesis” (both major expansions on the UA universe, IMHO, as well as being great reads).
I feel the same way you do, but I’m skeptical that a bridge can be written between Hellburner and Downbelow Station.
Chronicling how the Earth Fleet lost so many ships and eventually turned to piracy would be a sad tale if told from the perspective of the men and women who gave their lives to defend Earth. Given a choice, those men and women were either abandoned because their methods weren’t acceptable to Earth or died because they followed Earth directives in a war that Earth couldn’t begin to comprehend.
While there is obviously a subset of the population who finds entertainment like “Final Destination” appealing (there have been 5 movies after all, and countless horror movies series where the “heroes” are all doomed from the outset)– writing “Final Destination in Space” is a completely different style of novel from anything else that Our Esteemed Author has done.
As interested as I would be, largely because I love the Alliance-Union universe (can’t you tell? =), I suspect that new readers would not be attracted to a story in which the obvious heroes of the story are in a constant state of attrition.
Admittedly, it is possible to carve a novel out of the events and tell the story in such a way as it seems like a Mazianni win towards the end– but it would only be a matter of “winning the battle, but losing the war” (when you look at the whole timeline.)
Which is why I suggested a *partial* fill-in as an alternative to a complete one; taking that route would provide much more flexibility in selecting a theme for the book.
Also, it is possible to take a depressing era or set of circumstances — such as the mothballing of all the stations close to Earth in “Rimrunners” — and yet have have a positive outcome for the major characters.
The only crews that would be a good viewpoint would be Norway’s rider ships. She was the only ship that exited the war with her original 4 rider ships intact. Yes, our lads did survive the war.
Well, if Downbelow Station is ever made into a TV miniseries, I hope they’ll take an opportunity to mention the names of some of the ridership crew.
As I mentioned on Facebook, I just finished re-reading Downbelow Station for the nᵗʰ time. Now my copy—a first printing paperback a year older than I am—is falling to pieces. 🙁
But while I’ll echo the desire for another book with some of these characters, I would also understand a disinclination to get back into some of their heads. Mallory, maybe; but Mazian? or (shudder) Porey?
… and of course, there’s the song Mazianni by Mercedes Lackey & Leslie Fish.
Yes I found that on U-Tube a little while back too, Sigh if only you could still buy that kind of stuff.
I particularly like that this particular track is sung with multiple singers echoing the lyrics ( like multiple ship captains and crews ) giving it to us ‘both barrels’ as it were.
“So we hear you’re calling us Pirates, Now?” , “Screw you all, we’ll earn that motherless name!!”
Well, since The Guys are the Rider crews we’ve come to care about most anyway, lay on!
.
BTW, who are the other two crews? Dekker’s and Almarshad’s crews are the only two I can recall.
I think Keu’s and Kreschov’s [sp]?
ISTR Keu and Kreshov as captains of carriers, not riders.
Ooops! I stand corrected.
I think the two crews you can’t remember might not have been specified in the book at all. It would fit with only two of the four Rider ships having actually been referred to by name (Odin and Thor).
I love that idea!
Also, I remember that two of Norway’s Rider ships were called Odin and Thor, and was wondering if you’d ever chosen names for the other two. (I’m very much into Norse mythology. 🙂 )
As for a Film version of Rimrunners? I would Cast ‘Uma Thurman’ (Kill Bill I & II), as Betty. Sigourney Weaver, was great in the Alien’s series of Films but that was a while back.
Any other contender’s? please enter the ring now.
I could definitely see Sigourney Weaver as Mallory, and she has the, er, ‘mileage’ to be believable as a rejuved skipper with some tough fighting behind her (and mayhap more ahead). Thurman could work as Yeager (but I doubt I’d call Yeager “Betty”, at least not to her face!). Who’s moody/semi-psycho enough to be NG?
Sigourney Weaver would definitely work for Mallory (who is probably my favorite character). A few others have crossed my mind, but it’s getting late on the East Coast, so things are beginning to blur…
Hmm… I’ll have to give more thought to Bet Yaeger. Uma Thurmond is the right age and height, but a bit too obviously good-looking and well-grown, IMHO. Yaeger’s supposed to be skinny and a tad haggard, though definitely attractive in her own way…
Mmm. David Tennant?
Tony Shalhoub !!!
Pity David Boreanaz is getting a bit long in the tooth. He did moody and semi-psycho very well in “Buffy” and “Angel”.
Ooo yeah! 😀
Just a thought here, but MInerva8 asked about a possible but placed between backburner and down below station. I have just been reading the third of the Serenity, comic books as an e-book, the Shepard book story was written as a retrospective tale, that starts near the end of his life, and casts back to a few years earlier, and then back again a few more years till the first time that he met the Serenity crew.This in turn triggers memories that led to that moment, and on and on till his childhood.
I wouldn’t want to spoil the tale for those that still intend to read it, so will pass on giving more away. I mention it because there is a similar moment on board Norway, just before Mallory pulls out of Pell docks and runs for system edge with Comm’s beaming out a challenge & offer to the Union fleet lurking there. There is also the little titbit gleaned from the backburner book that Mazian was never intended to be the fleet leader, but became so through political deception. Dawn I want to go and pore over those passages again, but those books are in storage now, boxed up and with no e-books available to me.