See How I Navigated The Dangers Of. . .
The House of Styx
Those of you who follow my blog
know how much I loved the Quantum Evolution Series, as I found the universe in
which it was set, as innovative as it was inspiring.
Imagine my delight, then, when I
discovered Derek Künsken is currently in the middle of a number of prequels to
that work, set 250 years before the events portrayed in The Quantum Magician.
Here’s the blurb to The House of Styx, the very first Venus Ascendant novel.
**********
Life can exist
anywhere. And anywhere there is life, there is home.
In the swirling clouds of Venus, George-Étienne and his children are one of a
few families of la colonie living on
floating plant-like trawlers, salvaging what they can in the fierce acid rain
and crackling storms. Outside is deadly for the unprepared or unwary, but the
planet’s atmosphere is far from the only threat a family can face.
For the surface of Venus carries its own secrets, too. In the depths, there is
a wind that shouldn’t exist. For George-Étienne and the House of Styx, harnessing
it may be worth risking all.
**********
As fans of The Quantum Evolution
series will know, the Vesuvian Congregate was a pivotal power throughout
colonized space. A political power, with the punch to influence just about
anyone they wanted. But here, in this story, Venus is the poor man’s version of
a rough and ready hick town.
Yes, mankind has managed to
settle in the volatile environment of the upper atmosphere of Earth’s nearest
neighbor, but life is far from easy. Existence is hard. So hard, that dogmatic
routine – of check, check, and check again – is the key to survival. The
slightest exposure to Venus’ toxic atmosphere will burn you; the smallest
misstep will send you plummeting into the crushing depths of the lower
atmosphere; the tiniest inclination to relax your guard will set of a series of
catastrophes that get you killed.
Yet people have not only set up a
colony here, they’re doing their best to thrive . . . if owing the Bank of
Pallas an ever-extending debt from which you’ll never be free is your idea of
thriving. And it’s into this cauldron of fomenting menace that we look in on
the D’Aquillon’s, a family who were part of the original settlers who took the
chance of making Venus their home.
But as I mentioned, life isn’t
easy. The banks are always out to make a profit. They even have a controlling
influence on the distribution of medicines and spare parts, vital for survival.
And if you don’t toe the line, then you just might discover that Venus becomes
your grave. This creates something of a division between the settlers. There
are those who do prosper – to a degree – the kowtows and the lackeys, who do
exactly what the Bank of Pallas wants. They get the better, more sophisticated
habitats higher up in the atmosphere where it’s safer.
Families like the D’Aquillon’s,
however, live deeper down, in floating, plantlike homes where thunder and
lightning rages, and death is only a stuttering heartbeat away. But what do you
expect when your whole economy is based on salvaging what you can from the endless
storms that churn Venus’ atmosphere into a frothing rage?
And then the D’Aquillon’s make a
remarkable discovery. One that will guarantee a future free from debt and the
controlling fist of oppression.
Regardless, if the wrong people
find out, then not only will the bank step in and take their discovery from them, but the D’Aquillon’s may very well find
themselves arrested on trumped-up charges, or even killed.
Now, what that find is, exactly, you’ll
have to uncover for yourself.
But you’ll be glad you did, as
Künsken’s immersive style will allow you to ‘connect’ with the every-day-in-day-out
struggle the D’Aquillon’s must endure to simply eke out a living. And that
endurance is what makes them special. Yes, they’re flawed. Their personalities
often create as much friction as the storm clouds in which they live. But being
downtrodden and ignored and rejected for so many years has made them tough.
Self-reliant and determined. Resilient. So much so, that when a golden
opportunity comes their way, they have just the right qualities and skills to
make a daring plan work.
And I thoroughly enjoyed how Künsken
put that across in this story. We delve into what makes people tick. What
motivates them. What makes one person stand up and be counted when it matters,
while others fold. It’s about loyalty and unity. And, quite simply, it’s yet
another fine example of how good old-fashioned sci-fi should be written.
I can’t wait to see what happens
next.
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