Foreigner Universe

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This article is about the fictional universe. For other uses of the term "Foreigner", see Foreigner (disambiguation).

Foreigner (10th Anniversary Edition) DAW Books, 2004; Cover art by Michael Whelan as per original 1994 edition.

The Foreigner universe is a fictional universe developed by Science fiction and Fantasy author C. J. Cherryh. The series centers around the descendants of a ship lost in transit from Earth en route to found a new space station. It is currently a series of eight novels published between 1994 and 2006, focusing on the life of Bren Cameron, the human paidhi, a translator-diplomat to the court of the ruling Aiji of the atevi aishidi'tat. The series consists of semi-encapsulated trilogy arcs (or sequences). The ninth book is awaiting publication, with a fourth arc under contract. [1]

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

1 Introduction
2 Genre
3 Major characters and other important persons
4 Story Arcs
5 Cover artwork
6 References
7 See also
8 External links

[edit] Introduction

The Foreigner series begins as another attempt by Earth to establish an interstellar trade empire. Within the first few chapters of the book, the voyage of the Phoenix goes terribly wrong and the humans find themselves stranded in some far-flung reach of space, without any idea of how to get home, completely unable to even locate Sol in the visible stars.

The humans decide to look for a habitable world, but in the process create a stark divide between the population meant for the station and the pilots of the starship and intrasystem craft, culminating in the formation of an oppressive, oligarchic Pilot's Guild.

The humans opt to build their space station in orbit around the homeworld of the atevi, a green and living world. After some time, the starship Phoenix leaves the humans of the station to begin building further stations to expand their territory, and ostensibly protect their race by spreading it to the nearer stars.

Phoenix's departure leads to a breakdown in the system of the Pilot's Guild, and some stationers choose to abandon the station in parachuting landers (much akin to NASA's Project Mercury).

The humans encounter the Atevi, a race of dark-skinned humanoids, for whom math is as intrinsic as breathing. Atevi possess no concept of liking or loving another person, but instead place utmost importance on feelings of loyalty or man'chi.

Cross-cultural misunderstandings lead to the War of the Landing. This horrific war leads to the establishment of a human enclave on the island of Mospheira and a long-standing peace based on separation between humans and the then-steam-age atevi. Only one human, the paidhi, is allowed to live among atevi. The paidhi brokers a slow and careful transfer of technology to the atevi, all the while creating dictionaries so that the next paidhi can further the work of understanding and technology transfer.

This is all contained within the first book of the series. The remaining books focus on the interrelations among Bren Cameron, Tabini (the Aiji or supreme ruler of the main atevi government), the human enclave of Mospheira, the humans aboard Phoenix, and an alien presence in the nearer stars.

[edit] Genre

As with many of C.J. Cherryh's novels, this series could be best described as anthropological science fiction, focusing on the interface between our human customs and understandings and that of an alien race whose motivations, thoughts and even feelings are diametrically opposed to our own. Broadly speaking, the series could also be described as Space Opera, especially the second and third story arcs.

Throughout the series the reader is lead to understand that the atevi have no feeling of love, but rather man'chi -- a loyalty-web to one's leader, one's leader's leader, and so on until the Aiji of Shejidan, leader of the aishidi'tat or union of all atevi.

Like other works, such as the Chanur Novels, Cuckoo's Egg and her other alien centered novels, the Foreigner series brings in a peppering of alien names and concepts attached to the language. Stringently asserted is the idea that the number two to the atevi is disharmonious and as unnerving as fingernails on a chalkboard is to humans. The number three however is "felicitous," and the entirety of the main atevi language Ragi is a continual mathematic construct to enable so-called "felicitous numbers," that is unless the speaker wishes to convey anti-social messages to their audience.

[edit] Major characters and other important persons

Bren Cameron, paidhi and later paidhi-aiji, translator to the court of Tabini.
Tabini, Aiji of Shejidan, supreme leader of the atevi.
Ilisidi, the Aiji-dowager, grandmother of Tabini, and thrice denied the throne by the tashrid, or atevi parliament.
Banichi and Jago, Bren's male and female (respectively) Assassin's Guild guard, assigned from Tabini's own staff in the first novel.
Cajeiri, eight year-old son of Tabini, presumed heir to the aishidi'tat.

[edit] Story Arcs

Each arc consists of three novels (and the number is no doubt related to the "felicitous three" of the atevi beliefs). Each arc deals with an entire storyline, although there are cross-connections as the series has progressed. Roughly 10 years of time are supposed to have elapsed (per the novel) from Book 1, Foreigner, to Book 8, Pretender.

The First Arc (Foreigner, Invader, Inheritor) focuses on an assassination attempt against Bren Cameron, an act illegal by the peace treaty made following the War of the Landing. It is for this reason that all paidhi'in are dressed in white, showing no attachment to any house. This assassination attempt proves to be a conspiracy by factions of humans and atevi to depose Bren as the paidhi. The Starship Phoenix returns, causing the entire system to come out of balance, causing political unrest on both Mospheira and the mainland, and while the atevi change from simple rocketry to advanced single-stage-to-orbit shuttles, radically altering their economic and industrial base in the process.

The Second Arc (Precursor, Defender, Explorer) focuses on Bren as he is elevated by Tabini to be the Lord of the Heavens, making him a lord of the aishidi'tat. Bren is then charged with taking Tabini's heir, Cajeiri and Illisidi his grandmother to see to a threat of aliens encountered by Phoenix, but Bren and the Aiji-Dowager must first solve a mutiny aboard Phoenix.

The Third Arc (Destroyer, Pretender, Deliverer) focuses on Bren Cameron, Illisidi and Cajeiri's return from deep-space and their encounter with the alien kyo only to find the aishidi'tat in tatters, Tabini-Aiji reputed dead, and Murini, the pretender-aiji on the throne in Shejidan. The kyo will expect a unified planet, and under the rule of Tabini-aiji. Bren, the Dowager and the Aiji must restore order before the kyo arrive for negotiations. (Deliverer is scheduled for publication in February 2007. [2])

[edit] Cover artwork

Although drawn by different artists, the cover art for the series maintains a fairly consistent look and feel. Every cover to date but one has featured the protagonist Bren Cameron as the sole human pictured along with one or more armed Atevi. This serves to visually emphasize Bren's, and the human refugees in general, patently foreign presence among this aggressive alien race. The depiction of Bren's Atevi lover, Jago, on most of the covers may both exacerbate and ease the reader's sense of the protagonist's isolation.

[edit] Arc 1

Foreigner (1994); Cover art by Michael Whelan (Hardcover ed.). Depicts Bren along with two Atevi, probably Banichi and Jago.

Invader (1995); Cover art by Michael Whelan (Paperback ed.). Depicts Bren along with a female Atevi (probably Jago) and an unknown Atevi.

Inheritor (1996); Cover art by Dorian Vallejo (Paperback ed.). Depicts Bren and a female Atevi (probably Jago) mounted on mecheiti. The human faintly visible in the background is probably Jase-paidhi, and the structure they are exiting is probably Illisidi's fortress in Malguri.

[edit] Arc 2

Precursor (1999); Cover art by Stephan Youll (Paperback ed.). Depicts Bren and a female Atevi (probably Jago) with an Atevi space shuttle in the background.

Defender (2001); Cover art by Stephan Youll (Hardcover ed.). Depicts Bren and a female Atevi (probably Jago)

Explorer (2003); Cover art by Michael Whelan (Hardcover ed.). Depicts Bren aboard the starship Phoenix along with Illisidi and two other Atevi (probably Banichi and Jago).